2

Ivy Chase

~•~

I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection. I picked up the hairbrush from the vanity and brushed my long brown hair. After that, I packed it into a sleek ponytail.

With everything that had been going on, I hadn’t gotten the chance to visit the salon. But I had to do my hair by myself because I was having dinner with Sebastian and needed to look presentable.

The thought of the dinner sent a shiver down my spine. He still had no idea what happened the previous night. After I left his house because of his annoying secretary, he texted me to apologize.

I didn’t want to continue living with the guilt of cheating on him, so I asked him to let me know when he would be free. I wanted us to talk.

He suggested that we have dinner at a fancy restaurant. I wanted it to be in private, but I reluctantly agreed. I mean, Sebastian wasn’t a fan of crowded places, so I guessed it would be kind of empty.

I took a deep breath as I smoothed out my dress. Then I forced a smile as I stared into the mirror. Even if I felt miserable on the inside, I looked good physically.

After grabbing my purse, I headed outside my apartment. The Uber I ordered had already arrived and was waiting for me.

I texted Sebastian to let him know that I was on my way to the restaurant. In a short span of ten minutes, I arrived at my destination.

As I stepped into the restaurant, I noticed that there weren’t so many people around. My eyes darted around the place as I tried to find my boyfriend.

I let out a relieved sigh when I saw him sitting at the end of the restaurant. He gestured for me to walk towards him when our eyes locked onto each other.

But I froze in my steps and my heart skipped a bit when I saw Parker sitting on the table beside Sebastian. “Oh my goodness!” I whispered to myself through gritted teeth. “This is so fucked up.”

I didn’t want Sebastian to think something was wrong. So I took a deep breath and steadied my nerves. Then I walked carefully over to his table.

I made sure to avoid looking at Parker, even though I could feel his eyes on my body as I walked. What was he doing at the restaurant? Was it a coincidence or was he trying to play games with me?

I couldn’t help but wonder if he had said anything to Sebastian. I was even surprised to see that they hadn’t caused a scene yet.

“Hey.” I managed a smile as I sat down beside Sebastian.

He kissed me on my forehead. “Hey.”

My heart was pounding in my chest but I tried my best to stay calm. I felt so uncomfortable with Parker present in the restaurant.

I prayed silently that he would leave before Sebastian would notice anything. It wouldn’t be nice if I told him about it in Parker’s presence.

A fight would likely break out and it wouldn’t look good for any of us. Why did Parker have to be at the same restaurant we were having dinner?

“What did you want to talk about?” Sebastian asked, raising a brow at me. “You sounded like it was so urgent and important. Is every good? Or do I have to be worried?”

Before I could respond, a waiter interrupted us as he asked what we wanted to order. Letting out a deep breath, I picked up the menu and glanced through it.

“We’ll have Pasta and roasted chicken,” Sebastian responded before I was even done looking through the menu.

I dropped the menu on the table and smiled at the waiter. “Yes, and a bottle of Jim Beam, please,” I added.

Sebastian looked at me in shock as I requested for alcohol. “Are you sure you want that?” He asked and I nodded.

I needed to take a glass of drink to prepare myself for the conversation we were about to have. As Sebastian spoke to the waiter, I turned around to look at Parker who had a mischievous smirk plastered across his face.

Just as he was about to wink at me, I quickly turned around and reached out for Sebastian’s hands. I had no idea what was going to happen after he found out the truth.

I wasn’t even sure if he would forgive me. But I needed to say something. It would only be worse if I kept it a secret because the truth would eventually reveal itself one way or another.

“Are you good?” Sebastian asked me and I nodded.

“Why is he here?” I asked Sebastian as I pointed to Parker’s table. Sebastian always had a lot to say about Parker, but he hadn’t even acknowledged his presence since I walked inside.

Sebastian shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. Tell me what you came here for.” He demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

I hesitated for a few seconds, unsure if it was appropriate to talk about it with Parker present. I wasn’t prepared for Sebastian’s next question.

“What happened last night?” His expression became sharp and he asked like he already knew something.

My lips parted and I blinked. “What?” I asked, my voice tinged with shock.

Sebastian sighed heavily. “What happened last night?” I repeated the question.

I was at a loss for words. My eyes darted between him and Parker. Parker just watched quietly as we argued. Did he already say something to Sebastian?

I had no idea what was going on and I didn’t know what to say to Sebastian. “What do you think happened last night?” I asked, trying to figure out how much he knew.

“Why are you turning the question around? I asked you first.” He replied, glaring at me. “Where were you at last night?”

I was getting uncomfortable and couldn’t answer his question on the spot. “Please, I just don’t want to talk about it here.”

Sebastian scoffed. “It was you who asked for a conversation. And suddenly, you don’t want to talk?” He snorted. “Maybe you shouldn’t have dragged me here in the first place.”

I stood up from the chair and walked outside the restaurant because Sebastian was about to cause a scene.

He trailed behind me and called out my name as I walked through the front door. “What is wrong with you, Ivy? You can’t answer a simple question?”

I stood in a corner because the weather was getting bad and it was about to rain.

My eyes were glistened with tears and I took a deep breath to prevent myself from breaking down in front of him.

Sebastian stood in front of me.“Would it kill you to tell what happened last night?” He asked, his voice rising in anger. “Are you hiding something from me?”

I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn’t form any words. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to have the conversation with him anymore.

“Can you take me home? We will talk about it in the morning.” I ignored his question and pleaded.

Sebastian let out a loud chuckle. “You were the one who asked to have a conversation. We aren’t leaving until you tell me what you want to talk about.”

I rolled my eyes and couldn’t hold back a scoff. “So you won’t drive me home?” I asked, my voice slightly cracked.

Sebastian clenched his jaw. “Exactly!”

Then he turned around and walked into the restaurant, leaving me standing there in the rain.