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Chapter 37

ELVINA

I made an effort to approach Canton, my steps hesitant.

He was perched on the ledge of the rooftop, a bottle of bourbon on his hand and his legs hung loosely in the air.

I let out a sigh and took a seat next to him in silence.

"I gave him a chance" he muttered, his lips softly pressed against the bottle's opening.

The faint breeze of the night, along with Canton's words, sent a shiver down my spine.

"He didn't deserve it" I mumbled.

Canton shrugged, looking defeated. "I had hope in the person I-" he reconsidered his words "..in this person"
He took a sip from his drink.

"Don't shame yourself for loving him. You couldn't have possibly known" I said, my voice gentle.

Canton's grip on his bottle tightened "I hate him" his jaw clenched. "I hate him but I don't. Do you understand?" He turned to me, his stare desperate.

I stared back at him knowing too well that the desperation on his eyes is the only piece of actual feeling I'm gonna see from him for a while.

Once the effects of the alcohol fade away, he will turn into an empty face with a heavy heart again.

"I understand" I clasped his hand in mine.

A sudden wave of anger passed through him. He looked furious. "He tried to kill you"

"He did" I uttered, not knowing how to comfort him.

Canton downed the rest of his bourbon and then threw it at the nothingness under him with force. "He tried to kill you!"

A second later and we heard the glass shatter on the ground, the sound filling the shocking silence that came after his outburst.

I gulped, my eyes glued at the far distance. "He tried to kill you, too, Cant.." my voice came out as a whisper.

"I do not give a single fuck about me. He could break my heart a million times. He could kill me again and again but-" he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "it crosses the line when someone lays a hand on my family" his face murderous and his voice excessively dark.

"Cant-"

"No." He interrupted me. "We've lost too much, Elvina. I can't afford to lose you too. Now, that would kill me. Losing you, would kill me. Not a bullet. Not him. Not anyone"

"But you didn't lose me. I'm right here. Okay? Don't drive yourself insane.."

"I failed at protecting you. I put him into our house. Into my bed. I put him into your world and it almost cost you your life"

"Stop beating yourself up for something you couldn't control. He manipulated you, Canton. He used your biggest weaknesses against you in order to make you vulnerable to him. He knew damn well where to hit. So, it wasn't your fault for falling for him. The same would happen to me too"

"Sometimes I wonder, you know" he scoffed bitterly, "who's the worst" he mumbled.

I sighed. "Tristian did his fair share of messed up things..."
I clenched my fists in frustration.
"..but he never intented on killing you. Or me."
I paused a bit in thought.
"He wanted to turn you into a killing machine but not kill you. I really make myself nauseous for saying that but despite everything...I think Tristian really loved you"

"Elvina"

"Yeah?"

"I'm tired" brief pause. "I'm so... tired"