Begin Again

chapter one

"YOU'RE BREAKING UP with me?"

My voice comes out slightly strained as I stare across the table at my boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, as he adjusts his tie for the hundredth time tonight. Since the start of what I'd assumed would be one of our typical date nights, I noticed that Sebastian had seemed highly nervous. He's sporting a thin sheen of sweat on his upper lip, and his icy-blue eyes occasionally dart around the restaurant, almost as if he's looking for a way out.

I should have known something was off from when Sebastian picked me up for our date. He had pressed a hurried kiss to my temple before awkwardly pulling away and placing his clammy hand in mine to give me a handshake. A fucking handshake. Never in our relationship had Sebastian ever shaken my hand.

Staring at him now, all of the signs were there. Nervous posture, lack of eye contact, and the way his fingers kept fidgeting with the velvet tablecloth. I'd watched enough rom-coms in my lifetime to know exactly what a pre-breakup attitude looked like.

It looked just like this.

"Evie," Sebastian starts, finally meeting my gaze. "It's for the best."

A chuckle that holds no humor leaves my lips as I pick up my wine glass and take a long swing from it. "Best for who? Come on, if you're going to dump me, at least be honest."

Sebastian's face tightens, lips puckering as if he'd tasted something sour. "Evie, don't be difficult. I can't be with you anymore. My parents and I agreed that–"

"And there it is! The grand reveal!" I jeer. It was no secret that Sebastian's family was well-known and well-off. His father, Declan Raymond, is the CEO of a relatively successful tech company in a partnership with Apple. His mother, Sarah Raymond, is one of the most prominent socialites in New York City. Her great-grandparents were best friends with John D. Rockefeller. The entire Raymond clan is full of high-maintenance individuals who will all but claw their way to the top, not caring who they expose or hurt in the process.

After almost four years of dating, Sebastian finally caved and introduced me to his parents. During the ordeal, the two of them had bombarded me with questions about what my family does, what school I am attending, and what I plan on getting my degree in.

His parents had worn similar looks of pure mortification on their faces when I explained that I grew up in New Jersey with a mother who is a schoolteacher, that I am attending NYU, despite being an excellent school, and that my degree will be in photography. It was almost comical to see how close they were to keeling over.

The moment we had left their house, Sebastian had been utterly silent, and we hadn't talked since then.

Except for tonight.

The first time we are meeting up since the fateful night with his parents is for him to dump me because of it.

"They just think it's beneficial for me to date someone more . . . suited for this lifestyle." He grimaces as the words leave his lips, like he knows just how idiotic they sound. I've always thought that Sebastian is different from his family. He doesn't flaunt his last name or the plethora of money attached. On our first date, he'd taken me to a farmers market in Chelsea, and after, we'd walked the High Line for hours, eating ice cream and talking. I didn't even realize what exactly it meant for him to be a Raymond until we'd become official. And even then, he'd assured me that it didn't mean a damn thing. That he was his own person at the end of the day.

It had all been bullshit.

"I'm not of high enough status, right?" I snap. "My family don't make over six figures and live in a big mansion in the suburbs. I'm not attending an Ivy League school and majoring in medicine. I'm just too poor for you." Sebastian winces but keeps his gaze level with the table, enough for me to know I am right. He can never admit it, but I have hit the nail right on the head.