Nightless

Chapter 22

Sebastian looked around the room, panicking from the unfamiliar surroundings. Sweat spilled from his brow down his skin as his breathing became quicker. He recognized the room after couple of short moments.

He was sure he saw the blackness of the coffin again, endless dark for hundreds of years.

He was in the Salvatore School, Elizabeth was there.

Sebastian hated that he lied to her, that he was lying  to her for a while now but if he told her the truth now, she would hate him. But the weight of it all was consuming him.

He remembered the disappointment on her face when she was walking away and it downed on, on him. Come and find me once you actually care about somebody else's feelings too! she told him. 

The point was that he cared, he cared about her and didn't want to burden her with his problems. But no relationship, if that is what the had, could be built on pile of lies. Pretty big and pretty important ones to top it all.

Elizabeth needed to know. Today.

But first he had to do something else.

___

The doors to Hope's room were locket as he figured they would be. "Hey it's Sebastian!" Two eyes peeked trough the small gap of the door as Hope struggled to button up her shirt.

"Should I come later?" 

Hope tripped, loosening her hold of the door and Sebastian saw that guy Landon pulling a shirt over his head. He was 100% interrupting sth just now. "We were just- I mean we-" she trailed off, letting Sebastian in awkwardly.

Landon kissed Hope on her cheek and silently disappeared trough the door.

"You saw nothing," she pointed her finger at him, and even without her constant smiling Sebastian knew she was joking. "Now what did you come to talk to me about?" She couldn't help but notice Sebastian's expression suddenly changing.

"I need your advice about something."

"It better not be about asking Lizzie on a date again," Hope laughed but his face stayed unchanged.

He sat on her bed, his head bowed down like he is actually scared to talk about it. "How do you open up to someone?" Hope looked over at  him, truly not expecting for the conversation to be 'deep.' 

"What do you mean?"

"I've never..." The picture of Daphne crossed his mind. "-not in many years that is, felt close to someone..." She nodded in understanding, reaching for his hand which caused him to smile.

"There is this darkness around me and I'm afraid that if I show it... That I would lose this nice life I finally managed to create, lose this feeling of being normal, lose you  too and lose-" he pulled his hand away, running it trough his black hair.

Hope added something after him:"Lizzie. You're scared that you will lose Lizzie." Sebastian released a short but confirming breath. He knew Hope would get it.

She then overlapped his joined hands with her own again, she didn't know why but it felt more personal that way. Like her words would reach him better.

"Look- I know Lizzie since I was a kid and yes she does have her own difficulties.. but believe me when Elizabeth Saltzman sees good in someone, she doesn't just let go off it." 

"But what if she doesn't accept it?"

"Then prove her why she should," Hope responded and stood up, walking to open the door for him. Sebastian walked to behind her back and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."