Shadows In Durango

*****Sofia's POV*****

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Vincent spits in distaste, as the warmth in my stomach quickly diminishes.

"Vincent watch it! I've been fair with you, don't give the poor girl grief!" Mr Stanley warns with a point of his finger, as Vincent pauses to think before offering a stiff nod.

I shuffle from foot to foot, no doubt looking like a deer caught in headlights, considering that he was the last person I expected to find in here...

"Sofia is it? What is your second name?" Mr Stanley pushes, grabbing his small notepad from his back pocket.

"Sofia Isabella." I whisper, feeling increasingly hot under Vincent's scorching gaze.

"Great Sofia, I'll sign you in and I'll be back in an hour to check in since I have a class to take right now. I fully expect Vincent here to be on his best behaviour and if you have any issues please feel free to pass them on to me." Mr Stanley states, eyeing Vincent warningly before moving to exit - as I had to fight back the urge in me to scream at him not to leave me here alone.

Being alone in a storage room for an hour with Vincent seemed like literal hell.

He clearly hated me, for whatever reason I don't know, but at the same time he would often confuse the hell out of me...

The second the door closed, leaving us both completely

alone, I couldn't help but think that this must be how it feels to be left alone with a psychopath... on edge and terrified of their next move at all times.

Although, this was the same guy who granted me a job here in town, as fucked up and as twisted as it seemed...

I couldn't ever read him or work him out.

He was impossible.

"I'm starting to think that you're stalking me?" Vincent begins, leaning on a shelf rack casually as I remain planted by the door - knowing that if I had to escape it would still be possible...

"I... no... I decided to drop out of Physical Ed after what happened yesterday!" I blunder out, like a desperate fool trying to get approval from him.

Vincent eyes me, his features emotionless as he always takes his time to respond - leaving each moment between our exchanges almost agonising to bare.

"Why? I told that bitch to leave you alone! You don't have to hide from her!" Vincent states as though that should have been the problem squashed.

"No I don't enjoy the class in general... even the teacher... it's just not a great fit for me." I whisper out an explanation, as he rolls his eyes and mutters something from under his breath.

"So you end up stuck in here with me? Because unlike you, I got kicked out of my last class and need to do this now instead without a choice!" He sneers, as though I was an idiot for opting to be here when to him it was a punishment.

I sigh, rubbing a hand up my arm for comfort, not really knowing what to do or say next. I wouldn't offer to leave and go back to class, there was no way, I would rather be stuck here with him over going back there!

"Maybe I could swap over to doing laundry instead for next time?" I suggest, trying to make a compromise as he seems somewhat surprised by the offer.

He stands back upright, glancing around at the dusty boxed room, before throwing his head back with a groan.

"Maybe you should. But today you'll just need to stay here and help!" He states firmly, turning to grab a large box from the shelf to place it on the desk in the centre of the room.

"Just tell me what to do... and I'll stay out of your way." I offer softly, intertwining my fingers to ease my anxiety.

He always had me on edge, and I didn't enjoy how unpredictable his moods were either...

"There's some print outs over there with what each class needs delivered on Monday, you can start sorting the stuff in to boxes for them." He points to the corner with a stack of papers as I nod and move around him cautiously to reach it.

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Time moves slow, and the silence between us both only grows more uncomfortable by the minute as we both remain quiet to do our job.

Just when I think that the entirety of my time here will go on like this, Vincent speaks out once again.

"Whilst I remember, what the fuck happened to my lunch orders?!" Vincent demands, as my hands tremble at the sudden confrontation.

"Oh, that, well uh, Daryl told me to stop... b-but I can do it again if you want me to?" I turn to face him, finding an amused glint in his eyes now.

He uses a knife to rip open the tape of another order, forcing me to watch him perform the swift motion - before placing it aside to use his hands to remove the contents - his tattooed muscles flexing under his tight fitting black tee. "You'll just do whatever I say won't you?" He glances up to me, his eyes piercing in to my own as a test of my defiance.

But right now, all I could do was nod.

"Because you're a good girl." He smirks, as I remain still, feeling the sweat begin to build on my forehead at the intensity of our exchange. Why did he have such a hold over me...

"Maybe I'll just keep you around you know?" He ponders, continuing to open packages and moving to sort the contents in to piles.

I chew my lip anxiously, unsure of whether to speak or not but knowing that even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know what to say back to him.

"Because that ass of yours is actually pretty fucking decent to stare at during this... the way you bend over to sort out those boxes... I reckon that I could make some use out of you after all." Vincent concludes, watching me with each word for a reaction. His words hit me like a gut punch, as I don't even react due to the utter shock I was experiencing...

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Did I just hear him right? Why is he trying so desperately to hurt my feelings? As if he would ever be attracted to the likes of me? Not in a million years!

"P-Please..." I find myself saying, as my eyes brim with sudden tears that stem from how overwhelming it was to be stuck in the same room as him for this long.

"Please what? Bend you over and fuck you? I can practically smell how fucking hot and bothered I make you... poor thing... I bet you've never even been touched before have you? Ever been kissed?" Vincent presses on, his tone arrogant and somewhat flirty.

The first tear spills, not because I was scared, but because I felt embarrassed.

I must look utterly desperate to him, as though I'm over here trying to bend over and get his attention... the way I was staring as he unboxed the items must have looked needy and desperate too.

He must be laughing on the inside, knowing that I would never have a chance with the likes of somebody on his level.

Maybe in my old life... before everything went to shit... I was normal back then and took better care of myself and my appearance.

Now I was just a shell of a person, knowing how it felt to be an outsider who was bullied and laughed at regularly.

"I don't mean to make you cry." Vincent suddenly stops in his actions, placing everything aside as he leans his hands on the table with a blank stare.

I remain silent.

"It was a joke. I was trying to lighten the mood because it was awkward. I was a dick earlier, you don't have to swap to laundry you can stay here." He explains, as I nod slowly.

That was just it, this was all just a joke to him.

My feelings were a joke.