The Hope beneath the Dark - Sebastian Sallow

10. Pick me girl

Sebastian's POV

"What was that?" I asked Imelda.

"Oops sorry, I didn't see her!" Imelda scoffed. She leaned against my shoulder, trying to stand still. "Is she gone?!"

"Merlin! How much have you had to drink?" I asked furiously.

"Enough to tell you what I would want to do to you..." She told me, in a drunken attempt to flirt.

"Don't say that. It won't happen again, and you know it. I made myself clear." I said, grabbing her by both her shoulders and pushing her away from me.

"Why am I not enough for you?" She asked, getting clingy due to her apparent altered state. "Wasn't it good the first time?"

I looked around and tried to find Maude. When I finally spotted her with Poppy and Ominis, I felt Imelda's hand grabbing my face and turning it in her direction. She placed both her hands behind my neck and pulled me closer to her, her lips abruptly kissing mines. I felt caught off guard, and not quite aware of what was going on. We kissed for a short moment until she started moving her lips in softer movements. I broke the embrace and pushed her away again.

"No more of that! Don't do this again." I warned her. She rolled her eyes and went on her way to some other people.

Not even two seconds have passed before I turned to where I first spotted Maude, only to be faced with an angry Ominis, accompanied by Poppy.

"What the hell was that, Sebastian?" Ominis questioned me, while Poppy was looking at me disgusted. "All these owls this summer asking for a chance to be friends again, and confiding how you were missing Maude and I, explaining to me how you felt about her. You annoyed me for months last year, blabbing about her constantly, how wonderful, brave and attractive she was!"

"Wait, it's not what you think!" I tried to defend myself, but immediately realised how much of a basic and pathetic excuse it sounded like.

"Really, Sebastian?" Poppy rolled her eyes, her arms crossed.

"What happened this summer, Sebastian?" Ominis asked insistently. "Nerida said she felt tossed aside by Imelda. I can only guess what the reason might be now."

"We... Had a moment, I guess... Or two maybe, but that was it!" I nervously admitted.

Ominis and Poppy both sighed.

"If you want a shot at fixing this, you better go find Maude! She saw you two kissing." Poppy urged me.

I feared how she might be reacting to what she saw. Without hesitation, I scanned around and as soon I spotted Maude, I ran to her.

Maude's POV

I headed to where I first came from with Sebastian. Following him here was a mistake. Was it why he asked to be friends again? Because the girlfriend's spot was already taken? I knew Imelda and I weren't friends, but she knew how I felt about him. She had no reason to do this only to hurt me, so there must've been something developing between the two of them over the summer.

Once halfway into the corridor between the room where the party was still rising and the door from which I first came in, I heard someone running behind me. My wrist was grabbed from the person standing behind, my body could remember who it was just from the feel of his touch.

"Wait, Maude. Please let me explain what you saw!" Sebastian begged.

"I think it was as clear as it could be!" I said, refusing to turn and face him.