Chapter 129: Chapter 129

"Carol." It was just one word, but that one word was enough to break the stupor she had been in as soon as she saw him.

"Sebastian." She said in turn, standing up to go bring another chair for him to sit down, but in essence, she was trying to buy herself some time to get her breathing under control. He looked so good and smelled so nice that it was all she could do not to throw herself straight into his arms and breathe in his essence as though her very life depended on it. She saw Sebastian's eyes widen at the small bump under her loose gown, and her hand went to hold it selfconsciously.

"It's growing." She told him needlessly and then slammed her mouth shut. She sort of felt nervous being in Sebastian's presence and wished that she had worn a more flattering dress than the one that she had on now, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Sebastian collected the chair from her and brought it over to place it in front of her own so they were seating opposite each other.

"How have you been?" He asked finally.

"I've been fine, and you?"

"I've been fine too. Listen, I just wanted to apologize in person for the way I treated you the last time we spoke to each other. I did not mean a word of it and if I could take it back, I gladly would." He told her, his voice very sincere.

Carol picked at an invisible lint on her dress and spoke, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. "It's okay, Sebastian. You're forgiven." She said, meaning it. At least, he now realized his mistake.

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

"So, where is your apartment? Let's go and get your things so that we can go home." He told her happily.

"Excuse me?"

"Um, I thought you said that you forgave me," Sebastian stated, wondering if he had misheard her.

"And so? You're so full of yourself, you know. So you think I will follow you to your house as what exactly, and to go and do what?"

"Carol, I don't..."

"You think that the whole world revolves around you, not so?" Carol continued hotly, hardly able to believe his nerve. He had not offered her any explanation but was making assumptions.

"Have I done something wrong again?"

"It depends. Why did you come looking for me all of a sudden after all this while? What changed? And why did you send that annoying text to my dad?"

"Well, I've been looking for you everywhere, until it occurred to me that you might not even be in Napa. In fact, I was considering hiring a private investigator to help me find you. That was when I decided to visit your dad in your former house. Turns out that he wasn't living there, but Belinda gave me his address. Also, I'm sorry about the text. I don't know what I was thinking, but I was drunk when I sent it. All I've done is drink and think since you left, Carol. It's been really tough on me, you know. Not knowing where you were, how you were faring, and all of that. I swear I didn't mean any of it. I guess it was the grief of having to bury my uncle that made me lash out and I know how flimsy that excuse sounds, but it's the truth. You've got to believe me, Carol. He informed her, his voice shaking a little. Carol, who knew just how he felt, nodded through tear-filled eyes.

"I thought you didn't care that I was gone. At first, I kept having hope that you will find a means to contact me, even though I had forgotten my phone at your house. I was mad, of course at what had happened before I left, and I gave my dad stern instructions not to answer any of your calls or texts and was just about having a change of heart when you stopped sending them. I figured you had gotten tired and did not even care about me, and then I saw the fundraiser stuff you went to with Jessica and you were both looking ... anyway, I figured that you did not want anything to do with me again."

"I didn't know that Jessica was going to be at the fundraiser, Carol. She did not mention anything like that to me, so I was surprised when I saw her there, but she wanted to take a picture with me, so I had to take one with her."

"Why is she still in your house?" Carol asked.

"I'm hardly ever there, and frankly, I did not care about anything again. All I cared about was that you knew how sorry I was and that you came back home, where I can be with you and love you all the time, Carol."

Carol listened to him, her heart beating as he mentioned the word 'love.' She wondered if she had misheard him because that was not a word she had ever heard Sebastian use in relation to her, but his next words confirmed it.

"I love you so much it hurts, Carol. Not knowing where you were these past weeks, not being able to hold you in my arms, see your lovely smile and beautiful face, and hear your melodious laughter has been torture that I hope never to endure again. I don't know how you feel about me, but I can assure you that if you want to give us a try, for real this time, I will make sure that you are the happiest woman on earth." He finished, watching her fearfully, afraid that she would tell him, no, but Carol had other plans.

"I'm already the happiest woman on earth, Sebastian. Do you know how long I've longed to hear those words come from your mouth? I want to give us another try and I don't want to leave your side ever again." She told him, smiling through her tears. Sebastian did not wait to hear more, but leaned forward and placed a tender kiss, which gradually became deeper, on her lips.

Once they both came up for air, he tucked her hair tenderly behind her ear and said,

"Damn! I've missed everything about you so damn much, Carol. So do you want another big wedding this time around?"

"No, I'll just like us to renew our vows with only my dad and your aunt present this time around. Meanwhile, what are we going to do about Jessica who has refused to leave your house?"

"It's our house now, Carol. Don't worry about her. She'll be gone before we get back there. Or if you want, we can leave the house for her and get a new one. It's up to you."

"Leave our house for her, and leave that garden I've become so fond of? No chance in hell. She has to leave."

"Consider it done, my lady." He said, pulling her up from her chair and into his lap. He placed one hand tenderly on her belly, feeling the bump almost reverentially.

"It's a boy," Carol announced to him since he did not know yet.

Sebastian's face broke out in a happy and proud smile as he digested this news, and then he kissed her gently.

"You don't think it is too early to start choosing baby names, do you?" he asked, his eyes twinkling when he finally broke the kiss.

"Well, I have one in mind," Carol said somewhat shyly.

"Really? let's hear it."

"James. I mean, of course, we can add other names later, but I just thought of that one as soon as I was told that it is a boy. We don't have to name him that if you don't want it, of course. It was only a sugg..."

"It's perfect," Sebastian said, cutting her off with a kiss, and kissing her so thoroughly and passionately that they practically forgot where they were and only faintly heard the ringing bell indicating that someone had come into the shop.

"Um, helloooo? Do you guys sell books here or is this a kissing booth?" They heard a female teenage voice singsong and they both burst out laughing at the serious look on the girl's face.

"We sell books. Which one do you want?" Carol asked the girl and her friend, getting up and coming to where they were both standing and staring at Sebastian in shock.

"Oh, my God! Is that..." The friend asked, trailing off when Carol nodded, shook her head, and went to attend to the other teen, while the friend peppered Sebastian with questions, which he answered bravely. Her life had never felt so perfect and she could not wait to leave this place and go back home with Sebastian, where her heart was.