The Other Side (A Sebastian Stan Fanfiction Story)

Chapter 41

A/N: I've been a little disappointed with the fandom very recently. I hope it doesn't get so bad as the days go on.

I wrote a Seb one-shot on my One-Shots stories, hope you can check it out too! It's called Mad About You. Thanks you guys!

***

"Wait!" Charlie squeaks as Sebastian reaches to open the car door. He draws his hand away and looks quizzically at her.

"What is it?" He reaches for her hand and squeezes it reassuringly. "We still have a few minutes."

Charlie shakes her head, feeling suddenly embarrassed. "Promise me something."

"Anything, you know that."

"Don't let go. Whatever happens, don't let me get to that bad neighbourhood in my head, okay?"

Sebastian gathers her in his arms and draws her in for a hug, kissing her crown as soon as she was close.

"I won't, I promise. Wherever you go, I'm there, okay?"

Charlie nods in his chest and lets him go so they can get out and finish this chapter in her life.

To Charlie's surprise, Rachel was a no-show; only Jasper and Kevin were there together with their legal team.

"Miss Stephens won't be joining us today due to a personal emergency she had to attend to back home. We have obtained the necessary signatures from her on the documents that needed it and all we need to do now is to go over the details of the settlement agreement and have the remaining parties present sign to finalize the deal," the opposing attorney spoke monotonously, as if just going through the motions. Charlie saw in the corner of her eye Jasper looking annoyed at the lawyer but ignored it and refocused her attention to the task at hand.

"I believe our client just has a few questions, attorney Johnson," Aaron spoke and then looked at Charlie to let her speak.

"Um, yes, I was just curious. Why? After going through all this trouble," Charlie asked, looking between Jasper and Kevin.

Jasper attempted to say something but Kevin beat him to it. "Because we realized you didn't deserve everything that happened to you. We were your friends first and foremost, and you were nothing but kind, caring and supportive to the three of us. You don't know—"

"I couldn't stand living with the knowledge that I've hurt and disappointed you, Charlie," Jasper interjected, his voice nearly inaudible. "I just couldn't live my life like that anymore. I know this wouldn't make us friends again, but I want you to know how sorry I am for everything. For everything. There's no chance in hell you should forgive me, but know that I regret everything that happened last year."

There were tears in her eyes as soon as Jasper finished and Charlie hastily wiped them with the back of her hand, asking Jasper's lawyer to go through the terms one by one instead of addressing what the two men from her past just said. She could see Kevin hang his head in disappointment in himself.

Sebastian was just a mere spectator while everything unfolded before his eyes. It was interesting for him to watch Charlie's former friend and lover nearly grovel just to ask for her forgiveness. Then again, he was far more interested for this part of her life to end, knowing how much she had to suffer through while these people she thought that cared about her totally ignored and nearly destroyed her in the process.

He could only offer her a reassuring squeeze of the hand while they listened through the terms being gone through one by one.

Having reviewed already by their legal team, there weren't too many questions after the entire document had been read through. Despite it though, the conference ran for nearly three hours because of how detailed the offer was. It was evident that Rachel and Jasper had been truly remorseful about everything that happened.