Baby For My Grumpy Chef by OLIVIA BOLTON

Author:OLIVIA BOLTON [BOLTON, OLIVIA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

17

AMELIA

Logically, I know that I’m sitting down. That, whatever I might feel, I’m not actually falling through the floor.

But my blood has turned cold, one of my hands digging into the cracked leather of the booth seat until my fingertips hurt, the other clutching my throat as if I’ve lost my air. I feel like I’ve lost my air, like every breath is coming in hollow, my head spinning.

This can’t be it. My eyes are still fixed on the door, on the back of Sebastian’s jacket. As I try to choke out his name a second time, I watch his hand lift, push open the door to step outside. Stormy gray clouds are brewing in the night sky, the strange light turning his hair from dirty blond to an ashy gray.

This isn’t real, I think to myself. It can’t be over, just like that, without even a real goodbye.

He wouldn’t do this to me.

Sebastian is many things - gruff, withdrawn, grumpy at times. I know this, and I don’t care. But I never thought, after the time we’ve spent together, that he could be this cruel.

And yet, he’s still walking, the door still moving as he slips through it. Too quickly, Sebastian disappears onto the street, and the door falls closed with an emphatic bang, a little bell tinkling at the top.

He didn’t even look at me before he went.

“Are you alright?”

I look up and see a woman standing there, middle-aged and plump, with silver streaks in her black hair. From the apron tied around her waist, she’s an employee of some kind. It’s only then that I realize I’m still sobbing, my cheeks wet from the tears dripping down my face.

“I- I-” My attempts at speaking fail, and after scrutinizing me for a few more seconds, the woman turns around and disappears back into the kitchen. Another person who decided I wasn’t worth dealing with, I guess.

I close my eyes, hard, brows furrowing. It’s impossible to think straight. Even more impossible to try and wrap my mind around what just happened.

When I invited Sebastian here, I knew that breaking the news wouldn’t be easy. I’d even prepared myself for the worst case scenario, that we’d wind up ending things because of the distance. That I would have to give up the first man I’ve ever loved.

But this? How could I have prepared myself for this?

“Here, honey.” The cook is back, and she has something in her hands, a large mug, steaming from the top, and a tiny plate with what looks like some little pastries. “You look like you need something sweet. Want me to sit with you for a bit?”

I look up at her, open my mouth, and burst into tears again. She sighs and, after setting down the mug and plate, slides into the booth across from me. “Fair enough. Drink. It’ll help.”

Picking up the mug with shaky hands, I blow on the top before taking a small sip. It’s just tea, mixed with milk and what tastes like honey, but the thin trail of heat spreads from my throat through my entire chest.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.