Sebastian's POV
The moment I stepped into class, I should've turned back.
Ray Lin was already there. Again. Sitting in my seat. Again. With… God. Was that a tray?
She beamed at me like the sun had personally charged her battery that morning. "Seb! Morning! Look—I brought muffins! And coffee! Your kind! The good kind. And Ava's back, so she's on my other side today, don't worry, you're free from clingy me—unless, you know, you miss me, which would be crazy, haha."
It was eight-fifty a.m.
I hadn't even had my own coffee yet.
I stared down at what she had placed on the desk. There were two cinnamon muffins, one of which had a bite taken out of it—hers, obviously—and a plastic cup filled with what I hoped was coffee. Until I saw the whipped cream. And the chocolate. And caramel drizzle. And—was that sprinkles?
There was a literal marshmallow on top.
"Ray," I said slowly, "what is that."
"It's your morning coffee!" she chirped. "I made them ask for extra drizzle. Isn't it cute? And don't worry, it's sweet because I read somewhere that sugar helps with… mood regulation."
"I don't drink dessert," I muttered.
"You do now!" She shoved the drink a fraction closer, narrowly missing my notes. "And I got it iced so you don't burn your tongue. Thoughtful, right? I know you won't say thank you, you're more of a 'silent gratitude' type, but it's okay, I see your vibes."
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Austin slid into the seat behind her, grinning like this was his personal reality show. "Morning, lovebirds."
"I will kill you," I told him flatly.
Ray gasped. "Austin, don't tease! I'm just trying to be nice. Someone had a long night in the library yesterday. You're welcome for the hug therapy."
Austin choked on his gum.
I looked away before I said something I'd regret. Like, "You're the most chaotic storm I've ever met and I haven't slept properly since you walked into my life."
Ray sat back in her chair, flipping her ridiculously long black hair over one shoulder. It brushed my arm. Again.
And as if she'd done it on cue, she added, "Oh no, did my hair fall on you? Sorry! I keep forgetting how long it is. My grandma says I should cut it, but I was like, nooo way, I wanna be like Rapunzel. Though I don't want to be locked in a tower. Unless it's a tower with coffee. And muffins. And you! I mean—not with you. I mean, like, you visiting. To drop off coffee. Like a delivery prince."
Silence.
My eye twitched.
"You called me Seb again," I muttered.
"I did," she said, grinning. "It fits you. Sebastian sounds too stiff, like a baroque painting. 'Seb' is warmer. Less stabby."
I was going to lose my mind.
She looked at me with sparkly, hopeful eyes, holding out the muffin like it was a peace offering to a feral raccoon. "Take the muffin, Seb."
I took it.
God help me, I took the muffin.
And I hated that it smelled kind of… good.
And even more than that—I hated that her hair brushing my arm didn't annoy me as much as it should have.
The muffin was warm. Which meant she hadn't just brought it on a whim. She must've picked it up before class. For me.
I hated how that made my chest feel.
Across from me, Ray was clinging to Ava now—literally arms around her like a freaking koala. "You're back! I missed you so much! You have no idea how lonely I was! Austin barely spoke to me and Seb doesn't talk, like ever, unless he's threatening murder—"
"I didn't threaten murder," I said without looking up from my notes. "I implied it."
Ava, for her part, looked like she had walked into the middle of a soap opera and wanted out immediately. "Ray, I was gone for one day."
"One day is a long time in Ray Years," Austin said from behind her.
"Exactly!" Ray pointed dramatically with a bitten muffin. "And Seb was so grumpy. I think he missed you. He just doesn't know how to say it because he communicates in death glares."
I looked at her. Directly. Slowly.
She froze.
Then beamed at me. "See? That's his version of a hello."
Austin snorted.
I went back to writing, tuning out the way she and Ava whispered and giggled. Mostly Ray. Mostly her whispering about ghosts, glitter pens, and how she nearly died of fear last night in the library but was saved by my "neck."
I didn't even want to know what that meant.
She leaned over Ava suddenly and whispered—not quietly—"Hey, Seb."
I didn't answer.
She tried again. "Seb."
Still didn't answer.
"Sebbbbb."
"Stop saying my name like you own it."
She gasped. "But I do! I say it better than anyone. Your name sounds prettier when I say it. Listen—Sebaaaasstiaaaan~" she sang. "Nope. Nope. Doesn't work. But 'Seb'? Magic. You should be grateful I shortened it. You're welcome."
I closed my eyes for one, singular, painful second.
Ray Lin had taken over my desk, given me dessert disguised as coffee, called me Seb like she'd known me since birth, and was now using my name like a party trick.
And the worst part?
I let her.
Because some sick, quiet, hidden part of me…
Didn't want her to stop.