Page 39 of Witch's Promise

"Were in the past," Katelyn cut him off. "You're not that person anymore, Sean. You've changed. Grown. It's time you started allowing yourself to believe that."

Ricci cleared his throat, his earlier annoyance softening into something like sympathy. "Look, man. I know I give you shit, but Kate's right. You deserve a shot at happiness, same as anyone else. Don't fuck it up by holding onto guilt that isn't yours to carry anymore."

Sean blinked, surprised by the unexpected support. He opened his mouth to argue, to list all the reasons why he didn't deserve forgiveness or happiness or any of it. But the words wouldn't come.

Instead, he found himself nodding, a strange mix of fear and hope churning in his gut. "Okay. I'll... I'll try. But first, we've got to do something about this face. I can't show up looking like I just crawled out of a bar fight."

Katelyn laughed, the sound brightening the dingy apartment. "Now that, I can help with. Ricci, be a dear and grab my bag from the car?"

Katelyn's laughter faded as Ricci returned with her bag, a weathered leather satchel that had seen better days. Sean watched, a mixture of curiosity and trepidation churning in hisgut, as she rummaged through its contents. Her hands emerged clutching a small, ornate jar, its surface etched with symbols Sean didn't recognize.

"Alright, tough guy," Katelyn said, unscrewing the lid. "Let's see what we can do about that face of yours."

The scent hit Sean first - a heady mixture of herbs and something else, something distinctly magical. It made his nose tingle and his eyes water. "Christ, Kate. What the hell is that stuff?"

Katelyn smirked, dipping her fingers into the jar. "Trust me, you don't want to know. Now hold still."

The ointment was cool against his skin, Katelyn's touch gentle as she applied it to his bruises. Sean closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax into the sensation. It had been so long since anyone had touched him with such care, such tenderness. The realization made his chest ache with a longing he couldn't quite name.

"There," Katelyn said after a few minutes. "Take a look."

Sean opened his eyes, blinking in the harsh bathroom light. He turned to the mirror, bracing himself for disappointment. But the face that stared back at him was...

"Holy shit," he breathed, leaning in for a closer look. The bruises were gone. Completely fucking gone. It was like the fight had never happened. "Kate, how the hell..."

Katelyn shrugged, but there was a hint of pride in her smile. "Let's just say I know a healing witch who owes me a favor. Cost me a pretty penny, but it was worth it to see that look on your face."

Sean ran a hand over his newly healed skin, marveling at the smooth texture. No pain, no swelling, not even a hint of discoloration. It was a fucking miracle.

"I don't know how to thank you," he said, turning to face Katelyn. The words felt inadequate, pathetically small in the faceof her kindness. "I mean it, Kate. This is... fuck, it's more than I deserve."

Katelyn's expression softened, a mix of exasperation and fondness that Sean had grown all too familiar with over the years. "You know, one of these days, you're going to have to start believing that you do deserve good things, Sean."

The words hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. Sean looked away, unable to meet her gaze. Because how could he explain it to her? How could he make her understand the weight of guilt that pressed down on him every goddamn day? The faces of the people he'd hurt, the lives he'd ruined in the name of family loyalty. No amount of magical healing could erase those scars.

"Kate, I-"

"Save it," she cut him off, her tone gentler than her words. "I don't need your thanks, Sean. What I need is for you to get your shit together and go after what you want. For once in your life, allow yourself to be happy. That's all the repayment I need."

Sean swallowed hard, throat tight with emotion he couldn't quite name. "And if I fuck it up? If I hurt him again?"

Katelyn sighed, reaching out to squeeze his arm. "Then you pick yourself up and try again. That's what normal people do, you know. They make mistakes, they learn from them, they move forward. It's about damn time you joined the rest of us in the land of the living."

A chuckle escaped Sean's lips, surprising even himself. "When did you get so wise, huh?"

"Probably around the time I decided to let this idiot knock me up," Katelyn replied, jerking a thumb towards Ricci, who let out an indignant "Hey!" from the other room.

The moment of levity was short-lived, though. As Sean caught sight of his reflection again, the reality of what he was about to do came crashing back down. Gabe's father's birthdayparty. A chance to make things right, or to fuck them up even more spectacularly.

"I should get ready," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Can't show up empty-handed, right?"

Katelyn nodded, understanding flashing in her eyes. "Go. We'll clear out. And Sean?"

He paused at the bathroom door, looking back at her.

"Remember what I said. You deserve happiness too. Don't sabotage yourself before you even get started, okay?"

Sean managed a tight nod before escaping to his bedroom. He stood there for a moment, surrounded by the sparse furnishings that passed for his life these days. A bed, a dresser, a small desk covered in papers he never seemed to get around to sorting. It was a far cry from the life he'd once imagined for himself. The life he might have had, if things had been different.

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