Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162

Sebastian spread his palm.

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A bottle of pale blue liquid lay quietly there. It was unmistakably the same stuff Bill had chugged earlier.

Everyone was too shocked to say a word.

Lucas touched it and found it sticky.

“Ms. Carter is insane at climbing walls!” Vincent couldn’t help but give her a big thumbs-up, totally stunned.

Allan shot him a sideways glance and just snorted.

He thought, ‘You’re so easily impressed.

‘Ever seen Stella scale up to the fourth floor with nothing but her bare hands? I have!’

Allan was practically beaming with pride.

Sebastian, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at Stella as Vincent spoke. “Which floor?”

Vincent blurted out, “Fourteen floors!”

‘Thanks a lot, Vincent,’ Stella thought, rolling her eyes.

Stella mumbled, sounding a bit sheepish, “Well, it wasn’t really that high…”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed even more. “So, how many floors was it?”

Stella admitted, “Fourteen.”

Sebastian stared at her, silent.

Lucas, on the other hand, looked up at Stella in awe and clapped.

A dark aura started to gather around Sebastian, and even Vincent, who was usually oblivious, felt a chill running down his spine. The plain plant on the table was trembling non-stop, and Sebastian looked ready to explode any second now.

The next second, Stella threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

The “volcano” that was about to erupt instantly went silent.

Stella gently patted his back, trying to cheer him up. “Don’t be mad, okay? Anger makes you get old way faster!”

Sebastian couldn’t stand being called old, and was left speechless.

Eliel’s eyes went wide in shock as he turned to Vincent. “You knew about this?”

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Chapter 162

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Vincent blinked, confused. “Knew about what?”

Eliel just sighed. ‘Forget it; he’s hopeless,’ he thought.

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Sebastian took the small bottle of pale blue liquid. He nearly tossed it to Vincent, then remembered Stella had climbed fourteen floors for it. His gaze turned cold as he handed it over. “Give it to Murray.”

‘Man, Mr. Gray’s glare could freeze water!’ Vincent thought and took the bottle.

“Let’s head back,” Sebastian said, reaching up to wipe the sweat from Stella’s forehead. His hand hesitated as he brushed the corner of her eye.

Eliel looked surprised. “It’s so late already. Why not crash at the training ground tonight?”

Sebastian hadn’t set foot here in years!

Everyone else who got the word was rushing over, just hoping to see him.

Sebastian replied, “No.”

As if he could read Eliel’s mind, Sebastian shut him down right away. “He only sleeps in his own bed.” He pointed straight at Lucas.

Lucas looked totally innocent and tilted his head.

Everyone was speechless.

*****

Just like when they arrived, two military SUVS drove straight onto the tarmac of Jaffina International Airport.

As the plane’s door swung open, someone called out, “Mr. Gray, wait a sec!”

Eliel and Vincent popped the trunks. The local specialties were piled so high they were about to spill out. “The head cook told me to load you up. He said Mr. Gray looked a bit thin and wanted him to eat more!”

They kept talking as they stuffed everything into the plane.

Allan wanted to say something, but just couldn’t. ‘Did they really empty out the entire mess hall?’ he thought.

The group boarded the plane.

Eliel was left standing alone on the tarmac. Just before the plane took off, he raised his hand in a crisp salute.

Up in the sky, everyone else was fast asleep, but Sebastian was in a foul mood.

Sebastian couldn’t help but glance over at Stella. Her black hoodie covered most of her face, and Lucas was snuggled up in her arms, snoozing away.

His mood soured even more.

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Chapter 162

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He rolled his wheelchair over to the two of them and, grumpily, poked Lucas’s squishy cheek.

‘So soft, he thought.

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After a moment of silence, he grabbed Lucas’s cheeks with both hands and gave them a good tug, snorting. ‘Man, this kid’s really not much to look at!’

Sebastian was getting carried away, and when he looked up, he found himself staring right into Stella’s eyes; she’d woken up at some point without him noticing.

They stared at each other, speechless.

“Feeling down?” Stella yawned lazily, her long lashes fanning across her face. Lucas, who was probably dreaming about something yummy, started sucking on his thumb.

She scooted over, making room for him, and shot a casual glance at Sebastian’s wheelchair.

The next second, he was already sitting right beside her.

“I’m not feeling great,” Sebastian grumbled, his ears aching from the cabin pressure. He looked at the scar at the corner of her eye, his lips set in a straight line. “Does it hurt?”

His pale, sickly face looked even colder and aloof against that black shirt. His hand lifted, landing softly at the corner of her

eye.

His touch was careful, almost hesitant.

Stella felt a strange tingle, making her shiver and pull away before she even realized. “Nope, doesn’t hurt. I barely feel it,” she said, trying to sound casual.

But if Sebastian kept touching her, things might get complicated.

‘Why did she pull away?’ Sebastian wondered.

He lowered his eyes, saying nothing, lightly brushing his fingertips together, as if the delicate feeling of her skin still lingered there.

‘Can he stop acting like a puppy caught in a downpour? I swear I can almost hear him whining in my ear, Stella thought.

Sebastian glanced at her.

Then he glanced at her again.

“Just touch it already,” Stella sighed, taking his hand and placing it gently at the corner of her eye.

She was totally indulging him.

The next second, Sebastian’s cold hand covered half her face. He sighed, mirroring her, his voice low, rough, and full of emotion. “Stella, stop doing reckless things all the time. Don’t get hurt. Don’t make me worry about you…”

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Chapter 162

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His fingers brushed lightly over the tiny scar at the corner of her right eye, a mark so faint most people wouldn’t even notice. He knew he was probably being dramatic, but he couldn’t help.

“I’ve already lost too many people in my life, so now…

“Please, don’t let me lose you, too,” Sebastian said.

Stella didn’t say a word.

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed tight, skipping a beat-especially when Sebastian looked at her with that pleading, almost desperate expression.

Her oversized black hoodie slipped down over her head as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small bottle of pale blue liquid again. “I saw the way you looked at it, so I thought you wanted it.”

It was only after she saw that look in his eyes that she decided to swipe it.

She grabbed two bottles at the time.

One’d already been handed in, and the other was right here.

Sebastian swallowed hard.

He stared at the small bottle nestled quietly in her palm.

This was exactly what he wanted.

The moment Bill pulled it out, Sebastian was already thinking about getting it analyzed to see if it was connected to that incident years ago. ‘She actually noticed?’ he thought, surprised.

Stella had sensed his mood before he was even aware of it himself.

“Why?” Sebastian looked up, locking eyes with Stella.

Stella arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘Why’?”

“Why do you notice me?” Sebastian asked quietly, Adam’s apple bobbing as he finally voiced the question he’d kept buried for so long. “Why did you claim me as yours the very first time we met?”

His ears flushed red before he even realized, and he looked away.

Stella thought, totally confused, ‘Wait a sec, when did I ever say he was mine?

‘Why is he turning away?

‘And what’s up with his ears turning red?’

After a long pause, Stella finally managed to find her voice.

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Chapter 163