Reborn

Chapter Twenty Three

How could I be expected to concentrate on faking the grimoire and saving all our asses when all I could think about was the things that Vince had told me?

I felt closer to him than I had been before, but I couldn't stop thinking about the things he had said. When I had first been brought to London, my mood had been all over the place and I could never quite figure Shadow out. Even now, there had been the odd moment when I couldn't understand his reasoning behind things but now, I understood more than ever.

I owed him a huge apology for ever calling him a monster. All those times I'd thrown that word in his face thinking that's all he had been but he really hadn't had a choice. Only now was I truly seeing how psychotic Viktor had been.

Hearing that Shadow had a sister knocked me for six, however, because he had never mentioned her. Vince had promptly stopped speaking upon realising I hadn't known about Alessa and no amount of convincing could make him tell me a thing about her. If I wanted to know more, I would have to go to Shadow, he told me. I understood, I even agreed but I wasn't even sure when I was going to see Shadow again and the questions I had were filling my mind and making it impossible to think about anything else.

It had been three days since that day with Vince and I was more curious than ever.

"You are staring again." Marl suddenly spoke from the seat opposite me, causing me to turn to face him with a sheepish smile.

That hadn't been the first time Marl had caught me staring at Vince, though I found myself unable to stop. Nobody should ever have to go through the things that he had. I felt so much sympathy towards him because it obviously still played on his mind and I knew how dangerous that could be.

I really could relate.

"Staring at who?" Vince asked, raising his head. He was seated on the bed with his back against the wall, his legs outstretched as he read a book, barely haven spoken at all.

"You." Marl told him simply, a slight smile on his face.

Vince's eyes shifted over to meet mine and he winked. "I know I am attractive but you really shouldn't stare."

I stared at him flatly. "You're not funny."

He sighed, closing his book and placing it on the bedside table. "I did not tell you about my past so you could look at me like that."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just... I can't believe you both went through all that." I shook my head. All this time I thought my life had been a nightmare but Vince and Shadow had lived with someone who was far worse than my dad.

"If you want to give me a hug, you don't even have to ask," Vince then said, a playful grin on his face, holding out his arms. "I know you are dying to do so."

Smiling, I pushed away from the table and stood up. In mere seconds I straddling him on the bed, my arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.

"I'm so sorry you went through all that..." I lowered my voice, even though there really was no point seeing as Marl could hear every word anyway.

Vince placed his arms around me and sighed. "Do not pity me, Violet. There's no need to."

"I'm sorry," I pulled away from him, running my fingers through my hair. "I just-"

"Stop." He said, covering my mouth with his hand. Staring into my eyes, I saw a flicker of pain in his dark ones but it was gone as quick as it had arrived so I didn't comment on it. Not that he gave me the chance to because he started to speak again. "I am okay. If you are expecting me to break, you will be waiting an extremely long time. I've come to terms with my past."