The True Luna's Forbidden Temptation - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Analise.
The bar lights flicker, casting restless shadows as I stare at my phone, willing it to ring. My finger hovers over Sebastian's number for the hundredth time tonight. I press call, holding my breath.
"The number you have dialed is unavailable or out of coverage area.”
I slam the phone down, frustration bubbling up inside me. "Dammit, Sebastian," I mutter, running a hand through my hair.
My mind drifts back to two nights ago, to the last moment I spent with him. I remember how his piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, filled with torn and broken emotions I could not quite decipher. But when his strong arms wrapped around me, when his lips met mine, the world just disappeared.
I close my eyes, remembering our first kiss. It was forbidden, I know. He’s my stepbrother, for crying out loud! But damn! No one has ever made me feel like that before. Everything just felt… right!'
A glass of pink cocktail suddenly appears in front of me. I look up and see Tyler’s face smiling back at me.
“You look like you could use another drink.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I murmur, taking a sip of my drink. “I should be heading home soon.”
But I don’t really want to go home—home means being alone with my thoughts, replaying that kiss over and over. Here in the bar, I can pretend I’m not some girl who was just abandoned by the most important guy in her life.
I pull out my phone again, staring at Sebastian’s name. What would I even say if he answered?
'Why did you kiss me and then disappear?'
'Why won't you talk to me?'
'Do you regret it?'
Sebastian must have a good reason for disappearing on me. I think he’s been meaning to disappear even before he kissed me.
I take a sip of my drink, wincing as Sebastian’s voice echoes in my mind: ‘I reject you.’
The words cut through me like shards of glass. My fingers tighten around my drink.
When Sebastian uttered those words, something inside me shattered. The pain was excruciating. I remember gripping the railing, my knees threatening to buckle beneath me.
"It doesn't make any sense," I mutter, more to myself than anyone else.
"What doesn't?" Tyler leans in, curiosity written across his face.
I shake my head. "Nothing. Everything." I down the rest of my drink in one gulp. "Hit me again."
As he refills my glass, I close my eyes, willing the alcohol to numb the ache in my chest. But all I see is Sebastian's face, those piercing blue eyes filled with... what? Regret? Pain?
After he uttered those words, I nearly collapsed. My breath hitched, my vision blurred. When I opened my eyes, he was gone—vanished like a ghost, leaving nothing behind but the taste of his kiss and the sting of my tears."
"To rejection," I say bitterly, raising my glass in a mock toast. It’s a good thing no one is paying attention to me.
I haven’t seen or heard from Sebastian for two days. His phone is off, his social media account deleted. Even Lorraine has no clue where he's disappeared to.
"He's probably at his grandparents' again," she had said with a shrug when I asked. "You know he likes it there more.”
Another drink slides across the polished wood, coming to rest beside my half-empty glass. I look up, startled, to find Tyler's warm brown eyes and easy smile.
"Looks like you could use something a little sweeter," he says, nodding to the colorful cocktail.
I force my lips to curve upward, but it feels more like a grimace. "Thanks, Tyler. But I'm not sure even your famous cocktails can fix this mood."
He leans against the bar, his sandy blonde hair catching the soft light. "I wasn’t gonna ask but let me guess... boyfriend troubles?"
A humorless laugh escapes me. "Can't have boyfriend troubles if you don't have a boyfriend."
"Ah," Tyler nods sagely, "so it's one of those 'it's complicated' situations. Those are the worst."
I take a sip of the cocktail, letting the mint and lime dance on my tongue. "If this is what heartbreak feels like, I'd rather stay single forever."
Tyler's eyes soften with sympathy. "Well, it will get better eventually.”
I raise a brow at him. “Seriously?”
He shrugs. “Well, it'll get worse before it gets better.”
I nod, swallowing hard. My fingers find my phone again, muscle memory taking over. Before I can stop myself, I'm dialing Sebastian's number one more time.
To my shock, it rings. My heart pounds loudly inside my ribcage.
‘Damn it! What am I going to say to him?’
"Hello?" The voice that answers is female, older, with a clipped tone that makes me sit up straighter.
"I... I'm sorry, I was trying to reach Sebastian," I stammer, heart racing.
The woman's voice turns frosty. "Sebastian is unavailable. He's busy with his training at Blackwood Corp and doesn't need any distractions. I suggest you stop calling."
My throat tightens. "But I—"
“Analise, is it?” she asks.
I swallow hard before replying. “Y-yes.”
“You’re young. Beautiful. I’m sure you’re smart. Sebastian does not want to break your heart. He’s got a lot going for him. We have high hopes for him. He cannot be distracted at this time. And besides… you are not someone we consider… ‘fit’ for our Sebastian.”
Judging from her words, I am guessing I’m talking to Sebastian’s grandmother. I have never met her. But I heard Lorraine mention she’s sort of tyrannical.
“Ma’am, I just want to—”
“Sebastian left clear instructions that he should not be bothered by anyone,"
"Even me?" I whisper, barely audible over the bar's ambient noise.
"Especially you." The coldness in her tone freezes my insides. "You should stop bothering him. Sebastian does not want to see or talk to you ever again."
‘Wait, what?’ I can’t believe what I just heard. Sebastian would never say that about me.
“But—” I start to protest.
"Good day," she says, and the line goes dead.
I stare at my phone, feeling like I've been slapped. Tyler's watching me, concern etched on his face.
"Everything okay?" he asks softly.
I shake my head, fighting back tears. "No," I whisper. "No, it's really not."
I don’t know what to feel. Heartbroken? Angry?
How could Sebastian do this to me? The memory of his kiss, so passionate and tender, now feels like a cruel joke.
‘Is it because I keep asking him to save me?’
The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. "He's tired of me," I whisper, the truth of it settling heavily in my chest. ‘Sebastian's gotten tired of me always needing protection! Always needing to be saved!’
I grip the cocktail glass tightly, my knuckles turning white. The anger surges, hot and fierce, drowning out the pain. With a swift motion, I down the drink in one go, the alcohol burning a path down my throat.
"Whoa, easy there," Tyler says, his brown eyes widening.
But I'm not listening. A new resolve crystallizes within me, hardening my heart. "I don't need him," I declare, my voice low and determined. "I don’t need him. I’ll be strong on my own. I swear I will never call for him even if my life depends on it!”
I fish my phone and send a text message to Elise.
“Hey, can I crash over at your place?”
Even though I decided to be brave, I still don’t want to be alone—at least not tonight.
“Sure. Come over,” Elise replies.
I stand abruptly, fishing a bill from my pocket and slapping it on the bar. "I’m going," I announce to Tyler, my legs only slightly unsteady.
Tyler's sandy blonde hair catches the dim bar light as he nods. "Hold up," he says, already untying his apron.
"My shift just ended. I'll walk you home."
I pause, torn between my desire to be alone and the genuine concern in Tyler's eyes. His familiar, easy-going presence is comforting after the emotional rollercoaster of the evening.
"You don't have to do that," I mutter, but there's no real resistance in my voice.
Tyler's lips quirk into a small smile. "I know. But I want to, okay?”