When they got to Sebastian's, they stayed curled together for the majority of the day on the couch. But soon, 6:00 pm rolled around and Rylee had to start getting ready for her shift.

"Are you positive you want to go in tonight?" Sebastian asked gently. "You really don't have to rush back."

"I'm positive. I'm not going to let Michael control my life, that's what he wants." Rylee answered.

Sebastian nodded. "Well, I've got nothing else to do today. I was thinking I could come down and hang out tonight."

"Well you know I'd never say no to that," Rylee smiled, kissing him on the cheek as she got dressed, "but I don't want you to feel like you have to constantly be my security either."

"Ryles. You're stuck with me. I'm your security for life." Sebastian chuckled.

Rylee laughed in return, pausing her routine to close the distance between them and give him a deep, loving kiss. "Thank you for everything. For listening. For understanding. I love you."

"I love you too," Sebastian smiled, leaning back in for another kiss. Hearing her say that and being able to say it in return still sent a warmth through him.

Rylee finished getting ready in her usual Ruby's garb and they both walked down to the lobby and out to the street hand in hand. He opened her door for her before he closed it and hopped into the drivers side, pulling out into the surprisingly light traffic.

Soon after, both Sebastian and Rylee arrived at Ruby's, a good bit earlier than Rylee normally did for her shifts. She wanted time to talk to Johnny before she started work, to explain herself and the situation. Her and Sebastian sat down with him in his small office beside the kitchen.

Rylee didn't go into terrible detail about hers and Michael's relationship like she did when she talked with Sebastian, but Johnny was now aware that Michael was an abusive ex boyfriend who had a PFA against him and was now back on the radar after 4 years.

"Rylee I am so sorry. I totally would've socked that guy on Thursday." Johnny sighed.

"It's okay, you didn't know. The PFA has been void so it's not like he technically did anything illegal by coming here."

"Well, I remember what he looks like. So I'll man the door tonight with Chuck and make sure he doesn't come waltzing in. And I'll let everyone know that no ones to go out back alone. I'll start having security do double shifts so there's two of them here."

"You don't have to do all that Johnny-"

"Girl, yes I do. One, it's you. You don't deserve to live in fear over some asshat. And two, it's the safety of everyone else as well. Once an abuser, always an abuser in my opinion. Who's to say he won't try to hurt someone else. And I know Sebastian said he's hanging out tonight, but he can't be here every night. If this is how I can help, then so be it."

Sebastian stood up and started to shake Johnny's hand but pulled him into a hug instead. "Thank you for doing this, it means a lot."

"Absolutely man, we all have each others backs here."

Rylee gave Johnny a hug, thanking him as well.

Sebastian and Rylee walked out of his office and Sebastian perched himself on a stool at Rylee's end of the bar. She cracked him open a Heineken handing it to him with a kiss met over the bar between them.

Alexa walked in and saw Rylee. She immediately ran over and embraced her tightly. "How are you?" She whispered in her ear.

"I'm doing okay," Rylee replied back, "Johnny's beefing up security, which I told him was unnecessary but it's still a relief honestly."

"I'm glad Sebastian's here too," Alexa commented, "he's a great guy."

"He really is." Rylee said as she looked at him from down the bar. He was texting someone at that exact moment but he must've felt her looking at him because he looked up and sent her a smile and a wink.

"So what are you going to do now?" Alexa asked in a whisper.

"Not honestly sure. Just trying to move on. If he comes around again and a PFAs got to happen again or something than so be it." Rylee shrugged. She was still sick to her stomach about it all but she tried to shake it off.

"You know, you're allowed to not be okay," Alexa stated taking her hand in hers gently but seriously.

"I know. I mean I'm definitely feeling some kinda way about it. But I'm coping."

"Well we'll make sure you stay safe any way we can." Alexa said, hugging her tightly again.

——————————

A few hours into the night, Rylee looked up and was surprised to see Chris and Anthony walking in the door, even if they tried to be incognito, she could always pick them out of a crowd. They were followed in by another man that Rylee didn't know. Rylee looked at Sebastian and nodded in their direction to acknowledge them coming in. As he turned around his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he located at what she was nodding towards. His face relaxed as he realized who it was and greeted them.

"I didn't realize you guys were coming." Sebastian said as he brought Chris in for a hug and then Anthony and then the other man.

"Of course, you mentioned you were here so why not." Chris added.

"Rylee, this is Daniel Bruhl. Daniel this is my girlfriend, Rylee Summers." Sebastian stood to the side so they could shake hands. Rylee's heart skipped a beat when she heard the word girlfriend leave Sebastian's lips. It was one of the first times she heard it and it gave her butterflies.

"Wanna start a game of pool?" Anthony pointed his thumb behind him towards the empty pool table.

