Bound by Christmas

Chapter Eight: (Sebastián) Nothing

I tasted acid as I stared at the box in my hand, knowing what I would find inside. My vision began to blur and the noises from the party started to fade as I rushed to the door. With my heart beating out of my chest and camera lights flashing in my eyes, I struggled to find my driver. It felt like I would collapse at any moment.

Unsurprisingly, there was still a large crowd outside the restaurant. Paparazzi shouted questions at me that I ignored. They'd been asking the same things throughout the entire night —things that I was always instructed not to answer. After all, the publicity I would receive from the speculations would be to my benefit. Or, at least, that's what I was told by my agent.

Pushing my way through the crowd, I was losing hope I would reach Jenna any time soon when Felix finally approached me.

"Are you alright, Mr. Islas?" he asked, his brows dipping with concern.

"No, I am not alright." I hissed. "What was that, Felix? Why wasn't I notified Jenna would be attending tonight?"

A guilty look crossed Felix's face as he took a step back from me, and I knew I wasn't going to like his answer.

"Call the driver," I ordered. "We're going to Jenna's place, and you're going to come clean about everything."

Felix nodded and pulled out his phone.

Two minutes later, I was sitting in the back of my SUV while Felix fidgeted in the seat next to me. Ignoring him, I opened the jewelry box Jenna had handed me with trembling fingers. As expected, she returned the submissive collar I had gifted her. Jenna was really ending things with us. But, why? What happened for her to want to end our arrangement?

I turned to face Felix. "Explain," I barked.

Jolting in his seat, he cleared his throat. "Mr. Islas, last weekend...there was a little misunderstanding with Ms. Holladay."

"A misunderstanding?"

Felix looked down at his hands, taking a deep breath. His body shuddered from nervousness.

I was on the verge of losing my mind, and he was pushing me to insanity even more with the way he was prolonging answering my questions."Felix," I gritted out. "You need to be more specific. I'm hanging on by a thread here, and I don't want to lose my temper."

"Umm, well," he mumbled. "When I returned from the shopping trip for Ms. Holladay and Ms. Gonzalez, Ms. Holladay was still at your apartment. So, I decided to give her your gift...but I accidentally gave her the wrong one."

"The wrong one? You gave her Barbara's gift?"

"Yes Mr. Islas," he nodded.

"Fuck!" I muttered.

That's why she was asking me if I was seeing other women. That's why she commented on Barbara's necklace. Jenna wasn't materialistic at all. She had been visiting my penthouse for almost a year and never once commented on any of my possessions. She knew I could afford anything she wanted but she had never —not once— asked me for anything. It was completely out of character for her to notice another woman's jewelry —unless she was trying to make a point. Message received, Jenna. But, you're mistaken. That necklace means nothing. Barbara means nothing. I just need her to give me the chance to explain it all to her.

"I tried to rectify the situation the second I realized what I had done," Felix rushed to explain. "But, when Ms. Holladay refused to speak with you, I thought that you could get an opportunity to explain things tonight."

Shaking my head, I looked out the window. "You thought she would be open to any explanations when she saw me accompanied by another woman at a work event?"

"But...it's only Ms. Gonzalez."

Right. It was only Ms. Gonzalez. Something told me that Jenna wouldn't be thinking that.

At last, when we arrived at Jenna's apartment building, I rushed out of the door before the car could come to a full stop. Running toward the elevators, I quickly jabbed the button to call the lift.

Please be home, Jenna. Please, let me explain. Please, baby.

Cursing the elevators for taking too long, I ran toward the staircase and made my way up to her floor. Finally making it to her apartment, I started banging my fist against the feeble door, almost breaking it in the process.

"Jenna, open this door!" I shouted.

Nothing.

"Jenna, baby, please open the door."

Still nothing.

"Mi alma, por favor."

Finally, the door flung open but it wasn't Jenna who stared at me from inside her apartment. I stared back at the tiny, purple-haired woman with confusion. "Who are you? Where is Jenna?" I demanded.

"None of your business," she sassed back.

"Excuse me?"

She gave a slight shrug. "You had your chance to make up for your epic fuck up tonight. You blew it."

"What chance? Everyone is scheming and conniving things behind my back, trying to set up some type of confrontation. Why not just ask me directly?"

"Ask you directly?" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, do you mean like the way Jenna tried to do a few days ago when you accosted her here?"

"Accosted?"

"Well dingus, what else would you call it?"

Oh, for the love of God. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

"Look, I just want to talk to Jenna. Please, tell her I'm here."

"I can't," she shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because," she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "She's kind of busy with her date."

Then, she slammed the door in my face.

"Open this damn door!" I roared, officially having lost my temper.