Chapter 2

"That's all your treat?" Beatrice gasped looking at the food in front of them. 

As their school was built near a mall, they can easily walk and went there just to grab some food.

When they went to the food court, they really didn't expected that they'd be treated out for a large amount of food, well, except that, the food that was sold in the food court was pretty expensive. 

"You're some real son of a rich man." Lauren raised a thumbs up, her lips pressed together, she look so flattered.

Emily looked at Sebastian and thought, "As expected from a person who bought my painting for a large sum of money, he surely wasn't some simple one."

"Let's eat!" Joseph placed a cake box in the middle of the table and started to eat the food on the table. "Don't worry about the money. His pocket money is about ten times of mine."

"Hm? How much is your pocket money?" Lauren looked at him with expectation, wishing that they're about the same societal status. 

"About five thousand a week." 

"He's overreacting, my pocket money isn't ten folds of his. It's just two to three thousand more." Sebastian shrugged his shoulders, leaving Beatrice and Lauren speechless. 

Emily chuckled. No wonder why he's confident about bringing them out here. Even if this treat cost him a thousand or two, he still have five thousand left on his pocket. 

"Why do you have so much money? Your parent's must be real rich." Emily said as she bit on the fries. 

"His parents... You surely have heard about the famous B&A Company? The one that owns Belle and Amoure Hotel and Restaurants. His family owns it." 

"Oh, what a coincidence." Emily raised an eyebrow, "My parents are business partners with your family. I am Emilia Ruiz." 

"Heiress of Ruiz Wine Corp?" Joseph's eyes grew wide, "Wow, what a real coincidence."

"No, the heir is my brother. I am not interested on taking over the business. I'm interested on painting." Emily shook her head, and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Sebastian nod his head, "Your paintings are worth my money." 

Emily looked up in shock. Joseph and the other two girls also looked at him. "Hey, you bought a painting?"

It was something that he cherished for all his life. The painting that lead him to her for the first time. 

"Yes. We already met before. My sister went to a date with her boyfriend last week. They tagged me along." Sebastian tilted his head after explaining himself. 

Emily chuckled as she felt that this movement of tilting the head after finishing an explanation, it felt like he have seen it a hundred times before. 

But they only met a week ago. And they barely even talked. 

The conversation went from thank you, compliments, happy birthday and random things. The five of them immediately became closer just in one sitting.

When they finished the food, it was already four in the afternoon. Looking at her wristwatch, Emily frowned. "Mom probably left already."

Sebastian's fist clenched seeing Emily's frowning face. Her mother is truly one of a kind. She will probably never change.

"It's alright, we can walk home together." Lauren held her arm and leaned her head on Emily's shoulder. "Then we can talk more."

"I live on Gold Coast." Emily murmured in disappointment. If she doesn't live on that community complex, she'll probably be able to walk with them.

"You can hitch a ride with me or let's just all walk together. I'm also from the same community." Sebastian said with a smile. At first, he was kind of shock. Emily actually lives on Gold Coast? He thought that they just moved there when she's in college? 

But of course, he can't appear surprised. So, he just said it nonchalantly. 

While walking on the road, Emily and her friends kept on chattering around. They're walking in front while Sebastian and Joseph were following at the back. 

Joseph kept on looking at Sebastian. He glanced, and glanced, and glanced, until he can't take it anymore. 

"Hey, what are you thinking? You just met her today and you're making a move already." He nudged Sebastian and whispered secretly.

"Oh? Am I?" Sebastian shrugged his shoulders and walked faster. 

They all walked on the same way, Joseph was the first to leave, and then Lauren, and then Beatrice. 

When the two of them were the only ones left. Emily slowed down her phase, until she's beside Sebastian. 

"You..." She looked up and tilted her head. "Thank you for buying my painting."

"It's good. At first, I am looking for something that can be used in my novel, and then, I found your work. It is really beautiful." 

Emily stopped and turned around. "You're a writer?" 

Sebastian tilted his head, the way Emily looks at her seems to have changed. "Yes."

"Oh. I love novels. They are my inspiration on painting." Her eyes seems to be sparkling.

Sebastian slid his hands inside his pockets. He lowered his head and chuckled. "Really? It seems like our interests are related."

"Why are you chuckling?" 

Sebastian looked at her. "Nothing." I really just find it interesting. Because I've never knew that you love reading. 

