Chapter 28

"Sebastian." It was supposed to come out as a scream, but my voice failed me. Instinctively, I took a step back, in an effort at freeing myself from his grip, but he was too strong. "What ... what ..."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" He mused calmly, as if nothing had happened, as if I didn't know who he really was and what he had done.

Many thoughts ran through my mind. I could try to scream or run off, but Adam and my mother were in the kitchen, Sebastian could use them as hostages. My phone was in the living room, on the sofa, I couldn't call Dylan or even simply 911. I only had one option. Playing along. Hence, I slowly relaxed, trying to stand up straight. "Yes ..." I mumbled, trying hard to force out a smile, "yes, it's ... it's been a long time."

"I missed you." Sebastian claimed in his usual charming voice that 3 months ago would have had my knees wobbly, now it only sounded psychopathic. Was he always like this? Was I merely blinded by the looks and his way too good to be true attitude?

"How-uh ..." I successfully got rid of his touch, but in the most natural way possible, "how did you know I was here?" Did he extort the truth from Dylan? Or Chris? Or any of my friends? Did he torture them or worse ... no, no, I couldn't think of all the possible ways I might have caused the death of the people I care about the most.

"Oh, I've always known you were here." Sebastian smiled as he pulled a hair lock behind my ear as an excuse to caress my cheek. Three months ago, I'd have smiled back, now I felt cold shivers down my spine. Funny how your perspective changes when you learn they're not the person you thought they were. "Sorry I couldn't come sooner, I've been ... otherwise detained." That's one way to put it.

"No problem." I shook my head slowly, trying to act normal. "How ... how are you?"

Sebastian glanced inside the house when we heard voices. "It's been a long time, why don't we go talk somewhere more private?" He grabbed my hand to pull me out the door, but I resisted.

"No, it's okay, we can ... talk here." I wasn't sure whether I wanted Adam and my mom to see us. They both knew about him and his real life, my mom would certainly freak out the moment she saw him. I've watched way too many crime shows to not know how quickly this could go sideways.

"I'm afraid some people might be a hindrance." Sebastian mentioned as those voices got louder, even calling my name. He took a step into the house, reaching for something behind his back. "I can solve it quickly, though."

My eyes widened in terror. "We can go to the park!" I nearly screeched, starting to hyperventilate because I was sure, awfully sure he had just reached for a gun.

An ominous smile crept up on his lips. "That's my girl." He gripped my hand. "Let's go, then."

"I ... I just need my jacket ..." I tried to pull back slightly, but he didn't let me.

"It's fine, there's a nice sun outside."

I'd have wanted to insist, to stall a bit more, but I spotted Adam in the living room and heard him call for me. "Okay." I stepped outside with Sebastian. "Let's go."

"Vivian?" Adam called again, appearing at the door when we were on the lawn. At the exact same moment, Sebastian gripped my arm way too tightly for it not to hurt, which it did. If that wasn't a clear message to not let my friend perceive anything was out of the ordinary, I wouldn't know what would be.

I winced a little, but then I forced out a smile. "Hey, uh ... I'll be back soon, we-uh ... we just need some privacy, that's all." I really hoped Adam could sense the stress in my voice and see the plead in my eyes.

Adam's gaze moved in between me and Sebastian for a couple of seconds, but the realization seemed to hit him as quickly as a lightning strike. Just as fast, namely before my criminal ex caught on, he faked a big smile. "Oh, sure, you lovebirds need some time alone, I get it." He waved us bye. "Don't be too late, or I'll eat all your mom's cookies."

"N-No ... I'll be back soon." Hopefully. There was no time for other words, Sebastian tugged at my hand to pull me in the direction of his car, which was parked right outside. The first thing my mom taught me was to never get into a car with a man I couldn't trust. But I'm sure she'll understand when she realizes I only did it to save her life and Adam's. I just hoped the cops in this Godforsaken town still knew how to do their job.

💫💫

When your alleged boyfriend – since technically there wasn't a true breakup – takes you to a secret corner of a park, you should normally feel excited to spend some time alone with him. But when said boyfriend, or rather ex – because the breakup might have not been official, but as far as I'm concerned there was one – takes you to the farthest corner of said park, namely the sketchy side where nobody dares walk into, you start mentally praying for a merciful jogger to at least cover your dead body when they find it at 6 am.

More than that, when, on the way to said corner of the park, you pass dodgy hooded men that likely belong to a gang and/or are drug dealers, yet none of them says a word, you start realizing that maybe "your ex is a true kingpin in New York" was an understatement. Because when drug dealers miles and miles away from your city move to let you pass through their territory without even asking who you are, then maybe you're more than the Tony Montana of New York, as Adam put it, you're Michael Fucking Corleone.

