Page 3 of Almost

I hold back my sigh, but I’m tired of being made out to be the bad guy for not wanting to call Thalia. “Can’t you call that other person? The one you found at that wedding expo you went to with your mom? I thought you said it would be a good fit.” I have no idea if Kiera said that, but I’m grasping at straws at this point. Having Thalia at our wedding is my idea of spending a day in hell.

Kiera shakes her head quickly, refusing to back down. “Nope. She isn’t available for the day we picked, so unless you want to reschedule the caterer, the DJ, the baker, the pastor, and tell all of our wedding guests who have RSVP’d that we need to change dates to find a photographer because you’re too chicken to call Thalia.”

Honestly, yeah, I would rather do all of that instead of calling Thalia. I suspect that Kiera hasn’t tried very hard to find a photographer because she’s set on Thalia.

“There has got to be someone else—literally anyone else, Kiera. I don’t care how much it costs, but please find a different photographer,” I plead as she pouts, jutting her bottom lip. I hate disappointing Kiera, but I missed my window a long time ago to explain why I avoid Thalia like the plague.

“I want Thalia, though. She’s perfect, and think of what our pictures will look like,” Kiera protests, proving me right. Fuck. What do I do? I know that marriage is all about compromise, and it’s my fault that I haven’t explained thedepth of my past relationship with Thalia, but I need to think.

I stand up and whistle shortly to get Zeus’s attention. He immediately trots to my side, his head tilting to look at me eagerly. “We’re going for a quick run. Please look for a different photographer.”

“You just got home. Seb, I promise I’ll drop it.”

“I’ll be back in a little bit,” I promise, leaning down to kiss her cheek briefly. I’m not mad, I just wish she’d respect my decision to say I don’t want to call my ex-girlfriend to ask if she’ll photograph my wedding. I clip Zeus to his leash, walking out the front door feeling pretty shitty. I don’t tell Kiera no often, but this is something I don’t think I can ask of Thalia.

She skipped Christmas to stay in Spain, and I spent Thanksgiving at Kiera’s family’s house instead of the Lewis’s. It’s been constant avoidance the past few years and petty fights when we are together. The way Thalia hurt me the night I proposed has a way of turning me into the worst kind of person when I’m around her.

The last time I talked to her was at Mimi’s funeral in October, and to say it didn’t go well would be the understatement of the year.

Zeus and I run until I’m focusing more on my breathing instead of the cruel words I threw at Thalia to see her bleed. The fact of the matter is that no matter how hard I try, I’ll never be able to forget Thalia. I find pieces of her everywhere I look that fit into a puzzle I can’t complete.

It doesn’t matter that it’s been years and we’ve both moved on.

I shake my head as Zeus keeps pace next to me at a light jog. “I need to call her, don’t I?” I ask him, talking to the dogjust like I made fun of Kiera for doing not even half an hour ago.

His tongue falls out of his open mouth as we slow to a stop in a park near our neighborhood. I unlock my phone to dial Thalia’s number from memory since I deleted her contact to try and keep myself from reaching out.

I’m doing this for Kiera, I remind myself.

I hold the phone up to my ear as it rings, nearly dropping it in shock when the line connects.

“Hello?”

CHAPTER TWO

Thalia

“WHAT DO WE think of putting this here?” I ask, stepping back, holding onto my glass of wine as Blake looks at it from where she stands next to me.

“Where else could you put it?” she questions, putting her hands on her hips. I point to a corner farther to the right as Blake tilts her head to eye the space thoughtfully. “I’d keep it here. It looks good where it’s at, but I don’t know. You and Penelope are the professionals.”

The opening of our gallery isn’t for another few weeks so I still have some time to decide on the placement of everything.

Penelope comes out from the back part of the gallery, a perplexed look on her face. “Uh, so I’m trying not to jump to conclusions, but can you explain to me why Sebastian Walker is calling you?”

I can’t help but laugh. That’s a good joke considering we haven’t spoken in months. If I had it my way, I’d never see him again. “He wouldn’t be. Why would you even try to joke about that?”

“Because he’s calling you now,” Penelope says, holding my phone up to show me the screen.

I look at Blake who is just as confused as I am before we make the same connection. Something had to have happened to Owen if Sebastian is willing to call me.

She pulls her phone out as I take mine from Penelope, accepting the call.“Hello?”I wait a moment, but I don’t hear a response. I can feel my anxiety rising in my chest for more than one reason, but mainly out of concern for my brother. “Sebastian? Did something happen to Owen?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm as Blake waits for my brother to answer her call.

And then I hear his familiar deep voice that is still capable of sending shivers down my spine. “What? Owen’s fine or at least he was when I left the stadium earlier.”

“Then why the hell are you calling me?” The edge in my voice is unmistakable as Blake shakes her head and gives me a thumbs-up, telling me that Owen is just fine. What the fuck is going on? “Actually, I don’t care.Goodbye.”

“Wait! Please, don’t hang up,” Sebastian blurts out quickly.