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“Thank you,” I murmured and went back to eating my ice cream.
When we finished, he grabbed our bowls and threw them in a nearby garbage can.
He came back toward me and held out his hand.
I slipped my fingers in his, letting him pull me from the park bench. Looking around me, I still didn’t see anyone watching us but felt uneasy nonetheless.
“You good?” Vince asked, bringing our joined hands up to his mouth.
I nodded, watching as his lips brushed over my knuckles.
“You sure?”
“I am. Just a weird feeling. That’s all.” I pulled my hand from his and wrapped myself around his middle, needing his strength. I thought back to a time when we were kids and he would give me a hug. He would give all of us girls hugs, but saved me for last. When he had wrapped himself around me, his body would relax. I remembered once where his mouth had brushed ever so slightly against the side of my neck. I never thought anything of it and took it as just an accident, but I realize now that when it came to Vince and me, nothing was an accident.
“What kind of weird feeling?” he asked, leaning back and staring down at me.
I laughed at the deep frown etched between his brows. “Nothing bad. Just weird.” But even I couldn’t be sure if that was the case or not. I needed to reassure him that everything was in fact fine because it wasn’t like I could do anything about it anyway.
Vince searched my face but when I just stood there, he finally let out a huff and grabbed my hand. Even though I had attempted to reassure him that this feeling wasn’t a big deal, he kept my hand tight in his. We walked until a café came into view.
My stomach twisted, remembering Meadow telling me what had happened outside of it. We stopped in front of a cross that was directly across from the café.
“I haven’t been here in a while,” I told Vince, staring down at the shrine made for Sunny.
“Do your sister and Shade come here often?”
“I don’t know.” Getting an idea, I looked across the street. “I’ll be back.” Making sure no cars were coming, I ran across the street to one of the stores. When I found what I was looking for, I purchased it and joined Vince back at the shrine. “Meadow told me that she comes and collects the stuff once a month. People are good about not stealing anything. For the most part anyway.” I placed the small teddy bear at the base of the cross that someone had made for Sunny. It hurt my heart that I never had a chance to get to know him but knew just from what Meadow and Shade had told me, that he loved them with every inch of him.
“I never met him,” Vince finally said, pulling me from my thoughts. “I saw him in passing but it was only the once. At your party.”
That had been when Piper had gotten attacked. A tremor of unease rushed through me. “I try not to think about that night but every time I’m home alone and walk by her old room, I can’t help but remember what happened.”
Vince grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I know. Jaron saved her.”
I nodded.
“I would have done the same.”
I looked up at Vince then. “Really?”
“Yes.” His jaw was hard. “I think Jaron let him off easy.”
I hooked my arm in Vince’s, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Maybe. He’s paying for it though. He won’t even see his baby being born.”
“Hey.” Vince kissed the top of my head. “They’ll work it out. If they are meant to be, they’ll get through this.”
“Do you honestly believe that?” I asked, looking up at him.
“You don’t?” Vince searched my face, looking for a sign. Looking for something that I wasn’t sure I was ready to give him.
“I don’t know.” My chest suddenly felt tight. “Can we go? This is…this is starting to feel heavy.” And damn near suffocating.
“Fine.” Vince grabbed my hand and led me to the parking lot where he parked his car. The air between us became cold and unwanted. Something switched. Something that wasn’t for the better. I wasn’t sure why but maybe because I hadn’t outright agreed with him, it pissed him off.
“Vince?”
“What?”
