Taming the Devil's Heiress

11 - Third Wheel

I tilted my head to the side while looking at a huge canvas in front of me. It has splashes of different colors with weird lines here and there. I've been staring at it for a couple of minutes already, but I still can't understand what this is supposed to be. I looked down at the title.

It says the woman. Woman? Woman?! How can a bunch of colors be a woman?

"Do you like it?" I almost jumped when Sebastian's girl suddenly popped beside me. "Sorry, did I scare you?" she chuckled. Even the way she laughs is very demure. Not the cringey type though.

"It's okay. But what is this?" I confusedly asked. I didn't want to talk to them, but my curiosity is killing me. I wasn't really into the arts, so I don't know a thing about that.

"A woman. See this?" she pointed at something on the canvass. "This is the curve of her back, her hair..." I could hear the passion in her voice as she kept talking. But I still can't see even if she was already pointing at the colors in the painting.

Is she f*****g seeing things?

"Do you see her now?" she asked.

"Yeah," I snorted, but I just wanted to end the conversation. My eyes hurt from the bright colors, but I still couldn't see the woman she was talking about.

"Did you see something you like?" Sebastian asked. I didn't notice that he was just standing behind us. I was about to tell him how these things could even be called art, but the girl beside me beat me to it.

"No," she muttered.

Oh! He was asking her... I thought...

Why would he ask me when I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place? I pursed my lips, hiding the embarrassment that I felt for myself. And I never appreciated art. Perhaps he can still remember that.

When I looked up, I saw him looking at me. I raised an eyebrow and then rolled my eyes at him.

"I want to look around more," Liza said before pulling my hand. Did I say that I wanted to see these too? Ugh.

We went to the next painting. I looked around just to see similar artworks. All of them looked like the artist just splashed a bucket of paint on the canvass, one color after the other. How can she like these things?

How can people appreciate it?

"These works are by Joan Langley. She's an up-and-coming contemporary artist," she explained, even though I wasn't asking.

"Uh-hmm," I hummed with fake enthusiasm. Which isn't me. I am known for telling how exactly I was feeling. I've been called a b***h for that on thousands of occasions.

But there's just something about Liza. I don't know, but as I've said, she looked like an angel. She looked so delicate. The reason why I can't blame Sebastian for being so attentive to her.

Her innocence resembles that of a child. Has she been sheltered all her life? I wanted to hate her but she's making it impossible for me to do so!

I even let her drag me around while looking at canvass after the canvass. When we were done with the exhibit, she ended up buying three pieces of artwork.

"These are all six hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars." the woman behind the desk smiled.

My jaw dropped when I heard how much she has to pay for those... Six hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars?! Like what the actual f'uck?!

And my Dad got mad and punished me for buying a million-dollar yacht?! At least I could use the yacht! They could even use it! How about these paintings?! Should I consider changing careers now?

"I'll pay for it," my thoughts were interrupted when I heard Sebastian's voice. Hmm. I was so close to thinking that he was a sugar daddy.

"What? No!" she exclaimed. "I got this," she then took out a card and gave it to the waiting clerk.

"How about you, Eli? Didn't you like anything?" Liza suddenly asked me.

"Not really," I shrugged.

"These can also be good investments, you know," she said as if trying to convince me.

"Hmm, really?" I asked, even though I was aware of that. But I thought it was only for renowned artists like Da Vinci or Van Gogh. What was the name of this artist again?

"Yes, its price is not affected by the stock market," she smiled. I just nodded and didn't try to argue with her. I saw how Sebastian cocke'd an eyebrow at me, so I glared at him. He's probably wondering why I was acting like that in front of this girl!

Even I, myself, didn't know the answer to that!

"Thanks for your support. We will immediately arrange the delivery of your purchase," the clerk said while she kept on glancing at Sebastian. Liza seemed oblivious to it. Can't she see how the girl is almost flirting with him?

"Where do you want to eat?" she asked while practically clinging to my arms as we walked out of the gallery's office, completely ignoring the fact that the woman behind the desk was practically eye-rap'ing Sebastian.

While the man in question eyed our linked arms before looking at my face. Just to look away when our gazes met. He must have recalled how I hated being touched like this. And yet I let this girl huggle me for over an hour now!

"Uhm," I was practically speechless. I was supposed to be here to annoy Sebastian but here I am, acting like a meek lamb!

I was fighting the urge to roll my eyes.

"There's a restaurant downstairs," Sebastian said before leading the way, leaving us with no choice but to follow him.

I looked at his back before looking at the girl beside me. Are they really together? My tongue was itching to ask her but I bit it instead. I will never. Ever. Let him know how curious I was.

A lopsided smile came out of my lips when she grinned at me. She looked like a child who had just thought of a naughty idea.

"I'm so glad that you came with us!" she glanced at the man walking sternly in front of us.

"He's sooo boring, you know?" she giggled. Boring?

