i don't feel safe anymore

Part 7

Nadine crouched down on the grass and picked a daffodil. She was in Sebastian's backyard, picking flowers from his garden—a combination of tickseed and daffodils. After they returned from town, Sebastian received a call that made him have to go through some papers for work while he talked to a Lydia on the phone. Nadine walked around the kitchen and went through the pantry for snacks. She munched on potato chips and grapes from the fruit bowl for a while. Bored, Nadine went outside when she spotted a butterfly flapping. She tried to catch it several times, failing with each attempt.

By the garden, she gazed over her shoulder at Sebastian in the living room. He was sitting on the couch going through papers on the coffee table. She tied the stems and wrapped them around each other until she made a crown perfect for her head. She brushed her hair out of her face and gently placed it atop her chestnut head. She liked flowers; And loved making flower crowns. They always made her feel like a majestic princess.

With a smile, she stood and made her way back inside through the back door. She gingerly walked into the living room. When Sebastian saw her crown, he couldn't help but smile. "Oh, wow," he said aloud. In one hand, he held a pen and paper, in the other, he reached for his drink. She anxiously waited for his response with a nervous smile. "That's nice," he complimented as he reached over and grabbed his drink, and she meekly grinned. Her gap flashed innocently.

She bit her lip and glanced down at the carpet beneath her feet. As a blush crept on her cheeks, she brushed a silk strand of her chestnut waves behind her small ear.

She peered up at him through her lashes and timidly swallowed under his gaze.

"What?" he asked at the nervous look in her hesitant eyes. They were so vast and emerald. "What's the matter?"

With her pink lips pressed together, she quietly sat on the floor between the coffee table and couch next to Sebastian's long legs. Her small hands folded in her lap. He gazed down at the silver pendant that hung around her slim neck, resting just between her slender collarbones. Nadine dampened her lips, and under her breath, she sheepishly murmured, "I don't have anywhere to go." Returning to their earlier topic at the Diner. He hadn't given her a concrete answer, and she felt a small window of chance.

Sebastian swallowed nervously. He didn't know what to do. He knew he should have sent her to the sheriff or somebody so that they could properly figure out what to do with her. But he didn't know what the sheriff would do, and he wanted to make sure only the best was done for her. And why? He didn't know. He had just met her, but already he felt somehow responsible for what happened to her.

She was all alone, like him . . .

It wasn't like he had anyone else anyways. Ultimately, he had this huge house with an extra room that hadn't been unused in years all to himself. What harm could it do? Sebastian grunted in defeat under his breath and Nadine's eyes visibly lightened. "Ok," he uttered out, "but there are going to be rules."

Nadine grinned, and she quickly climbed onto the couch. She jumped onto Sebastian's lap and wrapped her small arms around his shoulders into a tight embrace. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried out with glee and squeezed him. "Oh! You are my favoritest person in the whole wide world!"

Sebastian let her hug him for a moment before he pulled her apart to lay down the rules. "First off," he began as he put his drink on the coffee table. "You're not living here for free, okay? As soon as possible, we're gonna look for a job for you so you can pay your way." He waved his hand at the entire house and added, "Until then, you can help clean up around here. Keep things organized." She nodded several times over with a wide-tooth grin, not necessarily listening to the rules with how ecstatic she was. She would agree to just about anything right now.

"And any time I have to leave for work, don't even think about stealing from me, okay?" he added with a serious tone. "I have cameras set up everywhere, and they're connected to my phone. So I'll be seeing everything you do. Got it?" Nadine nodded again.

"Okay . . . Well, then I guess we should get you set up in the guest room." he murmured under his breath. He reached out and retook his drink. A wide grinning Nadine sat painfully silent beside him. Just as he was about to take a sip, she jumped onto him again and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sebastian held his hand up to try and not spill his drink on the leather couch.

Oh god, she's a hugger.

Hesitantly, he patted her on the back.