Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chloe
Two days had passed, and I hadn’t heard a word from Sebastian. After sending him a few text messages with no response, I tried to call him, only for his phone to go straight to voicemail. Sitting at my desk and rereading his text messages from that night, a nervous feeling flooded my belly. When I told him I loved him, he didn’t respond with a “me too.” Nor did he tell me that he missed me. Something was off with him, and it bothered me a great deal. When I dialed Sienna, she answered and held up her finger, telling me to hold on a second.
“What’s up, buttercup?” She smiled.
“Can you come over tonight? I need to talk to you.”
“Sure thing. Hey, are you okay?” She frowned.
“I don’t really know. We’ll talk later.”
“Okay. I’ll stop and pick us up a pizza on the way over.”
I gave her a small smile. “Sounds good. I’ll have the wine or tequila waiting.”
“Shit, Chloe. Tequila? Did something happen with Sebastian?”
“I’m not sure. I have to go. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. Bye.” She pouted as she ended the call.
Trying to keep as busy as possible, the workday finally ended, and I headed home. Stepping into my apartment, I set my purse down and went into the bedroom to change. Sitting down on the bed, I glanced at the pile of change that sat upon it from Sebastian. I missed him, and I couldn’t help this gnawing feeling inside me that something was wrong. After changing into my sweatpants and a tank top, I buzzed up Sienna and watched as she walked up the steps with a pizza box and a brown bag in her hand.
“What did you bring?” I asked as I took the pizza box from her.
“I get the impression comfort food is in order, so I stopped at the store and picked up some cookie dough ice cream and a dozen cupcakes from your favorite bakery.”
“Aw, thanks.”
She followed me into the kitchen and put the ice cream in the freezer.
“So tell me, what’s going on?”
Taking down two plates, I took them to the table.
“I haven’t heard from Sebastian in two days.”
“Well, maybe he’s really busy and hasn’t had a chance to call you.”
“Too busy to text his girlfriend before he goes to bed at night? I tried calling him and it appears his phone is turned off.”
“Huh?” She twisted her face. “Why would he turn off his phone?”
“I don’t know. Something isn’t right, Sienna.” I took a bite of my pizza and threw the slice on the plate, pushing it away. “I don’t feel like eating right now.”
“Okay. Let’s go back to the night he was over for dinner. You said that Damien called him and said that he needed him back at the office.”
“Yes, and then he texted me a couple of hours later saying that he needed to fly to Seattle for an emergency meeting and that he’d be gone for at least a week, if not longer.”
“Why wouldn’t he call you and tell you that? I would think that was something he would want to tell you over the phone, not via text.”
“I really didn’t think anything about it. But I told him I loved him, and he didn’t respond at all.”
“If you want my honest opinion,” she spoke as she chewed her food, “I think he has a multiple personality disorder.”
I sighed as I rolled my eyes. “He does not.”
“Eat your pizza. I have to go to the bathroom.” She pushed my plate towards me. “If you don’t eat dinner, you can’t have ice cream.” She grinned.
Picking up my pizza, I took a small bite and slowly chewed it as I thought about Sebastian. A few moments later, Sienna walked back to the table.
“Umm, Chloe.”
I glanced up at her as she stood there holding the pregnancy stick in her hand.
“You said that Sebastian went to the bathroom in the middle of dinner. I think I found the reason he ran out of here so fast.” She held up the stick.
My eyes widened, and my heart started racing. “Oh my God, he thinks I’m pregnant.” I placed my hand over my mouth.
“I would say so. You hadn’t told him yet that your mom is pregnant?”
“No. I didn’t have a chance to. We were talking about that business deal of his. I was going to tell him after.”
“I could totally understand why he thought it was you. I mean, come on. I never would have thought in a million years your mom would get pregnant again.”
“You and me both.”
As the confusion and sadness were swept away by the tide, anger roared throughout my body. Getting up from the table, I walked over to the counter and downed a shot of tequila. Slamming my fists on the counter, I looked at Sienna.
“So he just ran away?” I yelled. “Like a fucking coward? Instead of asking me or talking to me about it, he took off?” My voice raised so loudly that I was sure the whole building heard.
“Calm down there, tiger.” She put her hands up. “But it looks that way.”
“FUCK HIM!” I shouted as I threw the vase of daisies he gave me at the wall, and it shattered all over the floor, with water spilling everywhere.
