Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 11: Date*

warning: mild spicy content

"...Imelda," I groaned as I laid face down on my bed, my mouth buried in my pillow.

Imelda had just walked in and was clearly slightly shocked by my very, very disheveled appearance.

"Damn, Raywood. What the fuck happened to you?" She said approaching my bed and pushing me over so I was on my back.

She eyed my filthy outfit, her mouth growing into a smirk.

"Don't ask about the clothes." I demanded.

"I don't need to, all I have to say is one word to confirm if I'm right."

"And what's that?"

"Sebastian."

I yanked my pillow out from under my head and pulled it over my face.

"See? Works every time. So what's the problem now?" She asked as she sat herself down on the edge of my bed.

"If I tell you, you cannot tell another soul. You're sworn to secrecy." I said, removing the pillow and propping myself up on my elbows.

"Come on Olive, you're my best friend!"

"I'm... your best friend?" I was confused. Our relationship was strange to say the least but I did consider Imelda my closest friend now things had gone sour with Sebastian and Ominis.

"Obviously! Now spill."

"Where do I even begin..."

I explained to Imelda the night in Hogsmeade and the real reason why I was in Sebastian's bed. I told her about how I had kissed Garreth on our morning walk and was totally unsure how I felt about it. I told her I'd been in a cave with Sebastian, though withheld the real reason why and told her we were just practicing combat, and that when I kissed him, it felt so different to when I kissed Garreth. I then told her how Sebastian didn't tell me that he was actually my first kiss... and how I hadn't told him that I thought it was Garreth.

"Shit. That sounds complicated," Imelda sympathised, looking like she was still trying to work it all out in her head. "Kissing two boys over two days?"

"Imelda! I'm not like that! But it gets worse, Garreth's asked me out to Hogsmeade tomorrow."

"Oh, like a date?"

"I don't know. I don't think so... but maybe?"

I threw myself back onto my front and groaned loudly into my bed.

"Ugh. Men sound complicated. Maybe take a lesson from me and forget about them and just stick to a hobby instead."

She gave me a sympathetic pat on the back of the head and left me to wallow in my sorrows. Even a cold shower to get rid of the muddy water and sense of guilt I had over Sebastian didn't clear my head enough to form any sort of logical thought.

I looked as bad as I felt when I saw myself in the mirror the next morning. If this indeed was a date, Garreth would probably never want to be seen with me again.

I laid in bed as long as I could but gave up on any hopes of a nap and went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face to try and hide the evidence of little sleep in the form of pale skin and dark bags under my eyes. It didn't really work, but I decided to play ignorant and pretend it did.

I slipped on a simple beige dress, nothing special. I didn't really want to give Garreth the wrong impression, but I also didn't want to look like I didn't care. I was walking a fine line here. I let my hair loose, lightly curled from the wet braids it had been in overnight after yesterdays efforts. I didn't enjoy my reflection in the mirror, but there wasn't more I could do.