Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 15: The Promise

"I have a complicated situation I need your help with," I asked Imelda over breakfast, choosing to not sit with Sebastian today. I felt extremely awkward with after yesterdays detention, I was shocked I allowed myself to do that after I had just discovered that there was no future for us at all.

"Well, as your closest and bestest friend, I'd be more than happy to help you. What's going on?"

"Im going to be really honest and I'm not sparing any details. I need to get this off my chest as long as you swear you will not tell another soul."

"Olive, it's like you don't know me at all! The juicy details are my favourite part. Spill!" Imelda spat back, almost as if she were angry with me for even suggesting it.

"Alright..." I proceeded to tell Imelda every intricate detail of what Sebastian and I had done, including me catching him brewing contraceptive potions and him telling me he couldn't be with me.

Her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened in awe at what I'd been up to.

"Jesus, Olive! I know you said he wanted to sleep with you but I didn't know you were halfway there already!"

"I know, I know! And what's worse, is I still want to do more even though he's told me he can't love me!"

"He already loves you, Olive. He just doesn't want to show it." Imelda said, sounding exasperated and if it were already common knowledge.

"No he doesn't, he told me he can't be with anyone emotionally, that's not love." I explained.

"Yeah, that's not love. But the way he stares at you when you're not looking, the way he always jumps in to any fight to defend you... he's loved you since the second he saw you get sorted into Slytherin. Trust me, I was sat next to him. Just ask Ominis."

My mind ran wild with thoughts. As if Sebastian ever loved me. So I decided to put that topic to the side... for now.

"So what do I do about Garreth then? He's nice and cute and he's actually available... I don't want to hurt him." I diverted the subject from Sebastian.

"I think you just need to do it. The longer you wait, the worse it will get. If you're going to keep screwing with Sebastian, you need to end things with Garreth. If you want to be in a relationship with Garreth, you need to stop screwing Sebastian. It's pretty simple."

And in theory it was really quite simple. But I had kissed Garreth many times before and it never felt even remotely close to how my mind and body reacted to kissing Sebastian.

So I ignored my feelings and both boys all week until on Friday night Imelda begged me to get out of our dormitory. She dragged me down to The Three Broomsticks and sat me in front of the bar with a warm butterbeer which wasn't sitting particularly well with me after memories flooded back of the last time I was here drinking.

"Olive, you can't keep this up forever," she said gently.

"I just can't do it. I can't end it with Garreth. He's been such a good friend, and I don't want to lose him because there isn't a future with Sebastian. Maybe I'm supposed to be with Garreth." I said, my voice trembling with uncertainty as I slammed my head onto the bar in frustration.

And like he was listening, Garreth appeared and pulled up a bar stool next to me.

"Hey, Olive, you alright?"

I nodded my head against the grain of the wooden bar beneath my forehead.

"You've been distant lately. Is something bothering you?" he asked gently, taking a seat beside me.