Shadows In Durango

Chapter 124

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

I couldn't breathe.

For the first time since the night I had left this very home, Vincent's home, my emotions were now taking a toll on me after what he did...

Perhaps with Ashton holding me hostage, I had been too distracted with fighting for my life that I hadn't had the time to fully address the deeper emotions that still lay hidden beneath the surface - meaning the whole situation with Vincent and my father.

Being here, now stuck with Vincent alone in his car, was fully resurfacing everything all at once for me and my thoughts flew recklessly to process it all...

The car walls felt as though they were closing in, the weight of Vincent's words only seeming to piss me off more in my heightened state.

Every ounce of trust I had in him was now shattered, slipping through my fingers like sand, and somehow, I still wanted him to somehow fix this - as though it could all just simply be erased.

But it wasn't that easy... I knew that.

He had gone behind my back on the worst possible thing he could have.

He had spoken to the one person I didn't ever want him to.

I wanted to scream at him, to cry, to demand more answers - ones that I already knew wouldn't even make a difference to how I felt right now.

Vincent had tried to justify his actions, tried to convince me that it was all for my own safety, but what he didn't understand what he couldn't understand - was how deeply his betrayal actually did cut me.

type of evil man he was so willingly dealing

times had I been made to feel powerless, like my choices didn't matter? Like my very own future didn't

come to care about beneath the layers of control and strength he always wore. The same eighteen year old boy who, like me, had grown up in a world of chaos and violence and wanted to

that alone wasn't enough for me. Not

could easily fix all of this, Vincent? After everything I've told you about him too, how could

catches up to you and makes you suffer... all you've done with this, has helped to bring him even closer to me!" I seethe, reminding myself of how dangerous this whole thing was quickly becoming. Vincent looked like he wanted to argue back on that, to explain himself again, but

could actually trust you," I said in a scoff, my voice breaking. "You were the first guy I've ever fully let in about my past. The first person who made me feel like I wasn't alone in this terrible nightmare. That I felt safe and protected

The

do fucking anything to keep you safe, do you even realise that?! Especially from him! None of that has changed! I just went about it all completely wrong

"You walked in to this blind, thinking that you

a friendly reminder that if you're not reading this book on nel5s.org, you might be missing out on the

time they

still remained in the car, none of us feeling

to finally get somewhere? To feel that we had reached an agreeable conclusion? But right now, I couldn't see one forming anytime

here making major life choices for me and I get zero say in my own future, surely

softly, his dark tattooed hand reaching out again, tentative and this time, I felt drained and allowed for him to make contact, lacing his fingers in

so deeply sorry for how much it's hurt you... but if you would be willing, I would love to explain everything to you from start to finish, we can go inside and fully talk this out, and after that you can decide if you still want to talk to me again or not, but please just hear me out first?" Ashton squeezes my hand, pleading with me for a chance that I now felt he was at least

gone above and beyond to help me out these past few weeks, so

done... this was

and finally sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. "Fine," I whispered, not because I was ready to forgive, but

needed to

that everything will be great again after." I remain firm, knowing that I have to protect myself right now first and

He quickly got out of the