Chapter Four - Thalia
CHAPTER FOUR
Thalia
THIS IS A terrible idea. Penelope’s only told me so a dozen times. Between Blake and Owen combined, I’m sure I’ve heard it from them just as many times. I haven’t even kept track of how many times I’ve almost picked up the phone to call Kiera back to tell her I changed my mind because I unexpectedly have to go out of town and I’ll be gone until after they’re married.
It could almost be believable, but then I remember how excited Kiera was when I called her back. I can’t cancel on her now. It’s going to suck, but afterward I never have to see Sebastian again. I just need to get through the next few months.
God, she calls him Seb. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call him that before her. He’s always gone by Bash, Walker, or Sebastian. Never Seb .
I guess it should just serve as another reminder that things are different now, and they’ll never go back to the way they were.
I put my hands on my hips as I look around the gallery; most of my favorites are already hung, but there are a few I can’t bring myself to put up quite yet. Each of these portraits is a memory, but some of them I’m not ready to face yet.
A part of me was hesitant to even put up the one from Blake and Owen’s wedding. I couldn’t resist because it was taken during their first dance. She’s smiling at him brightly, and he’s looking at Blake like she’s the only person in the world. They make each other so happy.
I’m quite certain that Blake is the only person patient enough to put up with him. It must have something to do with her little brother and sister. I’m certainly not patient as my rash decision making could tell pretty much anyone I’ve ever spoken to.
I wander into the back room to grab a different portrait for a wall. I have a few minutes before Kiera is supposed to be here. I gave Penelope the day off much to her dismay because I know she was hoping to eavesdrop on the meeting.
My stomach is all twisted with nerves, but it’s not like this is my first time meeting Kiera. She’s nice and pretty. In fact, I think we’d probably be friends if things hadn’t ended so poorly between me and Bash. Kiera’s been nothing but polite every time I’ve been at my parents’ for the holidays, even when Sebastian and I would bicker. I haven’t necessarily gone out of my way to be nice to her when she’s at my parent’s house for holidays, but I haven’t been mean either. I tend to just ignore her or avoid the house if I know they’re going to be there. She’s not the one I’m avoiding, though. Sebastian is.
Once this is all said and done, I won’t have to anymore.
The portrait I stop in front of to try to hang next is from my trip to Thailand last year where I spent two weeks photographing the elephants in the wild. It was one of my favorite trips I’ve been on.
I pick it up, but my arms don’t quite fit around the frame making it quite the balancing act. It almost catches on the door frame from the back at the same time I hear Sebastian’s familiar voice as he and Kiera discuss something. The smell of Chinese takeout is overpowering, immediately causing my mouth to water.
I have no doubt that it was Bash’s idea to get Chinese. A white flag because I thought this meeting was just supposed to be me and Kiera.
I set the portrait carefully against the wall, wishing I’d taken a few minutes to at least freshen up. Since I cut my hair, it’s been a struggle to keep it up in a ponytail so it’s always slipping out and falling in my face. I’d brought a nicer shirt to change into, as opposed to my tank top and denim shorts that are easy to move around in, but I don’t think I’ll be able to change into the shirt since they’re early.
Kiera smiles widely at me when she realizes I’m out here. “Hey! This place is amazing.”
Sebastian drops his hand from where it rested on Kiera’s back, offering me a tentative smile that I choose to ignore. I don’t want him to smile at me. He wasn’t supposed to be here. “Thank you, I appreciate that. It’s definitely a lot more work than I thought it would be, but I think it’s coming together nicely.”
This is a terrible idea. I should have listened to Owen, Blake, and Penelope. Why didn’t I listen?
“Seb said that this was your favorite so I thought it’d be nice if we brought some. I also brought my binder with pictures of our venue and everything else so you can get a feel for it,” Kiera says, glancing over at Sebastian who tries to muster a smile. It makes me feel a little better that he’s uncomfortable too.
