'Oh? Is that's all you have to say? I thought that you be a lot angrier.'
Eleanor didn't know what to say, she didn't even know how to react or what to think.
'Isn't this good for you? I mean, then this way at the wedding everyone will think that we are an actual couple. Right?'
'What about you? I can't put you on the spot like this. One thing was going to a wedding with friends and family for a couple of hours, other is to be one every sleazy tabloid.'
Eleanor gulped. Dizziness took over her. She didn't know what else to say. She had absolutely no idea about what to do in a situation like this.
'It doesn't say my name, and the pictures aren't that great. So, I guess —'
Suddenly she turned even more pale than she already was. Sebastian placed his hands on her shoulders and made her sit in a chair as he realized how pale she was.
'Are you okay?'
'Yes. I'm sure that you will find a way to fix this. Right?'
He nodded and crouched down so that his eyes would be at the same level as hers. Sebastian had an idea that would solve the problem about the news being fake. But he wasn't sure about it, since he clearly didn't have an impressive track record when it came to ideas.
'What if—'
He stopped talking as he looked straight into her eyes.
'What if what?'
'What if we stop pretending?'
Eleanor raised an eyebrow.
'What if we tried to make this work? For real this time.'
Without completely understanding what Sebastian was saying, Eleanor got up from the chair in a second.
'I mean,' — he scratched his head as he walked around the office — 'what we have been doing isn't that much different from actually dating.'
She looked at him, perplexed and lost.
'I thought you didn't have time to date?'
'I can change that. I will change that.'
Sebastian was aware of the changes that had already occurred to him. Even with his busy schedule, he had gone on more dates with Eleanor than with anyone else, but she hadn't realized that yet.
Eleanor's heart was racing, and she was trembling. She could not believe in what he was suggesting. Flustered, she looked down at her feet and remained silent for a while. Sebastian walked towards her and stayed in front of her without saying a word, waiting for her to raise her head and to look at him.
She was confused, wondering if actually meant what he said. Having a relationship was not a part of her plans, and she thought that it wasn't a part of Sebastian's either. Does he mean it? She wondered.
Sebastian had been teasing her all this time. When he asked her to be his date to the wedding, he didn't plan anything else; he didn't know where this was going to go; he didn't have an end goal. He simply wanted to be by her side for a little longer. To get to know the coffee girl. To make up for lost time, the lost opportunity from months ago. He now knew the feelings that he had for her, but as he was speaking the truth, he wasn't sure that she believed in him.
'Please say something,' he begged. 'I know that you didn't want a relationship. If that's still your position, I'll respect that. But please, just give me an answer.'
Eleanor finally looked at him and saw something unexpected, something that she never thought she'd see on Sebastian Crain. Despair. He looked extremely anxious and desperate for an answer. Someone that was looking at her like that could not being lying.
Her mouth was opened, but her voice wouldn't come out. Her body was shaking, and Sebastian noticed it and placed his hands on her shoulders.
'Eleanor?'