Tangerine Kisses: A Novella

Chapter Fourteen - Ava

He takes my hand and I am anxious. What is he going to say? When we were dancing there was no awkwardness, no tension between us. Partly I am not even sure why I came to the party except that when I spoke to Julia earlier in the morning and mentioned I might come along she agreed it would be a good idea. Especially after I told her everything that happened with me and Sebastian. Again. After university it was easy for me to move on from him, to forget we were ever a thing. But occasionally, after one too many glasses of wine, I got teary-eyed at work functions (at the start of my career) and it was during one of these times I admitted to Julia the entire story about what transpired between us at university. Apart from Amelia and Isabel, she was the one person who knew the whole truth.

Sebastian looks nervous. 'Ava, I-' but he is interrupted by someone shouting his name.

Across the room I look over and see to my horror it is Katya. She has arrived at the party, including her body guards, and is marching over to us her face seething in rage. I snatch my hand out of Sebastian's quick sharpish but it is too late. She has seen us.

Sebastian jumps up. He does not look guilty, just angry.

'Katya! What are you doing here?'

'I was invited!' she cries. 'What is she doing here?' She points dramatically at me and I wonder when I became a part of this too.

'I invited her,' Sebastian says calmly, which is not technically true but may as well be. 'What do you want, Katya?'

'I want to be a part of your life.' She pouts moodily.

'I think you should leave.'

'No.'

He takes her by the arm and propels her toward the door but she struggles against him, then dramatically shoves him away.

'How dare you treat me like this, Sebastian Booth! We were going to be a family.' She puts her hands over her belly protectively.

Sebastian draws in a sharp breath. 'I will be there for my child but we are not going to be a family,' he tells her simply.

She stares at him for a long moment and then her glare intensifies. 'You know, Sebastian, this isn't even your child! I knew you wanted me back so I was giving you a chance!'

'What?' He seems just as stunned as the rest of us, and everyone is watching. Which must be horrible for Sebastian.

'It's Anton's,' she says scathingly, as though Sebastian knows who that is.

'We are done, Katya,' he finally says, firmly, though his hands are trembling.

His dad, bless him, comes up behind him and puts a hand on his son's shoulder.

'Please, Ms Katana,' he says gently, 'this is a private party and we don't need your dramatics here. Leave before we have to get you thrown out.'

'How dare you!' Katya screams, losing her cool again. 'Do you know who I am? I am Katya Katana! No one throws me out of a party! Especially not miserable alcoholics who beat their wives!'

A lot of people gasp at her words. I know this room is full of Thomas's friends and family members, people who have known him for years and people who, I suspect, know full well those accusations were wrong.

'Leave. Now.' Sebastian's voice takes on a threatening note. She throws him one last scathing look before flouncing away.

I let out a sigh of relief but Sebastian is looking at his dad concerned. Thomas has his hand over his heart and he is wobbling slightly.