An hour was far too long to get ready. I brushed my hair and changed my clothes in ten minutes, leaving fifty minutes to contemplate how horribly my fractured life had been upended. When the hour passed, Sebastian knocked on my door. He didn’t wait for me to answer; he simply poked his head inside until his eyes locked on mine.
“Ready to go?” Sebastian asked, his eyes shining brightly.
I nodded, grumbling something unintelligible, and stood up. While my face was somehow miraculously healed, my ankle was anything but. Occasionally, a dull pain would twitch up my ankle, making me wince.
Sebastian and I walked downstairs to where Lauren and Darren were sitting on the sofa. Darren was drunk, as usual. Lauren was desperately trying to keep her gaze off Sebastian. Her eyes kept flickering from the TV to his towering form. I resisted the urge to scoff; she was more interested in Sebastian than she had been in me for three years. A blind man could see how taken Lauren was with Sebastian, even seventeen years later.
“Try and have a good time, Sophia,” Lauren spoke gently.
Her hand lifted, reaching toward my face. Instinctively, I stumbled back. It wasn’t because I was afraid of her hitting me; it was because she had never touched me before. This move was too intimate, too caring. It might have made sense for any other mother and daughter, but not for us. The action was unwarranted. I didn’t want her comfort or her false sympathy. She noticed my reaction, and her face fell, her washed-out eyes flickering to Sebastian.
‘Watch closely,’ the voice murmured in my head. ‘Her concern isn’t for your benefit. It’s for his.’
For once, the voice was actually helpful. It was right. Lauren wasn’t taking on the role of a caring mother because she realized the error of her ways; she was doing it for Sebastian’s benefit. She couldn’t stand for others to see her as the deadbeat parent. Her mask was thin on her weathered face, and I could see through it clearly.
“I’ll be outside,” I mumbled, tripping on my chunky boot but somehow managing to make it to the front door unharmed.
I stood outside, taking deep breaths of the crisp afternoon air. The breeze was picking up, chilling my skin in a way that brought me some semblance of comfort. Looking out into the woods was the most peaceful I had felt in days. Everything was so silent. The only sound was from birds and the quiet whoosh of the wind against the trees. Some small part of me wanted to bound off into the woods and not come back out.
Sebastian came outside just a few minutes later. I glanced up at his face and snorted. He looked uncomfortable.
“Something funny?” Sebastian raised his eyebrow at me, and I marveled at how similar we looked.
“You seem uncomfortable,” I noted, leaving him behind as I walked down the porch steps.
“Something you can relate to,” Sebastian responded once he had caught up to me.
I resisted the urge to laugh spitefully. Of course, he’d say that, and of course, I could relate. This was all brought on by him, not by me. If he hadn’t ignored the existence of his child for seventeen years, we wouldn’t be in this uncomfortable situation.
Sebastian opened the passenger door of a large and flashy sedan. I had never been in a car this fancy before. Lauren’s car was a ’95 Buick, practically falling apart at the seams. This car had all the flashing lights and fancy buttons you’d see on a brand-new car. So it seemed Sebastian had money-something that could easily be beneficial for me, not that I’d ever be caught asking.
We arrived at the only restaurant in town, the one I worked at. Jenny gave me a strange look as she walked Sebastian and me over to one of the many tables. Sebastian excused himself to go to the bathroom, and I grunted in response. If I was dreading an hour-long dinner with the man, how the hell was I going to live with him?
“Oh look, your face is all better,” Jenny gave me a side-eyed look.
“Lots of cover-up and ibuprofen,” I nodded absentmindedly.
“Who the hell is that?” Jenny snorted, her eyes flickering toward the bathrooms.
“Long-lost sperm donor,” I shrugged, picking at the napkin on the table.
“Sperm donor?” Jenny scrunched her nose. “I thought Darren was your dad?”
Her specific information about my family didn’t faze me. This was a small town, after all. I had heard my fair share of gossip and drama about the other townspeople, choosing to ignore it all. The typical rumors flew around-who slept with whom, couples getting divorced, and the occasional gambling or cheating scandal.
“I don’t have a dad,” I shook my head. “I have Darren, and I have a sperm donor.”
