The Beard

Chapter Two

My stiff muscles groan and my bones crack as I wake up and stretch.

As soon as Sebastian had dropped me off, we kissed goodbye, and I made my way inside. After finishing my homework, I slept even though it had been early, just two-thirty in the afternoon. Now it's five pm. My parents are home, meaning dinner should be ready soon.

Getting up, I stretch with a yawn. Taking off my clothes, I pull on a pair of comfortable leggings and a loose t-shirt instead. Sebastian's coming over for dinner, so I'll shower after the meal.

Or maybe I'll ask him to join me and scrub my back.

My cheeks redden once I wipe the last bold thought from my mind and head downstairs. I scrunch my toes when my feet come into contact with the cold, wooden steps. There was a time when they were carpeted until my mom decided to make our house look more elegant by reverting to the wooden floors.

With one last stretch, I stride off the last step and head into the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetheart," my mom greets without even glancing behind her. I rub my eyes and take a seat at the island. "How was school?"

"It was okay. I only had one piece of homework to do for Stat," I tell her, folding my arms and laying my head in them. "Micah and Jenny fought again. Well, not really, it was more like a disagreement."

My mom laughs as she stirs the bolognese sauce. My guess is she's making spaghetti. It's our favorite meal. My father would rather have chicken and vegetables, but hey, you don't fight with the queen.

"Is that lovely boyfriend of yours coming over?" She glances at me with a small smile on her face.

I nod. "Yes. He should be over before six."

"Good, we haven't seen him around for some time now."

She's right. Before senior year, Sebastian used to come over almost every day. This was like his second home, just as his was mine. Maybe something happened over the summer. Sebastian had gone to Hawaii for a family vacation. Unlike most people in our town, the Caldwells are filthy rich. They come from old money and had built a successful business empire long before Sebastian was born.

Anyway, since Sebastian's return, he hasn't come over as much. This will be the first time he's come over since school started over a month ago.

Just as I'm wondering what changed, the doorbell rings. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. I run over to the front door and pull it open.

"Ten!" I throw my arms around his neck, pulling him down l. "I've missed you."

Sebastian chuckles as we walk into the house. Removing my arms from around his neck, he presses a chaste kiss on my forehead before walking to the kitchen. I pout, feeling an odd ache in my chest. It seems like lately, he's avoiding affection save for a few pecks here and there.

"Sebastian!" my mom exclaims as she grins.

Following his lead, I make my way to the kitchen too, and sit at the island. Rather than join them, I watch and listen to my mom and boyfriend interact. Mom asks him everything about his summer, family, school, and football. I love the way his eyes light up when he talks about football which has always been in Ten's life. His father played, as did his grandfather, so did his great-grandfather. Now, it was him, and I know that his son will play too. Possibly our son might inherit that passion too?

"Emie bear?" Sebastian says.

It seems today I'm distracted and zoning out all the time. I've never done this so much before. "Sorry." I shake my head and run a hand through my hair. "I don't know what's up with me today."