Chapter 2

When I got up and walked toward the bedroom, I noticed a black lace nightgown lying on the bed.

It looked like it had been worn before.

But it wasn't mine.

"Sebastian, who does this nightgown belong to?"

"Claire. After lunch, she said she was tired, so I bought her a new nightgown and let her take a nap here. Just wash it for her later. She'll wear it the next time she comes over."

"Where did she sleep?"

"Of course she slept in our bed."

"Why didn't you let her sleep in the guest room?"

"Why would she sleep in the guest room? Claire isn't some stranger. She even knows the code to our front door."

I had lost count of how many of Claire's personal things were in our home.

Sebastian said she wasn't an outsider.

If she wasn't an outsider, then she was practically one of the people who belonged here.

So what did that make me?

"She shouldn't be wearing such a revealing nightgown around you."

"What's the big deal? I've seen her without pants when we were kids. She'll always be a little girl to me."

Sebastian and I were the same age. Claire was only one year younger than us.

If she was still a little girl in Sebastian's eyes, then what was I?

His personal nanny?

I picked up her nightgown and tossed it into the washing machine on the balcony.

After I showered, I took a fresh pillow and blanket from our bedroom and went to sleep in the guest room.

Sebastian saw me and asked, "What are you doing?"

I explained, "You play games too loudly at night. It'll be quieter if I sleep in here."

He stared at me without expression for a few seconds. "Fine. Go sleep."

Just before I closed the guest room door, I heard Sebastian and Claire talking while they played their game.

The next morning was Sunday.

I had just woken up when I saw Sebastian putting on his shoes and getting ready to leave. "Where are you going so early?"

"Claire said last night that she wanted sliders from the place near our neighborhood. I'm going to buy some and take them to her."

I looked at the empty dining table. "Can't she just come here and eat?"

"It's the weekend. Of course she wants to sleep in. It's no big deal for me to take them to her."

I didn't want to argue anymore. There was no point.

"Then when you come back, can you stop by the drugstore and get me some stomach medicine? We're out, and I didn't get to take any last night."

"Sure. I'll get it on my way back. I'll be home soon."

After he left, I started packing up my things.

But I don't know how much time had passed before a dull pain started spreading through my stomach again.

I checked the time. Three hours had already passed since Sebastian left.

I called him twice, but he didn't answer.

The pain in my stomach kept getting worse.

When I called a third time, he finally picked up. The background was loud and noisy.

"Where are you?"

He explained, "Claire wanted to go to the amusement park, so we came here."

"But didn't you say you'd buy my medicine? My stomach is hurting again."

"Does it hurt a lot?"

I answered honestly, "It's not too bad."

After hearing that, he said, "Then wait a little. I'll order it for you."

"Okay." I hung up.

Another hour passed.

The pain became so bad that cold sweat broke out across my forehead.

I called Sebastian again. "Where's my medicine?"

He actually asked, "What medicine?"

We were both silent for a few seconds.

Then he suddenly remembered. "Oh, I forgot. Just wait a little longer."

I was about to answer when I heard Claire's excited voice in the background. "Sebastian, stop talking on the phone! We're almost at the front of the line!"

Sebastian answered Claire while saying to me, "I have to go. I'll order it for you after I finish this ride. If it really hurts that much, take some Advil first."

"I..." I hadn't even finished speaking when he hung up.

My stomach hurt so badly that I could barely stand.

I forced myself to walk to the medicine cabinet, only to find that the Advil had expired.

I called my apprentice at my studio and asked her to come pick me up and take me to the hospital.

While I lay in a hospital bed getting an IV, my doctor stood beside me and kept scolding me. "Don't you know you can't keep putting off your stomach medicine? If you let the pain get this bad, aren't you afraid you could end up with a perforated stomach?"

I nodded again and again. "I know. I've just been really busy lately, so I forgot."

He tried to reason with me. "I remember you have a boyfriend. When you're busy, you should have him remind you to take your medicine."

I shook my head. "It's okay. Taking medicine is something I can handle myself. I don't need to trouble anyone else."

I really wouldn't trouble Sebastian again.

Just then, a message came through on my phone from the owner of the bridal boutique in Belmont. "You're definitely coming, right? Don't change your mind at the last minute."

I looked at my left hand with the IV taped to it.

Then I replied. "I'm sure."