Summary: When his plans with Kathryn fall through Sebastian turns to Annette
Authors Note: I've decided I'm going to concentrate on this story for the time being. Also this fic will be rather long so beware
Chapter 8: Cold Comfort
"I'm so tired" Kathryn groaned as she stumbled her way into the Valmont townhouse.
Coming up behind her Sebastian slid his arm around her waist and laughed "must have been all that alcohol you drank on the way home."
"I'm not drunk" she protested. Indeed she wasn't but she had drunk enough gin to make her a little woozy and throw off her coordination somewhat. Still Kathryn was in full control of her mouth "it's your fault anyway, you shouldn't leave your flask just laying around like that."
Sebastian rolled his eyes as he turned on a lamp in the living room "it wasn't just laying around. It was in my coat pocket, you stole it during the party remember?"
"I was bored!" she giggled while falling back on to the chaise lounger. "Those parties are so boring but I had fun with you."
Turning around he saw the seductive smile on her lips and he suddenly remembered what Kathryn had promised him. Sebastian kneeled down on the lounge and leaned over her body. Stroking her hair he murmured "I believe we had some sort of arrangement."
"We did?" she asked innocently.
"You're not that drunk" he reminded her coolly. "I seem to recall you saying something about fucking my brains out."
"Oh that" she laughed as she shifted her body underneath him so he could come between her legs. Bringing his face closer to hers until they were almost kissing she purred "we really would be good together, sexually I mean."
"I would tend to agree" he replied huskily.
"Sometimes I lay awake in bed at night and wonder what it would feel like to have you inside me." Kathryn started rubbing her knee against the growing bulge in his pants as she continued whispering "your mouth all over me, your hands squeezing my breasts, while you're pumping hard inside me..."
Unable to hold back any longer Sebastian kissed her suddenly, silencing her. Kathryn's hands tightened around his neck as she pulled him down completely on top of her. Sebastian began to lift up her dress but she pulled away asking all most completly out of the blue, "can you really just forget the past?"
As soon as she said it Sebastian recalled the flash of memory he had out on the lake. There was no way he would be able to just forget it. He knew something happened, something important that Kathryn was keeping from him and it had to do with that bet. However he was horny and wanted to get laid so he simply nodded and told a little white lie. "Yes I can"
Kathryn smiled obvious pleased as her small hands started to unbutton his pants. "Do you have anything because I don't."
Figuring she was referring to protection he nodded "in my room, I'll be right back."
Sebastian quickly got off of her and darted into his bedroom. Grabbing a condom from the stash of them he kept in his bedside table he left the bedroom and practically ran back to an awaiting Kathryn. "Okay all set..."
He trailed off when he noticed that she had fallen asleep. "Kathryn" he called out softly at first. When he got no response he got agitated "Kathryn come on this isn't funny. Kathryn!"
However he got nothing from her. Sebastian gave serious consideration to just shaking her awake but watching her sleep peacefully he decided against it. She actually looked sort of angelic and he didn't want to ruin that. Plus screwing her when she was half awake would be no where as satisfying as doing it when she's fully alert and game.
With a sigh Sebastian grabbed a blanket and laid it over her body then smiled in spite of himself. For a little while he just sat there and watched her sleep as he contemplated their very bizarre relationship. He did feel something towards her that went beyond sexual yet he couldn't say for sure what it was. Sebastian was completely absorbed by Kathryn but at the same time he didn't trust her in the slightest.
"Master Valmont" a meek voice called out startling him.
Sebastian whipped around to find one of the maids standing in the door way "what is it?"
"There's a Miss Hardgrove to see you. She says it's urgent."
Before he could reply Annette walked into the room looking somewhat agitated. "Hey I know it's late..."
Sebastian got up from his seat beside Kathryn "it's okay. What are you doing here?"
When the maid left them alone Annette's eyes looked behind Sebastian to the sleeping figure on the couch. Glaring at Kathryn she explained "we need to talk."
He nodded then gestured for her to follow him to his bedroom. Once the door closed behind them Annette turned and asked him "so I take it you two just got back from Martha's Vineyard?"
