Chapter 7—

The sky is mocking me. With its blank slate, its perfect darkness, its unmarked surface.

I hear a bell methodically ring in the distance and I know it's three a.m. now. And I am alone.

Church bells. Cathedral bells. It's funny how a part of the church still has a hold of me. It's taken time out of my grasp and has thrust it back into my cold calculating hands with words, with a definitive control.

A breeze floats atop of me and I close my eyes just for a second, feeling the wisps against my ears. I relish the sound it makes. And once again the remainder of the day's heat is in the air again, taking hold of me once again.

I used to be able to hear Sebastian's heartbeat in my ears, the thuds it would make in each second no matter how close or far apart we were. I never lost the pattern, the certainty of knowing when his next heartbeat was going to be. All I can hear now though is the air surrounding me and the occasional breeze.

We've disconnected. The tie has snapped.

And I can no longer see myself. Mirrors no longer exist.

With this last thought, this last admittance, I feel a single tear begin to trail itself down my cheek. And with as much as I can muster from within, I try to turn the droplet to ice.

I am a failure.

Sign here please.

What are you doing?

Where are you going?

I want what's mine.

So you give up?

Are you running?

Stop!

"Kathryn" someone whispers in my ear.

I remain still.

A hand runs through my hair and I feel hot air on my forehead.

Soon, a finger traces the remnants of what I can only imagine as the tear that had come from my eye.

He sighs and lightly touches my cheeks with his right knuckles.

I feel him lift my left hand and place it on his chest, where his heart is.

And I instantly start memorizing the pattern again, let the beats resonate through my head until I have the pattern memorized again.

"You're awake Kathryn. I can see the extremely faint lines on your forehead. You're focused on something. Just open your eyes."

I remain still.

"Let go. Just please… let go. I'm tired Kathryn. I'm going to pass out soon if you don't open your eyes."

He hear him shift and can feel his face millimeters away from mine and feel his forehead press against mine. His other hand touches the weakest spot in my body and I can't help but flinch.

Fucking bastard. He wasn't playing fair.

And despite myself, my eyes flash open and I can see every detail in his eyes. Exhaustion is staring at me.

"We can't be owned Sebastian."

He smirks knowingly.

"I know."

"We are bound to each other."

"I know. Can you quit stating the obvious?" he says irritatingly.

I grab him where it hurts and pinched.

His eyes narrow but he remains silent.

"I was getting to a point."

"Fine."

I release him and feel his pulse slow back to normal.

"But despite everything, you're still mine. And I'm still yours. Yes, I'm yours. Don't be so surprised. I've been yours and you know it. We are however still individuals. No matter what we are now. No matter the changes we've undertaken. We are still… us. Do you understand?"

He stays quiet for a while and searches my eyes for something. And I let him. I let him figure it out because I sure as hell couldn't at this moment.

And with a tilt of the head, our worlds collide once more.

--