Belief in Miracles (completed)

Chapter 35: Summer

"Summer..."

I actually twitched at the sound of his voice, and Sebastian released my hand to wrap it firm around my back. "H-Hi."

"I have to say I'm surprised. When I heard I had a visitor, I thought maybe Louis, but you... you were the last person on my mind."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, well I..."

"You've grown up." He interrupted. "You look good; like your mother."

"Don't you speak of her." I warned. "You don't have any right."

Sebastian's fingers slid gently across my back, telling me to relax without actually telling me, and I took a deep breath as Charles stared at me.

"So, what did you want, then, Summer?"

Swallowing hard, I stared at the screen. "I just wanted to say that..." I trailed off on a breath, and braced an elbow on the table to massage my forehead.

Beside me, Sebastian held a hand over the headset's microphone to whisper, "We don't have to do this, baby. Give yourself some time."

I shook my head, not bothering to cover my speaker when I spoke. "We flew all the way here... I've given too many years of my life to him already. No more."

Through the screen, Charles frowned. "What's this about?"

"Are you not even sorry?!" I shouted, and Sebastian laid a hand on my shoulder as he glanced around to whisper apologies to the other people.

"Summer..." He whispered, but my eyes were locked on the screen.

"Does it not haunt you to remember the feel of her blood on your hands?!"

Sebastian took my arm and started pulling. "Come on... you're not ready for this."

"No!" I pulled my arm back and held my head in my hands as I took deep breaths. "I'm fine. I'm okay. I can do this."

"Doing it to keep your word to me is not the same as doing it from your heart." He said softly. "It will in no way benefit you if you don't mean it."

I inhaled deeply as I nodded. "I know." Blowing out a slow breath, I opened my eyes to look at Charles again, who, by that point, looked very confused. "Just tell me if you regret it." I said softly, and felt tears in my eyes again.

For several minutes, he was quiet, his eyes looking anywhere but at me. Then, at last, he released a long breath and looked at me again. "Everyday." He admitted. "While it may be inappropriate to say so now, or... ever, I did love your mother, Summer. Mary was... she was the very air I breathed; the one God made for me, I was sure. And I wish... I wish more than anything that things had turned out different. But, I did what I did, and I can't take that back. I'll face my judgement in the end, and I'll earn the place in Hell that Satan's saving for me."

"You're damn right you will." I growled, and Sebastian touched me again.

"Summer..."

Nodding slowly, I forced myself into submission and looked at the man again. "I... I forgive you." I blurted, and his lips parted in horror.

"No... I don't deserve forgiveness, Summer."

"But I do. I deserve to live my life free of the pain you've inflicted. So, I give you my forgiveness, and with it, I set my heart free."

Shoving off the headphones, I dropped them on the table and made a dash for the door. Sebastian followed me as I burst through into the parking lot, and took me into his arms as I cried.

"I am so proud of you." He breathed into my hair as he held me, and I groaned as I wept into his chest.

"That was the hardest thing I've ever done."

"I know, baby, I know, but you did it. Don't you feel better now?"

Sniffing hard, I leaned away, swiped my hands beneath my eyes as I stared at everything and nothing around us. After blowing out a long breath, I nodded.

"Kind of feels like a rock has been lifted off my chest."

Sebastian was beaming when I looked back at him, and he nodded as he tucked me beneath his arm and started leading me toward the car. "I told you."

"You were right..." I agreed, and sniffed again as I wiped my eyes. "But it was still hard."

"I know. But now it's over and done with, and you never have to think of that man again."

Nodding, I unlocked the rental car and climbed in, cranked up the a/c as soon as it was on, and for several minutes, just sat there. "I guess now I have two things to be in praise for." I said, and Sebastian angled his head to look at me.

"Two things?"

I nodded. "Freedom from that a-hole, and you."

He grinned and reached across the console to take my hand, kissed my knuckles as I threw the car in reverse. "You won't be getting rid of me anytime soon. God has ensured it."

Smiling, I eased out onto the road. "So, it's the second week of December, and it's eighty-two degrees. Back home, Tom is still buried in snow."

Sebastian huffed. "Yep."

"So, what do you say we go to the beach and text him some pictures, just to rub his nose in it a little?"

He chuckled softly and squeezed my hand. "Sounds good to me."