Page 38 of Witch's Promise

Sean ran a hand through his disheveled hair, grimacing at the tangles. Christ, he was a mess. How the hell was he supposed to show up at Gabe's dad's birthday party looking like he'd gone ten rounds with a meat grinder? He needed help, and there was only one person he could turn to in a crisis like this.

Katelyn.

His fingers fumbled with his phone, muscle memory taking over as he dialed her number. She picked up on the secondring, because of course she did. Katelyn Cross was nothing if not reliable.

"Let me guess," her voice crackled through the speaker, a mix of exasperation and fondness. "You need me to work my magic on your sorry ass again?"

Sean chuckled, the sound rough in his throat. "You know me too well, Kate. Think you can swing by? I promise I'll make it worth your while."

There was a pause, and Sean could practically see Katelyn rolling her eyes. "Fine. But this is the last time, Sean. I mean it. You can't keep doing this to yourself."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Just please?"

Another sigh. "We'll be there in twenty. And Sean? Try not to pick any more fights between now and then, okay?"

The line went dead, and Sean slumped against the bathroom sink. He was lucky to have Katelyn in his life, even if he didn't deserve her friendship. Hell, he didn't deserve much of anything these days.

True to her word, Katelyn arrived twenty minutes later, her husband Ricci in tow. Sean buzzed them up, nervously pacing the small confines of his studio apartment. It wasn't much, but it was home. Or at least, as close to a home as he allowed himself these days.

The knock on the door startled him out of his brooding. He opened it to find Katelyn, radiant even in her early stages of pregnancy, with Ricci hovering protectively behind her.

"Jesus Christ, Sean," Katelyn muttered, pushing past him into the apartment. "You look like you went three rounds with a bulldozer."

Sean managed a weak smile.

Ricci snorted, helping Katelyn settle onto Sean's threadbare couch. "I'm sure the other guy's laughing all the way to the bank. You've got to stop this shit, man."

Sean bristled at the criticism, even though he knew Ricci was right. "Yeah, well, we can't all have picture-perfect lives, can we?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Sean regretted them. Ricci's face darkened, and Katelyn shot him a warning look.

"Sit your ass down," she commanded, patting the spot next to her on the couch. "And start talking. What the hell happened.”

Sean obeyed, sinking into the worn cushions with a groan. His body ached in places he'd forgotten existed, a testament to the beating he'd taken - and given - the night before.

"It was... fuck, Kate. I don't even know where to start."

Katelyn's expression softened, her hand finding his and squeezing gently. "The beginning's usually a good place."

So Sean talked. He told them about seeing Gabe at the coffee shop, about following him like some creepy stalker. He recounted their conversation by the river, the weight of unspoken words and years of regret hanging between them.

"And now he's invited me to his dad's birthday party," Sean finished, running a hand through his hair. "Can you believe that shit? After everything I put him through, he's giving me another chance."

Katelyn was quiet for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. "And you're going, right?"

Sean nodded, a knot of anxiety forming in his gut. "Yeah. I mean, I have to, don't I? It might be my only shot at making things right."

"Or fucking them up even more spectacularly," Ricci muttered, earning himself an elbow to the ribs from Katelyn.

"Not helping, babe," she hissed before turning back to Sean. "Look, I think it's good that you're going. But Sean, you've got to be honest with him. About everything."

The weight of her words settled over Sean like a lead blanket. Everything. His father's organization, the years of violence andguilt, the desperate attempts to numb the pain. How could he possibly explain all of that to Gabe?

"I don't know if I can, Kate," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if he hates me for it?"

Katelyn's hand tightened around his, her eyes fierce with determination. "Then at least you'll know. But Sean, you can't keep living like this. The fighting, the self-destruction - it's killing you. And for what? Punishment for sins you think you can never atone for?"

Sean flinched, her words hitting too close to home. "You don't understand. The things I've done-"