Filling The Void | ✔️

Filling The Void | Chapter Thirteen | Sushi

Lunch with Sebastian. It had been on my mind since Thursday when Kaitlyn had first brought up the charity event.

I had realized in the exact moment that I figured out I didn't want to invest in a boy, that I already had.

I wondered if inviting him to the auction was something I'd have to do if things worked out and I wondered if it'd be weird if he didn't win. Imagine that, my date not even getting a date with me.

I chuckle to myself as I look in the downstairs hallway mirror, the round frame allowing me to only see my face.

I thought I'd done a good job, makeup wasn't really something I did very often so that was an interesting adventure. On the other hand, I had to take a shower because there was no way I was going anywhere with three-day curls. So now my hair was just straight, in its boring yet interesting way.

My eyes look more green than blue today, it could be the light or it could be my mood. As a kid, my mother used to tell me my eyes were blue when I was happy and green when anything else. Unlike my childhood, I knew how I felt today. Still.

The charity event was happening in a week or so and I'd need dresses. I hadn't seen my dad since last night which only made me more nervous.

However, something about those two things didn't stress me out. It could have been my growing talent at pushing away all feelings or it could have been the fact that against my own wishes, not seeing my dad was normal.

If I was being honest, not seeing my dad was something that'd started long before my mom died. He was just always at work. It's not that my dad hated his job, more than he loved it too much. In my eyes, he was a workaholic and part of me is glad I hadn't inherited that.

When the doorbell rings I jump, turning my head to see the door closed and knowing exactly who was on the other side.

When I open the door I see him, only the zing that rolls up my spine is new. I'm attracted to him.

He's wearing a blue button-down tee, with the same dark washed jean color he'd been wearing the night of the party. His hair was slicked back and the look in his eyes was a calm that I could only dream of achieving. I guess his nerves had vanished once I'd said yes. Lucky him.

"Hi," I say stepping out onto the porch and locking the door behind me.

"Hey."

We both hop into the car, the air tense and making me sweat a little. How was he not nervous?

I'd always imagined my first date, always wondered what it would be like. Right now, it was proving to be not so bad.

"So." I say, an attempt to start the conversation, "Sushi huh?"

He chuckles, his voice bellowing out into the car as he says, "Hated it when I was little, obsessed with it now."

I could agree with that, at least we both had a thing for raw fish.

Looking around his car I found myself finding the cinnamon smell again, the mint gum racing up to the front as I pinpointed it as Sebastian.

We talk for a little while, school and lacrosse being the prioritized topics for the fifteen-minute drive. A small tickle at the back of my mind makes me want to ask all the questions I have about Ryder, but instead, I just take a deep breath and focus on the drive.

As I listen to Sebastian as he drives I realize how much we have in common, our moms, and while his isn't dead, she's still sick.

He has no clue what he wants to do in the future despite his father forcing him into a sports career and we both prefer spicy sushi over mild.