All good things come to an end and mine and Olivia's girls night out was no exception. Ending our night with some drinks at Covent Garden was a fantastic idea, but it came with a price. And that price was a crowded tube station, so we settled for the bus. After Olivia got off at her stop, I waited two more until it was my turn to push the Stop sign and leave the big red bus, with flashy billboards on the side.

It had been such a long time since I went out without a care in the world, and without having to carry a large purse that could fit everything Lexi might or might not need during an outing (extra tissues, her tablet, a notepad with blank pages and some crayons, you know the drill...).

I missed it and, after the first round of drinks I started to feel really good about Olivia pushing me into asking Seb to watch Lexi so I could go out with her tonight.

I tightly wrapped my arms around my middle as the cold London night air breeze was starting to tickle my skin, while I made my way home. I fished my small handbag for the keys and once I found them, I opened the front door of my home and walked inside the warm and cosy room.

Right after closing the door behind me, I found Sébastien standing in the hallway with a kitchen towel dangling in his hand, and his blonde hair looking dishevelled on top of his head.

"Bienvenue chez toi." His smile was wide and bright. "That means welcome home."

"Ah." I said in realisation. "You learn something every day."

I slid my feet off of my heels that were killing my toes, and tossed them into the corner of the room, before sighing in relief at the feeling of my bare feet on the floor, finally unconstricted.

"Did everything go okay tonight?"

"Yes! Lexi is an angel." He looked up at the wall and I followed his gaze, finding the big white clock that had just struck eleven. "I've just put her to bed. I know that's a bit later than the bedtime you instructed but she wanted to stay up and help me with my desserts."

"Oh, really?" I remembered the boxes Sébastien had brought with him when he got to my place, desserts that he had been creating and trying out.

"Yes." He nodded. "She's one hell of a critic."

I coughed out a laugh. Knowing my daughter like the back of my hand, this information didn't shock me.

"Don't tell me she bruised your Parisian baker ego."

"Not at all!" He went back to cleaning some of the dishes he had just washed. "I love a good critic, and I appreciate it when they're right. Lexi helped me perfect the meringue recipe."

I made my way to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, taking a long sip before he spoke up again.

"By the way, you got a call." He pointed his chin in the direction of the landline phone that stayed on a small table by the stairway, next to where I usually kept the keys and letters. "I know I shouldn't have answered but I thought it would be important."

"That's okay." I removed my jacket, placed it on the back of one of the chairs, and smiled. "Who was it?"

"It was from prison."

"What?" I was sure all the colour drained from my face the moment he said those words. I tried to focus on my breathing and to think clearly but I was unable to. My heart physically hurt, as it was being pressed too tightly against my chest.

"Oh don't worry." He said, immediately sensing my state of discomfort. "They said it was a mistake."

"A mistake?"

"Yeah, wrong number." Sébastien shrugged, as if this was no big deal (which, in other circumstances, wouldn't be), before going back to the dishes, and I followed him towards the sink.

After a moment of silence, he stopped his actions.

"Are you okay, Mel?" When he turned around in his heels and faced me, his expression changed, now showing visible signs of concern.

"What did they say?"

"First it was one of those recordings, you know? You have a collect call from prison..." He quoted the recording. "They give you the chance to accept the call or to end it, and I was actually thinking about ending it, but I thought maybe you had some family member or friend behind bars and I didn't want them to think you were hanging up on them. I accepted the call, fully ready to take a note or tell them to try calling you later, but they-"

"What did they say?" I repeated the question, my patience for the details now completely gone.

"When they heard me say hello they just said they dialled the wrong number and apologised before hanging up."

I may have had a couple rounds of drinks, plus wine at dinner, but I was nowhere near tipsy, and I was fully aware of what this was and its implications.

And, unfortunately, I knew all too well who it was on the other side of the call.

"Mel, you look like you've seen a ghost." Oh, I wish I did.

"You should sit down." The touch of his fingers on my skin felt like a burning flame and I instinctively pushed him away from me.

"No, I'm good."

I could tell the sudden movement caused something in Sébastien. Not fear or terror, but maybe shock and bewilderment.

Sébastien had never seen me like this and I never hoped that he would.

"You want to try the lime pie your daughter helped me make?" He was trying his best to get my mind off of whoever and whatever, but distracting me with meringue and lime curd wasn't enough today.

"I think you should go."

I was terribly sorry that I was being this mean to Sébastien when he didn't deserve it. When he had been kind enough to spend his Friday night entertaining and watching my own daughter.

"Thank you so much for babysitting tonight." I said, hoping that my words would mean something to him, and that they would, at the very least, cover up for this ungracious behaviour of mine, instead of the gratitude I should be showing. "I really appreciate it."

"That's no problem." He said, his voice gentle. "If you ever need anything, anything at all." Sébastien's voice lowered and I could tell that he meant it. "Just call me."

And, looking into his blue eyes filled with concern and sympathy, I could tell that just by watching me and my reaction alone, he had realised that that call was not a mistake, and the prisoner did not dial the number wrong. He knew that I was exactly the person they were trying to reach and despite my silence regarding this issue, he knew that there was something more to it, something I was not telling him. It was noticeable how Sébastien was itching to know all the details, but he didn't actually put that wish into words, nor did he manipulate me, or pressure me into spilling my secrets. He just told me that he was there for me if I ever needed him.

And that was enough. 

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

OH! MY! GOD! We're slowly starting to learn more and more about Mel and her past and so is Seb... 👀

In other news, my other story "The Beginning of the End" is coming to an end soon, but that's not the end for my lovely characters... Let me introduce you to the Cosmic Love Series, a series of four romance novels about every character you've met in TBOTE! It will follow a timeline, so I personally would advise you to read the books in order (TBOTE is book #1), but if you want to, you can read them as standalones as well ❤

See you there!

Last but not least, please don't forget to show your support by voting and leaving a comment if you're enjoying this story! And don't forget to add Plot Twist  and The Beginning of the End to your reading list so you don't miss any updates!

Xoxo, Mars