Chapter 99 The Name Over His Heart
Emilia’s POV
I ran all the way to the beach, my lungs burning with each breath. And there he was. Sebastian’s tall, rigid silhouette stood against the dark waves.
I marched right up to him.
"Don’t think I’m here to apologize,because I’m not sorry."
His green eyes slid toward me. "Then you shouldn’t be here at all."
"Oh, I have every reason to be here."
"Whatever your reason is, I can choose not to listen."
"Wrong." I stepped closer, meeting his glare. "You don’t have a choice. And you’re going to listen to every damn word I say."
He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.
"Yes, you’ve been hurt. Yes, you were abandoned by the woman you loved. You have every right to be sad. Fine, I’ll give you that."
My voice sharpened. "But you have no right to wallow in it like this. Today? So what if it’s the day that woman left you? Your life was given to you by your mother, not by Abigail. What right does she have to destroy such an important day? Our birthdays are the days our mothers suffered to bring us into this world. How can you forget the woman who gave you life just because some other woman broke your heart?"
Sebastian’s jaw tightened. "You don’t understand what it’s like to be betrayed, Emilia. It’s always easy to talk about other people’s pain when you’ve never felt it yourself."
I shoved him.
He stumbled back a step, surprise flashing across his face.
"I don’t understand?" My voice cracked with fury. "I understand perfectly! My mother was betrayed by my father. The man who promised her everything and gave her nothing but shame. After she died, I was treated like a servant in my own pack. And when I couldn’t awaken my wolf?"
I laughed bitterly. "I found out my own sister had been sleeping with my boyfriend. So don’t you dare tell me I don’t know what betrayal feels like. We’ve both been through hell, Sebastian. But I’ve been through it a thousand times worse than you, and you don’t see me standing on a beach feeling sorry for myself!"
His eyes blazed. "Then what do you want me to say, Emilia? My life is not as precious as you think. It can pass just like that, or it can even disappear at any time."
I did not expect that he would say such impetuous words.
"If that’s what you really think, then go ahead! You’re standing right next to the ocean. End it! At least then your family won’t have to waste their time worrying about you anymore!"
For a moment, we just stared at each other, both breathing hard.
Then, slowly, a cruel smile twisted his lips.
"You think I won’t?"
And before I could process what was happening, he turned and walked straight into the water.
My heart stopped.
"Sebastian—"
He kept going. The water reached his knees. Then his waist. Then his chest.
"Sebastian!" I screamed.
He didn’t stop.
Panic clawed at my throat. If he really died here, if I let him walk into the ocean and never come back...
Something inside me snapped. I couldn’t lose him.
I ran.
The cold water hit me. I splashed forward, my dress dragging me down, my lungs screaming for air. When I finally reached him, I threw my arms around his waist and held on with everything I had.
"Stop!" I sobbed. "Just stop!"
He froze.
"If you’re going to die," I choked out, tears streaming down my face, "then I’m dying with you. I thought about ending it all years ago anyway, so what’s the difference now?"
My tears slid down the curve of his back and disappeared into the sea.
Sebastian turned slowly, and when his eyes met mine, they were filled with something I couldn’t name.
"When are you going to stop being foolish, you silly woman?" His voice was soft, almost tender. "Isn’t it a pity to die with someone like me?"
"Don’t flatter yourself, Sebastian," I said through my tears. "To you, we’re just a fake couple with a marriage certificate and no real feelings. But to me?"
I took a shaky breath. "You’re family. Even if there’s no love between us, I won’t abandon you. I’ll stay with you, no matter what."
For a long moment, he just stared at me.
Then, gently, he reached up and brushed the wet hair from my face.
"Silly woman," he murmured. "Do you really think I’m that fragile? Yes, losing her hurt. It still does. But not enough to make me want to die. If I’d wanted that, it would have happened three years ago. Not today."
"Then why?" I demanded, my voice breaking. "Why did you make me think you were going to..."
"I needed to clear my head," he said quietly. "And you were right. Our lives don’t belong to us alone. We can’t just throw them away."
"You mean that?" I whispered. "Really?"
He nodded.
Relief flooded through me.
"Thank you," I breathed. "Thank you for listening."
Sebastian wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes.
"I should be thanking you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "For putting up with my temper. For not giving up on me like everyone else."
"I don’t want your thanks," I said quickly. "If you really want to thank me, then promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me you’ll try to overcome your PTSD, the same way you helped me with my claustrophobia. It won’t be easy, but you said it yourself. When there’s a will, there’s a way. Everything that happens to us is determined by how we choose to feel about it. If we let ourselves be hurt, we will be. But if we don’t..." I trailed off, meeting his gaze. "Then maybe we won’t be."
Sebastian stared at me.
Then, slowly, he took my hand and pressed it against his chest. His soaked shirt clung to his skin, and I could feel his heartbeat beneath my palm.
"For years," he said quietly, "this place has been cold. Especially on this day. But tonight..." He paused. "It’s not."
Before I could respond, he started unbuttoning his shirt.
"Sebastian, what are you..."
He pulled the shirt open, exposing his bare chest.
And there, right over his heart, was a name tattooed in elegant script.
Abigail.
My breath caught.
I’d seen him shirtless before. In the pool, in his room. But I’d never noticed this. How had I missed it?
"How much did you love her," I whispered, "that you tattooed her name on your heart?"
"You’ll understand," he said softly, "when you really fall in love with someone."
Something twisted painfully in my chest.
"So there’s no way to forget her?" I asked. "Ever?"
"I’ll try," he said, and for the first time, there was a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Because of what you said, I want to be normal again. I want to try. And maybe, one day, I’ll forget this name on my chest. And the person in my heart."