** Instagram Post **

CarBear8: Happy Happy 18th Birthday to my boo bear @DaltonNicky Love you to the moon and back!! (📷 creds to @JeffyJeff for this amazing photo of the two of us)

JeffyJeff: @DaltonNicky is going to be lost without you when we are in Michigan.
PghShann: I feel like a proud mama seeing a photo like this. Love you both @CarBear8 @DaltonNicky
DaltonNicky: I love you too @CarBear8 😍

** end Instagram post **

I'm blushing and feeling like an absolute idiot as Marley rushes out of Sebastian's loose hold with a gigantic smile on her face. Gathering me up in a big hug as she reminds me of both her mother and her cousin Nick.

And my fiancé gives me a wry smirk as the girl begins to bubble forth with a stream of conversation.

"Shannon!! Oh my gosh!! I've heard so much about you from, well, from everyone. Momma and Nicky have been raving about your voice since last fall.  And Bassy was just telling me about how you write songs.  I write songs too!!  Maybe you can help me work out some lyrics and melodies before you leave????"

I pat her awkwardly on the back and murmur out a soft Bassy was telling you about me?

Sebastian's arm circles my waist as I step out of her hold. And he murmurs in my ear as this girl nods enthusiastically at me, "Love, why do you think so little of me?"

Great.

As if I didn't ALREADY feel like a giant pile of crap for giving this seemingly sweet girl the evil eye for being so close to Sebastian.  He's got to make me feel even smaller of a person for thinking that he would cheat when for months I was sneaking around with Hunter behind his back.

So yea....

Feeling like crap right now.

All I can do is murmur out a soft I'm sorry Sebby, I'm so sorry.

And I am.  If I could take it back, I would.  But I can't.

But I push down those feelings as Marley and Cara drag me aside and we start plotting ideas for Nick.

As Sebastian watches me from a distance, with Jeff, Nick and Blaine by his side. That sad smile on his face.

*third party POV shift*

Later into the party everyone has migrated to the backyard, in and around the pool deck and patio.  This wasn't specifically a pool party but that hasn't stopped most of the guests.

Sebastian sits on a chair at one of the patio tables, swirling the liquid in his drink cup around absentmindedly, eyes focused on three girls sitting at the edge of the pool.  Their bare feet swaying in the water as they chat with each other.

Shannon left her shoes with him when she decided to cool off for a little with Cara and Marley, talking about god only knows what.  He grows more and more sullen as he watches, her heeled sandals at his feet.

He thought he knew her, knew his girl better than anyone else despite meeting her at the beginning of senior year.  But lately he isn't so sure anymore.  And with them heading to college soon it's just bound to get worse.

The sound of a chair scrapping against the patio deck causes him to break the incessant staring contest he has been holding with her back.

Looking away his eyes meet a pair of brown ones in a smiling face.  Nick, the birthday boy.

"It's not like you to be Mister Antisocial, Bas. What's up?"

Sebastian smiles an easy smile at his friend.  "Sorry about that.  I was just thinking about something...."

Nick laughs softly and motions back towards the girls.  "Let me guess, something about the petite brunette who is now dancing with her cousin, my cousin, my girlfriend and my best over there at the edge of the pool?"

Sebastian's eyes follow his gesture and he sees Shannon is in fact dancing around playfully with Blaine, Marley, Cara and Jeff. Looking as lovely as she ever has to him. An actual laugh, albeit a surprised one bubbles forth from the tall green eyed boy as he finally sets down his drink. "Am I really that transparent, Duvall?"

Nick nudges his arm with a smile, "Bas, you're in love with her.  Even a blind man can see that.  It's okay to just sit and watch her sometimes."

The birthday boy becomes a little more serious by the time Sebastian looks back at him.

"I can guess what you're thinking too because I'm thinking about how nice it is to have Cara here now but how much it will suck when I'm at Michigan and she's at Pitt.  Long distance relationship blow sometimes.  When does Shann leave for LA?"

Sebastian's gaze is far away again when he finally answers. "We leave on Monday."

"We??"

Nick's confusion is immediately obvious from his tone of voice so Sebastian continues with a nod.

"I'm driving out with her." He makes little quotation marks with his fingers as he picks up his thoughts once again. "She thought it would be a good idea, get some 'quality time together before school starts'. More like time together before she leaves me to live with Clarington for god only knows how long..."

Nick's voice is full of concern even if his face doesn't show it.  "Does she know that you feel like this Bas?  That you're devastated by what she is doing to you??"

Sebastian pushes his chair back with a shake of his head.  A murmured, 'it's not like she would change things if she knew this was killing me inside anyway' following in his wake as he plasters on his best fake smile and goes to Shannon.

Pulling his girl in to dance with him.

Savoring the feel of her in his arms while he still can.