"Do you write romance?" Emily turned around and started to walk backwards. 

"Romance?" Sebastian looked up and down, watching Emily's steps. "I do. But it's a rare case for me to do so. Most of the time I'm writing action and fantasy adventure." 

Emily's lips pursed, then she asked, "Then, how does it feel like, writing an adventure story?" She clasped her hands behind her back.

"Writing a fantasy story..." Sebastian looked at the clear blue sky. "It just feels like walking into a new world. It's hard to maneuver the hands that aren't yours, but it brings thrill to my life."

"Really—ah!" 

Sebastian's hand automatically grabbed Emily's hands. Emily almost fell out of balance, but because of Sebastian's quick reflect. 

Emily's eyes grew wider, and she immediately stood up. "Thank you." 

After steadying her up, Sebastian immediately let go of her hand, and acted like nothing happened. 

After that, Emily didn't spoke again on the entire journey. When they entered the community village, the guard greeted them with a bow. 

Upon entering the village, they were greeted by an intersection that stretch to all directions. Sebastian turned and looked at Emily, "Do you live on the northern, eastern or western part?"

"North." Emily quickly walked ahead, not expecting for Sebastian to follow up. 

"My direction is also this way." 

Emily looked at him and nodded her head. "Oh, that's right." 

The silence between them was really awkward, but Emily can't help anything about it, so she just walked a little quicker to increase the distance between them. 

Now that they're a little farther from each other, Sebastian could watch her from behind. 

Their way home was silent, probably because the kids of the neighborhood haven't got home yet. 

As they are walking farther, Sebastian could slowly see their houses, and Emily still haven't stopped walking. 

"Emily, where's your house?" Sebastian walked forward and stood beside Emily. 

"It's right up ahead. That house." Emily pointed the house with a minimalistic grey and white color. 

It is standing right across Sebastian's house. "Oh, you live across me." He whispered in shock. "What a surprise."

"Hm? You're the kid who lives across my house?" Emily turned to him in surprise and laughed out loud. "What a coincidence." 

"Why did I never saw you around before?" Sebastian asked her. 

Emily pressed her lips together and sighed. "It's because my mom fetches me, and then we'll go to her company. I'll have to wait until her work is done before we'll go home together. That way, I could at least be around her more."

Sebastian looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "It's more like keeping an eye on you to restrict your life." 

"Yeah. It does feel like that, it's suffocating. But when I'm late, she won't come so I'll have to go home alone."

"Now that's even worse." Sebastian wanted to say that. He really wanted to say that but he just muttered "Oh." in the end. 

When they arrived in front of their house, Emily held the straps of her bag and turned to Sebastian. "Thank you for the treat, and happy birthday."

"No, I should be thank you for lending us a hand. Thank you for calling the nurse for me, and thank you for accompanying me with your friends on my birthday."

Emily smiled and then extended her hand. "Then, can we be friends?"

"Oh... Friends?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow, there was a smile on his face that he didn't noticed. "That's not a bad idea. Then, let's be friends."

Don't you think it'd be better if we're just friends? Perhaps I could've accompanied you on your death bed. Or maybe, there'll be someone else who would look for you while you're suffering.

After shaking their hands, Sebastian didn't dare to hold her hand even for a second longer. He let her go and put his hands back on his pocket and said, "Go in. I'll go ahead."

Emily nod her head and turned around. 

Watching her went in her house, Sebastian thought, "I intended to not intervene with your life. But seeing you laughing again, I feel like I really should pay for the debt that I owe you."

Sebastian turned around and went on his own house. 

"In this lifetime, I'll be your friend and I'll accompany you for a long time."

***

"Seb, I heard from the nanny that you seem to be close with the neighbor's child?" 

Sebastian picked up his glass and asked. "Which one? The one in front?"

"Yes. The nanny said that the two of you went home together." Sebastian's dad, Richard, said in a teasing manner. 

Sebastian was once a thirty-five years old man, he looked at his dad and said, "It's not like that."

"Well, it's a rare case for you to walk home." Richard continued to tease him. While her mother, Andrea just chuckled. 

"It's because Joseph doesn't live around here. And also, I just took her on..."

"A date?" Andrea looked at him and join his dad on teasing her. "You're growing up, son."

