Page 41 of Witch's Promise

Gabe weaved through the crowd of party guests, his eyes scanning the room for Jessy. The weight of responsibility sat heavy on his shoulders, a constant reminder of the near-disaster they'd narrowly averted just days ago. He spotted her chatting with his brother Gino, her color much improved since that terrifying night. Thank fuck for small miracles.

As he approached, Jessy's eyes lit up with recognition. "Gabe! I was just telling your brother about that amazing healing spell you used. I swear, I've never felt better."

Gabe forced a smile, pushing down the twinge of discomfort at her praise. He'd done what anyone would have done, right? It wasn't like he'd saved the world or anything. Just one life. One very important life.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he said, genuine relief coloring his tone.

Jessy nodded, a conspiratorial grin spreading across her face. “I’ll be fine here go greet your guest.”

Gino rolled his eyes, elbowing Gabe playfully. "Always the responsible one, aren't you, big bro? Relax a little. It's a party, for crying out loud."

Gabe opened his mouth to retort when the doorbell chimed, cutting through the ambient noise of the party. His heart skipped a beat, a mixture of anticipation and dread flooding his system. Could it be...?

"I'll get it," he said quickly, perhaps a bit too eagerly. Gino raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

Gabe made his way to the front door, his mind racing. He hadn't really expected Sean to show up. After all, why would he? Their history was complicated at best, a minefield of hurt feelings and misunderstandings. But a small part of Gabe, a part he'd tried to bury under years of resentment and pain, couldn't help but hope.

Taking a deep breath, Gabe opened the door. And there he was. Sean fucking Drake, looking like he'd just stepped out of one of Gabe's more frustrating dreams. Leather jacket, tousled hair, and those eyes that still had the power to make Gabe's knees weak. Goddamn it.

"Sean," Gabe heard himself say, surprised by the warmth in his own voice. "You made it."

Sean nodded, looking about as uncomfortable as Gabe felt. His hands were wrapped around a bouquet of flowers, knuckles white with tension. It was such an incongruous image - Sean Drake, former bad boy extraordinaire, clutching a bunch of daisies like a lifeline - that Gabe couldn't help but smile.

"Are those for me?" he teased, unable to resist.

Sean's eyes widened, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "Uh, yeah. I mean, no. Shit." He thrust the bouquet forward, nearly smacking Gabe in the chest. "They're for your dad. Happy birthday and all that."

Gabe chuckled, taking the flowers with more care than was probably necessary. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

Sean shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, well. Seemed like the thing to do, you know?"

An awkward silence fell between them, years of unspoken words and regrets hanging in the air. Gabe could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, threatening to crush him under its enormity. He'd invited Sean here, hadn't he? This was what he wanted. So why did it feel like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff, one wrong move away from disaster?

But then he looked at Sean, really looked at him, and saw the same uncertainty reflected back.

"Come on in," he said, stepping back to hold the door open wider. "Everyone's out back."

Sean hesitated, his body language screaming fight-or-flight. "You sure about this? I mean, I'm not exactly the kind of guy you bring home to meet the parents. Not anymore, anyway."

"I invited you, didn't I?" Gabe said, infusing his voice with a confidence he didn't entirely feel. "Now get your ass in here before I change my mind."

A surprised laugh escaped Sean's lips. "Still bossy as ever, I see."

Gabe grinned, feeling some of the tension dissipate. "You have no idea."

As Sean stepped into the house, Gabe couldn't help but watch him take it all in. The spacious entryway, the elegant decor, the family photos lining the walls. It was a far cry from the modest home they'd grown up in.

Sean paused in front of one of the photos, his eyes fixed on a younger version of Gabe and his siblings. The happiness radiating from that frozen moment in time was almost palpable, and Gabe felt a lump form in his throat.

"That was taken the summer before I left for college," he said softly, coming to stand beside Sean. "Feels like a lifetime ago."

Sean nodded, his expression unreadable. "You all look so damn happy."

"We were," Gabe replied, unable to keep a hint of wistfulness from his voice. "Most of the time, anyway."

The unspoken words hung between them, heavy with implication. Most of the time. Except for when everything went to shit. Except for when you left.

Gabe cleared his throat, desperate to move past the moment before it swallowed them whole. "So, uh, you said everyone's out back?"

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