𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄 || 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰

Chapter Eighteen

The day prior

When the morning after the nightmare came, Sebastian couldn't take it anymore; he had to see Vienne. Since the incident with Edward, they had attempted to not be seen with each other, even if that meant staying apart from one another for a while. But he had to see her; he didn't care.

And of course, at this point, Vienne had just been looking for an excuse to see him, so the moment she got the owl from Sebastian, begging her to come see him, she wasted no time whatsoever. She asked Marie to cover for her and set off to the Gaunt Manor.

Upon arrival, Sebastian was already outside looking for her. The moment she left the stagecoach, she was rushing into his arms, relishing the feeling of being in his arms again.

"Oh, I missed you." Sebastian said with a breath of relief before planting a firm kiss on her lips.

Vienne welcomed the kiss, practically melting into it. "I missed you too. So much." She breathed out. "I've thought about you for hours, just missing you and nothing more. I was ecstatic when you called on me."

"Missing me that bad?" He smirked teasingly.

"You have no idea."

Sebastian led her inside, away from the possible prying eyes. They found themselves in Sebastian's bedroom; Vienne was lying against Sebastian's chest, eyes closed, while Sebastian's arms were snugly wrapped around her waist.

Sebastian was contemplating telling her about everything with Edward, but he didn't want to ruin the mood. He knew Vienne had been yearning to see him, and they finally got that moment, and he didn't want to be the reason why it was ruined.

"Something's bothering you." Vienne said plainly, breaking through the silence.

Sebastian's eyes widened at her scarily accurate assumption. "...How'd you know?" He questioned.

"I know you." Vienne chuckled, turning around so her chest was pressed against him. "So, what's bothering you? You know you can tell me anything, right? You won't ruin the mood." She added, almost as if she had read his mind and knew exactly what he was thinking about.

Sebastian sighed. "Firstly, I just want to apologize for keeping this away from you for so long." He started. "Well, after the incident with Edward in the bar, his mother came here asking questions about me to Ominis. The both of us are assuming they are planning something, but we don't know what. The feeling of anxiety won't leave me."

"I've been having nightmares too, about Azkaban. And I don't think it's a coincidence, but I can't put my finger on it at all."

Vienne took a moment to think over Sebastian's words. She figured something was going on—not to mention the constant pressure from her mother. She felt that she was on the brink of forcing her into a marriage. And now to know what Sebastian was going through, it put things more into perspective.

"I had figured something was wrong." Vienne sighed, shaking her head. "Things haven't exactly been easy at home either, and Mother seems to be losing patience with me every waking moment that I'm not married to Edward. Somehow, she hasn't gotten it in her head that I won't allow that to happen."

"And neither will I." Sebastian was quick to add on. His hand slid up to Vienne's forearm, grabbing it gently. "Edward is a disgusting man. I'd die before I'd let him have you."

There was something so attractive about Sebastian's protective demeanor towards her, so despite the situation, Vienne found herself smiling at him for a moment. But it felt nice to be protected by someone who truly cared. Vienne hadn't felt this safe since her father had passed. With her mother's antics and Luis' absence, it was hard to find until she met Sebastian.