Sunday couldn't have come sooner.
I had dreaded this day all week, and yet here it was already evening. I was supposed to go downstairs. A soft knock came at my door, followed by a maid's voice.
"Your guest is here. Mr. Sebastian."
My heart skipped. I stood up slowly, adjusting the hem of my dress, hoping that Cesar wasn't down there. Maybe something came up. Maybe he had an emergency and couldn't make it.
Because I didn't know how to face the two of them at the same time.
What I wanted, what I needed was to speak to them separately. To breathe. To prepare. To brace myself. But that option was off the table now.
When I walked into the drawing-room, I didn't know whether to feel relieved or anxious that Cesar was nowhere in sight. Sebastian stood near the fireplace, already talking with my mom, a glass of wine in his hand. He looked calm, but I could tell he was playing a part too.
My mom's eyes lit up the moment she saw me.
