A furtive and gentle squeeze was all Miranda needed to catch on and fall in line with Sebastian's reckless scheme — reckless because, crashing himself into Angelica's space and trapping her with him didn't seem like the right way to go.
He'd be forcing her hand, and one look at Angelica's face was enough to show how she was deliberately evading him. Nevertheless, Miranda complied.
Stopping beside the black SUV, she turned to Angelica, who was still ensuring a six feet distance between her and Sebastian.
If she'd be honest, Miranda would rather not have whatever was going on between Angelica and Sebastian affect her wedding.
And if it were up to her, she'd simply ask Angelica to ride with her. But just because Nicholas was asking and Sebastian really looked like a man in desperate need of a chance to right the wrongs in his life, she said, "Angelica, would you mind riding with Sebastian?"
"Hm?"
The words came as a shock to her head. Her mind dazed as she tried to remember and understand what had just been said to her.
'Ride with Sebastian?' she mused, her eyes darting towards the grey Audi parked behind the Priestly's SUV and then back to Miranda.
"Miranda, I don't —"
"I'm sorry, but our car is full and Nicholas wants to ride with me and mom, while we look at those ideas we talked about for the venue." She said.
There was innocence in her voice and sincerity in her words, but it was that hint of apology in Miranda's eyes and the whisper of doubt in her own mind that had her gazing at their faces with suspicion.
There was a foul play here, she was certain of it. Certain that Nicholas had whispered the idea, and if Nicholas was involved, so was Sebastian.
Finally she gazed at him, her hazel eyes staring with accusations, and revealed her displeasure in this scheme of his. She already felt suffocated.
Angelica glanced back at Miranda and with a sombre look she nodded. "Okay."
"Thank you." Miranda said, shooting her an appreciative look, but Angelica could see the apology lingering beneath her eyes.
Watching them board the car and slowly idle towards the ornate gate of the Priestly estate, she sighed and turned towards Sebastian, whose eyes were patiently waiting on her.
"Shall we?" He gestured toward the car, his hand quickly opening the door for her — something he never did while they were married, save their trip from the wedding reception.
Sebastian could feel the resentment and undisguised anger in her eyes. She knew what he had done and he wasn't going to deny it.
Angelica felt her stomach churn at the idea of riding with him and she glared at how crafty he could be.
"That's being manipulative and cheap, Sebastian. Really it is." She told Him flatly as she walked towards the car.
Guilty as charged, he couldn't mutter a word or give a nod.
Angelica watched with ire as he rounded the car and hopped into the driver's seat. Her face was frost like ice, and the anger was almost palpable.
He turned towards her. "Look, I'm sorry. I just needed to talk to you."
"And you think manipulating me to sit with you will achieve your goal?" She cocked a brow, challenging him to lie if he dared to. The fire in her eyes, the fierceness, had him both flustered and lost for words, but not regretful.
Angelica scoffed at his silence. "You have nothing to say, do you? How very typical." Typical of him to give no explanations, or tender apologies. Typical of him to think he could always have his way. Have everyone follow his rules, have her do his every command with no care whatsoever of how she felt or care for what she truly wanted.
It was always about him and what he needed, and it hurt her that even after so much time has passed, he still had a hold over her.
A thought raced through her mind and she quickly whipped her phone from her purse. Of course, she would just order an Uber, she mused.
But then she paused, rethinking that thought. Not only might that seem disrespectful and show her unprofessional she might be with the job to her client, but she would also be keeping them waiting given how long it would take for an uber to arrive.
If there was any feeling in her for Sebastian — something outside the fear of him finding out about their daughter — it was hatred.
Sebastian was quick to recognize the shift in her countenance. A sadness had come to mix with the anger, and he had recognized it, because the memory of it from that day four years ago had haunted him.
"Angelica, it's not my wish to upset you. I just wanted to talk."
"Well, I guess you already did, and you can't make me talk to you. You might have successfully tricked me here, but you can't make me talk to you."
Sebastian agreed. No, he couldn't, and he knew that for a fact.
"I know I can't, but maybe you can just...listen."
Angelica turned to him with eyes hardened like steel, fully certain in heart he couldn't make her listen either.
"I'd prefer it if you drive, Sebastian. I have a job to do and you're interfering with it. So please, drive." She said to him.
Sebastian stared at her. Helpless and out of options, he sighed and turned on the ignition.
The drive was silent, but just when Angelica was about to enjoy the silence he spoke up again.
Sebastian glanced at her, watched her as she fixed her gaze outside the window. "Look, Angelica, I know you said you don't want to speak to me. I know you'd rather I stay away from you, because I hurt you. I hurt you when I said those words and walked away, when all you needed was an explanation. I hurt you in our two years of marriage. I wasn't good to you, and for all that," and more he hasn't said and was currently too scared to say.
"I'm sorry, Angelica. I really am." He said, her eyes were fixed outside the window, staring blankly at whatever was moving past. Sebastian glanced at her, watched her as they pulled over at a traffic light.
"Angelica," he softly called to gain her attention.
She turned to him, facing him squarely for the first time today. "I'm not angry at you for anything." She said and scoffed. "Or maybe I was." Maybe she was when she found out he had a son somewhere else and he deemed her irrelevant for explanation. Maybe she was angry then, but not anymore.
"You told me from the start of our marriage what you wanted, that you would never love me, but I was naive and stupid to think things would change and one day you'd see me and love me."
"Angelica," his voice was low and remorseful, he heard that little catch in her voice.
"Our marriage has ended, Sebastian, and it's been four years. That's a whole lot of time to stop being angry. So yes, I was angry, but I've moved on."