Not edited :(
Chapter 22
After my shower I pulled on a pair of gray shorts and an old long sleeved shirt. It had taken me a lot longer than I had anticipated to get all the mud off of my body. I had washed my hair twice with my favorite shampoo and scrubbed my whole body, well except for my leg which was covered in a plastic wrapping, until it was red. The tears were still dampening my face as I crawled into bed. I couldn't be sure what I was crying about, it think it was a mix of things. I was crying because I realized how much I truly missed my mom for the first time, I was crying because of the fear that entered me when I thought of what might have happened if I was just a few seconds late out of the stables tonight, and I was crying because hearing the way Julie called out to Seb confirmed my thoughts about both of them.
I pulled the blanket over me, being careful not to brush it against my knee and grabbed my laptop off my bedside table. I was just about to open up my e-mail when a knock sounded on my door. I knew exactly who it was and chose to ignore it. I typed in my passwords and watched the window pull up all my unread messages when the knock sounded again. Groaning, I ignored it once again and clicked open an email for Dayton, one of my friends from boarding school. He was a few years younger than me, but he and Chance were two of the best players of the football team so they hung out a lot. The email had an attachment of an old picture of us. I clicked it open and smiled at the image of all of us just after a football game.
"Ana, I know you are awake, open the door." Seb's husky voice came through the large wooden panel that was separating me my room from him.
"Go away." I yelled at him, I didn't want to see him especially with these stupid tears on my face.
"Ana, open the door." Seb said again a little softer this time.
I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. "Go away Seb." I told him once again, and looked back at the picture in front of me.
"I'm not leaving until you open this door." Seb warned me and I frowned. Knowing him I knew that he would stay out there till the sun came up if he had to.
Groaning out loud I pulled the sleeves of my shirt into my palm and tried to brush away most of the tears. I put my computer back on the table and gingerly got off my bad. I walked over to the door and threw it open.
"What do you want?" I demanded with more anger than I had intended.
Seb's eyes scanned my face and a deep frown embedded itself onto his face. "You've been crying." It wasn't a question but rather a statement.
I sniffed my nose and glared at him. "So?" I demanded crossing my arms across my chest.
Seb stepped into my room, his eyes still planted on my face. "Why have you been crying?" He asked a little too gently for my liking. I wanted him to scream at me some more so I could turn my sadness into anger.
"You yelled at me." I reminded him, hoping that he would assume that was the reason for my tears.
Seb's eyes darkened as he shook his head. "I have yelled at you before Ana, even called you some horrible names and you've never cried before."
I pouted my lips at him. "Maybe I have finally hit my limit." I told him grumpily.
Seb shook his dark head again. "You are too strong to cry because I've yelled at you. Why don't you tell me why you're really crying?" He asked and then to my surprise he reached out to my face and brushed away a few unwanted tears from my cheek.
"I don't want to talk about it." I told him and turned away from his touch. Having him touch me when I felt so vulnerable was too much. I walked over to my window and looked out at the city below. The lights were blurry to my tear filled eyes, but the city was still mesmerizing. "Just go away." I pleaded with him.
There was a long pause behind me and I thought maybe he had left, but just as I started to turn I heard his body move towards me.
"I can't leave you like this." Seb's voice came out so softly that I wouldn't have heard him if he wasn't so close. "Tell me what's wrong." I felt Seb's hand on my shoulder and subconsciously turned my head towards it feeling his knuckles against my cheek.
I stayed there like that for a second, enjoying his warmth against my damp cheeks before turning to face him.
I raised my shoulder at him in a shrug. "I just remembered my mom today, I mean more than usual. I feel asleep by the tree thinking about her."
Seb's eyes widen as the words left my lips. "Why didn't you tell me that?" He asked in a low tone.
I shrugged again. "You didn't really give me a chance."
Seb's jaw tightened. "That's bullshit Ana. I gave you multiple chances to tell me what happen and all you said was that you decided to go riding and you fell asleep." Seb's muscle popped in and out on the side of his face. "You made it sound like you blatantly went back to the house to make me mad, and when you said you feel asleep by the tree I thought it was your way of telling me you had been up all night the day before doing god knows what with Chance." He took a deep breath in. "I have been worried sick about you since you didn't show up from school. I thought you were being defiant and went out without letting me know, so I called you but your phone went straight to voice mail. Figuring you were with your friends I call Eve, and she said she was with her family and didn't know where you were, Brook said she was out with Scott, and when I finally called Chance thinking that's the only other person you could be with, he told me that he had been at football practice all evening and hadn't heard from you." Seb narrowed his eyes down at me. "Do you know many crazy thought flew through my head in the hours you have been missing? I thought you might have gotten in an accident somewhere so I called all the local hospitals but they told me that there were no reports of an accident. Then I thought-"
I shook my head at Seb and cut him off. "I'm sorry, I should have called but the thought of seeing Loretta was so overwhelming that I forgot. Besides I obviously hadn't planned on falling a sleep there. I wouldn't have stayed out so late without telling you on purpose." I told him, feeling a small stab of guilt pierce me. I hadn't realized that Seb would be so worried, but I should have. Hadn't he shown me time and time again that he took my safety to be his duty? Accompanying that guilt was also a shot of joy, not only because the fact that Seb was worried about me left a flutter in my heart, but also because it meant that Seb hadn't stayed up for Julie, at least not entirely. 'Don't be stupid Ana, he is only worried because he doesn't want to let dad down.' That voice inside my head reminded me and I frowned at how true it was.
