In a Heartbeat (MxM)

Chapter 53

"I killed them Simon! Framed them and killed them! Had them murdered, disgraced their name. I hurt them, hurt you! Hurt my brother and my mother and everyone else, and for what?" He was hurting, despite shouting at me, I could tell it wasn't me he was yelling at. He was mad at himself, and as much as his words hurt me, my heart was breaking from just how terrified and angry he was. His voice broke, softer and breathier this time as he said, "for what? For something I did?"

I blinked. "Something you did?"

He shut his eyes, sighing loudly before responding, "the ring. I found his ring this morning."

"Ring?"

"My father's," he said. "His ring was there, Simon."

"What does this have to do with-"

"Everything," he cried. "Don't you see? Nobody had access to that chest, except me. This whole time it's been there, and it was me. I-I had killed him, Simon. "

"No, that's impossible, right?"

"I can't control my wolf, like most people. He could've taken over and done it." Even if that had been true, I doubted Vince wouldn't have had any recollection of it.

I gripped his hand in mine. "Could have. There's no proof, Vince. It could have been planted there."

He shook his hand out of mine. "I'm the only one with that key, who else could it be? Simon, I-I killed him didn't I?"

The anxiety was rolling off of him strongly, but I wasn't sure what to tell him anymore. I wasn't sure what would help him realize that I didn't believe him one bit. There was no way he could've done that to his father.

"He was right, they all were. It all was because of me, Simon. All of it. Oh, goddess," he cried, letting out a silent scream. "It should have been me. I had done it, I had done it."

I stepped forward, trying to steady my breathing, before placing a hand gently on the side of his head. "Vince, there's no proof, just stop and breathe."

"But what if it's true?" He whispered finally, pulling my hand away. "What would they think?"

"Why do you care so much about what they think?"

His expression hardened, before opening then closing his mouth like he didn't have the energy to say it. In fact, he looked so defeated. He scoffed before placing his head in his hands. He mumbled brokenly, "then...maybe we should just quit this. Forget this ever happened and go back to the way things were. Go back to whatever happiness you found and I'll suffer like I was supposed to."

I scoffed, wondering what the hell happened. Things were going well, or so I thought. What had changed? It was no longer that simple one step forward, two steps back. Now he was taking thirty steps back. I was happy here, I wanted to tell him. Just being near him was enough for me. I didn't want him to suffer, didn't want any more of it ever again.

And to go back to how it was before? Living like that, worrying about those douches, or how I'd be able to afford groceries or the room. I didn't want that at all, and I didn't want Vince to turn into someone I used to be.

Before I could even respond he was grabbing the letters, ripping them to pieces in a fitful rage.

"Vince?"

"They don't matter anymore," he seethed, picking up some from the ground to continue ripping them. I wanted to scoop him into my arms, but I feared what he'd do. I wanted to hold him and tell him that things were fine, that it would be okay. I wanted him to stop and just sit with me, relax for one night without worrying about anyone or anything. "What does it matter, anyway?"