Longing in the Silence

I sighed, staring into nothingness.

It had been five days since Sebastian brought me here—five long, suffocating days in the middle of nowhere. No calls, no messages. My parents hadn’t even tried to check up on me. What kind of parents forget their own child exists? Would it be so hard for them to care? To at least pretend to?

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.

Ever since we arrived, Sebastian had kept his distance. I hadn’t seen him for three days now—not that I wanted to see him, of course. It wasn’t like I missed him or anything. I just… cared that… Ugh, what the hell was I even saying?

Who was I kidding?

I did miss him.

Even though we barely spoke, I missed his presence. The way he carried himself, the dark, intoxicating aura that clung to him, the way he smelled—like expensive cologne and something dangerously addictive. And God help me, the way he looked at me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, groaning. Get a grip, Rosita!

It wasn’t like he spent hours with me. He only ever showed up to check in, making it clear when he’d be gone. And now, after three days, I was losing my mind over his absence? Pathetic.

The truth was, I didn’t know Sebastian at all. Hell, I knew nothing about him. He was a man of few words, yet the air around him dripped with unspoken dominance and raw sexuality—so much so that my body reacted before my mind could catch up.

I shook my head violently. Sex aura? Really, Rosita? I needed a damn reality check. Or maybe just some warm milk to put me to sleep.

My confinement in this place wasn’t helping my sanity either.

I hadn’t stepped foot outside my room since we arrived. Maybe Sebastian was scared I’d run away. Good instinct, because that’s exactly what I planned to do.

I exhaled sharply, glancing around my gilded cage. The room was enormous—big enough to fit three king-sized beds. A plasma TV hung on the wall, and the bathroom was luxurious, complete with a jacuzzi. The balcony offered a breathtaking view of the ocean, its waves rolling lazily under the moonlight.

At least his guards had granted my simple requests—video games and Barbie cartoons. Because, seriously, who doesn’t love Barbie?

I sat curled up on the balcony’s sofa, watching the water shift with the tide. The boredom was unbearable. Worse, my phone had been confiscated. No contact with the outside world. No distractions. Just me, my thoughts, and the lonely expanse of the sea.

I sighed, resting my chin on my knees. Then, almost absentmindedly, I started singing.

“Somewhere to find a friend like you…”

The familiar lyrics from Barbie and the Diamond Castle rolled off my tongue.

“Somehow, when you’re around, the sky is always blue…”

I used to sing this song with my dad. Back when he still loved me. Back when he still smiled at me.

“The way we talk, the things you say…”

A lump tightened in my throat.

“The way you make it all okay…”

My voice cracked.

A single tear slipped down my cheek, and I barely noticed.

“And how you know, all of my jokes, but you laugh anyway…”

A sob bubbled up, but I bit my lip, swallowing it back.

I missed him.

I missed the man who used to tell me my singing lifted his spirit. The man who used to hold me and say I was his little girl. Now, he couldn’t even look at me without resentment.

“If… I… could wish… for… one thing…”

My voice broke completely.

Then—

“For someone with such a lovely voice, you sure know how to ruin a song.”

A deep, velvety voice cut through the night air.

I stiffened. My breath hitched as I turned my head, and there he was—leaning against the doorway to my balcony, arms crossed, looking like he had just walked out of a sinful dream.

Sebastian.

Bare-chested.

My eyes immediately trailed down.

Tattoos.

The intricate ink ran from his collarbone down to his left pec, snaking along his arm and disappearing at his wrist. Black script wove through the designs, but my vision blurred from the tears, making it impossible to read.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

When did he get back?

I hadn’t seen him in three days—hadn’t even heard him come in. How long had he been standing there? Watching me?

His expression shifted slightly when he noticed the tear staining my cheek. The usual coldness in his features softened, replaced by something unreadable. Concern?

He pushed off the doorway, stepping closer.

“Are you okay?” His voice dipped lower, rougher.

I opened my mouth to respond but found no words. I didn’t want to speak.

I wanted comfort.

Without thinking, I shot up from my seat and ran into his arms.

Sebastian tensed as I wrapped myself around him, my arms locking behind his neck. But he didn’t push me away. Instead, after a brief pause, his strong arms encircled me—one resting at the small of my back, the other cradling my head as I buried my face into his chest.

And then, I broke.

The pain, the loneliness, the suffocating weight of everything—I let it all out.

His grip tightened, his palm smoothing over my back in slow, soothing circles.

“Let it out, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice impossibly gentle. “I’ve got you.”

I sobbed against his warm skin, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t feel so alone.

Sebastian didn’t complain. He didn’t pull away. He just held me—patiently, silently, as if he understood exactly what I needed.

Maybe… he wasn’t as bad as I thought.

Maybe marrying him wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

I sighed deeply, my fingers tightening around the nape of his neck.

Sebastian… what do I do with you?