Sebastian only stopped when we reached a dirty abandoned bench hidden deep in the park, surrounded by trees and with no lamppost around. "Just a second." He mentioned gently, as if he hadn't just abducted me. He left me there standing to go to the bench, and I tried hard not to screech at the sight of the object that until now I had only assumed he was carrying.

Thinking he had a gun was scary, but seeing it protrude from behind his back, tucked behind his shirt made me feel like fainting. It wasn't the first gun I ever saw in my life, but there's a difference between the one securely tucked in a cop's holster and the one your psychotic criminal ex might start wielding in a minute just for you.

And yet, much to my surprise, Sebastian didn't do anything of what I expected. I wasn't even sure what I did expect, but it certainly wasn't for him to carefully sanitize that horrid bench, place his jacket on it, and turn to me with the smile I had started falling in love with until a few months ago. "Now you can sit." He claimed, extending his arm for me to reach him.

I didn't argue, I merely walked over to him, and when he made me sit on the part of the bench that was covered by his jacket, I didn't say anything either. He sat next to me without worrying about germs and certainly not about anyone seeing his gun either. We were completely isolated, after all. In this side of the park vegetation was so thick that not even a random Google satellite could see us.

"So ..." Sebastian tilted his head to the side, leaning his elbow on the bench just enough to be closer to me, yet not completely invade my space. "I think I owe you a few answers."

"Not really." I mumbled, not daring to look him in the eyes but keeping my gaze on my lap, kind of wondering whether he'd be so heartless as to kill his child, too.

"You don't have any questions?" Sebastian wondered, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Nope." I didn't want to say or ask anything that would make him trigger-happy.

As if he'd read my mind, Sebastian cracked a small smile, and I flinched when he reached behind his back. When he showed me his gun, I almost fell off the bench in a fool attempt at trying to get away from it, but right then I realized he was still holding me. "This isn't for you." Sebastian claimed, hinting at the gun.

I instinctively pulled back. "I-I didn't think it was."

"Stop backing away." He barked authoritatively, which made me froze. He probably noticed, because he put the gun away, and said more softly: "I'm sorry, Vivian, I didn't mean to yell at you." I honestly couldn't tell whether he was bipolar or he was truly trying not to scare me too much. Sebastian pulled slightly back, as if not to touch me, yet still keeping his arm behind me to grab me just in case I took a run for it. "A man in my position needs certain ... contingencies."

"I understand." I mumbled.

He remained quiet for a few moments, but I didn't dare look at him. "What did Dylan tell you?" My eyes widened in shock. He knew Detective Powell personally? Did he kill him? Or worse, did Dylan work for him? So many questions burning in my throat, but I couldn't dare speak. "This will go a lot faster if you start talking, Vivian." The chilliness in his voice froze the blood in my veins.

"Nothing." I mumbled. "I ... I-I know nothing."

"Then why are you terrified of me?"

"Maybe because you're carrying a gun and you brought me to the scariest and most secluded place in this Godforsaken town." I was sure I'd only said it in my head, but when Sebastian chuckled, I realized I'd said it out loud.

"Do you know what would happen if anybody saw us?" He wondered, but didn't let me reply, he gave the answer on his own: "You don't know the full extent of ... everything."

For a moment, I wondered whether everything I had been told was a lie. That tiny doubt gave me enough courage to look up and meet his gaze for a moment. "What exactly is ... everything?" What if he was in Witness Protection? What if everything and everyone had conspired against him? What if this was Julia Woods all along? I've watched way too many crime shows to stop at the first manifestation of truth.

"Detective Powell is a nice guy, isn't he?" Sebastian changed subject without answering. "I know he took care of you and has been trying to help you."

"How do you ..."

"I'm honestly sorry I had to kill him."

When I say my heart stopped, I don't joke. The screech I wanted to let out remained buried in my throat, only my eyes and my wide-open mouth gave away the smallest sign of shock, but I felt way more than that. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and shout, I wanted to slap Sebastian, I wanted to run away, I wanted to turn back in time to before I met him and start over. It was all my fault. Dylan got involved in this case merely because he wanted to help me. He died because of me. I could see in my head the scene where one or two of his cop buddies knock on his mother's door to announce her son's death. They shouldn't say he died in the line of duty. They should say he died because of a stupid fool that got him involved in something way bigger than both of them.

"Wow, so you actually did fall for him." Sebastian's voice sounded like a distant echo, but I couldn't tune it out.

"I didn't." A lonely tear escaped my eyes, despite my efforts. "I ... he was a good man."

"He is, he is." Sebastian pulled back. "A true standup guy." Confused as ever, I turned to him, who was now sitting comfortably on the bench. "I'm sorry, I had to test your loyalty."

"My ... what?"

"Well, you didn't fall into Detective Powell's arms, did you?"