Sebastian flinched in surprise, he hadn't really thought about Annette that afternoon but he suddenly remembered he told her he would be home all day. Still he didn't see a problem. "Yeah we just got back. Look I know I told you I would be home but Kathryn-"
"Invited you to the country" she finished for him. "Just as she planned."
Crossing his arms to his chest he regarded Annette with amusement "like she planned? What are you talking about?"
Annette was silent for a moment as she took a seat on his bed. "Kathryn bribed my friend, or should I say ex-friend, into distracting me from you this weekend. She also told her to convince me that I shouldn't have anything more to do with you."
"What? Why would she do that?"
"Sebastian" she explained softly "it's what she does, it's what I warned you about. Kathryn gave Carly ten thousand dollars just to break us up. She can't stand the idea that she can't control you. Kathryn would do anything to keep her control over you."
Scowling Sebastian walked over to his desk and lit a cigarette. "That fucking bitch" he muttered to himself. As he began to think about the afternoon they'd spent together, the afternoon he'd so enjoyed he realized it was all just part of her game. Kathryn most likely never had any intention of sleeping with him and had purposely fallen asleep just to avoid going threw with it. This thought angered him more than anything. "God damn it!" he yelled tossing his chair suddenly.
Annette jumped at the sudden action before telling him calmly "I tried to warn you about this. You can't trust Kathryn."
"Yeah I know" he grumbled. Softening just a little he looked over at her and said sincerely "I'm sorry you got in the middle of this."
She walked over to Sebastian and embraced him "it's all right. I'm just glad you realize the truth now."
Actually he wasn't really sure what he realized. As much as he wanted to ring Kathryn's neck for her manipulation of him he still wanted her. Those feelings he had for her just moments ago hadn't disappeared. This new information just complicated everything. As Sebastian was lost in thought Annette suddenly started kissing him. He kissed her back eager to take his mind off of his evil step sister.
Breaking away from him Annette murmured in his ear "make love to me Sebastian."
He pulled away from her studying her blue eyes trying to figure out if that was what she really wanted. He couldn't be sure but he also didn't know if this is what he really wanted. "Annette I don't know..."
Normally Sebastian would never turn down free pussy but this was different. Annette saw him differently from other girls and she genuinely cared about him and strangely enough he cared for her. However he knew that if he went to bed with her it would mean a lot more to her than it would to him. Plus his mind was still deeply imbedded with Kathryn. Pulling away from her he said "I can't do this."
A look of momentary pain covered Annette's face but before he could explain to her why he was turning her down she sat back on his bed and started undoing her shirt. As he watched this Sebastian felt like a prick because he didn't want to hurt her but he knew he would. "Annette..."
Suddenly Sebastian began to trail off when he had a sudden flash of memory. This time Kathryn wasn't in it but Annette was. She was sitting back on a bed just like she was now. Dressed in a pair of blue pajamas she started to unbutton the top revealing herself to him. However his eyes weren't focused on her body but rather her face which was trembling slightly. Her eyes looked back at him with fear but more than anything love and trust.
The memory quickly ended and Sebastian looked back at Annette feeling something he hadn't felt before. It was powerful and intense and in that moment he wanted her. It wasn't because she was beautiful and it had nothing to do with Kathryn but it had everything to do with this overwhelming feelings he suddenly had towards her. Climbing on to the bed suddenly Sebastian captured her lips in a kiss and continued to undress her. "I do love you Sebastian" she whispered to him.
"I know"
* * * * * *
Some time after she had fallen asleep Kathryn began to stir. Her left arm ached slightly from laying on it but other than that she felt rested and not nearly as tipsy as she had. Stretching out on the lounger she tried to remember how she got there and with a blanket covering her no less. Then she noticed something resting on the floor. Picking it up she realized it was a condom.
Recalling her promise to Sebastian she grinned. Maybe that was the real reason she had been drinking to begin with. It wasn't that she didn't want to sleep with Sebastian, she did. However as the party started to end she began to feel anxious and when she found the flask she started drinking. Well now she was feeling more like herself and she decided she would go through with her promise.
