Between Then and Now (Hallow’s End #1)

28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

J UST AS I WAS BEGINNING to feel more centered, the bathroom door creaked open, and Sebastian emerged, now dressed in the clothes I’d given him. The shirt was tight across his broad chest, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and his damp hair was tousled, giving him a rugged, almost boyish look. The soft light from the fire cast sharp shadows on his face, highlighting the intensity in his eyes.

“Thanks for the clothes,” he said with a casual grin, but there was something unsettling about the way he looked at me—something that set off alarm bells in my head.

I stood my ground. “Sebastian, you need to leave. I’ll call a taxi for you.”

He ignored my words, taking a step closer, his grin widening as if he hadn’t heard me at all. “You know, V, seeing you tonight . . . it’s brought back so many memories. I couldn’t stop thinking about you after today. And being here, in this cozy little cottage with you . . . ”

His voice was smooth, and dripping with the charm that used to draw me in so easily. He let his gaze trail over me, a predatory glint in his emerald eyes. “You look incredible, by the way. Even better than I remember.” His tone darkened as he took another step closer, his eyes locking onto mine. “I’ve missed seeing you like this, V. The way you move, the way you look at me . . . it always drove me crazy. And I know it still does something to you, too.”

The way his words wrapped around me, laced with that old, familiar temptation, made my skin crawl. He was leaning in now, his voice a low murmur. “Come on, V. You can’t tell me you don’t feel it—the tension between us, the way your body reacts when I’m this close. I’ve been dreaming about this. About you. And I can see in your eyes that you’ve been thinking about me, too.”

I shifted uncomfortably, a wave of nausea rolling through me. I was suddenly grateful I hadn’t changed out of my work clothes when I got home—thankful for the extra layers between us, the fabric a small barrier against the way his presence made my skin prickle. His gaze felt like it was burning through me, and the air around us grew heavy with an uncomfortable tension that I wanted nothing more than to escape from.

I crossed my arms over my chest, putting up a barrier between us. “You need to leave. Whatever you’re trying to do here, it’s not going to work.”

He chuckled, the sound low and dismissive. “Come on, V. We were good together. You can’t tell me you’ve forgotten that. And this . . . art gallery thing , it’s nice, but you and I both know it’s not going to sustain you. Not in the long run.”

Sebastian’s words hit me like a slap, stinging more than I expected, and my hands clenched into fists at my sides, the anger bubbling up inside me. “That’s not true,” I shot back, my voice rising with fury. “I’ve worked hard for everything I have here. This isn’t just some art gallery thing , Sebastian. It’s my dream . And I don’t need you—or anyone else—telling me what I can or can’t do!”

As I watched him take that final step closer, his eyes darkened, brimming with a desperate, predatory intensity that made my skin prickle with unease.

“You need me, Vinnie,” he said, his voice a low, insistent murmur that grated against my nerves. “You always have. This small-town life, this hobby of yours? It’s not you . You’re meant for something bigger, something more. And you know it.”

His words should have stung, but instead, they only ignited a fiery resolve within me. I looked at him then, really looked at him, and saw the man who had once been the center of my world. A man who had always been so sure of himself, and so sure that I’d always be there, hanging onto his every word. But now, standing in the dim light of the cottage, with the storm raging outside, he seemed smaller somehow—diminished by the weight of his own arrogance.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” I said, my voice steady and filled with a calm fury. “You never saw me for who I was. You were too busy trying to fit me into your perfect little life. This gallery, this town—it’s mine. It’s everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve wanted. And it’s enough for me, even if it isn’t for you.”

As his hand reached up to touch my face, I slapped it away, the sharp sound of the impact echoing through the room. The movement was instinctive, a reflex born from the anger and frustration that had been building inside me for far too long. Sebastian stared at me, eyes wide with surprise, as if he couldn’t believe I’d actually dared to push him away.

I stood my ground, my gaze locked on his, refusing to back down. “You don’t get to touch me, Sebastian. Not anymore. "

For a brief moment, his expression flickered, revealing a crack in his carefully constructed mask of confidence. Then, with a swift and deliberate movement, he stepped forward, backing me against the wall, his presence and weight overwhelming. The space between us disappeared, and I the cold, hard surface of the wall pressed against my back as he leaned in, trapping me.

His smirk deepened, as if my resistance was nothing more than an amusing challenge to him. “You’re making a mistake, Vinnie,” he murmured, his voice dripping with disdain. “You really think this little fantasy you’ve built is going to last? Playing house in some backwater town with that small-time guy? He’s not even in your league, V. You deserve better, and deep down, you know it.”

He leaned in even closer, his presence suffocating. “What’s he ever going to give you? A dull, predictable, ordinary life? You need excitement, and passion—someone who actually knows how to keep you on your toes. He’s just a placeholder, Vinnie. He’ll never be enough for someone like you.”

