Different Times: Sebastian Sallow x Reader

5 - Tabled

The three of us apparate outside the beach house.

The moment my feet hit the ground, I feel the anger from this morning bubbling back up inside me. Before either of them can say a word, I storm down toward the sand, needing space before I say something I regret.

I sit near the shoreline, watching the waves roll in and feeling the sun warm my face. The steady crash of the ocean slowly pulls the anger out of my chest.

I stay there for what feels like hours.

Eventually I take a deep breath and head back toward the cottage.

"Why are you guys sitting outside?" I ask when I see them on the old bench on the porch.

Anne looks down at her hands.

"We figured it would be rude to go inside your house without you."

"Oh," I say softly. "You could have gone in."

I take another breath, trying to keep my frustration under control.

"I think we should rest today," I tell them. "Tomorrow we can start figuring out how to send you back."

I open the door for Anne and let her inside before quickly shutting it behind her—right before Sebastian can say anything.

I'm still too angry to deal with him.

I sigh and head toward my bedroom, staring at the still-packed trunks on the floor. I pull out my running clothes, change quickly, and lace up my sneakers. Grabbing my MP3 player, I scroll through until I find the music I want.

"We need to talk about this."

Sebastian's voice stops me as I step outside.

"Sorry," I call back, already walking down the path. "I need a clear head before I attempt something far beyond what I actually know how to do."

I can practically feel him glaring at my back.

"We're not done talking about this."

Suddenly his hand grabs my arm and spins me around.

I stare up at him as he glares down at me.

"Yes we are," I snap. "If I'm going to send you back, I want to make sure you and Anne won't get hurt doing it. I'm sorry I didn't realize it was so miserable for you to be here and not dying."

The words slip out sharper than I intended.

Then something occurs to me.

"Did you take your medication today?"

He groans.

"Yes. And that doesn't change the topic."

I pull my arm free and turn to keep walking.

"You can walk with me or wait in the cottage with Anne," I say flatly. "But this conversation is tabled."

"Why is it so hard for you to just send us back?" he asks.

I turn around to see he's following me.

I catch myself staring at him for a moment longer than I should.

"I've never done magic more advanced than what we learn at school," I start explaining. "I didn't even know about this ancient ma—"

I cut myself off.

"I said it was tabled."

We pass the split in the trail where a small tower of rocks marks the path toward the beach.