Epilogue
Sebastian
One Month Later
The amber liquid sloshed in the bottle as I pulled it back to my lips, stumbling down the street.
People screwed their faces up at me as I bumped into them, not giving a shit where I was going.
I didn’t even know what fucking day it was, but night had fallen again.
The moon was full tonight, and I hated it.
I hated everything about it—staring at me, following me, judging me.
It was like a ghost haunting me, torturing my soul with its light.
I hadn’t seen anyone since returning from Mauritius.
I couldn’t face them. They’d all tried to contact me, but I couldn’t bear it.
The death of Logan, of leaving a little girl without her father, was something I’d never get over.
I couldn’t even bring myself to attend his funeral, because if I did, it would all become real, and right now I needed to pretend he was still here.
I pushed through the doors of a bar where I knew no one would think to look for me.
I’d lived here for the past month, moving from hotel to hotel so I didn’t have to go home.
So I couldn’t be found. I swayed, trying to make my way to the quiet area of the bar, barging through the crowd of people trying to enjoy themselves.
I didn’t want anyone attempting to socialise with me.
I wanted to be left alone to drink my bottle in peace.
I plonked myself on the bar stool, nearly falling off in the process.
“Mr Knight, you know you can’t have that bottle in here,” the bartender said.
I glared at him, picking it up and downing the rest of the contents. “Bring me another then.” I grabbed a wad of cash from my jacket pocket and shoved it at him.
His nostrils flared as he let out a heavy breath and grabbed another bottle of whisky from the top shelf.
“I don’t want any trouble in here tonight. Not like last week.”
I screwed my face at him. “If you keep bringing me whisky, there won’t be a problem.”
He mumbled something about rich people and walked off to serve someone else. Fucking asshole. I always tipped him well, and he wanted to complain about my attitude?
I unscrewed the bottle and gulped it down.
I’d lost the one thing in my life that I’d truly loved because I was so stupid, and she wasn’t coming back.
I’d managed to have all of her, and I’d let her slip through my fingers.
She was gone.
I hadn’t been there for her when I’d promised I’d always be.
She’d lost our baby, and now I couldn’t get to her.
I already knew I’d never love anyone the way I loved her. She was my oxygen that I desperately needed to survive this world, that piece of my soul I’d been missing all these years. That beautiful, bright light it needed.
Hearts were a fickle thing. That’s why I’d never loved before—because in one moment it could rip you apart from the inside out and leave you with nothing but broken pieces.
“Sebastian Knight? Is that you?”
I turned on the stool, nearly falling off, and just about managed to stand. I squinted, trying to focus on his face.
“Do I know you?”
Before I had a chance to react, he’d closed the gap, pulling me into him. “Callum sends his regards.”
Confusion ran through my mind for a split second before the sharp pain in my stomach took over all thoughts in my head.
The man pulled away as I grabbed at my stomach with my hands, turning them over to see them covered in bright red.
I looked back up as the man smirked at me, holding a bloody blade reflecting in the light.
Muffled screams sounded distant, but people were rushing past. The man disappeared amongst them. My heart raced as I looked back down at the red sweeping its way through my shirt.
“Mr Knight? Can you hear me?”
Why was the bartender grabbing me? His mouth was moving, but I couldn’t make out his words.
My chest felt heavy, like concrete had been thrown on it, forcing my lungs to work harder and grab every bit of oxygen they could. My knees were weak, trying to force me into the ground.
Darkness seeped across my eyes as I blinked; everything started to blur. I blinked again to clear it, but it just made it worse.
Then the ringing started in my ears, piercing straight into my soul as black clouds rolled over my eyes, consuming any light in their path.
I crumpled to the ground, darkness clouding my mind.
This bright light appeared as I shielded my eyes with my hand.
There was a figure there, in the distance.
Was that my mum?