EPISODE 13
1261 Words
Scene 71: Sebastian Opens Up About His Past
(INT. BLACKWOOD MANSION – PRIVATE STUDY – NIGHT)
The soft crackling of the fire in the hearth provides a comforting backdrop to the tension in the room. Sebastian stands by the window, his figure silhouetted against the dim light of the moon. The weight of what he’s about to say presses down on him, but he knows it’s time. Time to lay bare the truth, no more secrets.
Kara sits on the leather armchair, her gaze fixed on him, her expression unreadable. She’s heard whispers, pieced together parts of the story, but she’s never gotten the full picture. Tonight, she will.
Sebastian turns away from the window, his eyes heavy with regret. He runs a hand through his hair, letting out a long, shaky breath. This is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do—admitting the things he’s kept buried for so long.
SEBASTIAN
(quietly)
I know I’ve never told you the full story. I never thought I would. But you deserve to know, Kara. You deserve to know everything.
Kara remains silent, her eyes studying him, searching for the truth behind the cold, aloof exterior he’s always put on. She doesn’t speak, waiting for him to continue.
SEBASTIAN
(sighing)
It all started with Isabelle. She was... everything to me, once. We were childhood sweethearts. I grew up with her—she was the one person who truly knew me, the one person I let in. We made promises to each other, promises that... well, they didn’t mean much in the end. But at the time, I thought they did.
He walks toward the fireplace, his gaze fixed on the flames, as if they could somehow erase the painful memories that linger in his mind.
SEBASTIAN
(softly)
She was always different, fiery, passionate. She wasn’t like anyone I knew. We shared something I thought was unbreakable, something that no one could touch. But life... life doesn’t care about promises.
Kara leans forward, her gaze unwavering, but her heart twinges with a sense of understanding. This isn’t just about Isabelle—it’s about everything he’s never shared.
SEBASTIAN
(looking back at her)
Isabelle left. She disappeared without a word, without a trace. She just... vanished from my life. I was destroyed. I didn’t know what to do with myself. My world fell apart, Kara. I couldn’t focus on anything. I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t even keep track of time.
Kara’s expression softens, a flicker of empathy shining through her eyes. She knows what it feels like to lose someone, to feel like everything you’ve built has crumbled. But Sebastian’s pain isn’t just about Isabelle—it’s about the parts of himself he hasn’t been willing to face.
SEBASTIAN
(voice cracking slightly)
I thought... I thought maybe if I moved on, if I found someone else, I could erase her from my life. I thought maybe I could forget. But then you came into my life, Kara. And everything changed.
Kara holds her breath, waiting for him to say more, waiting for the truth to spill out.
SEBASTIAN
(voice lowering)
But I didn’t tell you everything. Not about Isabelle. Not about how much she still controlled me, even after all these years. I let her. I allowed myself to stay tied to her, to stay trapped in the past. And it wasn’t fair to you. I never gave you the chance to understand because I was too ashamed to face the truth.
Kara’s heart tightens. She’s heard enough, but she can’t stop herself from asking the one question that’s been nagging at her since the beginning.
KARA
(softly)
What happened with Isabelle? Why did she leave?
Sebastian turns to face her, his face haunted by the memory.
SEBASTIAN
(whispering)
She didn’t just leave. She ran away. She left because... because I wasn’t enough. Because she had bigger dreams, bigger ambitions, and she didn’t want to be held back. I couldn’t give her what she wanted. I couldn’t give her the freedom she craved. And I didn’t understand that until it was too late.
Kara’s mind races, piecing the fragments of his story together. She had always known that Isabelle was more than just a fleeting presence in Sebastian’s life. But this—this is deeper than she expected.
KARA
(quietly)
So, she left you... for herself? For her own life?
Sebastian nods, his jaw tightening as the weight of those years settles in.
SEBASTIAN
I tried to move on. I really did. But it was hard. I thought I was over her, but I never truly was. I started to push people away, to guard my heart. And when you came into my life... I didn’t know what to do with you. I didn’t know how to let go of the past. So, I kept you at a distance. I kept you away, even when you were right in front of me.
Kara stands up, the truth settling into her chest like a heavy stone. She crosses the room, her eyes never leaving him, her voice low but steady.
KARA
(softly)
I never knew any of this. All I saw was the cold, distant man who couldn’t even look at me without pretending I wasn’t there.
Sebastian’s gaze drops, his regret palpable.
SEBASTIAN
(voice shaking)
I wasn’t... I wasn’t trying to push you away, Kara. I was trying to protect you. I thought if I kept you at a distance, if I kept you safe from the pain I was carrying, it would be better for both of us. But I was wrong. I see that now.
Kara steps closer to him, her breath steady, her gaze unwavering.
KARA
(softly)
So, what is it you’re saying, Sebastian? That you’re not over her? That you never were?
Sebastian meets her gaze, his eyes filled with a mix of desperation and determination.
SEBASTIAN
(earnestly)
No. What I’m saying is that Isabelle doesn’t control me anymore. She doesn’t have any hold on me. I let her go the day I realized that the woman standing in front of me—you—were the one I needed. The one I wanted.
Kara’s heart skips a beat. She doesn’t know what to say, how to respond. But she knows one thing: the man standing before her, the man she’s come to love, is finally facing the truth.
KARA
(softly)
It’s going to take time, Sebastian. You can’t just erase everything with a few words. But I’ll be here. If you really mean it... if you really want to be here, with me, and leave her behind... then we’ll take it one step at a time.
Sebastian reaches for her, his hand trembling slightly as he cups her cheek. His touch is gentle, tender, as if afraid she might slip through his fingers if he holds on too tightly.
SEBASTIAN
(softly)
I’ve made mistakes, Kara. I can’t undo them. But I can try to make things right. I will try.
Kara looks into his eyes, searching for the sincerity she’s been waiting for. After a long moment, she nods, her voice barely a whisper.
KARA
(quietly)
I’ll hold you to that, Sebastian.
And in that moment, with the weight of their shared past finally laid bare, they both understand something deep within—this is just the beginning. The beginning of something new. Something real. But it will take everything they have to rebuild what they’ve broken, to trust again.
But for now, the journey has begun. And for the first time, they’re walking it together.
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- Writer
