The Cursed Proposal

Chapter 3: The Way Breath Fades Away

"Sebastian. Sebastian. Stop staring." Liam's voice broke through Sebastian's trance, but he remained fixated on the girl until she disappeared behind the curtains. Liam gave a light tap on Sebastian's chest to get his attention.

"Sebastian, what's going on?" Ethan asked, following Sebastian's gaze but seeing nothing unusual.

Sebastian blinked and closed his eyes briefly as if warding off a headache. "I think the moon just descended from the night sky, playing with my shattered heart. Healing it, then breaking it again," he murmured, leaving Ethan and Liam puzzled. "Forget it. I swear on celibacy. Does anyone want a drink?" he continued, then excused himself and headed to the beverage table.

At the beverage table, Sebastian settled on a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid offering a brief respite from his racing thoughts. He took a sip, the warmth spreading through his chest, but it did little to ease the turmoil within.

As the night continued, Sebastian's thoughts were interrupted by the escalating argument between Alex and Emily. He couldn't make out all the words, but the tone was enough to tell him that things were not well between them.

Sebastian didn't want to meddle in other people's affairs especially his friends, so he tried to go in another direction. He circled the venue for a bit and almost collided with Kaya. Sebastian didn't have any problem with Kaya; they didn't even know each other. Still, Sebastian thought it was better to stay away from her.

The route became a game of cat and mouse in Sebastian's head, with Kaya doing her job to maintain the peace of the event and Sebastian trying very hard to be invisible to her. He even avoided returning to his friend, afraid Kaya would be there. After several hours of playing this game, Sebastian found a place to sit. What he didn't know was that the seat was close to where the staff room, so Kaya would often walk around.

"Oh, sorry! Mr. Blackwood, you shouldn't sit here. The staff walks around here often." Kaya exclaimed, tapping Sebastian to get his attention. Sebastian was shocked since he had just imagined Kaya walking there. Be careful what you wish for.

"No, it's my fault," Sebastian replied, his heart pounding. "I shouldn't just sit around."

They stood there for a moment, the noise of the party fading into the background. Kaya's smile was disarming, her presence warm and inviting.

"Enjoying the party?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Sebastian nodded, struggling to find his words. "Yeah, it's... it's something. You're glowing - I mean, your décor is glowing bright like the sun is actually rising here. The food and the beverage are also great. I'm sure you're blessed by the god of parties," he said, trying to save himself from embarrassment.

Kaya laughed softly. "Do you think so? Well, I should get back to my team. Nice to see you, Mr. Blackwood."

"Yeah, you too. It's Sebastian actually, if you forget - my name is Sebastian Blackwood," he replied so fast. He wished for the earth to swallow him whole, hoping he could just poof and disappear.

"I remember. You're hard to forget Mr. Blackwood," Kaya replied with a teasing smile on her face then left to enter the staff room.

Sebastian mocked himself for getting twisted and giving a sense that he was not good at talking.

"Pull yourself together," he muttered, taking another sip of his drink to cool down. "She's just another girl. You've been through this before."

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Sebastian sought out Ethan and Liam. "Hey, I think I'm going to head out. It's been a long day."

"Already? You okay?" Ethan asked, concern in his eyes as Sebastian looked red like a tomato.

"Yeah, just tired. I'll catch up with you guys later."