Just Him ❤

33. So now what?

The day came to an end. Seb had stood awkwardly watching Chloe say an emotional goodbye to Michael. They had all sat for a while longer in her office where she'd had the chance to ask him about his recovery and what he remembered of his accident, which was very little. Seb had asked for his opinion and advice on a few things, racing related, he had been glad and felt very lucky to have had this chance to speak Michael, who had been his idol when he was growing up. They had all walked to a rarely used back exit so that he could leave straight in to a waiting car without the risk of being seen. He was then going to straight to a small private airfield to fly home on his private jet. Chloe had no idea where Stephen had gone or if he really was joining their flight to Melbourne on Monday. Seb glanced at Chloe as they walked back through the building to collect her bag from her office. She looked exhausted, he felt tired too. Francesco had decided they'd done enough running in the simulator and that Seb should stay home tomorrow with Chloe. He was glad of the day off, he was going to need the time to try and make sense of what had happened today.
"Seb, please talk to me." Chloe entered her office and picked up her bag while he held the door open. He just wanted to get home.

"I need time Chloe, to think.' He stood while she locked the office door.

"About us?"

"It's just been non stop, we've been through a lot in a short space of time. I need a clear head to race." He held the door open for her to reception. She swallowed past the lump that was forming in her throat at his words. Were they over? Already? She followed him out in to the car park. He unlocked the car and they got in. He started the car and quickly drove them away.

"Are you trying to stay we're done?" She was trying to keep her voice level. It'd been such an emotional day, it had left her on a knife edge between being ok and bursting into tears.

"I don't know." He replied without looking at her. "You're in love with another man, what do you think?" That hurt, a lot.

"I don't love him anywhere near as much as I love you." She felt her voice breaking.

"I'm not doing this here. I'm not having this conversation now." He sounded harsh. "I need time to think. The fact remains that you love him."

"As a friend!" She shot back.

"And all this shit with Stephen, knowing that there's some big secret you and Michael are keeping." He snapped. "You will talk to him about it but you won't talk to me."

"I'm not ready!"

"You'll never be ready!" He shouted back. They did the rest of the journey in silence. She'd somehow dozed off just before they got back. Where Seb would usually gently wake her or even carry her in, this time he just slammed his door shut, making her jump. She got out of the car and followed him inside. She decided to head to her room and have a bath.

                                ~*~

She came downstairs after her bath, with her hair still wet and went in to the kitchen, Seb sat at the table, he was on a Skype call to his daughters which he'd meant to do earlier before the day had taken a very unreal course. She looked at him, he sat there in just his sweatpants, his face lighting up with happiness as he spoke to his children. He blatantly ignored her. She went to the fridge and got a bottle of wine out and then changed her mind. She wanted something stronger tonight. She went in to the lounge carrying a glass and over to large cabinet. Opening the door she found the vodka. She poured herself a large measure. She sat down on the sofa with a heavy sigh, she felt knackered. She downed her large vodka quickly and sat back. She quickly fell asleep.

                                ~*~

She woke up a few hours later. The room in darkness. Her heart sank, Seb had gone to bed, leaving her alone down here. It really was feeling as though it was over. Blinking back tears she got up from the sofa and headed up the stairs. She stopped at the door of the master bedroom, the room she should be sharing with the man she loved. She slowly opened the door. She could just make out his silhouette in the darkness as Seb lay in his side facing away from her. She pulled the door shut, her heart aching, she desperately wanted to be in that bed with him. She went to the room nextdoor, her room. She closed the door. She didn't even bother getting undressed. She just fell on to the bed and finally let her emotions take over. Seb lay awake in his bed, he'd heard her come in to his room and then go again. Now he could hear her sobbing through the wall. He was torn between going to her to hold her and comfort her and just staying where he was. He loved her. In just three weeks she had become his whole life. But her reaction to seeing Michael had made him question her feelings for him. He didn't want to go through being cheated on again. He didn't want someone who kept secrets. Michael had told him that he thought Seb was the only one who could help her through her issues. But until he knew what those issues were there was nothing he could do. At the moment the only person who could help was Michael himself.