Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Uncomfortable with the subject, I replied quietly, “I appreciate that. I do. But I’m going to be a civil engineer.”
“Sebastian—”
“Lily.” I cut her off and then bit back my impatience because she didn’t deserve it. My expression softened. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Why?” she pushed.
“Isn’t it enough that I don’t want to talk about it?”
My friend considered this, then ominously replied, “For now.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
LILY
For how strangely attached to him and vulnerable I felt, I might as well have slept with Sebastian last night. Perhaps it was the act of sharing a bed with him, or the fact that he’d let me into this private world no one knew about. Whatever the reason, once we’d finished packaging up the prints and dropped them off at the post office, I didn’t want to part from him yet.
“What are you up to for the rest of the day, Thorne?” I asked as we ambled in the direction of my flat.
His long strides were edging mine out and I smiled at the sight of the romantasy paperback tucked into his back pocket.
“Other than going home for a quick shower and change, I don’t really have plans. I suppose I should do my coursework for my Research Methods class.”
I nodded, not wanting to distract him from schoolwork. In fact, I should probably work on my Science of Close Relationships essay. However, I knew by how restless I felt that I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.
“What are your plans?” Sebastian asked.
“I’m going for a bike ride,” I decided. “I need the fresh air.”
It was a dry, mild day and soon we wouldn’t have many of those.
“Do you fancy some company?”
Yes, yes, I do!
I hid my excitement. “Sounds good. Do you have a bike?”
“I’ll hire one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He grinned, seeming enervated by the idea. “I’ve never ridden around Edinburgh. I bet you know places I don’t.”
“I do know the city like the back of my hand.”
He considered this and then nodded. “Okay, Sawyer. Show me your world.”
Two hours later, after Sebastian had showered and changed and we’d located the nearest e-bike hire, we found ourselves in Dean Village. To my surprise, Sebastian had never ventured to Dean Village.
“I’ve seen lots of photographs, but I’ve never wandered that way,” he explained.
First, I led him down the cobbled lane of Damside and to the bridge over the Water of Leith to Hawthornbank Lane so he could take some quintessential Dean Village photographs as inspiration for any future artwork.
There were a few tourists already there, taking photographs.
“It feels like we’re suddenly in a Harry Potter version of Amsterdam.” Sebastian marveled as we got off the bikes.
I chuckled. “That is the perfect description.”
It was fascinating to watch Sebastian snap into artist mode. He suddenly got very intense and serious as he moved up and down the lane, taking shots from different angles with his camera phone. As he wandered upward, I leaned over the wooden fence to watch the water calmly flow by. I wish someone could explain why the sound of water was so lulling and peaceful. Maybe it was something I could research for general psychology class. Or maybe my professor would think it was too new age science-y. Maybe she’ll think science-y isn’t a word. I snorted to myself as I scanned our surroundings. On the bridge was an old man who had stopped to watch the water flow beneath him.
He had to be in his late seventies, immaculately dressed in a three-piece brown suit. On his head was a brown tweed flat cap. I wondered where he was off to in his suit. Or if he was the kind of man who’d worn a suit every day of his life and couldn’t break the habit. My curiosity was even more piqued when he plucked the flower pinned to his breast pocket and dropped it into the water. He pressed a kiss to his fingertips and smoothed those fingers over the top of the bridge railing. With a tip of his cap to the water, he strode back the way he’d come and disappeared up Damside.
It was clearly a tradition. Or a goodbye maybe. Or a remembrance.
“Where did you go?” Sebastian’s voice rumbled in my ear.
I startled, whipping my head around to find him leaning against the railing at my side.
He grinned. “You were off in a dream somewhere.”
“I people-watch to the point of forgetting where I am.”
“I’ll need to keep that in mind.” He lifted his phone, pointed the camera side at my face.
“Don’t.” I groaned, turning away.
“Okay, I won’t.”
I turned back and heard the fake camera shutter noise of a photo being taken. “You lied!”
Sebastian chuckled as he lowered it. “It was worth it.”
Shaking my head at his nonsense, I gestured to the bikes. “Shall we move on?”
“Where to next, Mistress of Auld Reekie?”