Grey Matter

Chapter Eleven - Processing

The moment I opened my eyes the next morning, Sebastian was the first thing on my mind. The image of his destroyed expression of me walking out on him last night replays in my head over and over. I try my best to drown the thoughts away with a long, hot shower. And for a while the soothing water relaxes me, but once I step out of the shower and stare at my reflection in the mirror, his coal-black eyes creep back into my thoughts.

"I feel like you should've worn your red slip dress." Larsa says as she drives us to Grams' in her brand new silver Jeep Wranger.

I look down at my outfit of choice and realize I'd gotten dressed on autopilot, my thoughts otherwise occupied. I was wearing a red, crewneck sweater, dark washed skinny jeans and dark brown ankle boots. My freshly washed hair was a blow dried mass of defined curls around my face. I'd missed my curls and had quickly gotten bored with my straightened do.

"I wasn't really in the mood to dress up tonight." I say when I notice my best friend's eyes burning a hole on the side of my face.

"Sebastian troubles?" She frowns, pulling onto Grams' street.

"I don't want to talk about it." I sigh.

"Will he be here tonight?"

"I did invite him. Maybe, but I'm not sure."

Larsa doesn't say anything else as she parks her Jeep in Grams' driveway. We head inside and I'm stunned at the amount of people present for the party. We didn't have a big family, but Grams did have two brothers and that side of my family was all here along with old family friends. I'm greeted by a couple familiar faces, hugs are given and I'm stopped by Grams' longtime best friend, Gail Harper, to talk about future wedding nuptials and baby plans for my future. This conversation is quickly nipped in the bud when my brother Jason walks into the room and I turn Gail's attention to him.

I find Grams in the kitchen prepping a cookie plate.

"Hey, babygirl."Grams greets me as I breeze in the room.

"Hey, Grams." I force a smile, though a noticeable wrinkle in her forehead alerts me that she knows something is wrong.

"Okay, Spill it." She sets the cookie plate aside on the counter and turns her entire body to me.

"Nothing. It's just been a weird day." I pour myself a glass of eggnog, avoiding her knowing eyes.

"Well, something's definitely gotta be bothering you. You've never liked Uncle Jeff's eggnog." She eyes my glass in my hand and I realize my error and set the glass on the counter next to the pitcher.

"Renie, what's wrong?" She takes both of my hands in hers and bores her golden brown eyes into mine.

"Sebastian and I got into a disagreement last night after we left. I haven't talked to him at all today and I don't think I'm going to talk to him for a while." I finally cave and spill it and give a sigh of relief afterwards.

"Ah, I see. So that's why he walked in here tonight looking forlorn." She exhales.

"Sebastian's here?" I frown.

"He arrived thirty minutes ago. He's in the sunroom with his sister, Ronnie."

My glum feeling shifts a little and my excitement to see Veronica Darkbloom, Sebastian's younger sister, ignites, "Ronnie's here, too?"