Chapter 17

Sebastian forced a smile, his voice faltering. "No… It's not like that, Bella. We've always liked you. When did we ever like Tessa? You're misunderstanding this." His eyes darted away briefly, but as he reminded himself that he had already cut ties with Tessa, his confidence returned. "Yeah, Bella," Ronald echoed, following Sebastian's lead. After a moment of surprise, his gaze softened again with affection. "The person we like has always been you. We're still waiting for your answer. How could we like anyone else?" After all, aside from themselves and Tessa, everyone believed they were pursuing Bella. Tessa had never truly been part of the picture. With that thought, they felt reassured. Until… "Please don't make us chase Bella anymore. We can't keep pretending. Every second with her is torture. The one we like is you. Why can't we stay by your side?" "Why don't you go smooth things over?" "I'm sick of pretending. If you're up for it, you go." "I'm going to find Tess. She s