“Thanks, I’m definitely a sucker for Chinese takeout. I lose track most days of what time it is so I don’t normally end up eating till I get out of here. You can set all your stuff over here, and we can get started,” I say, motioning to the bar that I haven’t decided what to do with. I’ve been putting it off because there are much more pleasant things I’d rather do, such as picking what portraits are going to go on the walls. “So when is the wedding?”
“June twenty-sixth,” Kiera answers automatically.
I got the invitation a few months ago for a save the date that I didn’t bother opening before throwing it away because I wasn’t going to go. Now I’m fucking photographing it. Thankfully Kiera doesn’t mention my lack of response to that invite. “I’ll make sure I put that in my calendar so I don’t schedule any trips for then.” That was going to be my excuse for not going. “How big is the guest list?” I ask, directing all my questions toward Kiera because if I don’t have to talk to Sebastian, this will go much smoother.
“We have one hundred and fifty people that have RSVP’d yes , the plan was always to keep it under two hundred so we’re right on track. It’s at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. You wouldn’t believe how beautiful it is there,” she says excitedly, opening the book and flipping through until she lands on the page she wants. “This is the courtyard that I’m planning on using, but there’s an indoor hall available to us if the weather doesn’t cooperate. I was thinking we could do a walk-through soon to pick out spots on the property for wedding party pictures.”
“I’m impressed,” I admit, glancing over the pages before looking at her. It’s really hard to avoid Sebastian over her shoulder, but I’m doing my best. “I’m going to be honest with you, though, I’m not really a wedding photographer. I don’t really photograph people at all. I did Owen and Blake’s as a present. I really had no idea what I was doing, so the person I had with me was a saving grace. I can make some calls to people I’ve worked with in the past who do weddings if that’s a route you’d rather take?” Please say yes and put us all out of our misery.
“Oh my god, no! You really should consider doing weddings. If our photos even turn out half as nice as theirs did, I’ll be happy.”
There’s really no way out of this. Why does Kiera have to be so nice about it?
“Okay then. What’s the color scheme?” I ask with a polite smile.
See? I can be an adult. I’m playing nice. I can definitely do this.
Kiera tucks a strand of her pin straight dark hair behind her ear. “We’re going with navy and champagne gold. All the groomsmen will be wearing navy suits, and the bridesmaids will be wearing gold dresses. They’re gorgeous. Has Blake shown you hers yet?” Her smile is genuine and I swallow, shaking my head.
I didn’t even know that Blake was going to be in the wedding party. I should have assumed that she would be since it makes sense with Owen no doubt being the best man. I know that they’re friends, I’m just surprised.
“Oh. I assumed she would have, but that’s okay,” Kiera says, her smile a little dimmer than it was before. I feel like I just kicked a puppy. Honestly, no wonder Sebastian couldn’t say no to her .
“I’m sure Blake was going to, she just probably hasn’t gotten around to it yet,” Sebastian interjects, speaking for the first time since they got here, causing me to turn to look at him.
His hair is shorter than last time I saw him, but he’s still as handsome as ever. Goose bumps ripple across my arms when Sebastian’s dark brown eyes shift from Kiera to me. I underestimated how much it would hurt to be in the same room as him. I thought that after five months, I would have gotten over what he said.
I should be thanking you for saying no. Asking you to marry me was the biggest mistake of my life because you are the worst thing that almost happened to me.
I guess I haven’t, though.
“He’s right. I’m sure she didn’t want to show me until it fit correctly,” I reassure her, surprising myself in the process.
Before Kiera can speak, she gets a phone call and smiles apologetically at me. Goddamn, does this girl ever frown? “I’m sorry, it’s the clinic. I have to take this.”
“Go ahead, it’s okay.”
She wanders out of ear shot and Sebastian sighs tiredly. “I don’t quite know how this is going to work if you can’t even acknowledge me.”
I roll my eyes and look over at him again. “I can acknowledge you, I’m just choosing not to, Seb .”
