## Hazel's POV
"Hazel Shaw."
I froze at the doorway, my heart pounding in my chest. There was something different in Sebastian's voice—a determination that hadn't been there before.
"Yes?" I managed to reply, my hand still gripping the car door.
Sebastian unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out, walking around to my side of the car. His tall figure stood against the gray winter sky, snowflakes catching in his dark hair.
"I like you," he said simply.
The words hung in the air between us, as tangible as the falling snow. I blinked, certain I had misheard him.
"What?"
"I like you," Sebastian repeated, his voice clear and unwavering. "And I'm willing to wait years for you if necessary."
My mouth fell open. I couldn't process what was happening. Sebastian Sinclair—powerful, enigmatic, intimidating Sebastian—was standing in a snowy parking lot declaring his feelings for me like we were characters in some romantic movie.
"Sebastian, I—"
