Sebastian and I went to the coffee shop near the condominium building.
Wordlessly sitting in front of him, I looked at the citrus juice that Sebastian ordered for me.
‘There must be an issue about citrus juice.’
“I heard about you and Mikhail.”
I lifted my eyes to Sebastian, who spoke after being quiet for a long time.
“The two of you broke up,” he said.
I took a sip of the juice. When I placed the glass on the table, I replied to him.
“I am sure that’s not the only thing you heard about me,” I said, “Yes. Mikhail and I broke up. My dad was arrested for tax evasion. We lost the authority to run the company. We had debts to pay, and we sold our house. Then, my father died. Now, I am broke.”
My best friend looked into my eyes with parted lips.
Sebastian heard all of this. I am certain of that.
“And you… disappeared,” Sebastian added while looking empathetically at me. “Why did you do that, Agatha?”
“Do what?”
“Suddenly disappearing in my life. I tried so hard to look for you.”
Because I was ashamed.
I was scared.
My friends all left me when I needed them the most. And I was so afraid that my best friend, Sebastian, would do the same.
[“Why don’t you forget Agatha? She’s not in our league anyway. I heard that after her father’s death, she was living like a beggar. We don’t need beggar in our circle, Sebastian.”]
Funny, I could still remember what Dominic told to Sebastian. I thought I put all my past behind my back. Yet those hurtful words remained in my mind.
“There’s no point looking after me,” I said. “I am out of your league. Why waste time finding me?”
Sebastian licked the corner of his lips. He scoffed a few times before he pointed at me. “Why are you so selfish?” he asked.
What?
“You only think of yourself,” he nagged. “You did not consider my feelings. How I was fucking worried about you. I… I… wow. All you thought was your damn pride!”
I felt a lump in my throat while listening to Sebastian. It’s more agitating that I couldn’t rebuke to him because he was fucking right.
“Who cares about money and position? Did you really think I befriend you because you are rich? Bullsh*t. EVEN IF THE WORLD TURNED BACK AGAINST YOU, I WOULD NEVER BETRAY YOU. I AM YOUR BEST FRIEND. PUT THAT IN YOUR HEAD!”
Before I followed Sebastian to this place, I told myself that I would never shed a tear.
But I was wrong.
All the pain, sorrow, and shame that I suppressed within me, burst like a bomb. I covered my face and cried loudly.
“A-Agatha,” Sebastian called, panicking.
As I cried loudly, the people inside the coffee shop looked at us.
Sebastian waved his hand mid-air.
“It’s not what you think!” Sebastian explained to them. “I am not her boyfriend! I am just… argh. Shit!”
Sebastian held my arm and pulled me out of the shop.
He took me to a quiet park. It was already dawn when I stopped crying.
I am sure my eyes were all soggy by now.
“Here,” Sebastian said.
When I looked at his hand, there was a handkerchief on it. Once I grabbed it, I snorted on it without remorse.
“You look so ugly when you cry,” he teased, laughing.
“Oh, shut up,” I complained.
“What a crybaby.”
Wiping my nose, I looked at him. “Hey.”
“What?”
“How did you find me?”
“Is that important?”
Of course. He found me in front of my boss’s house. I had to know how the hell he found me.
“Spill it. Did you hire an investigator?” I inquired.
“I almost got to that point,” he said.
Sebastian opened his phone. Then, he showed me a picture of a woman taking a selfie in front of the condo building. At the same time, I was about to enter the condo.
“I was scrolling on my feed when I saw this picture,” Sebastian explained. “Then, I saw you behind the woman. I was so damn shocked.”
How could Sebastian tell that when my face was so blurry?
“And you knew it was me?” I asked.
“Yup.”
He’s not my best friend for no reason.
“Are you living with your relatives?” shoving his phone back into his pocket, he asked.
Gradually, I looked away and cleared my throat.
I am happy that I reunited with my friend, and I will have someone to lean on.
However, Sebastian mustn’t know what I was up to. If he finds out that I am working as a maid and I have a slave contract with Brett, he might turn the world upside down.
Tucking my hair behind my ears, I smiled at him.
Sebastian’s eyes got bigger. When they subsided, he smiled back.
“Yes,” I lied. “I am living with my relatives. They took me in as soon as I lost our house.”
“Really? Then can I come and greet your rel…”
“NO! ABSOLUTELY NO!”
Sebastian blinked his brown eyes, quite reeled.
“I m-mean,” I stuttered and then tapped his shoulder. “They hate it when I bring friends to their house. You know my relatives. They are sensitive.”
He nodded his head. “Well, that’s right.”
“And you?” I diverted the topic. “Did you take the bar exam?”
“No,” he responded. “I did not. I promised my friend that we will take the bar exam together. That’s one of the reasons why I searched for her.”
Sebastian held my hand and intertwined our fingers.
I felt so touched that he skipped taking the exam this year just for me. He’s such a sweet friend. I wished I had trusted him before.
“Do you have a review center?” Sebastian flung a question.
“Yes. I have.”
“Perfect! I am looking forward to it. Where is your review center? I will apply too.”
The smile on my lips disappeared.
I REALLY don’t think it is a good idea to have Sebastian attend the same review center.
“S-Sebastian. Sorry, but…”
“AGATHA,” he called me with a sweet voice and smiling eyes. Oddly, I felt the chill spreading all over my body.
“Y-Yes?”
“Are you going to tell me your review center? Or I will visit your relative?”
OF COURSE, I WILL CHOOSE THE FIRST ONE.
“WOW. I. AM. SO. EXCITED. TO. REVIEW. WITH. YOU. SEBASTIAN,” I said.
“Great job!” he said before he tapped my head. “I will go and apply now. Guide me.”