Broken Strings (18+)

04

I was awakened by the cool breeze touching my face. I squinted while I was trying to figure out where I am. I was still inside Sebastian’s car. I noticed that the passenger seat’s now more reclined.

I looked outside the open window and all I could see was a vast green field. Where the hell am I?

I went out of the car and looked for Sebastian. He was sitting on the grass, with a can of beer in his hand. He seemed so lost in thought. What was he staring at? I was surprised to see the view before us. I could see the whole metro from here.

I sat beside him. It felt like the most natural thing to do. “Sebastian…” I looked at him. My chest hurt when I saw the sad look on his face.

“You’re awake.” He smiled weakly.

“Why?”

“You fell asleep in the car, and I didn’t know your address. I tried calling Zachary, but he wouldn’t answer.” He paused. Storm was still busy, huh? “When I checked, your fever was gone. I figured you needed the sleep, more than anything else. That’s why I didn’t bother waking you up. I hope you don’t mind that I drove us here.”

“Not at all.” I smiled at him. He was so thoughtful. “It actually feels nice to be here – so quiet and peaceful.”

“Yeah.”

I suddenly remembered about work. I was done for the day, but Sebastian… “Hey, I’m sorry. You still have some work to do, right? We should’ve gone back—”

“It’s okay, Mischa. I’m almost done with my paper. And the conference is still two months away.” His tone reassured me. “Don’t worry about me, okay?” I just nodded.

We were silent for some time before Sebastian spoke again. “What happened earlier… haven’t you been sleeping well, Mischa? You should take care of yourself, so you won’t get sick.” He sounded like my dad. Despite the message, his voice was still soothing.

“I—No—I didn’t know why that happened. I was perfectly fine this morning.” That was the truth. I myself was surprised of the sudden fever I had. I was perfectly healthy. I take my vitamins everyday.

“Just… don’t push yourself too much.”

“Yes, sir.” I couldn’t help but giggle. I stopped when I felt his hand on my head. He ruffled my hair and chuckled. It was pretty refreshing to see this side of Sebastian.

“You want some?” He lifted the can of beer he’s holding.

“Sure,” was my automatic reply. With Sebastian, I was becoming a yes woman.

He got a can from his side and gave it to me. I noticed that there were already several empty cans lying beside him. What has gotten into him? Was he trying to get drunk?

I opened the can of beer. I was about to drink some when a thought occurred to me. Someone should stay sober so we could go home in one piece. Sebastian was nowhere near sober. That means I couldn’t get drunk.

“Why aren’t you drinking?” I smiled at him and raised my can. A few sips wouldn’t hurt, right?

I took a sip and savored the bitterness on my tongue. I drank some more. I closed my eyes as the liquid rolled in my throat – burning it. When was the last time I drank beer? I couldn’t remember. These days, I only get to drink fancy cocktails and wines during social gatherings and celebrations.

I downed the remaining beer and opened my eyes. I put the empty can down. Then I saw three new cans in front of me. Was Sebastian trying to get me drunk? I mentally laughed at my stupid question. It’s not as if he was forcing me to drink everything. He was just being courteous – offering what he had.