Where is this coming from?

Becky’s pov

As I left my room, I wanted to check on Kenneth in his room. But I worried we might pick up where we left off last night, and that could slow me down. I wanted to see Sebastian, and I had already told him I was coming. We would definitely meet at the dining table, and I hoped we would sit close.

Why did it feel like I had never had sex before? I wondered as I walked past Kenneth’s door. Maybe the excitement from last night was just too much.

When I reached Sebastian’s door, I knocked and said, “Hi…”

“Come in,” he answered. From the moment he let me in, I knew exactly what he would say when he saw me. I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

He stared at me for a long time, his eyes wide, just as I thought he would. I stood near the door, feeling like my feet were stuck to the floor.

“Why are you dressed like that? Did you really come here wearing that?” he asked.

“What’s wrong with my outfit? Am I naked? Can anyone see anything private?” I said, spreading my arms and teasing him.

“What do you mean? Your body is only for me to see. If you care about me, I want you to go back and change,” he said firmly.

“I’m not going to do that. I told you before we came here that I would wear whatever I want. I am not a child or your little sister. I am someone’s daughter,” I said, standing my ground. I noticed his hand moving closer to his crutches, maybe ready to hit me. He looked at me, confused about where I got my courage.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing, seriously?” I asked, waiting for an answer.

“Fine, it’s your choice,” he said with a small shrug, clearly annoyed. “But it’s too soon for this, Becky. Anyway, I’ll be introducing you to my family at the table.”

“Is this a formal introduction or your parents’ anniversary? You never said you were introducing me to your parents,” I said.

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

“No, but that’s not why we came here. If you want to introduce me, it would be better to visit their house,” I suggested.

He didn’t say anything and got up with his crutches. He had already showered, and I thought Kenneth might be here too. How would it feel to see him after last night? I felt shy and nervous, but mostly I wanted to see him. The way he smiled made my heart feel calm, and I was drawn to him.

“Becky!” Sebastian called my name. I was looking at him, but my mind was somewhere else.

“What are you thinking? I’ve been asking you to help me with my phone.”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear you,” I said.

“But you were looking right at me,” he said. I quickly handed him his phone, and we left the room together.

We walked slowly to the VIP dining room on the second floor. I imagined everyone, especially Kenneth, was already waiting. We entered the nicely decorated room. The first thing I did was look at the table to see if Kenneth was there. I only saw Sebastian’s parents sitting on the right side, together. Kenneth wasn’t there yet, so we sat down. I smiled and greeted Sebastian’s parents. Each chair had an electronic menu, and we chose our meals. When would Kenneth arrive? I kept glancing at the door.

Maybe Kenneth was tired from last night, I told myself. A few minutes later, I heard the door open. Before I turned my head, I was sure it was him. But to my surprise, it was hotel staff bringing our food.

Wasn’t he going to join us for breakfast? I almost asked out loud. I waited as the young women in their uniforms placed the food on the table. It hit me that I was the only one worrying about Kenneth, while everyone else was focused on eating.

Why was Kenneth still in his hotel room? No one seemed interested in talking about him or waiting for him. My spoon and fork felt heavy in my hands, and I couldn’t take it any longer. If I asked about him now, no one would think anything was wrong. Just as I was about to take a bite, I turned to Sebastian and asked in a calm voice,

“Is Kenneth not coming for breakfast?”

Sebastian’s mum answered while Sebastian was still chewing,

“My dear, Kenneth left for London.”

“When did he leave?” I stared at her, waiting for an answer. She took a bite, and I kept watching her.

“Early this morning. He had an urgent call,” she added.

At that moment, my heart broke. I lost all desire to eat, and my little dream world disappeared suddenly. I didn’t even notice I wasn’t eating, my eyes fixed on the table. Sebastian saw my strange look and asked,

“Sweetheart, is something wrong?”

“No,” I said quickly, blinking fast. Tears were coming, and feeling overwhelmed, I stood up.

“What is it?” Sebastian asked, and his parents looked at me.

“I have an upset stomach and need to go to the restroom.”

“But you haven’t eaten anything,” Sebastian said.

“Please, let me go. I’ll be right back.” I turned and grabbed my phone, heading to the restroom. As soon as I got inside, I called Kenneth. He didn’t answer.

“Please let this be a bad dream,” I said quietly, walking around the small room. After a few seconds, I got a text from Kenneth:

“I’ll contact you when I get to London. I can’t take calls right now.”

Bitter feelings filled me, and tears ran down my face. A storm of emotions hit me hard, like my heart was breaking. What I hoped would be a happy memory was turning into pain. I stayed in the restroom a few minutes trying to calm down before going back. I wiped my tears, not wanting anyone to see my pain.

When I returned, they had almost finished eating. The food I chose now looked like poison. Before I could sit, Sebastian turned to his parents and said,

“Dad, Mum, meet Becky. You were busy yesterday, so I didn’t get a chance to introduce her. She is the love of my life.”

He smiled at me. I thought I told him not to introduce me to his parents here. I gave him a disappointed look but smiled at them anyway. I thought he would stop, but he went on.

“She means a lot to me since I got hurt,” Sebastian said, showing his feelings.

“What a good friend you have,” his dad said, clearly accepting me.

“My love, why don’t you eat?” his mum asked, with warmth in her voice.

“I don’t think I can eat. My stomach hurts,” I said.

“I’m sorry, dear,” she said, smiling with full cheeks. “Sebastian told us many nice things while you were in the restroom.”

I looked at Sebastian and forced a smile.

“He has never been this happy before. Now I know why, it’s because of you,” she said. They all smiled except me. I wanted to be alone. They had no idea what I was feeling. Pretending again, I stood and held my stomach.

“Can I go to my room, please? My stomach hurts.”

“Of course, go ahead,” his dad said quickly, and I left for my room.

As soon as I got inside, I threw myself onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow. The more I tried not to think about Kenneth, the more the pain of heartbreak and disappointment grew. He should not have treated me this way...

Before I could think more, I heard a knock. The sound of crutches told me it was Sebastian. He opened the door, but I didn’t say anything to let him come in.

“Why didn’t you smile when I introduced you to my parents?” he asked as soon as he entered. I was so angry that I ignored him. He moved closer and asked again.

“Who told you to introduce me? What about our agreement in your room? You saw me kneeling by my bed, and all you did was introduce me, even though I told you not to!” I shouted, my frustration rising.

“Where is this coming from? How dare you talk to me like that?” he said, pointing his crutches at me.