Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

Chapter 87 Leo tumed all that frustration into an appetite . After days of seriously cutting back to lose weight , he finally gave in . He devoured the entire serving of ravioli and wiped his mouth , mumbling , " Uncle Sebastian , what are you doing here ? " Mallory looked at him , too . " Yeah , what brings you here ? " " What , do you own this place ? I can't show up if I want to ? " Sebastian frowned , his sharp features focused on picking out bits of cilantro and dried shrimp from the plate with his cutlery .

When his gaze dipped slightly , he caught a glimpse of Valeria's legs out of the corner of his eye . She was wearing black jeans . Even with layers for winter , her legs were still long , straight , and slender . His eyes slowly traveled upward until they locked with hers -clear , calm eyes that didn't waver . She wasn't wearing makeup , not even lipstick . The last bit of color from dinner had faded from her lips . A small mole on the bridge of her nose gave her face a mischievous charm , something vibrant and effortlessly pretty .

Usually , when she wore makeup , that tiny mole was hidden , and it softened her whole look . But now , it made her look even more distinct . Sebastian frowned slightly , still staring at that tiny mole . Valeria met his eyes , then looked away after a few seconds . Sebastian didn't say anything . He looked down and took a bite of his ravioli , seeming distracted . The first mouthful had shrimp , which deepened the crease between his brows , but he swallowed it anyway . And he hated that when things started slipping out of his control . Like tonight .

When Mallory mentioned she was bringing Valeria here for dinner , he'd just landed back in town . And for some reason , he had come straight here . The Grant family didn't have any strict dinner table rules . They talked while eating . Nobody waited for the elders to finish before standing . At any family meal , the ones who talked the most were always Martha and Mallory , just like now . " Ms. Neal , I happen to have a few extra tickets to a violin concert next month . My niece is on tour and performing here in the city . You should bring your daughter- she'd love it .

" Valeria hadn't expected the invite and froze for a second . To Mallory , this was just a wann , well - meaning gesture . She had no idea about the tension between Valeria and Gabriella . " Um ... Okay , sure . I'll come if I'm free that day , " Valeria replied . Deep down , she wanted to turn it down . But the moment someone showed her kindness , she always felt the need to respond in kind . She cherished that warmth too much , maybe . Even if she knew , deep down , it might wear her out . After dinner , Valeria waved goodbye to Mallory and Leo , promising to meet again soon .

Then she took Selena's hand and headed toward their apartment . Sebastian leaned against his car , a cigarette between his fingers . His eyes were dark as he watched from a distance . 1 Leo sat in the backseat , face pressed to the window . " Uncle Sebastian , did you hear that ? Val said she wants to go on a date with me next week ! Do you think it'll be cold ? I wanna wear the hoodie she gave me ... Do you think that's dressy enough ? " He kept rambling , lips moving a mile a minute . But Sebastian didn't even glance at him . Sebastian's eyes were locked on something else .

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