Bastian: A Secret Baby Romance by Lauren Landish

hours, including a stop to gas up about halfway home. The rest stop had a convenience store, and I went in alone, realizing that despite all the stress, all the fucked up emotions from the situation we were in, I was hungry. Thankfully, the clerk on duty was either not paying good enough attention, or wasn't the sort to peruse gossip websites, and I was able to buy my Ding-Dongs in peace.
    Sebastian was quiet most of the way back, grimly looking ahead while keeping the BMW at exactly ten miles per hour over the speed limit. While I wanted to talk to him, I had no idea how I was supposed to break the silence, and together we just drove while the iPod mix droned away. Finally, about ten miles before we got off the Interstate, Sebastian looked over at me.
    "I'm not ashamed of falling in love with you," he said quietly, turning his attention back to the road. "I'm not angry or upset about taking you out for dinner last night. In fact, yesterday was the best day of my life. I just want you to know that."
    Blinking the tears away, I smiled and nodded. "Me too. I love you, Sebastian."
    When we got home, none of the staff greeted us at the driveway, or at the door. The entire house was empty, which wasn't totally unexpected. Parking the car, Sebastian led me inside, where we found Donald and Mom sitting in the dining room, waiting for us.
    "So I guess you heard as well?" Sebastian said, taking his normal seat at the table. At a change of pace, I sat down next to him, across from my mother. "I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did, we had actually wanted to tell you tonight."
    "To say it was a shock to find your son and your stepdaughter kissing on the front page of a major media site is one thing. To get woken up by everyone from Business Week to Forbes is quite another," Donald said, looking over at Sebastian. "Do you have any idea what sort of public relations nightmare you two have caused? Sebastian, I've overlooked your promiscuousness in the past, even at times helping clean up your mess, although you never knew about it. I figured you would grow out of it. I was quite the hell-raiser myself when I was your age. But to seduce your own stepsister!"
    "Donald, Sebastian didn't," I began, before Mom cut me off.
    "Not a word, young lady. Of all the stupid, hormone-driven things to do! What do you have to say for yourselves?"
    "We're in love," Sebastian said simply. "Father, I knew about those times you covered up for me. I'm not going to beg for your forgiveness now on those times, it's not deserving of how you raised me. But with Cassie, it's different. I love her."
    "Of course you do, she's family!" Mom said hotly, her fist pounding on the table. "But do you know what you're doing is illegal?"
    "It's not illegal at all, Amanda," Sebastian replied evenly, turning his eyes upon Mom. "We're not blood-related, plain and simple. As for the morals.... well, honestly as much as I love Cassie, I don't care about the morals."
    Mom was about to reply when Donald held up his hand. "Wait a second, Amanda. Sebastian, are you serious about what you're saying?"
    "Yes, Father. I love her.”
    Donald nodded, looking over at me. "And Cassandra? Do you feel the same way?"
    Looking at Sebastian, I nodded, taking his hand in mine. "Yes, I do. Donald, I love your son. He's the perfect man for me, and I'm proud to be with him."
    Donald nodded, then looked over at Mom. “We’re just going to make it harder on everyone if we don’t go along with this."
    Mom looked from Donald to me to Sebastian and back, kind of a circle. "But Donald, our family...."
    "Our family is stronger together than it is scattered and split," Donald said, and for the first time I could feel the force of Donald's personality turned on fully. It was a match for Sebastian's, and I could see why he was the only person Sebastian couldn't influence in his life. It was as physical an aura as his son's, but with more years of experience behind it. "Amanda, I love you, and I love