Love At The Headington Hill

CHAPTER 22 - A Marvellous Day.

"Come on, let's go home."

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Woodshire looked just as he remembered.

The metal gate slightly rusted at the hinges, some ivy leaves growing along the outer walls, potted plants placed along the walls.

Julian followed as Sebastian walked inside and knocked on the front door.

Second passed by, then Ivory unlocked the door and they stepped inside, the black and white tiles almost resembling a giant chess board. Ivory welcomed them.

"You didn't tell me Julian was here." Ivory said, looking at Sebastian.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure myself, he had been up all night."Sebastian replied, then turning to him said, "Go on, you know my room. You already look like you haven't slept in days."

Ivory seemed to sense something because in the next moment, she ushered him upto her son's room.

He shut off the door, got into bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Sleep was like a distant dream right now. If won't be triggered easily now, not after all those days. The voices in his head seemed to get louder by the second.

He must be pathetic to them now. Sebastian was already pitying him. He could sense it. No matter how much he tried to mask his feelings, he had almost become a glass barrier to him after this morning.

Sometimes he wished to have someone like Felix in his life. Not a person who might betray him, but a person who might share his feelings rather than just witnessing them.

It wasn't right to feel this way. To still get haunted by his childhood as an adult. He was a fool to be thus vulnerable.

His phone rang. It was Valerie.

Now he did accept the call. He won't tell her anything obviously. Still.

"Hello? Julian why haven't you been answering your calls? Is everything alright?" Her voice rang from the other end. He wanted so badly to see her. But it didn't matter now, she didn't belong to him.

"Yeah, I'm OK. Its- I've been busy." Julian tried to keep his voice level.

"Okay..., just know that you can always count on me." Her voice was unsure.

He hummed in response.

A beat passed. Valerie spoke again,"Do you happen to know where Sebastian is? He's been ignoring my calls lately, or maybe he's just busy, but... I don't know. Have to talked to him?"

This time Julian was confused. Why had he been ignoring her calls? He seemed to go through an inner conflict of whether or not to tell her that he was in his house. For all he knew, Sebastian was also skipping classes.

He kept turning the pages in his mind, when Valerie's voice came again,"Julian? Are you still there?"

"Oh, yeah I'm here." He paused,"I mean, yeah. I did talk to him for a while last night, but that was it."

Valerie seemed to get the hint so she just replied with an 'oh', then went silent again. Julian was getting impatient, so he just blurted out, "Is everything alright between you two?"