Shadows In Durango

*****Vincent's POV*****

Taking a seat in the living area, I click through the TV channels - not actually taking in anything on the screen, floating in a trance like state.

It had been two hours since the incident, and the room smelled like strong bleach after the cleaner had came quickly to deal with Sofia's throw up.

It didn't take long for Daryl to enter the room, holding a bag of frozen peas to his cheek which causes for me to smirk - must've got him good with one of my hits if he's resorted to the peas... "Quit smiling dickhead, this shit isn't funny!" Daryl complains, sinking down into the furthest away chair in the room to avoid being near me completely.

Immature...

"Enough of this behaviour, we need to get it together once and for all!" I decide to be the bigger person, hitting the red button to turn off the TV all together, gaining his full attention now. "But I still stand by what I said, you shouldn't be getting the girl involved in business." Daryl shrugs, as I sigh heavily.

Putting it like that, I could understand what he was getting at, but I had already thought it through more than he knew.

"Do you seriously think for a minute that I would just take her along with me for the exchange? In amongst all of those guys?!" I question him in disbelief that he thinks I would be so careless. Another shrug from him almost sends me over the edge but instead I suck in a heavy intake of air to help calm my temper as best I can.

"I wanted her to be close to me but certainly not that fucking close. I would've kept her back at the hotel whilst I wrapped up the exchange. Figured it would be good to take her out somewhere different after everything that's happened, see another city." I grumble, annoyed that I even have to explain myself to him as he glowers back at me.

"So you're seriously telling me that you didn't just want some alone time with her to fuck?" Daryl mocks, evidently in a childish huff that I was wanting to take his crush away for a few days.

This needs to end - little does he know I was already one step closer to fucking her than what he was, but I wouldn't out Sofia's business like that!

"Maybe I was being selfish and maybe I did just want to spend some time with her. Is it so hard to believe that I genuinely like the girl?!" I argue back, knowing that he was silently judging me due to my past choices whenever it came to females.

"Well actually Vin, it is hard for me to believe - yes! You aren't the committed relationship type and that's exactly what Sofia needs, not some fuck boy!" Daryl continues, bugging me as I rub a hand over my rough chin in an attempt to suppress my anger.

"Who are you to decide what Sofia needs? Why don't we just let Sofia decide for herself? It's very clear at this point that we both like the same fucking girl! There's not much we can do about that other than to let the girl choose for herself." My words are direct, addressing the elephant in the room.

The real problem is, and always will be, that we both like and want to be with Sofia. Daryl was the sweetheart and I was an ass at the best of times, but I've been trying with her.

Deep down I don't think I would handle Daryl winning her over me, not this time, not with her.

She's different... my feelings for her are different.

"How can we let her choose when you're dragging her off for a few days? How is that a fair game?!" He retorts, his jealousy getting the better of him now.

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He was threatened, clearly, but that only made me more pissed.

"Look Daryl, drop the fucking bullshit now! How many girls have gone off with you in the past because I was an asshole to them? Hmm? How fucking many?!" I suddenly stand, as does he before I proceed:

"Exactly! You don't even have any words because you know that I'm right! Diana, Victoria, Kelsie... the list goes on! You swoop in like the knight and shining armour because I treated them all like shit and suddenly they fall for you. You're always the good guy so why this time are you so damn threatened about me?!" My voice grows louder with each passing sentence, as Daryl for the first time looks lost for words.

We stand at either side of the space, both breathing heavily and wound up by one another - the bag of frozen peas now lying on the floor between us.

He was my best friend, that wouldn't change, but in this scenario he was quickly becoming my enemy.

"Are you two both done?!" We crank our heads towards the door as Selene enters, nurse bag and coat in hand.

We remain quiet, waiting for her to give us an update on how Sofia is, as she all but sighs heavily and begins to pull on her jacket.

"The girl is going to be fine. I want you both to take turns at sitting in the room with her as she rests tonight. She should be fine to move around tomorrow after she gets a good rest. Now the only way she will get a good rest is if you two stop bickering and pull your big boy pants up! Do you understand?" Selene lectures, as we both nod once in agreement as she eyes us both warningly.

She was right... we have to put this behind us.

"I've left a cream for the bruises and pain killers to be taken every 4 hours on the bedside table, if anything changes and she starts to feel any worse, you can just call." Selene concludes, as I make a move to walk her out. "Thank you, I'll transfer you the money over for your time." I nod quickly, as she offers me a lazy smile.

"Take good care of that poor girl, she's precious!" She warns, studying me over before looking down the hallway to catch eyes with Daryl who nods too.

Waving her off, before closing the door, I turn back to meet my match - both stood at either end of the hallway now as though we were preparing to battle. "Who's going first?" I grumble, my tone now bored and lost for energy.

"You go, we can do two hours each." He surprises me by offering me the first slot, as I nod and immediately head for the stairs.

At least he was being mature about this!

Leaving Daryl behind felt like a weight being lifted from my shoulders. He was an unnecessary stress that I didn't need to handle on top of tomorrow's trip - which I wasn't even sure if Sofia would manage now or not. She may be too sore to travel and fly and if so, I would need to make a call to my father to delay the plans for later in the week which would send him into a fury... but it would be worth it.

Would I hell be leaving her behind for Daryl to swoop in and play the good guy whilst I'm gone - I've done that one too many times before to know better!

The only difference this time around was that I actually cared for Sofia more than he even knew.

I needed her to be mine and I would make that happen one way or another...