Sure, it was childish, but I felt like I had that right. I had spent years taking care of myself. Didn’t I deserve just a single childish moment?
“Well, it looks like sperm donor has some money,” Jenny shrugged. “Might as well get what you can from it.”
I nodded in agreement, but I truly didn’t want anything from Sebastian. I didn’t need money or some poorly constructed relationship. I was seventeen years old and had spent my life without a father figure. What made him think I needed one now? The only person I wanted was my grandma. She’d understand how I was feeling and take me away from all of this mess, as she had many times in the past. I also wanted Ethan and Kieran, not that I’d admit it to myself or anyone else.
Sebastian came back to the table and sat across from me, looking as awkward as I felt. The awkward silence was picking at me, making me grow more irritable with each passing moment.
“So, do you have any other kids?” I blurted out, nearly cringing at the hostile tone in my voice.
Sebastian nodded. “I have a daughter. She’s two years younger than you.”
Two years-that’s all it took for Sebastian to forget about me and have another child.
“And you have a wife.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement. He had his own little family while mine was left in shambles.
“I do.” Sebastian cleared his throat. “Not that I didn’t love Lauren-”
“Don’t.” I held up my hand. “Yours and Lauren’s relationship doesn’t concern me.”
“It was brief.” Sebastian gave me a painful smile. “The relationship was a mistake-but the outcome was a blessing of sorts.”
I inwardly cringed at his words. It didn’t hurt to know his relationship with Lauren was a mistake; what hurt was hearing him call me a blessing-a blessing he had openly chosen to ignore for seventeen years.
“Do you normally toss your blessings to the side and ignore them for seventeen years?” I asked. “Placating them by throwing money their way?”
Sebastian pursed his lips. “Ignoring you-that wasn’t my intention.”
We were interrupted by Kat walking up to the table, a notepad in her hand. She paused for a moment when she saw us, her eyes running over my face slowly. It was obvious she noticed my healed face, and something told me she suspected the cause.
“Hey, Sophia.” Kat smiled at me, her eyes wandering over to Sebastian questioningly. “Do you two know what you want to drink?”
“Coke,” I murmured, giving her a small smile. Her eyes flickered between the two of us, and I could practically hear what she was trying to tell me. ‘You better give me a good explanation.’ Her eyes practically screamed. I couldn’t tell if she was referring to Sebastian or my newly healed face.
“Just a water for me.” Sebastian nodded. “We will need a few more moments to look over the menu.”
“Of course.” Kat peeled her eyes off of me and gave Sebastian a polite smile. “I’ll be right out with your drinks.”
Kat walked away, and I sighed as Sebastian picked up where he left off.
“I had-let’s just call it an arranged marriage.” Sebastian looked uncomfortable. “I was with Lauren right before meeting my intended, resulting in you. My wife-well, she’s not fond of Lauren.”
His statement held another meaning, and I found my face turning into a grimace as I understood his words.
“I’m sure she’s not happy you have another child by some other woman,” I pointed out, and the look on Sebastian’s face told me I was correct.
“She isn’t.” Sebastian paused. “But you are my firstborn child. That means something where I come from.”
“Where I come from, it means I’m a mistake.” I shrugged, unfazed.
Kat brought out our drinks, and I ordered some Ellen pasta. In all honesty, I was tired of eating the food from this restaurant. I didn’t cook for myself, so I’d often bring home leftovers. I’d been eating this food for two weeks now, and it was getting old. The food wasn’t bad, but the repetition was tiresome. Sebastian ordered something for himself, and the two of us watched as Kat walked away.
“That is a friend of yours?” Sebastian asked, his gaze showing interest.
“My first friend since moving here,” I nodded.
Sebastian sat quietly for a few moments, then finally opened his mouth. “I would like you to tell me what happened to your face.” His voice was soft yet incredibly fierce. He sounded almost protective. That tone made me feel nauseous.
“Not important,” I dismissed him. “As you can clearly see, my face is fine.”
Sebastian didn’t seem surprised by my magical healing. If anything, he seemed to have expected it. That fact only left me more confused.
“Very well.” Sebastian nodded. “I’ll drop it if you tell me what happened to your foot.”