My heart pounded with anger and disgust as his words sliced through me. The way he dismissed Ethan, the way he dismissed everything we’d built together, as if it were meaningless, made my skin crawl. Sebastian’s arrogance was suffocating, and his belief that he was the only one who could offer me anything of value was infuriating.

I forced myself to stay calm, refusing to let him see how his words affected me. “You don’t know anything about me, Sebastian. Not anymore. And you sure as hell don’t know what I need.”

He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “You need someone strong, someone who can take care of you. That guy? He’s nothing. You can do so much better, V. You need someone like me.”

His breath was hot and heavy against my ear and, before I could react, his hand slid up my arm, his fingers grazing the sensitive skin of my neck. The smell of whiskey on his breath made my stomach churn, and I recoiled in disgust.

“Knock it off, Sebastian,” I snapped, pushing him away with more force than I realized I had. His smirk faltered, replaced by a flash of irritation as he steadied himself.

I was hit with a wave of nausea, not just from the alcohol on his breath, but from the realization of how far removed this man was from the person I had once loved. Was he always like this? Had I been blind to his true nature, too caught up in the love I thought we had to see him clearly? The rose-colored glasses I once wore had been shattered, leaving me to see him for what he really was—a man desperate to cling to control, even as it slipped through his fingers.

And now, as he stood before me, trying to twist my life back into his narrative, he tainted the good memories we had shared. All the moments that had once felt so significant, so full of meaning, were now tarnished by his arrogance, and his refusal to let go. He was erasing the man I had once loved, replacing him with this bitter, desperate version that I wanted nothing to do with.

“The only fantasy here, Sebastian, is you thinking that I need you. I don’t. I never did. You were a chapter in my life, but I’m done with that story now. I’m writing a new one, and you’re not in it.”

His eyes darkened, the facade of control slipping just enough for a shadow of desperation to emerge. He leaned in, his breath hot against my skin, his voice dripping with a twisted mix of bitterness and longing. “You know, V,” he murmured, “I’ve got women lining up, who are more than happy to take what you threw away. But none of them are you. Jessica? Sure, she’s eager, but she’s not you. She doesn’t know how to love me the way you did. How to make me feel like I was the only one that mattered.”

The mention of Jessica made my stomach twist, and I remembered the picture I’d seen on Instagram not long after our breakup—her perched on Sebastian’s lap, smiling like she’d won a prize. At the time, I’d convinced myself it didn’t mean anything, that it was just another one of her games. But now, hearing him talk about her so casually, it all fell into place. They’d been a thing, even back then, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had sent me those desperate, drunken texts while she was right there with him.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. While he was pretending to be heartbroken, he was already moving on with someone who had always been circling, waiting for a chance to take what I had. And now, he was standing here, trying to manipulate me into believing that none of it mattered, that he still wanted me. Needed me.

“You’re right,” I said, my voice cold and unyielding. “Jessica isn’t me. And she never will be. But maybe that’s exactly what you deserve, Sebastian. Someone who doesn’t know the real you, who can’t see through your bullshit. Someone who’s content with the scraps you throw her way. But that’s not me. Not anymore.”

Sebastian’s expression hardened. The mention of Jessica had clearly been an afterthought, a slip that revealed more than he intended. The truth was, no matter how many women he surrounded himself with, he knew they would never measure up to what we had—and that was his real fear. That the only woman who truly saw him, who loved him despite his flaws, was the one who walked away.

“Shit, Vinnie, I didn’t mean to say that. The whole thing with Jessica . . .” His voice dropped, almost as if he was trying to convince himself as much as me. “We’re together, but not really. You know how it is. I’m with her, but it’s not serious. It’s nothing compared to what we had. ”

Bile rose in my throat at his casual dismissal of Jessica. At the way he tried to downplay it. Something inside me snapped, and I pushed against his chest, using his surprise to create distance between us.

Sebastian stumbled back, a flash of confusion crossing his face, and I seized the opportunity to step away from him, my heart pounding in my chest. The space between us felt like a lifeline. A necessary barrier that I desperately needed to keep intact.

I laughed, a bitter, humorless sound that echoed through the room. “So let me get this straight. You’re with Jessica, but you’re here , in my cottage, begging me for another chance? You’re insane, Sebastian. Truly, you are.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but I held up a hand to stop him, the anger and disbelief burning in my chest. “You can’t stand the idea that I’ve moved on! That I’m happy without you! That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? It’s not love, Sebastian. It’s control. You’re here because you can’t handle the fact that I don’t need you anymore.”

His face twisted in frustration, the cracks in his carefully maintained facade growing deeper. “Vinnie, it’s not like that. You don’t understand—”

“No,” I cut him off, my voice firm and unwavering. “I understand perfectly. You can’t manipulate me anymore, Sebastian. You don’t get to come here and disrupt my life just because you can’t deal with your own insecurities. I’m done.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy with finality, and Sebastian stared at me, his jaw clenched, the reality of the situation finally sinking in.

