Bound by freckles (Sebastian Sallow x Garreth Weasley x f!MC modern AU)

27th Chapter - Preparations

"Are there normal clothes shops here in town?", Sebastian asked when we arrived at the car. "Sure, why?", I asked irritated. "Have you looked in a mirror? Your neck looks like we tried to kill you. Personally, I love it when others can see how we treat you, but your grandparents are arriving today, and I don't want your parents to think badly of us either." "Makes sense."

Garreth drove off, and Sebastian's heart raced terribly again. He really tried his best not to let it show, but the moment Garreth started the engine, Sebastian's face lost all colour.

The drive didn't take long and we were already in the city centre, where we strolled leisurely to a clothing shop.

"But not a scarf. Take something high-collared like a stand-up collar or turtleneck. You can't take that off," Sebastian said as we entered the first shop.

I quickly found a thin black top with a turtleneck, which I liked. And Sebastian was right. My neck, arms and upper body were full of bruises. Looking at myself in the mirror like that, I thought of last night and felt arousal rising in me.

We went to the checkout where a former classmate looked at us in horror while Sebastian and I discussed who would pay for the clothes because I didn't want Sebastian to pay for everything for us. In the end, he won anyway and paid.

We bought a few more things for Christmas dinner, which Dad was going to start cooking today, before we went home.

In the house I quickly put the new top under my shirt and afterwards we went upstairs where we had an unexpected guest.

Helia came to meet us and demanded Garreth's attention while Mum and Dad looked at us a little stressed.

"Good morning. What's Helia doing here?", I asked, even though deep down I already knew the answer. "Good morning. Gwen came by an hour ago and brought them to us. She told Garreth never to show his face to them again, and if he made contact with Jennie or Hector, she'd start a restraining order." "Why?" "A work colleague of hers was at the same event as you. She'd sent Gwen a photo of you and some other people just.... well... doing the thing."

"You're kidding?" " No, I'm serious, and she showed it to me. Not that I care, because you're adults, but she forced me to look at it." "And the fact that her work colleague was there doesn't interest her?" "Yes, but there she understands, it's none of her business."

"Why are you guys so relaxed about all of this?" asked Sebastian as he comforted Garreth, who was crying a little, cuddling Helia.

"Because I know what Fayette and I used to do. And yet today we are in the middle of life and have a wonderful family. Garreth, your mother will come around. I'm sure she will. My mum used to drag me to church all the time to make me 'normal'. Eventually, she understood that I was normal. If my mum can do it, so can yours," Dad said as the doorbell rang. Mum rushed to the door and opened it.

Are grandma and grandpa coming now? I wasn't ready for that yet.

"Fayette, I've missed you so much," I heard the voice of a friendly French woman. Mum's best friend, and coincidentally Garreth's aunt, Adaliz stood in our hallway beaming at us before she understood that something was wrong.

"Gary, mon petit chou, what's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down to him. Garreth seemingly began to explain to her in French the situation with his family as he cried more and more. When Garreth's voice broke off, Sebastian kept talking. A little more bumpily than Garreth, he explained even further in French.

Dad and I looked at each other, and shrugged. We were the only ones who couldn't speak or understand French, but Adaliz's expression became more and more shocked and bewildered.