"Nah you guys go ahead, I'm gonna stay over here tonight, keep Rylee company." Sebastian smiled, but not quite fully. He hadn't told them about what happened. He didn't want to take his eyes off her tonight. He was still antsy about everything that happened, especially since he wasn't really home for any of it.

Sebastian turned back towards the bar as Anthony and Daniel headed for an open pool table. Chris came over and sat down next to Sebastian.

"Hey man, everything okay? You seem off your game." Chris questioned lightly.

Sebastian looked over at Chris and then down the bar. Rylee was working away in the middle of the bar, chipping away at the queue that had formed with the 10 o'clock crowd. He turned back towards Chris and hesitated, debating on telling him.

"I'm not sure what Lex has mentioned, but some things happened to Rylee over the last couple days... ugh. Fuck. Just. Hold on. Follow me." He decided he was going to tell him, at least the minimum so he was filled in, but he didn't want to talk about it out here.

Him and Chris walked to the men's restroom, where Sebastian dead bolted the door behind them when they entered. No one ever really used the men's restroom anyway so he didn't think too many people would be put out if they used it for a couple minutes.

Sebastian leaned against one of the walls, crossing his ankles as well as crossing his arms. Chris hopped up onto the abnormally large table that was used to hold a basket of paper towels. "What's going on man? I'm not gonna lie, you've kinda got me freaked out."

Sebastian leaned his head back for a moment, sucking in a deep breath, "None of this leaves this room. Rylee will probably explain this to you herself in time but I feel like it would be beneficial for you to know."

Chris waited patiently for Sebastian to continue, confused as could be.

"Rylee had an extremely abusive ex-boyfriend back in Pittsburgh. Jail time, PFA, and all. Like the whole fucking nine yards, to the point that he almost killed her for trying to move out of their shared apartment," Sebastian paused, as Rylee had for him, to let that information sink in. Chris was shocked to say the least, he looked like he had a million questions but he let Sebastian continue.

"I guess on Thursday..." Sebastian had to stop. It still brought up so many different emotions. Anger towards Michael. sadness for Rylee. And guilt...for not being there when it happened. "On Thursday he came by and left her a phone charger. Specifically the one he tried to strangle her with..."

"Holy shit Seb. What the fuck."

"Then Friday night, he showed up here...out back. And he gr-" he had to stop again, he leaned down and put his head in his hands for a moment. He crouched down, putting his arms on top of his knees. "He grabbed her and told her I was just using her as some fuck toy and she should go back with him. She told him no and he slapped her and said he'd see her again before he left."

Sebastian didn't realize that quiet tears had started to roll down his cheeks until Chris was down on the ground next to him, consoling him.

"Shit man, that's awful. And to Rylee of all people..."

"I know. And I wasn't here Chris. I was stuck in fucking Georgia with all those delays. I was supposed to be back Thursday...I could've..."Sebastian ran both his hands into his hair, grabbing and holding onto it, his sentence dying off.

"Seb. Even if you were here there's nothing you could've done." Chris stated as he put his hand on Sebastian's back, "this guy sounds like a sociopath...he would've showed up whether you were here or not. But when it's all said and done, there will be times when you aren't glued together at the hip, times when you're not there. Or she's alone. Life happens but luckily you have each other to get through this."

Sebastian laughed to himself, wiping away a stray tear, "You should be a speech writer or something. How the fuck did you end up acting?"

"Couldn't waste this pretty face, now, could I?" Chris laughed in response, giving him two big pats on the back and then offering him a hand to help stand back up.

"Honestly though. All of this will work out. You two are some of the strongest people I know." Chris tacked on.

"I just wish there was more that I could do..." Sebastian sighed, rubbing his face to get rid of any sign of the tears that had just occurred and running his hands through his hair to try and fix it.

"Being there for her is all she needs right now. Love her...That's what she needs." Chris said, dusting off Sebastian's shirt.

"Yeah. Thanks, Chris. Honestly. I appreciate it." Sebastian brought Chris in for a hug.

"No problem man. I'm here every step of the way. Anything you guys need, I'm here," Chris added as they separated, "Now, let's go get a beer and try to relax."

Sebastian nodded and unlocked the door, opening it to see no one waiting to get in, which he was grateful for.

Him and Chris made their way back to their seats on the other end of the bar. Rylee finally got a moment to breathe as the customers spread throughout the bar and she was down at her normal end, where the boys sat.

"Ah you're back," Rylee smiled, "boy powwow in the bathroom?"

Sebastian froze for a moment, afraid she would be upset that he told Chris, but Chris busted in quickly, laughing and said "You know us ladies, always going to the bathroom in pairs."

Rylee laughed as well as she got Chris a Sam Adams and Sebastian another Heineken. They both tapped the lips of their bottles together and simultaneously took swigs.