Signed Mrs. Sterling Chapter 09
Back at the villa, I wrapped Leo in a blanket and gave him a cup of hot cocoa topped with marshmallows.
The little guy finally quieted down, holding the mug and looking around like a frightened fawn.
Sebastian sat on the opposite sofa, looking a bit awkward. It was funny, because at Harrison’s place, he always acted like he owned it, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.
“Nice place,” he said, trying to make small talk. “You’ve always had great taste, Julianne. Much better than Harrison’s cold, minimalist showroom.”
I poured him a glass of water, my voice flat.
“So… you all know?”
“All of New York knows,” Sebastian said with a bitter laugh. “The tabloids haven’t printed it yet, but it’s the talk of every country club. Harrison was at one last night, getting wasted, but I don’t think he’s as happy as he’s pretending to be.”
The mention of Harrison’s name stirred nothing in me.
I looked at Leo, who was still clutching my jacket, and asked the obvious question.
“Where’s his mother? At a time like this, he should be with his mom.”
At my words, the light in Sebastian’s eyes instantly dimmed.
I’d always heard that Sebastian was New York’s most notorious playboy, changing girlfriends more often than he changed cars, so I never expected him to have a stable family.
I thought he’d give me a vague answer, but instead, he looked down at the floorboards.
“Cancer,” he said in a low voice. “She passed away two years ago.”
“She was my college girlfriend, not part of this circle. We… we never went public.”
I instinctively glanced at Leo, who was now licking marshmallows off his spoon, and my heart clenched.
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry, Sebastian.”
The only sound in the living room was the crackling of the fire in the hearth.
To break the suffocating silence, Sebastian cleared his throat.
“Actually, this is a good thing. I mean, you and Harrison. It’s not like Harrison ever really li—”
“Never really liked me, right?”
I cut him off, poured myself a glass of wine, and leaned against the kitchen island. “You were going to say he was always in love with Vanessa, weren’t you?”