Page 119 of When We Ignite

“That wasn’t what happened, was it?”

Sebastian shook his head, exhaling smoke slowly. For a while, he said nothing, shifting his weight between his feet. When he crushed his cigarette under his heel, he lit another one immediately.

“It’s not my story to tell, darling. If Henny wants to tell you, that’s his choice. But, yeah. It wasn’t good.”

That was the understatement of the century.

“What happened to the guy?”

“After I took Henny to the hospital. He wouldn’t talk about it, but the doctors filled us in. Oli and I tried to get our dad to press charges, but he refused. Didn’t want people to find out. It was easier for him to pretend it never happened.” Sebastian paused, his voice growing colder with each word.

My chest tightened painfully as I listened. “Fuck,” I whispered, the word barely audible.

“We settled for sending him to the hospital too.” Sebastian continued, his voice sharper now. “His parents wanted to press charges, until I told them why we’d done it. They shipped him off to London after he was well enough to fly. That was that. And Henry was just...left to deal with it on his own. Which is to say he didn’t deal with it at all. And now, when something like this happens, he spirals all over again. It’s so fucking unfair.”

“It really is,” I said quietly.

Sebastian’s jaw clenched, his eyes dark with barely contained fury. “Henny was the most trusting person in the world, and that fucking asshole took that from him. From him, and who knows how many before or after him. I should have fucking killed him when I had the chance.”

His words sent a shiver through me, but I understood the sentiment completely. If anyone hurt Charlotte, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back either.

“Look at him. He mentioned it once to you after ten fucking years, and it still wrecks him,” Sebastian said bitterly, clicking his tongue in frustration.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, feeling powerless.

“It’s not your fault, pet,” he said, his voice softening. “It’s good that he trusts you enough to talk about it, even if it upsets him. At the very least, he acknowledges now that it wasn’t his fault. It took him years to get there.”

“I’m still sorry.”

Sebastian wrapped his arm more securely around my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Some family your sister’s marrying into, huh?”

“You’re pretty alright,” I told him, turning to wrap my arms around his waist. “You all are.”

“I’m staying here with him tonight. We can see each other tomorrow. How’s that?”

“That’s more than okay, Ash. But I could stay over, keep both of you company,” I offered.

“I don’t think I’ll be the best company.”

“I’ll order food in case Henry wakes up. I’ll find a movie to watch, and you can chain-smoke while we wait,” I said with a small smile.

Sebastian huffed a quiet laugh. “Okay, then. You don’t mind staying on the couch with me in case he wakes up?”

“I don’t mind at all,” I replied, starting to move away.

Sebastian tightened his hold, stopping me. “Thank you for caring,” he said softly, his voice carrying an edge of vulnerability, before kissing my forehead.

“Of course I care.”

“Not about me. About him.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“I do. It’s rare, Ethan. That somebody comes this close and cares for the right reasons. So thank you,” he said again.

I leaned up to kiss him briefly.

Sebastian rested his hand on the nape of my neck, holding me close for a moment longer as he kissed me a couple more times. “I missed you,” he whispered.