Shadows In Durango

Chapter 98

*****Sofia's POV*****

With my phone clutched tightly in my hand, displaying only thirty percent battery, I quickly google to see if any cafes in town were still open - where I could charge up before making my next move. Reaching up, I wipe at my wet cheek, before the search loads and I find one cafe nearby that closes at ten. Great, that gives me an hour and a half to figure out where to go from here...

I couldn't process what had happened back there, as every ounce of my body told me just to get up and run out of there before my father could show up - and so that's exactly what I did.

I kicked off my heels, changed in to a comfier tracksuit, jammed what I could in to my bag - including some cash - and left.

Vincent had been organising sneaky deals behind my back. Arranging a possible marriage between us without even having the decency to tell me about it!

He should have told me from the very beginning that he was even planning to contact my father. Sure, I wouldn't have liked the idea, but I trusted him enough to hear his reasons out.

It was an arranged marriage, just like the first time around - all done completely behind my back and against my will!

It was wrong...

The whole thing was wrong!

This explained a whole lot though, why Daryl had been so uptight and shitty with me, since he probably knew about it and didn't like the idea of us marrying himself - not that I had any say in it though!

But then again if Daryl really liked me like he claimed he did, then he would have told me about it instead of throwing it in my face at dinner just to be spiteful!

As for Vincent, I knew something had been keeping him on edge lately, and this must have been it.

His father was working with mine, and for how long, I didn't know? I couldn't trust any of them, not now, since the whole dinner could have been a complete set up for all I know!

But one solid fact remained, and that was that I couldn't go back to my father.

Not now, not ever.

I quicken my pace as I head down the dimly lit street, each step feeling heavier with the weight of everything I had just learned.

The cool night air bites down at my skin, but it does nothing to calm the storm swirling from inside me.

How could Vincent have done this to me? How could he keep something so huge from me? Especially after I just admitted to liking him only yesterday!

right to discuss any kind of deal with my father behind

sharp pang of betrayal hit my chest. Vincent, one of the few people I thought I could finally trust after everything that had happened to me,

he was trying to explain himself - the guilt, the desperation in his eyes. He'd been trying to manage the

and I swipe at it angrily. I can't let myself break down now. I need to keep moving. I need to stay in control of this situation for my

sign comes into view, and relief washes over me to see that it

to figure out what my next move is. The last thing I want is to be stranded out here with nowhere to go and

instantly, as I'm greeted by the smell of fresh coffee and the soft hum of quiet conversations from the few people still

peaceful in here, a world away from the chaos I had just left

and sit back, my mind racing. What am I going to do? I can't go back to Vincent's house. Not after what just happened. I can't trust him, and I definitely can't trust his family and there is no

life from the shadows,

he had ever been before, putting ties together through the use of Vincent and his father... two big

the hell had I managed to

on the table, the screen lighting up with an incoming

followed by messages from the three of them. I stare at it for a moment, my stomach twisting. I don't want

Not right now.

us for the complete experience all for free. The

hon! Can I get you a warm drink?" A waitress appears, snapping me from staring down at my

not wanting to be rude and seem as though I was only in to

second longer to eye me over, knowing that something was wrong but choosing to keep quiet on it - which

take a deep breath as she leaves me and I open up my maps app, searching

don't have a plan, and I feel like I'm barely holding it together, but I

which was the sad truth of it... but I should have seen it

what I can afford. I don't have money to splurge anymore,

of my screen, one from Emma,

you are, I promise! That whole thing was messed up and you

that I even felt on edge with Emma

a great friend who had kept so many secrets for me so far, right? She hadn't told anybody about Ashton showing up

had

to stare out of the window, watching the cars pass by on the street outside as

glow of the streetlights blurs as

so

the cafe opens, and the bell above it rings softly, pulling me from my