“Hey, V,” he said, his voice smooth and familiar. The way he used that nickname, one I hadn’t heard since Cresden, sent a ripple of tension through me.
For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My heart pounded in my chest, and the breath caught in my throat. It felt like the world had shifted beneath my feet, the solid ground I’d found with Ethan suddenly feeling precarious and uncertain.
“What are you doing here, Sebastian?” I finally managed to ask, my voice coming out steadier than I felt.
He flashed a smile that was too smooth, too practiced. “I’m here on business,” he replied, his tone casual, as if we were merely old friendscatching up. “You might’ve heard—I’ve been promoted to Vice President of Operations. I’m overseeing some of the projects at my father’s company, and with the merger, I’m also working closely with your father’s team. Merging operations, expanding . . . you know how it goes.”
My stomach twisted at his words. The idea of Sebastian being tied even closer to my life here, through our families’ businesses no less, was almost too much to bear. Hallow’s End had been my refuge, the place where I found myself again, where I built something new away from the chaos and heartbreak of my past. This town had become mine in a way that Cresden never was, and now, with Sebastian standing here, it felt like he was tainting it, bringing with him the very shadows I had tried so hard to escape. The fact that he was standing in front of me now felt like a cruel twist of fate.
“But more importantly,” he continued, his gaze sharpening as it locked onto mine, “I’m here for you. You’re a hard girl to reach these days.” His tone took on a subtle edge as he added, “You haven’t responded to any of my texts or calls. And your mother? She’s been shutting me down every time I ask about you. It’s like you’ve dropped off the face of the earth.”
“I’m not that hard to reach, Sebastian,” I shot back, feeling a surge of defiance rise within me. “I just didn’t want to be reachedby you.”
He looked momentarily taken aback, then recovered quickly, a small, almost pained smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I miss you, V,” he said, softer now. “I thought after I made that large donation to your gallery, maybe you’d reach out. But when I heard nothing, I had to come here.”
“So you just thought you’d show up out of nowhere?” I asked, incredulous. “And what, Sebastian? What’s your plan?”
He hesitated and, for a moment, the confident facade slipped, revealing a flicker of uncertainty. “I don’t know, V!” he admitted, his voice rising slightly. “But everything that happened between us—the way we broke up—it’s bullshit. We owe it to ourselves to at least talk this out when emotions aren’t running high.”
I stared at him, my mind swirling with a storm of conflicting emotions. The man in front of me was both familiar and a stranger, and I couldn’t forget the last texts he had sent me—drunken, raw messages filled with emotions that were hard to untangle. Anger, regret, desperation. They had been a window into his heart, one that I had slammed shut when I blocked his number, but the echoes of those words still lingered.
Part of me wanted nothing more than to walk away. To leave Sebastian, and everything he represented, in the past where it belonged. But another part of me, the part that remembered the good times, the laughter, and the love we once shared, hesitated. Despite everything, I knew Sebastian had loved me, in his own twisted, possessive way. And the thought of hurting him more than I already had gnawed at me, tugging at the guilt I had buried deep within.
But that didn’t change the fact that I was terrified of letting him back into my life, even for a conversation. I had built something beautiful here, something that felt safe and real. And the idea of letting Sebastian’s presence—hischaos—disrupt that, made me feel like I was standing on the edge of a precipice, with the ground crumbling beneath me.
“And what, Sebastian? You think talking it out is going to change anything?” I asked, my voice hardening. “What’s done is done.”
His jaw clenched and, for a brief moment, I saw the Sebastian I remembered. The one who couldn’t stand not being in control. “Maybe it won’t change anything,” he said, his voice low and intense. “But we can’t just pretend that everything between us is gone.Ican’t.”
A silence fell between us, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved tension, and I glanced at the gallery door, wishing I could disappear inside.
“I’m happy here, Sebastian,” I said finally, my voice firm. “I’ve moved on. You should, too.”
His expression shifted, a flash of desperation breaking through his usual controlled demeanor as his eyes searched mine, pleading for something I wasn’t sure I could give. “Vinnie, please,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I just need to see you—talkto you—before I leave. We don’t have to end things like this.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card, holding it out to me. My eyes flicked to it, relief flooding me when I saw the address in Brookside. It was a small comfort, knowing he wasn’t staying right here, in the place I had claimed as my own sanctuary. But the fact that he was still so close sent a shiver of unease through me.
I hesitated before taking the card, my fingers brushing against his. I wasn’t sure why I accepted it—maybe to appease him, maybe because I didn’t want to argue anymore, or maybe because a part of me was too tired to resist. I just wanted this confrontation to be over.
As I slipped the card into my pocket, Sebastian’s gaze shifted over my shoulder, and before I could react, he stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. The suddenness of it made me freeze, his arms wrapping around me in a way that felt all too familiar, yet completely unwelcome. His body dwarfed mine, his scent overwhelming my senses.
My first instinct was to pull away, but something—maybe shock, maybe old habits—made me hesitate. His breath was warm against my ear as he leaned in, his voice a low, intimate whisper. “You’ve built something beautiful here, and I respect that. But I can’t stand the thought of you with someone else. We belong together, Vinnie. I know you still feel it, too.”
The words sent a jolt through me, the intensity in his tone making it clear he wasn’t just talking about the past. A chill ran down my spine as his lips brushed the shell of my ear, a move that once would have made me melt,but now only made me stiffen with unease. The chemistry between us, the magnetic pull that had once been so strong, now felt like a dangerous current I had to fight against.
He stepped back, his hand lingering on my arm for a moment longer than necessary, a smile playing on his lips. It wasn’t the warm, genuine smile I had fallen for years ago. It was something darker, more calculated. And then, with a wink that made my stomach twist, he turned and walked to his car, sliding into the driver’s seat with an ease that belied the tension in the air.
I was rooted to the spot as I watched him drive away, a swirl of emotions churning inside me. Relief that the encounter was over, anger at his audacity, and a gnawing sense of dread that I couldn’t quite shake. As much as I wanted to believe that I had put Sebastian behind me, his presence—his words—had reopened a wound I thought had healed.
With a heavy sigh, I turned to head back into the gallery, needing the familiarity of the space to ground me. But as soon as I took a step, I froze.
Ethan.
Ethan was standing just a few feet away, his expression unreadable, his body tense. My heart dropped, dread pooling in my stomach. How long had he been there? How much had he seen or heard?
His eyes met mine, and the hurt in them was unmistakable. The easy warmth that usually colored his gaze was gone, replaced by something far more unsettling, and I swallowed hard, the taste of panic rising in my throat. I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind, the questions forming, the doubt seeping in. Sebastian had seen him, and had taken full advantage of the moment to create exactly the kind of distance he’d wanted between us. And, judging by the look on Ethan’s face, it had worked.
“Ethan . . .” I started, but my voice cracked, the words faltering on my tongue. What could I even say to make this right? To explain what had justhappened without making it sound like I was still tangled up in something I desperately wanted to leave behind?