Rising from the couch Kathryn headed towards her step brothers room assuming that when she feel asleep he probably went to his room to do the same. Odds are he would be pissed at her but when she was done with him he would forget all about it.
With a sly smile she slowly opened his door and was about to call out to him but what she saw shut her up. The room was dark but Kathryn could still make out the figures on the bed. One of them was Sebastian and judging by the blond hair and the body structure the other was Annette. They didn't notice her intrusion because they were too busy going at it.
She felt sick watching them. Not just because the notion of Annette and sex made her ill but because she was stunned that Sebastian would fuck her after the day they shared together. Hadn't he told her he would forget about the past? Well she assumed that included Annette. Apparently not because as soon as he was hard he hopped into bed with the nearest warm body. Kathryn didn't even want to know what Annette was doing there to begin with.
Without saying a word Kathryn backed out of the room and closed the door. Normally she might have interrupted them but she was too upset for a confrontation. Walking slowly to her room Kathryn went inside but didn't bother to turn on the light. Her hand reached for the first thing it could find. Grasping what felt like a picture frame she let out a shriek as she tossed it across the room. She fell to the floor not crying but breathing hard muttering to herself "you son of a bitch. Look what you made me do."
That's what she was truly angry about. Sebastian had made her care, in the two years she had known him Kathryn had never cared. Sure she felt something for him which she usually just chalked up to lust and maybe admiration, but she never actually cared about him. Sebastian was just a toy, an amusement, nothing special. Yet here she was huddled on the floor in the dark, on the brink of tears all because he was doing to her what he'd done to a thousand girls before.
Getting to her feet suddenly Kathryn charged over to the lamp by her bed and turned it on. Right underneath it was a hidden drawer that no one other than herself knew about. Inside she kept her stash of drugs, pictures and other such things she didn't want anyone to know about. One of those things was Sebastian's journal.
Ever since she stole it several weeks ago Kathryn had yet to look at it. She didn't want to because she knew it would be bad. Sebastian had told Annette what he really thought of her and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what that was. However now she did, now she had to. Flipping it open she glanced at the first few pages which detailed some conquests Kathryn vaguely remembered him telling her about. Then she got to the first page of her.
Staring back at her was her senior year book picture. At the top it read, My Love but the words framing the photo were less complimentary. Liar, alcoholic, coke problem, deceitful, promiscuous, bulimic were the words he used to describe her. Oddly enough this didn't upset Kathryn because she knew it was true. However what she read on the next page was what she couldn't stomach.
There has never been a single person in history as two faced as Kathryn. Stunning to look at and exciting to be near and cold as ice. She cares about absolutely no one but herself. This girl has brought self-absorption to an art form. She believes in nothing and laughs in the face of sadness, faith, and sincerity. A person observing her and having seen the damage she's done to so many lives would most likely classify her as EVIL. She scoffs at any and every type of religion all the while manipulating others by using the idea of being religious to her advantage. She'll steal mentally and emotionally from anyone who crosses her path, spends night after night in drunken, drug-induced debauchery but lives the other life as the consummate angel.
She is in a sense brilliant as evidence by the fact that she has indeed completely fooled every person she has ever had to except me. In fact we are very similar people except that I have a heart and from time to time, actually have emotions, whereas Kathryn does not. I have seen her break the spirits of others, cheat on anyone supposedly important to her-and all those things are done without so much as a second thought.
There was a time, strangely enough, that I mistaken believed I could love her. Even though I had known her true face I thought that there was some part of her, buried deep down that had a tiny bit of goodness but I learned the hard way that I was mistaken. There is no goodness in her and she has not one single redeeming feature. That is why no one could ever love her and why no one ever has or will.
Kathryn read the last sentence over and over several times before the words became imbedded in her brain. Without looking through the rest of the journal she shut it. She didn't want to read anymore because she now knew everything. He hated her plain and simple. He HATED her.