"N-No ...?" It sounded like a question, so I had to rephrase it, given his stern look. "No, I didn't. He was ... or is ...? Just a friend."

"A woman like you shouldn't have male friends." Sebastian commented, standing up. "They inevitably fall for you."

For a moment I thought about Chris, about what Adam said. If Sebastian had Chris beaten to a pulp just because he knew I loved him, what would have stopped him from killing Dylan if he knew there was something between us? "Detective Powell is simply a policeman that is dedicated to his job." I tried to sound as assertive and cold as possible, but my voice was hoarse due to the tears I had been trying to repress.

"He's alive, don't worry." Sebastian stretched a bit, his gun still protruding from behind his back.

"He is?" I asked, hopeful.

Sebastian turned to look at me, a proud smirk on his lips. "I have a perfect aim, Vivian, if I wanted to kill him, he would be 6-feet-under right now, not laid back in a hospital." Sebastian claimed, his voice back to that freezing cold tone he seemed to use only when he wanted to sound authoritative. As if this one was his kingpin voice.

"Why ..." my voice failed me, "why did you ..."

"Come on, Vivian, you love crime movies. You know there's always a shootout with the police." He laughed. "But cheer up, my goddess," he claimed, coming to sit beside me again and grabbing my hand, "you're the reason he's still alive." Sebastian stated, kissing the back of my hand.

"I ... don't understand."

Sebastian pulled slightly back, a bit of a wicked smirk on his face. "I ... know how to return a favor." I might have thought he was saying something specific, but he as much as I knew that those words would only remind me of The Godfather. That scene where a young Vito Corleone tries to convince a dumbass landlord to not evict a friend of his wife. I did tell him it was one of my favorite movies.

"What did he do for you?" I wondered, confused as to whether Dylan wasn't simply some sort of spy for him.

Sebastian rubbed the back of my hand, smiling gently this time. "He took care of something I value a lot."

"That being?"

"I would have never come after you." Sebastian mentioned, once again deflecting. Or so I thought. "But other people would have."

"What ... kind of people?"

He took a deep breath. "A man in my position has a lot of enemies. As much as I was careful, we have been seen together. However, Detective Powell was mindful enough to keep your name off every record." He sent me a meaningful gaze. "Officially, you and I have never been together."

"He said it was to protect me from you." I muttered, mostly to myself.

Sebastian let out a small chuckle. "Oh, I'm sure he thought it was." He glanced at me, those blue eyes seemingly wanting to pierce through me. "I'd never hurt you, Vivian."

"But you did lie to me." I mentioned a bit louder, somewhat finding the courage to demand answers. "The charming man that swept me off my feet, that comforted me through the worst heartbreak of my life ... was that man an illusion?" I asked boldly, albeit with a shaky voice. "Was ... was everything a lie?"

Sebastian pressed his lips, seemingly guilty. "Initially ... yes."

"Why?"

"How much do you know?" He wondered, but not intimidatingly. "That way I can skip to the juicy bits." He joked.

"Just tell me the truth." I sighed, relaxing a bit. I wasn't sure why I believed him, but he seemed truthful when he said he would never hurt me. Then again, I was still counting the minutes it would take the police to track us to here, because I was sure Adam had called 911.

Sebastian nodded, leaning over and clasping his hands together. It might have not been on purpose, but that position left the gun in plain sight for me, as if to remind me it was there. "My real name is Tyler Banks." I knew that but I didn't say anything. As if on cue, he turned to look straight into my eyes. "On one thing your friend Beth was right, I am the son of the late Mr. Woods."

"But not of Julia Woods." I couldn't retain myself.

"My mother was just a secretary. Nothing more than a pastime for him." He clenched his jaw. "But you and I both know even the shortest relationships can have consequences." On cue, I rubbed my belly, feeling his deep gaze on that specific part of my body.

"So you know ..."

"There are very few things that escape my knowledge, Vivian." Sebastian-or rather Tyler claimed calmly. "Believe me, it's not that hard to get someone's medical records."

"Have you been keeping an eye on me all this time?"

"Of course, it was for your protection." He nodded. "Like I said, a man in my position has a lot of enemies and nothing makes a man as weak as love does."

My heart stopped for a moment. Did I hear it right? "Love?" I repeated, unable to believe my own ears.

"Yes, Vivian ... love." Sebastian smiled. "Is that so shocking? That a man like me could actually be capable of loving someone?"

"No ..." I murmured, "no, I believe you are capable of love. I just don't understand what that has to do with me."

Sebastian chuckled softly. "You don't realize it, do you? I'm in love with you, Vivian." He said it so calmly, so matter-of-factly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the most regular announcement he could ever make. I'm in love with you, Vivian. How many times have I dreamed about hearing those exact words? Not from him, though. Funny how a love declaration can have such a different effect depending on who makes it.