At my use of Kiera’s nickname toward him, Sebastian visibly flinches. I think it takes us both by surprise that I call him it. I didn’t mean to, but it slipped out regardless.
“It’s just a nickname, Thalia, kinda like how everyone calls you Lia,” he points out.
Oh this is funny, and so not the same .
“You have a nickname. A few of them from what I recall. Asshole, jerk, dick, idiot , but I guess you’re probably just used to Bash ,” I reply quickly, not bothering to hold my tongue now. He stares at me with a blank expression, but I note the tic in his jaw telling me I’m getting to him, though.
Kiera interrupts us, her cheeks flushed. “I’m so sorry, Thalia, but my coworker ended up falling sick in the middle of his shift, and they need me to come cover. Is it okay if Sebastian finishes telling you everything? He’s been really involved with it so he knows it all. I feel terrible about this because we made this appointment and—”
“It’s okay. I understand. Things come up,” I say nicely, but I really don’t want to be left alone with Sebastian right now.
“I can drop you off at the clinic if you want?” Sebastian offers, clearly not wanting to stay here any more than I want him to.
Kiera leans up to kiss his cheek. “No, that’s okay. I’ll catch an Uber.” Then to my surprise, she hugs me and I have no choice but to hug her back. Oh god, this is so weird. “Thank you again, I’m really excited that you agreed to do this.”
“You’re welcome,” I say, hoping it doesn’t sound as awkward as it feels coming out of my mouth.
She exits in a rush, leaving us with a bag of my favorite takeout and her wedding book. I can’t hate her because Kiera’s a goddamn saint.
I pull my hair out of the ponytail that’s quite literally doing nothing to keep it out of my face, and Sebastian leans against the counter.
“Are you going to be able to do this, or do I need to tell my fiancée that she needs to find a new photographer? ”
I glare harshly at him as I attempt to twist my hair back again, but it’s not cooperating, adding to my irritation. “I can be professional. The real question I’d like to ask is how much does she actually know about our relationship because I’ll bet you didn’t tell her everything. I forget that seems to be a pattern with you.” I could never tell at my parents’ house for holidays whether Kiera was being polite, or if she genuinely doesn’t know the depth of our old relationship.
His jaw drops in utter disbelief that I would bring that up. “Are you seriously bringing that shit with Vera up again after six years?”
“Answer the question, Sebastian. What does Kiera know about us?”
“It’s in the past,” he answers, shutting the book.
Well maybe it’s not in the past for me. Not when I’m being dragged into this mess because he couldn’t tell Kiera in the first place to find a different photographer. “She deserves to know the truth. If you’re so afraid of telling her, then maybe you shouldn’t be marrying her.”
“Are you jealous? Is that what this is?” Sebastian asks, tugging a hand through his hair as a bitter laugh escapes me.
“What exactly do I have to be jealous of? A woman who is fucking clueless to who I am? Does she know that you proposed to me?” He ducks his head, breaking our eye contact, telling me all that I need to know. “You are unbelievable. If I didn’t want you out of my life so fucking bad I would have never agreed to this.”
His shoulders tense, and I can’t feel bad when he’s once again made choices he has to live with. “Why did you agree to this if you’re just going to be a bitch the entire time?”
I suck in a sharp breath because I don’t know why I agreed. I shouldn’t have. I close my eyes hoping that when I open them, I’ll find out this has all been some version of a cruel joke. Why did I have to pick up that phone call? I should have sent it straight to voice mail.
“Because I hate you. I’ll do pretty much anything to never have to see you after June twenty-sixth, even if it means watching you marry Kiera. After all I am the worst thing that almost happened to you, so why did you even ask me?”
I want to hate him so badly. It should be as easy as breathing at this point. But I don’t know. I don’t think I can hate him, but Sebastian doesn’t need to know that.
His lack of response is infuriating, almost pushing me over the breaking point.
“You owe it to Kiera to tell her the truth. Let her make the decision if she wants me to still photograph the wedding afterward. Get the hell out of my gallery, Sebastian, and don’t come back.”