I.Don't.Care
She kept repeating those three words in her head as she walked over to the fireplace and started a fire. I.Don't.Care she said to herself over and over again. It didn't matter what he thought of her because it wasn't like she felt anything for him. He was a toy just as she told him. Nothing more than a toy.
When she had the fire going she stepped back and watched it a moment clutching the leather journal in her hand. If Sebastian was ever to read what he had written he would hate her. He might even realize the part she played in his accident and she couldn't allow that. Or worse yet he might read it and his memories would come back along with his hatred for her. There was only one thing to do.
Walking over to the fire Kathryn tossed the journal into it and watched for a moment as it slowly burned. Now he might never know the truth. He might have his precious Annette but Kathryn was safe. And alone.
After awhile she turned from the fireplace and picked up the phone. She needed something that her drugs wouldn't be able to provide her with that night. She needed some comfort. When a decidedly masculine voice greeted her on the line she went into her injured girl routine "Ronald it's Kathryn."
"Kathryn?" he repeated somewhat groggy. "It's late, what's going on?"
"I need you to come over right away."
"Now?"
Turning back to the fire that was consuming all her secrets she answered "yes I really need to see you tonight. Can you please come over?"
* * * * * *
The following morning Annette began to awake forgetting where she was at first. As her eyes began to flutter open and her hand brushed against the soft pillowcase she smiled in remembrance. She was with Sebastian, in his bed. They had made love just and it had been just like the last time. Only last night she had fallen asleep in his arms.
Reaching out across the bed Annette expected to find Sebastian's body resting beside her but all she felt was empty space. Turning around she realized she was alone in the bed. Her smile falling Annette sat up and looked around his bedroom to find it was empty. "Sebastian" she called out softly clutching the sheet to her naked body.
A moment later he emerged from the closet fully dressed in a dark suit. "Good morning" he said casually. "Did you sleep okay?"
Annette was a little confused as to why he was dressed already like he had someplace to go. "I slept fine. Are you going somewhere?"
Sebastian took a seat behind his desk and lit up a cigarette. "Oh there's just this brunch thing I told this chick I would go to" he shrugged. "It's no big deal."
"That sounds like fun I guess."
"Yeah sort of"
Annette wasn't sure if she was invited to go but judging by the look on his face she probably wasn't. There was an awkward silence between the two as they sat only a short distance away from one another. However it felt like miles to Annette. It was becoming more and more apparent to her that just because they slept together didn't mean it meant anything to Sebastian. After the first time they had made love Annette knew that he truly loved her but now she realized the guy staring back at her wasn't that same guy. Things were much different.
"I'd invite you to come but you'd probably just be bored" Sebastian told her breaking the silence. "I'm going to leave in a few minutes but I can give you a ride home if you'd like."
She nodded as she got out of bed and started to get dressed. As she did she started to wonder if she made a huge mistake going to bed with Sebastian. Annette got the sneaking suspicion there might not even be a 'brunch thing' and he just wanted an excuse to get rid of her. The feeling made her stomach turn to think she was just another notch on his bed post. That was something she promised herself she would never become.
Turning around to face him suddenly she said "Sebastian..."
"Yeah?"
His eyes were cool and his expression bored. This was not her Sebastian staring back at her but a stranger. He didn't love her, he barely knew her. With a defeated sigh she told him "nothing I'm just going to finish getting changed then we can leave."
Going into the bathroom Annette turned the water on so he wouldn't be able to hear her cry. She thought if they slept together again he might remember something of their time together but she was mistaken. For a brief moment last night he looked at her like he had in the past but that look had vanished. As she wiped the tears falling down her face she almost laughed at the irony. All this time she was worried about Kathryn ruining what she had with Sebastian when the real person who destroyed it was herself.
Still even though things seemed grim there was a part of her that didn't want to give up on what they had so easily. Maybe with a little time Sebastian would remember or at the very least get to know her again. It was a long shot but it was all she had.
After she finished getting ready she came out and told him "I'm all set."
"Great" he said as he slipped on his jacket. "I just need my glasses."
