“Wait, are you two seriously sharing a room now?” James finally blurted out.

“Yeah.” Sebastian simply veered around him and made his way toward the kitchen. “So that’s the whole reason you came over today?”

“You’ve got some nerve bringing that up.” James followed him, already fuming. “After what you said last night, we thought you two were already sleeping together. We kept asking, and you wouldn’t give us a straight answer. We just sat there like idiots, waiting until nearly sunrise. Damn you, seriously!”

“No one asked you to wait,” Sebastian replied with an air of exasperated amusement. He thought they were being ridiculous. He hadn’t replied to their messages for several minutes. That alone should have been answer enough.

“As your friends, we were deeply concerned about your well-being,” Warren added with a chuckle, catching up behind him.

“No, you’re just bored. The pair of you are way too free lately. All you do is chase after your friends’ gossip like it’s some kind of live drama.” Sebastian spoke through a yawn that escaped before he could suppress it.

James cut in front of him and stared him down. “So come on, what time did you finally sleep?”

“About the same as you. She’s a restless sleeper, clingy one moment, then kicking me away the next because I’m too warm… honestly, she’s more troublesome than Orange ever was.”

He sighed, though there was a distinct warmth in his tone that gave him away. He sounded far more pleased than annoyed.

James snorted. “Listen to yourself. You pretend she’s a nuisance, but you’re clearly loving every second of it. I can practically see you glowing. Seriously though, what’s it like? Sleeping next to a girl?”

“You’ll have to try it and find out,” Sebastian said. It wasn’t something he could easily describe.

“Oh, come on. Just tell us!” James leaned in, not letting it go.

Sebastian paused for a moment, then said, “It’s like… reliving every good thing that’s ever happened in your life, all at once.”

“Really?” Warren looked intrigued now.

Sebastian gave them both a long look, then let out a quiet hiss of mock disapproval. “You’re not exactly kids anymore. Don’t tell me neither of you has anyone?”

“We’re buried in work. Who has time for dating?” James replied. “My folks did set me up with a few girls, but… none of them felt right.” He hadn’t been unwilling; he’d even tried to be open, but the kind of instant spark he longed for never once appeared.

“I’m not looking for anything right now,” Warren said. “Sure, I’m curious watching you stumble through romance, but observing and experiencing are two very different things.”

“So watching someone else fall in love is just… entertainment for you?” Sebastian asked, pulling open the refrigerator door.

Warren settled into a chair beside the island, casually reaching out to stroke the cat that had leapt onto the counter. “Absolutely. Watching is effortless. Being in love takes energy. And besides, wise men stay out of love.”

Sebastian chuckled. “I’d like to see how long that wisdom of yours holds up. If even one between us manages to stay single all the way into old age, I’ll be impressed.”

“Could be me,” Warren said with a shrug. To someone as rational as he was, someone so single-mindedly focused on work, love seemed more like a complication than a blessing. Still, he had no objections to watching his friend tie himself into emotional knots, fumbling through unfamiliar territory like a moth to a flame.

“If you’re done gossiping, then get out. I’ve got things to do,” Sebastian said, checking the time. He still had a place to view later, a follow-up meeting with Ivy, and updates to gather on Abigail’s case. The Prescott family had been keeping a lower profile lately, but Sebastian wasn’t foolish enough to think they’d stop watching. Families like that never truly saw him as a threat. To them, he was nothing more than a reckless junior, too far down the hierarchy to cause real trouble.

“Wait, we’re not finished,” James said, suddenly serious. “Let me ask you something important. Do you actually know what you’re doing?”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, still sipping milk. “Know what?”

“You know that. Sex!” James leaned in. “I’m telling you, most guys totally screw up their first time. It leaves the girl completely underwhelmed, and suddenly she thinks he’s no good.” He wasn’t kidding. James had spent half the night diving into online forums, determined to prepare Sebastian properly. Apparently, even the most confident guys could fall flat if they weren’t ready. A bad first time left their girlfriends disappointed, and them traumatized.

The thought of Abigail thinking he was bad sent a chill through Sebastian. He straightened up. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious. I found a ton of guys saying they didn’t even last a few seconds. It’s horrifying,” James said, voice grave. This was the sort of conversation the three of them only dared to have when Abigail wasn’t around.

Sebastian’s brows twitched. “A few seconds?”

Warren couldn’t help but laugh. “You’d be surprised. A lot of guys think they’ve got enough solo experience to handle the real thing, until the moment arrives, and they totally fall apart. Girls usually don’t say anything. They’re too polite. They even try to comfort you, which only makes it worse.”

“Exactly. So do not blow it your first time,” James said solemnly, like a man delivering battlefield instructions.