"No, I fell sick on school. Fainted. And then Joseph brought me to the clinic, just in time she's there and the nurse is not around. Joseph asked her to look for the nurse for us and then, later, we ran across them so I just decided to treat her as a thank you." Sebastian explained carefully, as if he's really afraid of being misunderstood. 

Andrea and Richard let out an "Oh" in chorus. The tone of their voice  obviously said that they don't believe him. 

"That doesn't answer why the two of you went home together." 

"It's because she was left by her mom. Her mom didn't like her being late on the schedule of picking her up, so she went and go, never turn back." Sebastian sighed at that thought. 

"Ah? What kind of mother was that? If you're a bad guy, then... Oh my, she could've been in danger."

Even in this lifetime, her mother didn't care for her as much as Sebastian's mother cared for her.

But Sebastian can't help but frown. "Mom, do I look like a bad guy to you?"

"Oh... I'm just saying. Then, if you're really a person with bad intentions, am I not right that she could've been in danger? Thank God you're a good kid."

Sebastian frowned even more. Thinking about it, it really feels weird. They just met and then he's already taking her home. 

Let's ignore the fact that she even agreed on his proposal of walking home with him. She still trust people easily. 

It doesn't matter if she's his wife in their past life, everything went back to zero. They are strangers, probably he should put some distance between them.

"What are you thinking?" Andrea nudge him. "Don't think about it. She probably agreed to walk with you because she thinks you're a good person. Let's eat now, okay?"

"She have easily trusts other people. That little fool." Sebastian murmured before eating his meal. 

Andrea gave her husband a look, who just titled her head and looked at her with confusion. "He probably likes her." She mouthed.

"But they just met?" 

Andrea's lips twitched. That's right, but her son seems to be worried about her a lot. Could it be that, she was his crush since before and today was a coincidence to make their paths cross?

And also, the mother of that child is really something. Leaving her child on the school because she didn't came on time? 

Sebastian wouldn't expect that his mother is already writing a novel length thought about him coming home with the lady who lives in front of them. 

"That's right, I'll go get the cake first." Andrea licked the tip of her finger and then ran to the kitchen.

Sebastian looked at his dad, he's laughing as he followed Andrea with his eyes. "She's so excited about going home because of your birthday, and then she almost forgot it. Your mother is getting older."

"Aren't you just the same." Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "And you still love her like how you love her before."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Richard looked at him, it seems like he didn't get what Sebastian meant. 

"The pictures, you looked at her like she's the only one you can see in the world on your high school graduation picture. And then you're still looking at her like that, that's envious." Sebastian shook his head as he sighed.

"Then date the girl across our house. The nanny said that you're looking at her like she's a peony." Richard grinned, wiggling his brows as he teased him.

Like a peony. It wouldn't meant anything to other people. But looking at a peony is something that Sebastian liked to do, because he found it beautiful, and he likes it the most among all the flowers that he know. 

"She also said that she's pretty. How pretty? Tell me, son." 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and looked away. "You're being nosy, Dad."

"Eh? I'm not being nosy! It's you who's being secretive."

Andrea went out of the kitchen holding a cake on her hand. "Stop it. Let the kid blow the candle, it's about to go off."

She placed the black forest cake in front of Sebastian. Looking at the cake, it suddenly brought a lot of memories to him. 

Over the last few years of his life, he gave all his attention on writing, he have neglected his wife. He turned back from his parents because they didn't agree with this profession of his. 

He was able to gain fame, but it took him a lot of time, it took him a lot of loss before it. It wasn't worth it for him. 

After that, he regretted everything, but it's already too late.

Starring at the candle standing in the middle of the cake, Sebastian closed his eyes and said on his mind. "Allow me to chase my dreams again, this time, I won't lose them because of it."

He won't deny it, his dream, writing is still his life. But now, it was only a part of it. His parents, his friends, and his wife. They're the one who matters the most. 

He just wish that he won't lose them again because he is dreaming. 

When Sebastian opened his eyes, he can't help but sigh. If it can't happen, then he'll just choose them. After all, he was able to get that dream before, there's nothing wrong with giving it up for them. 

Looking at his parents, and remembering how Emily were all happily living right now. It dawned to him, maybe it's not bad to try, dreaming without flying. 

***

author's note:

I personally think that this chapter, no, the ending part is a little lame. But let's just let it be.