She Accepted Divorce, He Panicked

Scarlett's POV

"I, owe, you?" I raise my eyebrows, poking his chest with a frown.

Sebastian chuckles at my "attack", holding my waist tighter: "I owe you a million apologies and more. I owe you a good husband, a comfortable home, and five years of happiness, but yes, this one thing, you do owe me."

"I gave you a chance and a million after that," I humph at him, trying to push him away with my arms as wedges between us. Effort in vain.

"You don't love me anymore, do you?" Sebastian asks and I lower my eyes. He taps my chin up with a hooked finger, but to my surprise, there is a smile instead of sadness in his eyes, "I know you don't, and I deserve that. But you forced me to marry you when I wasn't in love with you, and you owe me a chance to pursue you now, when our position is exactly the opposite."

"I just want what you asked of me five years ago, Scar," Sebastian gazes at me with his soulful eyes, "Every bit of my debt I will pay, but I want to collect just this one debt from you...please?"Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

How do you say no to the man who you hate when you have loved him for years?

I would have exploded in happiness if I was still the naive girl five years ago. I would have shouted out the news of the baby to him and married him right here right now. But I'm not. If I learned one thing from the past five years, it's that the only basis of a marriage is love. I don't want to rush into things. I can't afford it again.

"I...I don't know..." I don't want to pour cold water over his head after the most touching speech I have ever heard in my life, but it's the right thing to do.

"What don't you know?" He demands, searching for my eyes when I try to dodge.

I don't know how or if it's even possible to go back.

Even if we can restart, the past would still be there, and so would Ava. I don't know how to forgive and forget, and I certainly don't know how to go around Ava when she holds such an important place in his heart. Can we really start again?

"If..." I blurt, only to stop myself when the familiar dangerous feeling grabs me when my heart tries to trust him. I hate that. I don't want to put myself out there only to get disappointed again.

""Yes?" He waits, with sparkles in his eyes.

I don't want to tread on his heart. As mad as I was, now when it comes to this, I don't want to hurt him. I lower my eyes, my angel and my devil fighting on my shoulders. One of them tells me to run away, and the other tells me to let him down gently.

I try to get out of his arms again, and

again he tightens his hold. In my struggle suddenly see -- I have

crossed the hard line between umet

He pulled me onto the meadow and

our shadows mixed into each other,

no longer like before. Cont

...when I promised to be brave for him again.

"IF!" I look up at him, forcing myself to look into his eyes, using up all the courage that I can find in me, "If the girl you saved wasn't Ava, would you...would you..." Would you have made her the princess you guarded?

"I wouldn't have proposed to her," Can't hear the voice in my heart, Sebastian answers firmly, "I would probably still help with her condition though, considering she would be your sister."

"You never cared about me before!" I pout with a jokeful tone, lowering my eyes to seal my real question in my eyes.

It's good enough, I guess. Sebastian, Ava's white knight, chooses me over his princess. It ought to be enough for a second chance.

"Because you never complained that she was a bully before," He laughs, but soon puts that laugh away nervously, "...sorry."

I wipe my tears away, trying to get my body off his muscled torso. This time he lets me.

"Soo..." Keeping a little distance, Sebastian bends down to search for my eyes, "Is my wish granted?"

"I wasn't as evil as the green witch!" I turn to run, hiding my tearful smile. I was definitely more evil these past few weeks than before!

My heart pumping in the cage of my chest for the huge decision I just made, but maybe, just maybe, this time we can do it right?

Sebastian catches up to me, picking me up into his arms from behind: "You once put a full can of salt in my soup because I came home late, little witch."

"Didn't you deserve that?! I waited

for you till three o'clock!" I laugh so hard that tears come out, "Also, I put salt in there because I was upset but I didn't ask you to finish it! Shouldn't you have tasted it at the first gulp?!"

"Would I have gotten into your bed if I didn't?"

I bury my face in his chest, laughing. Probably yes, but him finishing the soup I made for him certainly didn't hurt his chance.