Seb nodded before me and ran his fingers through his lustrous hair. He just looked at me for a second and then his eyes narrowed again as if a thought just occurred to him. "How exactly did you fall?" He questioned keenly.
I gulped at his question and looked down at my knee. "What do you mean?" I asked him, unsure of why he was questioning me.
Seb's eyes narrowed farther and he looked at me as if he was trying to figure a puzzle out. "You have been up and down that trail to the stables more times than I could count in one breath. You know every stone and pebble, even in the dark you should have been able to make it up that trail without a problem so I am just curious as to what made you fall."
I couldn't meet his eyes, I tried, but I just couldn't. "The sprinkles startled me." I told him barely above a whisper. It was the truth, but not the whole truth and that was why I couldn't look into his eyes.
Seb observed me for a while, I could feel his eyes trying to pry into my mind. "There is something you aren't telling me. I felt it from the minute you came into the apartment. What is it?"
I shook my head and turned back to the city outside. "I'll tell you tomorrow." I told him, because I couldn't handle his wrath tonight.
"Ana-" He started but I quickly turned around.
"I'll tell you tomorrow." I told him again and looked into his eyes. He was taut and he was starting at me with so much potency that I just had to reach out and touch his face. "You'll get winkles." I told him trying to get his face to relax under my hand.
Seb reached up and cover my hand with his, I thought he was going to pull it away but he just held it here against his face. "I've already aged twenty years tonight, a few wrinkles don't mean much."
I frowned at that. "I think the saying is you've scared me so much I've ages ten years." I told him recalling the phrase Colby used to say whenever I didn't listen to him.
Seb shook his head and ran his thumb down the length of my hand sending new found shivers through me. "I know what the saying is, but considering how much I worried I think twenty is much more valid."
I couldn't help but smile at that even as I felt bad. I brushed my own thumb across his cheek and bit my lip. "I'm sorry for slapping you."
Seb's eyes flashed before me, and his hand moved off of mine. "I guess I deserved it. I'm sorry for what I did and said, I deeply regret it." He sounded like a robot reading off a script and I frowned.
"I want to go to bed." I told him moving away from him. It look so much effort on my part to apologize and he didn't even respond like a human being.
I started towards my bed but Seb grabbed my arm causing me to turn to him sharply. He let me go slowly and sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry for the way I behaved. You didn't deserve that." His voice came out raw.
This time I nodded, knowing that he was really sorry. "Shouldn't you be with Julie?" I asked him, even as the question pained me.
Seb's dark brow inched up. "Why would I be with Julie?"
I shrugged trying so hard to pretend like I didn't care. "I just figured you two...." I trailed off not exactly sure what word to use to describe their relationship.
I could pin point the exact instant that Seb's eyes lit up with realization. "I am not, nor have I ever slept with Julie if that's what you are trying to say."
I opened my mouth at that confession. "But I..." Again I was at a lose for words.
Seb's lips thinned. "But you thought we were sleeping together?" He asked and took a step towards me. "You don't seem to have a very high opinion of me do you?"
I look a step back from him. "What do you mean?" I asked him. My opinion of Seb had always been a lot higher than it should have been.
Seb's eyes ran over my face. "You think I would kiss you when I was sleeping with someone else! First it was Cybil, now it's Julie." He took a step closer. "I may enjoy women but I always enjoy them one at a time. My relationships only average about a week for a reason."
I sucked in a breath at his announcement. "Well you didn't really enjoy me, so I don't think that quite counts." I told him.
Seb's eyes flashes to my lips and I instinctively ran my tongue over them. "I certainly enjoyed you very much." He said taking another step closer. This time I didn't step back even thought I had plenty of room to.
I just looked up at his face and gulped. "You don't mean that."
Seb's voice came out huskily with his eyes still on my lips. "Don't I?" He asked reaching his hand to touch my face again. The warmth of his palm cupped my cheek and I felt his strong thumb stroke against my bottom lip. I trembled under that touch and my heart began to flutter just as my lips parted as if they had a mind of their own.
Seb's face leaned towards me and I prepared myself, this time I knew it was coming. His breath spanned over my face and I inhaled his spicy scent. His face moved closer and I felt myself frown because his lips were nowhere close to mine. Instead Seb leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before pulling back.
"Go to bed Ana, we'll talk in the morning." He told me and brushed his thumb across my cheek before moving away from me and walking out the door.
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Hi! First of all I know it's short but given that I wrote it between yesterday and today I think it's fine (hopefully).
This is my valentines day gift to you all because I love you and this is how I wanted to show it, even though I'm sure the end left most of you frustrated.
If you enjoyed this chapter place VOTE.
What do you think about the ending? COMMENT below.
As always thank you for your love and support. This book wouldn't have come so far without you! Love you all and Happy Valentine's day :)
P.s: For those of you that have read Unravel Me, did you catch the reference? :)