Sebastien Struck

3: family gatherings

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three: family gatherings

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Josephine Jennings saw Sebastien Scott a week later.

It wasn't by choice.

More out of obligation.

But obligation felt too unkind of a word for the occasion:

"You're free next weekend Jo?" Callan asked her over the phone, two days after the awful car breakdown slash date from hell weekend had passed.

"Mhm, I am," Josephine replied, half distracted whilst looking for a sheet of notes she had managed to lose in her mountain-high pile of identical sheets of notes.

"Great! I know i-it's a little last minute, but I wanted to get everyone together because we haven't all been together since our wedding. I thought it would be nice to have a little garden barbeque before it gets too cold, and my parents agreed to host," Callan was a little rambly when she got inside her own head, and it was adorable frankly.

Josephine laughed, rifling through some more papers, "That does sound nice," she only paused for a moment realising that he would probably be there. But she had already given Callan her availability for the weekend.

She couldn't completely back out, "I'll be there, contingent on the fact that I don't have an awful few days of classes and feel behind."

She added the second part as a failsafe.

If she truly couldn't gather some courage before the get-together, she would use her 'I'm In Med School and It's Too Much Work to Do Anything Else' card.

"Of course! But I do hope, for my sake, you have a great few days of classes. I'm crossing my fingers for you," Callan said sweetly.

And so it was a done deal, and she had gathered enough courage to leave her apartment and make her way to Callan's get-together.

It was fine, because there would be a lot of people there, and she wouldn't even have to see him.

It really was Fine.

Everything Was Fine.

She turned her music up louder, singing (off-key) to distract herself from impending doom.

She had so many reasons to be mad at Sebastien Scott.

For leaving her that night without clarifying that he had only wanted her for one night.

For having her wake up alone after the intimate moments they had shared.

For making her go to the pharmacy alone because they hadn't used anything the night before.

For making her feel disgusted at herself, and then disgusted doubly because she didn't even regret it that much at first.

And then for showing up to her date.

For following her and waiting outside.

For potentially ruining her chances at trying to convince her date for another chance because she had been distracted by him.

A million and one reasons to be mad at him, and yet, she couldn't draw from any of them when she was in his presence.

She turned her music up even louder.

It wasn't really even enjoyable anymore.

Just loud.

And of course, luck was always all hers, because her loud music was cut off by an equally loud ringing of her phone.