“Okay. Seriously, Chloe, calm down. This isn’t like you. Take a deep breath. Come on. Deep breath,” she spoke as she breathed in and out.
Following her lead, I took in several deep breaths to try and calm myself. After about the fourth one, my heart started to settle down.
“That a girl.” She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m sorry he sucks. You need to tell him that you aren’t pregnant.”
“I’m not telling him anything. If he thinks I’m pregnant, let him think it. It’s over between us for good. He showed his true colors with this, and it’s something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive him for.”
“Come, let’s sit down on the couch and be rational about this.” She took hold of my arm and walked me to the couch.
“Are you defending him?” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“No. I’m not defending him at all. What he did was a total douchebag move. But aren’t you the one who said that he was broken inside? You knew exactly what you were getting into when the two of you became a couple. This shouldn’t shock you.”
“But it does! He turned his back on his child and the mother of his child. A woman he supposedly loves.”
She held up her finger. “Now remember, he never told you that he loved you. He just always said ‘me too,’ which, if you stop and think about it, he’s actually saying he loves himself too.”
“Ugh! You aren’t helping!” I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. “He grew up without a family. His parents abandoned him, and now he is doing the same thing.” A tear formed in my eye.
“Hold up. You’re not even pregnant, so technically, he didn’t abandon his child because a child does not exist.”
“But to him, it does. He thinks I’m pregnant, so he ABANDONED his child!” I yelled.
“Stop yelling at me, Chloe. Meditate, do something.”
As I shook my head, the tears in my eyes began to fall down my face.
“I can’t believe he would do something like this. I thought I knew him, but obviously I don’t.”
“Aw, sweetie,” she whispered as she placed her hand on my arm. “You do know him and how he struggles with relationship things. I mean, he’s trying so hard, and now he thinks you’re pregnant, and he got scared. You know what babies’ men are.”
“So you are defending him?”
“No. I’m just trying to make you see it from his point of view. He never had a family, and now he has this amazing girlfriend who loves him to the ends of the earth, and then here comes baby. Instant family. He’s scared, Chloe.”
“I guess you’re right, but I DON’T GIVE A SHIT!”
“There you go with the yelling again.”
“I’m done. I don’t deserve this. I’m a good person, Sienna.”
“Of course you are. You’re the sweetest, most kindhearted, and giving person I know. But I still think you need to tell him you’re not pregnant.”
“No.” I shook my head. “He can think it all he wants. I’m done with him. Finished.”
“And what are you going to do when he gets back and wants to talk?”
“He doesn’t get to talk. He lost that right the minute he walked out my door. If it’s so easy for him to stay away from me for a week or so, then it’ll be a fuck of a lot easier to stay away the rest of his life.”
“Chloe, I’m worried. This doesn’t even sound like you.”
“I’m hurt, Sienna. Don’t you understand that?”
She kissed the side of my head. “Of course I do. But you don’t have a mean bone in your body. You never have.”
“Maybe that’s my problem. I’ve let too many guys walk all over me all these years. Not this time. He made his bed over an assumption, and now he can rot in it.”
She sighed heavily as she tried to comfort me. “I think you mean he can sleep in it.”
“No. He can rot for all I care. In fact, where’s my phone?” I stormed off the couch and into the kitchen.
“Chloe, what are you doing?” Sienna asked in a panicked voice.
When I dialed Sebastian’s number, it went straight to voicemail.
“Sebastian, it’s Chloe. I know why you left New York. I just had to tell you that. Because letting you know that I know in some weird way gives me a sense of peace. When you decide to come back, don’t call me, come to my apartment, the art gallery, nothing. It’s over between us. I will erase every memory we ever made and move on with my life. I suggest you do the same. And by the way, if you follow me again like you did last time, I will get a restraining order against you! Consider yourself warned.”
“Jesus, Chloe. I can’t believe you just did that,” Sienna spoke as she stood across the room with her mouth hanging open.
“Sienna, I love you, but I need to be alone right now.”
“Are you sure? I can stay the night.”
“No.” I gave her a gentle smile. “Go home to Sam, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” She pouted as she walked over and gave me a tight hug. “If you need me, call.”
As soon as she left, I locked the door, started the water for a bath, climbed in the tub, and cried myself into oblivion.