Thea’s POV
“Thea, wake up, dinner’s ready.” Sebastian’s voice pulled me from a hazy dream back to reality. It wasn’t a particularly good dream, nor was it bad; just one of those that leaves you slightly confused upon waking, with only vague impressions lingering.
“Where’s Phoenix?” I asked, suddenly aware my daughter wasn’t with me.
“Don’t worry. She woke up, I fed her, and then she fell back asleep.” His eyes scanned my face, searching.
I nodded and pushed the covers aside to get up, stretching and feeling my bones realign with satisfying pops.
“Why are you sleeping here instead of in our bed?” Sebastian asked, his gaze intense as he studied me.
Everything I’d been avoiding suddenly rushed back, reminding me precisely why I was in the guest room instead of the master bedroom. Anger and irritation surged, replacing my calm with a bitter aftertaste. Why was he lying to me? Why was he keeping things from me? Was this how he wanted to start our new relationship—built on lies and secrets?
“Don’t give me that shit, Sebastian. I’m really not in the mood right now,” I snapped, walking past him.
Though I was a grown woman, a part of me wanted nothing more than to slap him hard across the face. After everything he’d put me through, he still had the audacity to hide things from me. What the fuck was wrong with him? Wasn’t he satisfied with dragging me through hell and back?
I didn’t wait for him to catch up, heading straight to the dining table where Leo and Damien were already seated. I sat down and began filling my plate. A few minutes later, Sebastian joined us.
“So, Thea, how have you been lately?” Damien asked, breaking the tense atmosphere. I didn’t know how to answer; firstly, because I was furious, and secondly, because this small talk felt odd. Damien and I were never exactly friendly; we barely talked, so his inquiry felt strange.
“Fine so far… the only downside is being stuck at home. I’m not used to it,” I answered honestly.
I put a piece of steak in my mouth, almost moaning at the flavor. It melted like butter. Mary was a fantastic cook.
I sighed, feeling a bit jealous. I was a good cook too, or at least I used to be. A few days ago, I’d tried a new recipe, wanting to cook for my family. But because of my condition (inability to read numbers correctly), I added two and a half tablespoons of sugar instead of half a tablespoon. I cried for twenty minutes before calming down. Mary made something else afterward, and we never mentioned the incident again.
“Will you be going back to work?” Damien asked, distracting me from my turmoil.
“That’s the plan, but obviously, due to certain circumstances, that won’t happen anytime soon,” I replied after swallowing my food.
Sebastian remained silent, his eyes mostly focused on me. I could see the turmoil within him, the internal battle raging. I mentally scoffed; he was probably wrestling with whatever he was hiding from me.
“Mom, Wyatt still hasn’t come over,” Leo chimed in. “You said he would come last weekend, but you never talked to Jaxon about it.”
My eyes quickly darted to Sebastian. His expression was unreadable, which piqued my curiosity. We’d never discussed Jaxon, so I didn’t know if they’d put aside their animosity for their sons’ sake.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I forgot to mention it to your father. Tell you what, since your birthday is next week, he can come to your celebration and then stay over.”
Leo threw his hands up happily, making everyone smile.
“That would be awesome!”
“You can invite your other friends too, and your… hates. I think we can have it in the backyard since we have enough space,” I suggested, and Leo’s smile grew even brighter.
Seeing him happy made me temporarily forget the wrongness in my life. I lived for him and Phoenix, and no matter what happened between Sebastian and me, these two kids would always come first. If they were happy, then I would be happy too.
“My friends will be so excited… I’ll invite everyone,” he paused, then frowned, “well, except Piper. I don’t want her at my party. She’ll just ruin everything.”