Chapter Forty-eight
S ebastian meets me at the door, a frown on his brow and a baby in his arms. He looks as if he hasn’t slept a fucking wink, and poor Hope is wailing as he rocks her and waits for me to make it over to him.
“You okay, man?” He asks.
I glance at the red-faced baby, “Fine, are you ?” I retort.
“She’s running a fever, hasn’t slept all night. Willow took the first stretch, but she needed sleep so here we are.”
“Sounds rough,” I cringe, lifting my hand to run the tip of my finger down Hope’s soft cheek, her skin warm. “Want me to take her?”
“Nah, it’s all good,” Sebastian shifts her and starts to pad toward the kitchen, “About to give her a bottle anyway, but you can make me a coffee.”
“Sure, man,” I agree, and he goes through to the den, leaving me alone in their large kitchen. I fix us a couple of cups and head through to him, the crying now stopped as he feeds his daughter. Her eyes have turned heavy, her body a little more relaxed now. The feed must be working because Bast has also chilled, his shoulders less tense than they were five minutes ago.
I place his cup down on the coffee table and take a seat in the chair opposite the sofa, leaning forward so my elbows are resting on my knees.
“You good?” Bast asks again, his voice quieter.
“I need to talk to you.”
A crease forms between his brows, “That sounds serious.”
I open my mouth to just say it but then Willow walks into the room, her red hair mused from just rolling out of bed, her body wrapped up in an oversized, fluffy housecoat.
“Morning,” She grumbles, flicking her sleepy eyes between the two of us.
I give her a small smile that’s completely forced, and she knows it even though she doesn’t say anything. She purses her lips, checks on Hope in Bast’s arms and then walks through to the kitchen, the sound of the coffee machine kicking on a second later .
“It’s about Savannah.”
Panic flares immediately, “Is she okay!?”
“She’s fine,” I hurry to assure him, “At home, safe and sound.”
“What about her then?”
“Something happened,” I begin, chest tightening as my own sense of panic starts to work its way in. Willow returns, a mug cradled in her hands, and she folds herself onto the couch, her lip in her teeth as she worries it.
“What happened?”
“It was before the accident,” I start, “And I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“Okay,” Willow gets up quickly, “I’m just going to take her, Bast.”
“Huh?” Bast releases his daughter and the bottle, confused, “Why?”
“I just am.” She soothes, “Listen to Kill.”
I release a heavy breath, “We slept together.”
“ What!? ” Sebastian booms, snapping to his feet.
I rise to mine too, “Before her accident. It just… fuck, I don’t know how to explain this.”
“This better be a fucking joke, Killian.” Sebastian growls .
“I’m not going to tell you I regret it,” I roll my shoulders, “Or that it was a mistake because it wasn’t.”
“Killian,” He warns.
“I fell in love with her.” I admit. “And the only thing I regret is hurting her when I forced us to keep it a secret.”
“Shit,” Willow hisses.
“The night of the accident, I ended it.” My eyes sting, “I ended it because I was too fucking scared to admit I loved her, to tell you about us so I ended it because she deserved fucking better than that.”
It doesn’t take long for the pieces to come together inside his head, and he comes to the conclusion that the accident happened because I broke her heart. If he wasn’t pissed before – which he was – he definitely is now.
His anger is palpable, “I am going to fucking kill you,” He vows.
“Bast!” Willow yells just as he lunges for me. I don’t move, I don’t flinch. His fist connects to the side of my face hard and true, cracking across my cheekbone. Pain bursts under the surface, the hit so hard it feels as if my skull is rattling.
“How long!?” He bellows, grabbing the fabric of my tee and yanking me toward him.
There’s a ringing in my ear and a throb across my face, “A few months. ”
“That’s my fucking sister you son of a bitch!” Sebastian hisses, hitting me again. My lip splits and my teeth cut into my tongue, immediately filling my mouth with blood.
I don’t fight back, not once, even when he hits me again, in the same spot on my cheek.
“Sebastian!” Willow screams, holding Hope closer.
“Take it outside,” I grind out through the pain, “Your daughter is awake.”
His fist stops midair as he snaps his head around to Willow and Hope.
His breath comes out in rapid, short bursts, “Get the fuck out of my house.” He growls at me, “Get the fuck out before I bury you in the fucking ground, Killian.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” I grunt, blood dribbling down my chin.
“This conversation isn’t over,” Sebastian warns, “This isn’t fucking over.”
“I know.” I start to walk toward the door before I pause, “She doesn’t remember it, Sebastian. She doesn’t even remember that she told me she loved me. It’s all gone.”
He doesn’t reply.
My vision in my left eye is darkening as it swells, and the pain is bad enough I wonder if he’s fractured my cheekbone .
Plucking up my cell from the center console once I get in the car, I open the thread to Savannah.
I am sorry, Tiny Dancer.