Page 74 of Sebastian

He fidgets to drive his point home, and I relent, unlocking the door and holding it open for him. He drags everything in as fast as possible and then darts into my bedroom while I turn on the lights in the kitchen. Jinkies continue meowing, weaving between my legs as I get a couple of plates out of the cupboard and set them on the table, followed by drinks, silverware, and napkins.

When he returns, he stands awkwardly where he did yesterday, unsure what to say. This differs from the loud and boisterous guy I met almost a week ago. He’s visibly humbled by what has happened.

“Join me.” I extend my hand to his place setting, and a faint smile appears when he pulls out his chair. “We’ll probably run out of food, but I can always order more.”

“I’m just happy you didn’t slap me across the face or call security to kick me out for not responding to you.” I sit beside him and start splitting the Chinese food across our plates. “Please tell me this isn’t Thai food.”

I chuckle as visions of sweaty and fidgeting Sebastian come to mind.

“It’s not. It’s just plain old P.F. Chang’s. The lettuce wraps are in the other box.”

“Hallelujah.”

He claps his hands together in prayer and looks up, then flashes me a huge smile with those dimples cutting deep into his cheeks. I lean toward him once the food is sorted and the soft drinks are open.

“Sebastian, I’d never hit you. I’m not that kind of person. Call security? I’m not happy you’re paying them off to get your way. They’re here to do a job, and you can get them in trouble or, worse, fired.”

He looks guilty as he picks up his fork.

“I know, but I wasn’t sure you would see me, and I couldn’t risk it.”

“Let’s eat, and then you can tell me why you ghosted me.”

His mouth opens, but I ignore it and dive into my food. The atmosphere between us lightens as we eat. The shared meal creates a sense of normalcy amid many questions running through my mind. I did miss him, and it gives me a warm feeling that he’s here with me. But the subject I want to discuss most is also the most difficult. I’m almost hesitant to bring it up for fear it could solidify the end of us once and for all.

Interestingly enough, he asks about my day and work, how the campaign went, and what’s next for me to work on as it rolls out in phases. It’s as if he’s intentionally avoiding talking about the elephant in the room while we eat dinner. I almost can’t blame him.

My eyebrows lift when he relays his two-hour wait in the hallway and how the neighbor next door asked if he could help her with a leaky faucet. He apparently called Jiles, and he walked Sebastian through the repair since maintenance couldn’t get to it today, and the sound was driving her mad. He wouldn’t accepther money, but when she offered him some bread pudding with milk, he couldn’t pass it up.

With dinner gone and after changing into something more comfortable, he realizes he’s out of time. We collapse on the couch, him taking one end and me taking the other, with Jinkies stalking toward him.

“The cat is approaching me.”

He points to her and presses into the cushions as if she will suddenly attack him.

“She’s fine. She’s not allowed on the couch, and she knows it.”

I curl into the corner, tucking my feet under me as the chill from the hardwood floor rises.

“Now, tell me why you ghosted me.”

His face immediately sours, and he shifts to drape his arm along the back of the couch.

“I didn’t mean to. I shut off my phone because Gio wouldn’t stop calling. It wasn’t until last night that I realized I missed yours too. By the way, thank you for your referral.”

Nervous energy is coursing through him by the way his knee bops and his hand plucks at the cushion repeatedly.

“And last night or today? Why not call or text me back?”

I’m not letting him off the hook. It takes seconds to do either, and he chose to do neither.

He cups his hands together, cracking his knuckles to relieve tension.

“By then, too much time had passed. I didn’t want to send a “hey” or “sup.” You deserve more than that. I also wanted to see you in person to explain what happened.”

He jumps to his feet, the sudden thud causing Jinkies to sprint into the bedroom.

“Can I start putting together the tree? I need something to do, or I will lose my mind just sitting here. I haven’t been to thegym or worked out or had sex, and I feel like I’m going to explode from all the stress.”

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