Adonis | H.S

chapter thirty-seven: artifice

"Sebastian."

She unwound herself from his grip, knowing that in their sleep they'd become tangled. She kicked his leg, her eyes wide on the figure in front of her.

"Sebastian!"

He woke slowly, stretching with a groan, groggy. He was never a morning person and didn't appreciate being pulled from his slumber.

"Little one, go back to sl—" He yelled out in shock as he was forcefully yanked from his bed, landing on the hardwood floor with a loud thump. "What the fuck? Oh... fuck."

He was faced with a deranged, sleepless, and very angry Harry. Who had a gun pointed at Seb's head, his nostrils flaring. He shot his hands up in surrender.

"Harry, it's not what—"

Harry cocked the gun, and Scarlett scrambled in the sheets, rushing forward into his line of eyesight.

"No!"

"No? Give me one good reason not to."

"Please, just take a deep breath."

He laughed, his eyes meeting hers for the first time in weeks. The pain she saw in them shredded her apart. Her Dio. Hurting so much. Just as much as she was. But then she remembered why they were in this place. How he'd gotten them there. Broken her trust and love in him, and hidden it from her.

"Take a deep breath? You're in bed with him."

"Let me explain," Seb begged, although no stranger to staring down the barrel of a gun, he'd never seen Harry this unhinged. And it scared him.

"Explain fast before I paint the walls with your brain."

"She was followed last night." Seb rushed out. "She called me, I went over to check on her and some fucker from the bar was about to hurt her. I took care of him and understandably, she didn't want to be home alone after."

Harry's heart lurched forward in his chest. Fuck. She wasn't even safe after he'd left her. Broken her and broke what they'd had in order to protect her. She was followed and her safety was put on the line. Because of him. Again.

"Who was it?"

"I swear to you I'll give you a full report once you've put that gun down and I've put on some pants."

Harry's chest was heaving. Shame and sorrow soared in his veins. He couldn't even look at her, knowing the fear and disappointment he'd see in her eyes. His jaw twitched and he lowered the gun, putting the safety on and taking a deep breath.

"Fine. I'll wait in the kitchen."

"Coffee, please."

"Go fuck yourself, Sebastian."

He sauntered into the kitchen, absolutely seething. Sebastian knew how hurt he was over losing his precious Venus, how he felt like a part of him died. He'd grown so accustomed to having her in his life, even if it was only for those months. Her smile and her laugh and her wit. Her dreamy brain and the way she regarded him.

Scarlett treated him how nobody ever had before; like he deserved the love she gave him, and she'd give it to him unconditionally. Even if she hadn't said it, he'd sure as fuck felt it.

And to see his best friend sharing a bed with her in whatever capacity, whatever the reasoning, really fucking hurt. Far more than he'd ever expected to be hurt over a woman. He hadn't seen her in weeks and seeing her again felt like he'd been breathing with a hole in his chest. She'd filled it immediately. No matter how scared she was to see him, no matter how angry she was at him.