He flinched, but quickly masked it with a sigh, his expression turning almost pleading. “It’s not like that, V. I do love Jessica, but she’s not you. I just need one night—one night with you for closure, so I can finally move on.”

The sheer audacity of his request made my blood boil. “Closure?” I spat the word at him, my voice filled with disbelief. “You think sleeping with me will give you closure ? You think I’m just going to let you back into my life, into my bed, because you need to feel better about your own choices?”

Sebastian’s eyes flashed with anger and desperation as he stepped forward, closing the distance between us in an instant. Before I could react, his hands were on me, one gripping my arm while the other cupped my face. His touch was rough, fuelled by the alcohol, and his growing frustration, and he backed me against the wall with a force that sent a jolt of fear through me. The heat of his body pressed against mine, trapping me there as his thumb traced the line of my jaw, his words dripping with a twisted mix of longing and resentment.

“You ruined everything, Vinnie,” he hissed, his voice thick with the effects of the whiskey on his breath. “We had a plan! A future! You were supposed to be with me, by my side, building a life together. But you threw it all away! You destroyed everything we were working toward, everything I had planned!”

As he spoke, he leaned in closer, his breath hot against my skin, the desperation in his eyes a stark contrast to the confidence he tried to project. His hand slid down to my waist, pulling me even tighter against him, his body pressing me into the wall. I felt sick, both from the smell of the alcohol, and the realization of just how far he was willing to go to reclaim what he thought was his.

“I had it all planned out, V. We were going to get married, start a family, build an empire together,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “You were supposed to help me take charge of your father’s company, and we would’ve made it unstoppable. And then you just walked away . You think you can just erase everything we had, everything I had mapped out for us?”

Before I could respond, his lips were on my neck, kissing me with a roughness that sent a surge of panic through my veins. His hand tightened on my waist, holding me in place as if trying to rekindle a fire that had long since gone out. I felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of his body and the twisted passion behind his actions.

That was the final straw. I snapped. With all the strength I could muster, I shoved him hard and forced him to stumble back. “ Get out !” I screamed, my voice trembling with anger and fear. “Get out of my house, Sebastian! We’re done! Do you hear me? We’re done!”

Sebastian was stunned, his expression full of shock and fury, but I didn’t care. I was done playing his game.

“And don’t you dare contact me again,” I added, my voice firm and unyielding. “Don’t come near me, don’t try to talk to me, and don’t even think about sending me another text or call. If you do, I’ll get a restraining order. This is the last time you’ll ever see me or talk to me, Sebastian. We’re finished. And if you think you can keep haunting me, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

His face twisted into a snarl, but he didn’t say anything. He simply turned and stormed out of the cottage, slamming the door behind him with a force that rattled the windows.

Breathing hard, my heart pounded as I tried to calm the storm of emotions inside me. The fire crackled in the background, a stark contrast to the silence that now filled the room. But even as I stood there, shaken and exhausted, I knew one thing for certain. This was the last time Sebastian would ever have power over me. The man who had once held so much sway in my life was finally out of it for good.

I turned back to the fire, letting its warmth slowly seep into my skin, and the adrenaline that had been coursing through me ebbed away, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion. Yet, there was also a profound sense of relief, of clarity—a feeling that I had finally closed a chapter that I had been rereading for far too long .

Just as that realization settled in, the lights in the house suddenly flickered back on, casting the room in a familiar glow. It was as if the universe itself was signalling the end of this tumultuous night, ushering in a sense of normalcy, and a return to the life I had built for myself—a life free from Sebastian.

I basked in the newfound light, before the need to cleanse myself of the evening’s events overwhelmed me, and I headed to the bathroom, stripping off my clothes and stepping into the shower. As the hot water cascaded over me, I scrubbed at my skin, as if washing away the remnants of his touch, his words, and the emotional hold he had once had over me.

I hadn’t realized how much I was still holding on to the past, allowing it to define who I was and how I saw myself. Tonight, with Sebastian’s unexpected appearance, I understood that there were still parts of me that had been clinging to the hurt, the disappointment, and the unresolved tension of what we once had.

And now, as I rinsed away the soap and shampoo, I felt an unexpected sense of gratitude. Tonight had forced me to confront those lingering doubts and finally let go. The drama, the tension, even the raw emotions, were all part of the process, part of the closure I didn’t know I’d still needed.

I wasn’t that girl anymore. I was stronger now. The invisible string that had tied us together for so long was finally breaking, fraying bit by bit, until it dissolved completely, setting me free. And, as I stood in the shower, my eyes closed, and my heart open, the water washed away the last remnants of my old life, cleansing me of all traces of Sebastian.