Sweet
Tuesday, I felt exhausted and sleepy all the time, like a drained battery. I did nothing but lay on my bed, watching Netflix or YouTube, or mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and TikTok on my phone until my eyes hurt. Then I was back snoozing.
"Are you still asleep, Sweet? Get up, it's almost noon." Mom shouted at the door.
"Yeah, in a sec." I yelled back, then went back to sleep.
I couldn't stop thinking about Sebastian. The fun we had, the jokes we shared, our deep talks, and our incredible love-making. But then, his revenge ruined all those amazing memories, and I got super angry again.
In the afternoon, my mom made me go downstairs and eat a late lunch. I didn't feel like eating. I always felt so full. I chowed down a few bites of my ham sandwich, then went back to my room and collapsed on my bed.
Sebastian's image popped into my head again, and it made my heart ache.
Darn it. I have to stop thinking about him!
I tried to start a blog, but when I started writing a sentence, it didn't sound good. I also tried to update my manuscript and include Sebastian's secret, but I ended up blankly staring at my laptop screen.
What am I going to write about him? The only secret I could think of was his kidnapping, and that's a big no-no.
I was like, forget it, and went back to bed, scrolling on my phone again. I felt so weighed down and just needed to vent, but there was no one I could talk to. And I know, if I talk to my parents or Erin and Marie, there would be some censoring. I couldn't share everything in my mind and heart because I had fear of being judged.
And then I had an idea.
I opened my word doc and poured my heart out through writing.
So, I began writing my love story with Sebastian, right from the start, when I was waiting at his office for the interview. When he stood me up three times because of his emergencies, meeting at the restaurant for the first time, and all that stuff, until now.
I was super inspired for days, and the words just flowed out effortlessly as I expressed myself. It made me feel better and gave me a new boost of energy.
On Friday morning, I got an email from James. Subject: 11th Date.
Dear Miss Treble,
You've got a romantic dinner date with Mr. Sebastian Stavrakos this Saturday. It's your 11th date! A chopper will be there to pick you up at seven sharp.
I mean, what was Sebastian even thinking? I can't believe he had the audacity to keep dating after what he did? I told him to quit the whole dating deal. Didn't he understand the concept of listening?
Darn it! I told him it was over, but he acted like nothing happened.
I responded to James' email, turning down the invitation. I let him know that me and Sebastian were done.
James took an hour to reply.
Dear Miss Treble,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. Mr. Stavrakos has received your message.
He wishes to inform you he will not put any pressure on you to go on a date with him this coming Saturday. He acknowledged your need for time and space at the moment, but he's really looking forward to seeing you on your next date.
Lastly, he wants to say sorry again for his mistakes and hopes you felt better soon.
My emotions were running high, and I was extremely angry with him. I was grappling with feelings of being triggered and frustrated.
He can wait all he wants, but we're never getting back together.
***
Despite being mad at Sebastian, I kept writing our love story. I got it done Saturday morning and was super happy with how it came out. I felt like I wrote a novella.
I got to admit, writing about it helped me shake off the pain and loneliness. It's like I finished one part of my life, and now I'm ready to start a new one.
I was humming my favorite Angela Bofill song "Tonight I Give In" while heading downstairs for some brunch. Jace's presence in the living room, wearing a gray shirt and faded denim pants, definitely caught me off guard.
I gave him a friendly "Hi."
"Hey," He responded, "I hope you don't mind. Your mom invited me for lunch. She said she's making potato salad."
"Definitely not." I smiled at him, "did you just arrive from the city?"
"Yeah, I did. Colton came too."
"I'm happy he took a break from school and came home."
"I picked him up from his dorm early this morning. It was hilarious how he wouldn't shut up about his roommate." He chuckled.
"I'm pretty sure he gets along with his roommate. They're both part of the basketball team."
"Is that what he told you?" He shook his head, grinning. "You're so wrong. He doesn't get along with his roommate, and definitely, Colton is the only one on the basketball team."
"Really? That's concerning. He's so mysterious when we ask about his roommate. Tell me. What do you know?"
"Just ask him if you're curious. I'm sorry, I can't say anything about it."
"Sure, that's okay."
He stopped and gave me a long look. "Are you feeling okay now?"
"Yeah, I am. Thanks for being there for me."
"No worries. Like I said, I'm always here if you need someone to talk to."