I can call Sebastian a lot of things, but boring isn't one of them. But oh well, who am I to talk about him when he is clearly a different person now?

He's not the same kid I used to know inside out.

"Really?" I found myself comfortable talking to her while we were waiting for our food. Sebastian quickly turned to be the third wheel, but he didn't seem to mind.

He practically turned invisible while scrolling on his phone.

"We met when he went to the UK to study." she started telling me about how they met but the waiter suddenly came with our food.

"He lived near our house and-"

"Let's eat," Sebastian almost rudely cut her off. She pouted but still listened to him.

I quietly watched them before turning on my food.

The UK. So that's where he went after he disappeared. No wonder why I haven't seen him since then.

A week after he broke my heart, I realized that maybe everything he said was right. Maybe I was a bad friend to him. I must have taken him for granted since I got used to him always being by my side. When I got back to my senses, I immediately went to their house, running.

I was adamant about repairing our friendship. But only their household helpers were in their house that day. They told me that Seb and his father went out of the country for a trip. So I decided to wait for him.

I waited for another week before coming back, only to find out that he had been left wherever they went. The house helpers didn't even know which country they went to! His father came back but thinking that I hurt his son, I was too embarrassed to ask him about Sebastian.

I tried contacting him through email but I never got any response. It's like he just cut me off his life just like that...

"Don't you like the food?" I heard Liza ask, bringing me back to reality.

"It's fine," I forced myself to smile at her despite the heavy feelings that were brought by those unwanted memories. I could feel Sebastian's stares but I never once glanced at him.

All I want to do now is to go home and curl into my bed. I sighed. I wanted to regret ever coming here, but what can I do? It's too late to back out now.

Fortunately, they were just headed home after dinner. But to my horror, a car was waiting for Liza when we walked out of the building. I thought they were together as they dropped me home. But it seemed that I would be alone with him on our drive home. I gulped while watching her smile happily at me, completely ignoring the man beside me.

"Why don't you just go with us?" I asked. I wish I had the guts to ask her for a lift. But I doubt if Sebastian will agree.

"Sorry, Dad suddenly came home so he had the driver pick me up." her smile was not faltering.

"Bye Eli! It was nice meeting you!" she kissed me on the cheek. "I never thought you were so kind!"

I almost choked when she said that. I glared at Sebastian but he avoided my gaze. This brute! What exactly did he tell Liza? Tss.

"Bye," I smiled at her. We watched her car disappear. I heard Sebastian's loud sigh beside me.

I wanted to run to avoid riding in the same vehicle as him but the valet had already parked his car in front of us.

"I can just hail a cab, you know," I told him quietly. I have no energy left to argue with him.

"Just get in," he coldly said after opening the door of the shotgun seat.

I took a deep breath before stepping in. He sat in the driver's seat beside me and I immediately felt suffocated by his presence. I tried not to breathe because his scent was overwhelming. In a good way...

And I kind of hate how it makes me feel...

I can even hear the squeaking of his car's wheels because of how quiet we were. Nobody dared to speak and I didn't want to touch his car to play music.

I was just thankful that the traffic was light so we were able to get home in just a short time.

"Thanks," I muttered before getting out of his car. I didn't look back and just went on inside our very quiet home.

"Eli, did you have dinner?" Martha asked. She's been our house helper since I can remember. She's too old to work now, but she still stays with us. Although she isn't working anymore. She's more like a part of the family now.

"Yup. Are they home?" I asked.

"No, your Dad flew to California this morning. Your Mom just went to the airport to follow him."

"Hmm, okay. I'll go up now."

I went into my room and immediately submerged my body in a quick warm bath. After that, I went into my walk-in closet to change, but the innermost drawer in it seemed to be calling me. I gave in and pulled it out. A single box is lying inside. I took it out and took it to my bed.

It has been a long time since I opened this box. It contains all my memories of the old Seb. It has Polaroid pictures, used concert tickets, notes, gift tags... I picked up the bunch of pictures and started looking at them one by one. I couldn't help but chuckle after seeing his big, round face in the pictures.

This is the old Seb whose world revolved around me. The boy who was willing to do anything for me... He's a far cry from that man who shares the same space with me in the office. What happened earlier just proved that he really doesn't care a bit about me now.

If my father and brother weren't insisting on my existence in his life, maybe he wouldn't even look at me.

I sniffed after harshly wiping my stubborn tears. Why am I even crying?! So what if he just forgot everything like that? We only spent around ten years of friendship! Surely, that's not too long, right?

But why does my heart ache like this, knowing that this Seb won't ever come back? My Seb is gone...

I know he left years ago, but somehow, I hoped for his return. Why did I ever think that he would come back as the same person?

I laughed as my treacherous tears kept on coming while staring at a hilarious picture of us.

Why do these happy memories hurt so much now?

I was wiping my tears when the door of my bedroom suddenly flung open. I peeked through my fingers while wiping my tears and almost shouted when I saw who was standing there!

"What the hell?!"