Page 115 of Demise

“Thank you for not putting me through the hell of losing you. Thank you for not putting Asher through the same. Thank you for not surrendering one of the loves of my life. Thank you for being selfish, for me.”

His breaths are deep but more measured this time as he speaks.

“I don’t know how to live with this…this guilt. This pain. I…I see her eyes, her face. Even when I blink, she’s there.”

I nod my understanding, though I truly can’t understand until I’ve lived through what he has.

“You’ll learn how to, and we will be here by your side to help you through it. All of us.”

He nods as he holds me closer, burrowing his head into me before falling into a heavy sleep. I lay there for several hours, running my fingers through his hair, whispering reassurances, telling him how much I love him, and he sleeps, deeply.

I glance at the clock on the wall and decide I have to get up now if I’m going to make it to brunch with Liam’s mom on time. I don’t know how I got roped into that, but here I am.

Carefully, I slide out of bed, thankful Liam doesn’t even stir as I slip out of the room, closing the door with a soft snick.Tiptoeing my way to my bedroom, I find it empty. Vincent must already be up somewhere.

Moving to my closet, I select a turtleneck sweater dress and a pair of tights with over the knee boots. Liam’s mother is definitely a judgmental one, so looking my best has to be a priority. Though, does it really matter if she likes me or not? She’s literally trying to marry off my boyfriend to my best friend’s girlfriend.

Still, I want to make a good impression because maybe, one day, things can be in the open, and if that day comes, I don’t want my boyfriend’s mother to hate me.

I flat iron my hair, do a respectable amount of makeup while keeping it neutral before grabbing my designer sunglasses and stepping out the bedroom door, running straight into Vincent.

“Oh, there you are.”

“Where are you off to looking like that?” Vincent asks, his eyes running up and down my body.

“I think what you meant to say is, ‘Wow, Skyla. You look beautiful this morning.’”

He lifts an unimpressed brow.

“Wow, Skyla. You look beautiful every morning. Now, where do you think you’re going?”

“The country club. Liam’s mom invited me to brunch, well, told me to go to brunch with her.”

Vincent frowns. “I’m coming.”

I laugh at that before I see that he’s being serious.

“You can’t.”

“Yes, I can.”

“No, you cannot invite yourself to have brunch with us, Vincent.”

He rolls his eyes like I’m being unreasonable.

“I’ll sit a few tables away, don’t worry. You can still try to schmooze the wicked bitch of the northeast.”

I frown at that. “Is she really that bad?”

He laughs, actually laughs. Vincent never laughs. Suddenly, all of my nerves are on edge as he nods.

“She’s essentially the only matriarch left in the Elders…apart from you. Does that answer your question?”

Unfortunately, yes.

Lovely.

Liam always talks so highly of her. Well, now that I think about it, highly isn’t exactly the word I’d use. More like he doesn’t hate her like he does his dad, so I guess I just assumed she was a good person. My mistake, I suppose.

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