As Sebastian was rummaging through his desk, screaming voices started to filter into the room from the hallway.
"Cecile, it was just sex. You're the one I want!"
"How could you have sex with her! I thought you loved me!"
Looking towards the door Sebastian sighed "that can't be good."
* * * * * *
Earlier that morning Kathryn awoke at the sound of a high pitched "oh my god!"
Sitting up suddenly in her alcove bed she looked over at Cecile standing in the doorway with a terror stricken face. The young girl was practically shaking as tears began to pour from her brown eyes. "Cecile?" Kathryn asked groggily. "It's ten o'clock in the morning what the hell do you want?"
Ronald, who had been sleeping beside her began to stir as well and when he spotted Cecile he sat up immediately. "Cecile, what are you doing here?"
Kathryn yawned "that's what I'm trying to find out."
"I came to speak to Kathryn. Ronald how could you?"
Grabbing for his pants Ronald seemed to get them on at warp speed. "Look Cecile this isn't what it looks like."
Her eyebrows shooting up Kathryn told him "speak for yourself. It's true Cecile isn't the brightest girl but even she knows what two people having sex looks like. God knows she's had enough practice."
"That's enough Kathryn" Ronald demanded coldly as he finished getting dressed. Looking back at Cecile who was still whimpering in the door way he pleaded "let me explain baby."
Shaking her head she spat "no, I can't believe I ever thought you loved me!"
"I do!"
"Oh please" Kathryn sighed rolling her eyes.
Cecile turned and ran out of the bedroom and Ronald called out to her "Cecile!"
Grabbing her robe Kathryn slipped it on as she instructed him "let her go. Just come back to bed and I promise we'll have a lot more fun."
Ronald however paid no attention to her and ran out yelling "Cecile, it was just sex. You're the one I want!"
Stopping in the hallway she turned to face him "how could you have sex with her! I thought you loved me!"
Listening to the bickering couple Kathryn rolled her eyes in disgust. God if she knew she was going to have to deal with these theatrics this early in the morning she never would have invited Ronald over. He wasn't even that good in bed. Still causing unrest among the happy couple gave her a thrill and helped her forget her shitty night.
However it came back to haunt her when Sebastian and Annette, now fully clothed came out of his bedroom to join them. "What's going on?" a concerned Annette asked.
"None of your business" Kathryn told her coldly as she glared at Sebastian.
Before Annette could reply Cecile stepped up suddenly. "No I want Annette to stay there's something I need to tell her...and Ronald."
"What?"
With a bored sigh Kathryn exclaimed "oh this should be enlightening."
Glaring coldly at the older brunette she told the group "yesterday at my parents party I saw Kathryn and Sebastian in the lake making out. Actually it looked like they were about to have sex."
That shut Kathryn up right quick as she looked quickly over at Sebastian and then to Ronald who was eying her suspicious. "Is that true? You had sex with your step brother?"
"No!" Kathryn yelled. "Cecile is obviously delusional."
Annette turned to Sebastian who was looking at everything but her. "Sebastian did you and Kathryn..."
"We did not have sex" he told her simply knowing it wasn't a lie.
"Well it sure looked like you were" Cecile huffed. "They were grouping and kissing-"
"Shut up you stupid cow!" Kathryn hissed at her menacingly.
"Now hold on a second this is all starting to make sense now" Ronald said turning around to Kathryn. "You and Sebastian were always together, he was always touching you, then he interrupts us that day in bed. How long has this been going on Kathryn?"
She looked over at Sebastian for a moment before explaining "nothing is going on between us anymore..."
"Anymore?" he repeated incredulously. "I can't believe this! You know what I'm sick of playing all these little games of yours. Now tell me the truth did you kiss Sebastian?"
Realizing this would be the perfect time to rub in Annette's face what happened between her and Sebastian Kathryn decided to tell the truth. Besides she could always get Ronald back if she needed to. "Yes I did" she replied softly.
Shaking his head he muttered "and you accuse Cecile of lying about it. You know I'm starting to think I never really knew you at all."