"I'll remember that." I smiled at him, and diverted to another topic, "by the way, congratulations. I heard you partnered with Orange company. That's big!"
"Yeah. I got lucky."
"Nope, not by luck. You got it because you're amazing at what you're doing."
"Thanks. It's really flattering to hear that from you." His face flushed.
Mom emerged from the kitchen, with a spatula in hand.
"Time to eat! Come on, Jace." She said, then turned to me, "you might as well join him. You haven't been eating well lately. You're getting too skinny."
We both went to the kitchen and sat facing each other. Mom cooked eggs, sausages, buns, and potato salad. There was also a pitcher of orange juice.
Evelyn, this is really tasty. I love it." Jace said to Mom after eating a spoonful of potato salad.
"Thanks, Jace."
It totally fascinated me watching Mom and Jace discuss the salad ingredients and how to make it. They were really comfortable with each other, talking like a mom to her son.
Mom left, and it was just me and Jace.
"How's your blog?"
"Doing good so far." I answered.
"I heard about your brand partnership with New York's biggest insurance company. Wow, that's impressive."
"Thanks. But I'm not alone. There are plenty of us influencers."
He nodded, "but you know, that's something. I know they're selective in choosing someone to represent their product."
"Yup, they are." I agreed. "You must be crazy busy now that you're working for Orange company."
"In a couple of weeks. Currently, we're figuring out all the apps they want us to build, planning how they'll work, and stuff like that. My team is amazing and I'm so grateful for their contributions to our success."
"They stick around because you're a great leader, no doubt about it."
"Thank you," he took a sip of his water, then said, "by the way, it's Lewis and Fiona's engagement party later. Did you get an invitation?"
Lewis and Fiona were our classmates in high school, and they've been on and off ever since. We're all happy that finally, they decided to settle down.
"Yeah, I did."
"Let me know if you're going. I'll ask for a ride. I'll be having a few drinks with the boys later."
"You think I won't drink too?" My eyebrows rose.
"I know you can't handle over 5%." He grinned.
"Okay, fine. I'll give you a ride. How about we head out around seven?"
"That's great." He answered.
We were becoming friends again, just like we used to. Talking to him was so easy, since we had a lot in common. We're into the same things, have the same friends, and live a similar lifestyle.
***
We made our way to the restaurant where Lewis and Fiona's engagement party was happening at seven sharp. Everyone we knew, especially our schoolmates, was so surprised when Jace and I showed up together. The girls overwhelmed me with questions.
"I thought you were coming with Sebastian Stavrakos. Did you guys split?" My old seatmate Choline, who loves gossip, asked.
"We weren't actually together, just casually dating." I answered.
"So, what's going on between you and Jace? Why are you together?" Another old classmate, Felicity, joined us.
"Are you guys back together?" Choline asked.
"We're just friends, okay? Like, seriously." I replied, "he's planning to drink with the boys tonight. I'm doing him a favor by giving him a ride home."
"Oh, I get it," Choline nodded, then leaned in. "Have you seen Bianca? OMG, she was fuming when she saw you and Jace show up together. She's super jealous."
"I heard Bianca asked him out, but he said no. But she doesn't easily give up, you know. She's been totally obsessed with him since high school."
"You won't believe it, but she actually confessed to us she forced herself on Jace at the graduation ball." Choline said.
"No doubt." Felicity agreed. "Okay, so here's the real story with that infamous kiss... Jace was so drunk and she saw an opportunity to make a move. She's always thirsty for him."
"And you know what's funny?" Choline said. "She actually said it herself: Jace got so angry and pushed her away when he realized he was making out with her. He thought he was kissing you, Sweet."
Choline and Felicity burst out laughing. And then they kept on chatting.
"Girls are all over him now that he's become a handsome, self-made man. But he didn't go out with anyone. I'm pretty sure he's still in love with you, Sweet."
"Yeah, you're right, Choline. He still can't get over you, Sweet." Felicity agreed.
I glanced over at Jace. He was talking with the boys.
Since then, he's been really popular in school, especially now that he's making it big in life. The guys are stoked to see him. They shook his hand, tapped his shoulder, or gave him a bro hug. He's got the ladies swooning over him. He's such a gentleman, respectful, caring and down to earth. Even my family is all about him.
At that moment, I was like, did I just dodge a bullet or lose the love of my life?