Compassion and Oblivion

Chpater Thirty-One: The Truth Comes Out

Author's Note:

Hello!

I wanted to give you a heads up - this chapter is going to go over some pretty heavy stuff. Not to give too many spoilers, but we will have Pierre's Six Heart Event, and that showcases my take on what Pierre's 'secret stash' turns out to be. There is also going to be some hurtful dialogue between Pierre and Abby, so please be advised that it may be uncomfortable. Honestly, I even had a hard time writing it, because it was hitting too close to home for me.

I should also mention that POV switches around quite a bit in this chapter, but you all may be used to it by now. 😁

I hope you enjoy this chapter! ❤️

TW-Homophobia, Verbal Manipulation

Less than five hours after you had drifted off to sleep, you're startled awake. Not by the cheerful little jingle that softly sings from your phone as it buzzes away on your nightstand, but rather the unfamiliar, guttural groan that comes from just behind your head.

You gasp slightly as an arm wraps around your waist from behind you.

Oh, right. Sebastian is here.

At first, you thought he was just wrapping his arm around you to pull you closer. You're pleasantly surprised when Sebastian sits up just enough to lean over you to grab your phone and shut off the alarm. He places your phone back on the nightstand, and settles back into the bed, pressed closely against you. He places a sleepy kiss on your temple. "You should rest for a while longer," he murmurs, the sleep still thick in his voice.

"Good morning to you, too," you chuckle quietly.

"It's not morning yet," Sebastian groans. "It's practically the middle of the night for me. You only went to bed a couple hours ago, that isn't enough. You need to rest."

"The sun is already coming out," you counter. "The chickens will get going here soon, and if I'm not there to open their coop right on time, they get an attitude with me."

He drapes his arm over you, holding you tightly against his chest. He begins to gently trace lazy circles on your arm, goosebumps raising on your skin. He kisses the back of your neck. "Stay."

The heat that radiates from his half-asleep form is dangerously enticing. The feeling of his gentle fingertips gliding along your skin is like heaven. You struggle to keep your eyelids open, their weight growing with each passing second, until you finally give in and allow them to close. "Fine, I'll stay for half an hour, then I really should get up."

"An hour?" he pleads.

You roll your eyes and giggle. "Forty-five minutes. Then I'll brew some coffee. Deal?"

He lets out a semi-satisfied hum. "That's my girl."

When your eyes finally bolt back open, realizing that you had never set another alarm, you find that the sun is high in the sky, sunlight streaming through your curtains brightly. You curse, reaching for your phone to check the time.

8:47 AM

Shit!

You throw the blankets off of you, noticing the other side of your bed to be cold and empty. After grabbing your clothes for the day and changing from your pajamas as quickly as possible, you scurry out of your bedroom to search for your boots.