Page 166 of Demise

Wesley and Asher break apart, releasing each other as they tuck themselves away while Ronan’s eyes come to me. They are hardened but also full of sadness. Coming to stand beside me, he crouches down until he’s eye level with me before taking my hands in his.

“Baby…” he lets out a strangled breath as he shakes his head. “There was an incident.”

Instantly, my stomach turns. Worst case scenarios running through my head. Did someone discover my parents? Steph? Oh my God. Is Maggie okay?

“I just got a call. A body was found at one of the Walcott’s old storage warehouses in New York.”

I stare at him, doing my best to hold my anxiety at bay as he fumbles with his words.

“Who?” Asher asks.

Ronan winces, staring at the floor.

“Who was it?” Wesley asks.

Still, Ronan just shakes his head.

“Who Ronan?” I urge, my entire body beginning to shake.

His eyes come to me, so much sympathy, so much pain in them as he delivers five of the most horrible words I have ever, and will ever hear in my life.

“It was Vincent…he’s gone.”

My body goes numb as I stare at him, my brain struggling to make sense of what my ears just heard. He’s gone? Gone where?

“Christ,” Liam chokes as Asher wraps his arm around him and Wesley runs his fingers through his hair with a sigh.

“Where did he go?” I ask, because I must be misunderstanding.

Ronan’s lips flatten as he speaks.

“He’s gone, baby. He died.”

I shake my head, pulling away from Ronan.

“No. No,” I say as I stand up and begin pacing. Ronan raises to his feet as he slowly approaches me.

I hold out my hand, keeping him back as I continue furiously shaking my head.

“No! NO! No, no, no,” I scream before my shouts turn to sobs.

Ronan wraps his arms around me, and I fight against him. Beating on his chest, I attempt to push him away, but he only holds me closer.

“NO! You don’t say that to me! You don’t tell me this kind of shit! No!” I sob, my gut wrenching as I scream.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry,” Ronan says, his voice breaking as he speaks into my ear.

“NOO! No, not Vincent. No. He can’t be gone. He can’t. He—” my voice breaks off into wails of despair as my fight gives out along with my legs.

I collapse to the floor, curling myself into a ball and Ronan follows me, dragging me into his lap as I feel my heart physically breaking. Pain like this, so deep, so visceral…it’s consuming me whole.

“No,” I whisper.

I stand there numbly. The rain is pouring down on us, almost turning to snow, but I don’t feel it. I don’t feel anything as I stand in the cemetery on campus, staring at the gravestone beside his parents.

Vincent Griggs

March 26th,2003 – February 1st,2025

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