The Darkness Within

"All of it"

Narrator POV

After Chelsea and Vincent had poured their hearts out to each other, they rested and watched a movie in bed together. Slowly falling asleep in each other's arms, all of their worries washed away, the bad memories they shared leaving as well. Without each other, neither could survive alone. Although they had found each other later in life, they knew they would spend the rest of their lives together. All they had to do was make it official.

Chelsea's POV

"I have an idea," I heard Vincent yell from the other room.

"What's that?" I ask as I turn the tv on beginning to eat a bowl of cereal.

"let's get married."

I put my spoon down and stand up walking into the room he was in. "Are you serious right now?"

"Yeah, I mean neither of us knows what the hell will happen in our crazy lives. So why not? I mean I just got shot, you got kidnapped, and honestly, I don't want to know what crazy thing happens next... so yeah, let's get married."

"Vincent, this isn't something you just jump into. I mean I don't even have a dress, you don't have a tux, my parents aren't here, we have no decorations -" I continue until he cuts me off "Chelsea listen to me, I love you and you love me. That's all we need. We can get married officially and hold a party later this year for everyone we want to celebrate with. What do you say?"

"This is crazy"

"Yeah, but can you see our life as anything else," he chuckles before grabbing my hand and getting on his knee.

"Chelsea Barlowe, will you do me the honor of having you as my wife?"

"Fuck it, hell yes I will!" he stands up and kisses me.

2 hours had passed and I picked out a nontraditional white dress and Vincent had picked out an incredible-looking suit. We got dressed in different rooms and planned to do a walkout together at the same time.

"On the count of three walk out, okay?" I yell throughout the house.

"Okay," Vincent replies.

"One, two, three." we count together and exit our rooms.

When I see him, I think about the moments leading up to this. Could I ever have predicted Vincent and I would be getting married let alone at a courthouse without any friends or family present? Absolutely not! I never even thought about being with someone other than Bradley until earlier this year. I wouldn't change a thing though. Although I don't generally believe in fate... I feel like this was meant to be.

"Wow, you look... wow" Vincent admires me as I walk into his arms.

"You look amazing too. Are you ready to do this?" I ask taking in a deep breath.

"Absolutely"

He grabs my hand and we walk out of the door and into our driveway. As we are about to enter the car Vincent gets a phone call. As his phone continues to ring, he doesn't grab it.

"Are you going to answer that?"

"Definitely not, we have way more important things going on." He says as he slowly walks me to the passenger side of the car. Before we get there, he spins me around and kisses me passionately on the lips.

Everything that happened next...I could have never predicted.

As if in slow motion, we turn around to face the street. I just remember a black car driving slowly, then a window rolling down. As I saw the front of a gun I attempted to duck behind the car. Vincent throwing himself in front of me, shielding me from the shooter. All I could focus on was his phone, still ringing loudly in his pocket. I heard gunshots ringing throughout my ears. The next thing I knew, we were on the ground, holding hands, Vincent dead, a single tear falling from his eye. His phone in his hand has Silas's name on the screen. As I lay there, a bullet through my stomach, I couldn't help think about the life Vincent and I could've lived, if only we had enough time. I imagined what our children would've looked like, where we would've lived, how happy we could've been, if only we had time. As I imagined these things, I slowly felt my eyes getting weaker. I gripped onto Vincent's cold hand and my eyes shut. The pain was gone...all of it.