SEBASTIAN’S POV
I didn’t expect to feel this kind of coldness from Sasha again, not after everything we’d gone through to rebuild what we had.
Yet, here she was, holding me at arm’s length, her eyes clouded with the same doubt I thought we had moved past.
“Who was she?” Sasha asked, her voice tight.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling deeply. I hated how this conversation was already shaping up. “I told you, Sasha, she’s an old acquaintance. That’s all. Nothing more.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes hard. “Old acquaintance? Sebastian, the way she looked at you… it didn’t feel like just an acquaintance.”
“Are we really doing this again?” My tone came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t help it.
Her accusations cut deep, deeper than I wanted to admit. “I’ve told you the truth. If that’s not enough, I don’t know what else to say.”
Her silence was like a brick wall, and it made something inside me snap. “You don’t trust me, do you?”
“I never said that,” she replied softly, but there was hesitation in her voice, and I caught it.
“No, you didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face. Every time we hit a bump, Sasha, you shut me out and assume the worst. Do you know how exhausting that is?”
Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she looked down at the floor, avoiding my gaze.
I took a step closer, forcing her to look at me. “Do you think I enjoy this? Do you think I wake up every day wondering how I can make you doubt me?”
“Because I don’t. I’m trying, Sasha. I’ve been trying since the day we started this… whatever this is.”
Her head snapped up. “Whatever this is?”
“Yes, whatever this is, because right now, it doesn’t feel like a marriage. It feels like a constant battle to prove myself to you, and I’m tired of it.”
I saw her flinch, and for a moment, I regretted the sharpness of my words. But I couldn’t take them back. Not when they were the truth.
“Sebastian, I’m not trying to doubt you. It’s just”
“It’s just what, Sasha?” I interrupted. “You don’t trust me. That’s what this boils down to, isn’t it? And if you can’t trust me, then why are we even doing this?”
Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away quickly. “That’s not fair,” she said quietly.
“Fair?” I let out a bitter laugh.
“What’s not fair is having to defend myself every time you think someone else is trying to come between us. I’m not going to keep doing this, Sasha.”
I turned on my heel, grabbing my car keys from the table. My heart was pounding, anger and frustration swirling together in a chaotic storm. “I need some air,” I said, my voice low and clipped.
“Sebastian, wait,” she said, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not this time.
I reached the door, my hand on the handle, when I felt her fingers wrap around my arm. Her grip was gentle, but it stopped me in my tracks.
“Please don’t go,” she said softly.
I turned to face her, my anger still simmering but her expression made it hard to hold onto it.
There was something vulnerable in her eyes, something that pulled at the part of me that couldn’t ever really stay mad at her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. The apology was unexpected, and I could see the sincerity in her face. She wasn’t just saying it to appease me; she meant it.
“I…” I started, but the words caught in my throat.
She let go of my arm, her hands falling to her sides. “I know I’ve been unfair to you. I know I let my insecurities get the better of me, and I’m sorry. I really am.”
I stared at her, my emotions warring with each other. Part of me wanted to stay angry, to hold onto the frustration I felt.
But another part of me, the part that loved her more than anything, couldn’t ignore the pain in her voice.
“Sasha,” I said finally, my voice softer now.
“I need you to understand something. I need you to trust me. Not just when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard. Because if you can’t do that…” I trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.
“I do trust you,” she said quickly. “I do. I just…” She took a shaky breath. “I’m scared, Sebastian. I’m scared of losing you, and sometimes that fear makes me act irrationally.”
Her honesty took me by surprise, and it was like a weight lifted off my chest. I could work with honesty. I could handle vulnerability.
I reached out, cupping her face in my hands. “You’re not going to lose me, Sasha. But you have to meet me halfway. I can’t keep doing this alone.”
She nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I will. I promise.”
For the first time that night, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe we could get through this, after all, since she was willing to give it a trial with me, totally forgetting my kind of person.
“Okay,” I said quietly. “Let’s try again.”
“Okay,” she whispered back.
And just like that, the storm began to calm.