Eyes full of stars | ✔️

Chapter 23: New divide

"Give me reason

To fill this hole

Connect the space between

Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies

Across this new divide"

-Linkin Park

*

I cared about Sebastian. Maybe it was the only feeling I had for him at the moment, but I was sure he had an important role in my life. And so I texted him one morning, while I was at work.

Hey, I would like to have that lunch together today. What do you think?

His reply arrived immediately. 

Hi! I'll stop by your office. See you later! -S

I was really unsure about what I was going to tell him, I just wanted to see him.

I sent an email to confirm an appointment for Mr. Lavender and the computer desktop appeared, showing my newest wallpaper: a picture of my birthday party. Felicity, Sebastian, Toby and me smiling at the camera while enjoying the chocolate cake. I was sitting between Felicity and Sebastian, Toby was on Sebastian's left. He looked distant, the smile he had on his face was anything but happy. I wondered for the latest time what was going on at the moment, why he didn't seem glad to be with us.

I got up with a folder in my hands and went to Melissa.

"Here are the receipts of Mr. Lavender's business lunches of last week" I said, putting the folder on her desk.

She stopped typing. "Thank you" she said and looked up. "It's been a long time since I last saw your cookies, Lily. Is everything alright?"

I frowned. "My... what?"

She blinked. "Your boyfriends."

I assumed that she meant Sebastian and Toby, although I didn't get why she called both of them "boyfriends", the fact that I was dating Sebastian only was public knowledge. But she didn't know about my amnesia, of course.

"Oh, well..." I rubbed my fingers through my hair. I took a moment to think about the perfect answer, then replied "Sebastian and I broke up and now we are... trying to fix our relationship, you know."

Melissa nodded. "And what about the other one? The guy with the nice butt?"

Despite this description of Toby was a bit rude, I found myself chuckling. "He's just busy at the moment" I said, confident.

She sighed and started typing again. "Don't waste time."

"What do you mean?"

She didn't answer or stop typing, so I simply shrugged and got back to my desk.

I smiled to myself, comparing Sebastian and Toby to cookies was quite hilarious, for some reason.

***

Sebastian brought me to a quiet restaurant on the docks. Like during our first meeting - the one that was our first meeting for me -, he seemed happy to be there with me, but nervous and slightly awkward. We just had small talk for a while, until the meal was served. Steak and mashed potatoes for me, spaghetti bolognese for him.

"So, do you have plans for the summer?" Sebastian asked, rolling his fork inside the spaghetti.

"Felicity and I will be spending two weeks in Budleigh Salterton, near Exeter" I replied, cutting my steak. "Her family lives in Exeter, you know. We have been there a couple of times already, it's an amazing place!"