xv.

there is an abstract wallpaper on the schumacher's kitchen wall. corinna has had it for years. sebastian doesn't remember exactly when, but it's been there forever. he has been meaning to ask, but never got a chance to so as he stares at the wallpaper now, he can't help to only imagine why it's there. until something clicks in his mind.

     the expensive piece of art gives sebastian's  tired mind a peace that he didn't know he needed. it's true that sebastian is genuinely happy with karl and mick and you today. it feels like an accomplishment to bring karl out for a drive without you, but there's something in the drive and the memories makes sebastian exhausted.

     though, he is still enjoying a bit of his time in the kitchen. the smell of coffee gives him another sense of comfort even though he's not in his own kitchen. with the heat from the hot mug radiates a comforting warmth towards sebastian fingers and hands. it's summer in switzerland, but the temperature never reaches 26 degrees here.

     after taking a single sip, sebastian sighs in content. the taste of the coffee snaps his mind back to reality. his eyes caught a small digital clock corinna put on the kitchen island.

     "karl." his breath hitches. "oh my god. karl."

     sebastian loves his coffee, but he ditched his coffee on the counter to look for kalr. he quickly checks the toilet for karl and how worried and scared and angry he is when he didn't find the man he was looking for there. neither the living room, other rooms on the first floor nor the kitchen even though he was at the kitchen the whole time. it was on his second round when he realises that the front door is ajar.

     "oh no." he panics.

     sebastian could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears as he fishes his phone in his pocket. but luck (if you could call this luck) that just before he taps on your name in his contact list, he hears your car entering the driveway. the tremble of his hands lessen. then he hears two car doors shut. then he realises that he fails himself because despite been taught to work under pressure, he's panicking now. he doesn't know what to do. his thoughts are everywhere.

     "always keep him in your peripheral," sebastian hears the echo of your voice, reminding him before he took your father for a drive. "always show him. even though he doesn't remember, always talk to him."

     yes. he should've remembered those 30 minutes ago when your father told him that he wanted to use the loo!

     and... shit.

     he doesn't know if he should interrupt you and mick. your father is missing. you and m ick are having some kind of aggressive kind of confession. if he stopped both of you now, would your problems solved? would mick explain what he's been feeling the whole time you weren't there at the paddock? oh, sebastian saw them all.

     sebastian recognises the love in mick's eyes whenever he's talking about you, alright. even though you haven't seen each other for years. mick admires your hard work while chasing after your dreams. he mentions your names here and there when he's talking to other people outside of interviews. he is proud of you so much that he didn't realise he's actually in love with you.

     how could mick in love with you when you haven't seen each other for years?

     sebastian knew the answer: mick is in love with you way before you decided to leave your town to pursue your dreams. it was before you're busy with your life. it was before mick was busy with his career. maybe even before he dated justine, but he never realised when you were there until he lost you.

     sebastian tried to ask if mick was still in contact with you. because after all, you're still in contact with gina.

     "i don't know," mick answered. "i feel like she's avoiding me."

     maybe mick was right. maybe you were avoiding mick because you were trying to get over him. you had a future and a career, by then. you had your own apartment. you had your own car. you had your freedom. you thought it's time to get over mick and try to date other men. though at the end, you miserably failed. your dad got sick. you returned home and still in love with mick.

     after some time watching you and mick, sebastian still doesn't know if he should come up to you and tell you about your father. he wants mick to let out everything he's been keeping, things that mick once told him. this is the time. let him confess. let you be angry at mick for not telling you sooner. let mick work his ass off to convince you that he's in love with you.

     but karl eberhardt is missing!

     hearing the fuss, corinna exits michael's room and meets sebastian at the porch. her forehead creased with confusion.

     "what's happening? where's karl?" corinna asks.

     "catherine and mick are having some kind of aggressive confession moment," sebastian sounds too amused despite that he lost karl.

     corinna turns to watch her son and you hugging for one second before you push mick once more. though as the mother of the son, she felt as if the push isn't enough to make mick suffer. if she was you, she'd slap mick for not realising the best girl sooner.

     "and karl is missing."

     corinna turns to sebastian with wide eyes. "what? are you serious? whare are you still doing here? oh my god, sebastian!"