Turning away from her he started towards the door. "Ronald" Kathryn called out not really sure if she cared or not that he was leaving.
"I guess you don't win all the time do you Kathryn?" Cecile asked with a smug smile.
Glaring at her Kathryn grabbed her arm and told her "I'm going to make you pay dearly for that you little bitch."
She was going to drag her back to her room so she could pound the shit out of her but Annette suddenly intervened. "Let her go Kathryn. She did nothing wrong but tell the truth."
Annette pulled Kathryn back and Cecile broke free to go chasing after Ronald. Pulling from the blondes grasp she yelled "let go of me you freak! Your dyke friend Carly might enjoy that but I don't!"
"Knock it off Kathryn" Sebastian ordered her.
Ignoring Kathryn for the time being Annette turned her attention to Sebastian. "Why did you do it?" she asked softly.
He sighed "I don't know, it just happened."
"Oh come on Valmont you can do better than that" Kathryn chided.
"Shut up" he sneered. "Annette told me all about how you paid off Carly."
Kathryn wasn't terribly surprised she had figured it out and at the moment she didn't really care. Her expression icy cold she asked her step brother "did you tell Annette the real reason you went to bed with her last night?"
"What are you talking about?" Annette demanded.
"Well you see I promised to fuck Sebastian last night but when that fell threw I guess he took the runner up to bed instead."
Sebastian winced as Annette asked softly "is that true?"
When she got no response from him Annette turned to leave but he stopped her "wait Annette it wasn't like that."
She pulled away from him not angry but sad "you know what? I really need to be alone right now. Just do me a favor and stay away."
Annette walked away leaving the step siblings to watch her exit. Looking at Kathryn Sebastian sneered "well done sis."
"Fuck off" she hissed before strutting back to her room and slamming the door behind her.
A moment later Sebastian came in after her in full anger mode. "Why did you do it?"
Pulling a cigarette out she asked "do what?"
"Why were you so desperate to get Annette away from me that you paid someone ten thousand dollars to do it?"
"Well judging by what I walked in on last night I should probably ask for my money back don't you think."
Sebastian's body language changed slightly as he looked to the ground then back at her. "You saw us?"
"Yes" she responded with a cool smile. "I woke up and went to your room to offer myself to you when I saw you already had a replacement for the evening."
He shook his head "it wasn't like that. Annette came over to tell me what happened and...it was no big deal."
Kathryn could tell by the expression on his face that it wasn't like the first time he fucked Annette, it hadn't changed him. However to be sure she asked him "are you in love with her?"
"Don't be ridiculous" he spat. "I don't love anyone."
She snickered "yeah well that makes two of us."
There was a long pause of silence before Sebastian stepped forward and stroked her arms. "Kathryn" he sighed "this doesn't change anything..."
Kathryn looked into his blue eyes but before she could get pulled into them she glanced over at the fireplace where the remains of Sebastian's journal lay. As she recalled what he wrote about her a chill suddenly ran through her body. Looking back at him she pulled away and said "actually it does."
"What do you mean?"
"The thing of it is Sebastian I'm starting to grow bored with this whole thing."
"What whole thing?"
Walking towards the door she explained "you and me. Lets face it it's not like it's going anywhere and all it's doing is hindering our various conquests."
Sebastian stepped closer to her until she was firmly pressed up against the bedroom door. "That's bullshit and you know it" he sneered. "You just can't stand not being in control."
She chuckled darkly "if that what you need to believe to make yourself feel better go right ahead."
Kathryn brought her hands to his chest to push him away but Sebastian quickly grabbed her wrists and slammed them to the door behind her. Without another word he kissed her hard on the mouth. She squirmed against him and refused to give into him. Pulling away she warned "let go, trust me you don't want to make an enemy of me Sebastian."
He seemed to consider it a moment before finally backing off. When he did Kathryn opened the door for him to leave. "This isn't over" he said coldly.
"Yes it is, face it Sebastian you've now lost both girls."
- to be continued (Please Review)