Page 5 of Almost
“I wanna go back to Europe.” I moan and Blake passes me back the bottle.
Blake smiles sympathetically at me. “I’ll be there, and if it makes you feel better, Owen is driving me nuts.”
“Yeah, but you’re married to him. I didn’t marry Sebastian, and he’s still making my life hell.” I should have taken his offer for an unspecified amount of money. My stupid pride wants to prove a point that I did the right thing prioritizing my career.
“Yeah, I have nothing for you. This sucks,” Penelope says, lying back on the floor.
We sit there for a while, having to get a second bottle of something much stronger that I had hidden away in myoffice after the wine quickly ran out. The faster the tequila flows, the more chaotic we become.
Blake started tearing up after my brother showed up. “Owen, you’re not going to make me leave right?” Blake pouts, batting her long eyelashes at him.
He lowers himself to the floor next to her, sighing reluctantly. “No, I’m not. I thought I’d come to check on you after the text you sent. Maybe I should take you home since you look like you’re about to cry.”
“Nope, I want to stay, but I want you to stay too.” She leans into him, smiling stupidly like he’s the only one for her. I’m glad they have each other, even if I’m bitter about my own nonexistent love life and reemerging ex-boyfriend.
“I’ll stay,” Owen agrees, looking at me questioningly as if I somehow have answers for him.
“This is your fault.” I scowl, having no qualms currently about blaming my brother for this.
He raises his eyebrows skeptically. “I don’t understand how it’s my fault you’re all drunk. Lia, it’s a Tuesday, and it’s not even six yet. I hope you have a good reason because if that’s Cuervo, you’re going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.”
Blake points to the clocks that we ended up setting an hour ahead to make her feel better. “That says it’s almost seven.”
“Well, that clock isn’t right,” he retorts quickly, staring at me for an answer.
“Sebastian called me,” I admit, and his brown eyes widen.
“And you answered?”
I glare at him because this is exactly why it’s Owen’s fault. I wouldn’t have answered if it weren’t for my stupidbrother. “Because I thought you were hurt. You’re welcome by the way for caring about you so much I answered. Next time I’ll forfeit my deathbed goodbye to you.” It dawns on me after I say it that per the agreement Sebastian and I struck, he won’t call me again. Sober me would never admit it, but it makes drunk me a little sad.
Owen wraps an arm around Blake’s shoulders while Penelope sits up, grabbing the bottle of tequila again. “I’m touched that you care enough about me that you’d answer a phone call from him. Bash didn’t say anything earlier about needing to talk to you when I was with him.”
“I should have let it go to voice mail.”
“I’m sure whatever he wanted couldn’t have been that bad,” Owen tries to excuse his best friend, causing Penelope to laugh again.
“You really don’t want to say that. It’s like tempting fate,” Penelope says, pulling her dark hair out of her face. She’s been growing it out; at first, I wasn’t sure what to think of it, but it’s grown on me.
My head is spinning like I’m on a carousel I can’t get off. I lie back on the cold floor, and it helps ease the churning in my stomach. I really should have just hung up on him while I had the opportunity. Is it too late to call him back to tell him I changed my mind? I don’t owe Sebastian anything.
“What could he have said that was so bad after all these years since you broke up? Another fuck you? Bash is happy with Kiera so I don’t see him going out of his way to talk to you—”
I cut him off because I’m very aware that he’s happy with her. “Sebastian asked me to be their photographer. Kiera wants me because she loved the ones I took at your wedding so much.”
And I know how ridiculous it sounds because Owen starts laughing immediately. At least someone is getting a kick out of this; actually, I bet I could kick Sebastian and he wouldn’t be able to say a goddamn thing. After nearly a minute straight of laughter, Owen finally regains control. “Very funny. Now why did he really call you?”
Penelope sighs, and I rub my temples.
“Seriously Owen, do you not realize how no one is laughing but you? That is why he called me,” I say flatly, staring at one of the lights on the ceiling. It’s stupid.
“No. He wouldn’t do that,” Owen insists and I fall silent.
Penelope scoffs, not bothering to hold her tongue. “You better fucking believe that asshole is capable of doing that. Hence the drinking.”
If anyone had tried telling me this morning that I’d be talking to Sebastian fucking Walker for the first time since Mimi’s funeral, I’d tell them they’re bat shit crazy. Maybe I’m the insane one, but I answered the call, though. I have no one to blame but myself.
I had zero intention of fighting with him that day, but I also didn’t expect to find out he and Kiera were engaged. All it did was take me back to the day I told Sebastian not right now and I lost him.