Shadows In Durango

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

I lay on top of the bed beside Emma, us both staring up at the ceiling in a comforting silence. I had now calmed down from my earlier panic, but I still felt incredibly anxious and unsettled.

"My father could be on his way here for me right now for all I know..." I push the words out, as Emma cranks her head around to look at me.

"Don't think like that, we wouldn't let him take you!" Emma states firmly, her voice filled with conviction. "Vincent and Daryl certainly wouldn't either, you're in the best place!" she adds, trying to reassure me, though her words only make the knot in my stomach tighten.

I give her a small nod, appreciating her support, but deep down, the fear still lingers... My mind keeps drifting back to the moment that I saw him - Ashton - standing in the storage room at school.

His presence in town was like a shadow over everything, bringing with it memories that I thought I had buried long ago. But I couldn't tell Vincent, not yet. I didn't even know how he would react, and right now, I couldn't handle making things worse for anyone when he clearly already had a lot on his plate...

A soft knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts, and both Emma and I push ourselves to sit up, glancing towards it before the handle dips and the door opens.

"Sofia, can I speak to you alone for a minute?" Vincent's voice is firm but gentle as it enters the room with him, causing me to gulp.

How on earth will I be able to talk with him without telling him all about what happened to me today? But I knew it was selfish to pile this drama on...

Emma shoots me a knowing look, offering me a small smile before standing up. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," she says quietly, giving my hand a squeeze before slipping out of the room, leaving me alone with Vincent.

He steps inside, closing the door behind him as his eyes meet mine. There's a tension in the air between us, unspoken but thick, and I can already sense that he knows something is off.

"You alright?" he asks, his gaze softening as he moves closer to the bed. "Daryl and Reid told me you were upset earlier in the car but wouldn't tell them why?" He pushes, getting straight to the point as I feel my muscles tense under his scrutinising gaze.

I swallow hard, trying to keep my face neutral as I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Just... a tough day in school, that's all." I state, hinting to him that I didn't want to discuss it much further.

He raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Sofia, you don't have to lie to me. If something happened at school, you can tell me. Was it something someone said or did? Or was it because I sent you that text?" He tests, as my eyes widen at the last part.

"W-What no?! I know you have a lot going on..." I trail off, as he sighs at my words and looks away.

I feel the words on the tip of my tongue, the urge to confess everything to just tell him all about Ashton and the dread that came with seeing him again. But then I remember the way Vincent's temper flares when he feels like someone's threatening me.

This news would be more than just a threat to him at this point, especially after what we have already faced this past week.

So instead, I shrug meekly and add... "It's nothing, really. Just some drama I didn't want to get involved in."

Vincent watches me for a moment, his jaw clenching slightly as if he's debating whether to push the issue further or not. But after some time, he all but huffs and rubs a hand over his face, clearly deciding to let it go for now. "Alright," he says, though I can tell he's not satisfied with my answer. "But if it's something serious that I need to know, you'll tell me, right?" He looks me dead in the eyes next, sending a flood of guilt through me.

I nod quickly, hoping that he won't dig any deeper. "Of course." I lie, knowing that this was definitely serious, at least to me it was.

He stares at me for a second longer, then shakes his head as if to clear it. "Anyway, that's not the only reason I came up here. I need to talk to you about something important." He shifts slightly so that his body is turned more towards me as I perk up a little in anticipation of what it could be.

My stomach flips at the sudden seriousness in his tone. "Ok... well what is it?"

Vincent takes a steady breath before speaking, his eyes locking onto mine. "My parents are coming to visit tomorrow night. Both of them, and so you'll be meeting them."

I freeze, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest.

Meeting his parents?

The same parents he had told me about on our date?

The same parents he didn't have many kind words to say about?

I hadn't even thought about the idea of meeting his family yet, let alone so soon, especially since we weren't exactly a 'couple' of any sort.

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But I suppose it was technically their home that I had been living in...

The anxiety I had managed to push aside earlier comes rushing back all at once.

"What? Tomorrow?" I stammer, unable to hide my nerves. "I didn't know they were coming, will they be ok with me living here?!" I ramble, as he hushes me to calm down.

What if they meet me and demand that I leave? It was their property after all... and I was currently freeloading!

"I know," Vincent cuts in quickly, his voice softer now. "I'm sorry for springing this on you last minute, but I only just found out myself. My father's coming... and my mom, too and I just wanted to give you a heads-up because my father is keen to meet you." He ends, as I squint at him now.

Keen to meet me? But why?!

I blink, trying to process what he's telling me. Meeting his parents would be a big deal under any circumstances, but now? With everything that's been going on? It feels like the worst possible timing with this weird and heavy dynamic hanging over the house...

Maybe this was the reason why he was so stressed, finding out that his parents were coming at such short notice? That makes sense...

"I... I don't know what to say," I murmur, my mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. "What if they don't like me?"

"That's not going to happen. They don't get a say in who I have around, Sofia. They aren't even here most of the time anyhow. My father knows that I like you though, so he probably thinks we are a couple..." Vincent explains, his eyes holding something more to them, as though there was another thing he was desperately trying to avoid saying.

"Oh..." I reply, unsure of how else to respond.

We hadn't actually discussed what we were becoming, since before our trip I had been stuck between Daryl and him.

But most recently I knew, that deep down Daryl wasn't shaping himself to be the right fit for my life, at least not as a romantic partner - more so as a friend.

As guilty as it made me feel, having now felt like I lead him on, I knew that I favoured Vincent over him and I would have to admit that once and for all, sooner rather than later...

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Vincent hesitates for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. "My dad... he's intense, but he's helping me with a situation so I'll just have to put up with him for now. As for my mom..." He trails off, his whole face shifting to one of distaste. "Let's just say she's... immature with no class."

Vincent lets out a short, humorless laugh. "You'll see what I mean when you meet her. Just... don't let her get to you, alright? She's... well, she can be a bit of a bitch - jealous to put it into one word."

I bite my lip, unsure of what to make of that. Immature? No class? A bitch? That didn't sound promising at all...

Vincent must see the worry in my eyes because he reaches out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "Hey, it'll all be fine. I'll be right there with you the whole time. You won't have to face them alone."

His touch is warm and comforting, and for a moment, I feel the tension in my chest ease just slightly.

But the worry lingers, gnawing at the edges of my mind.

"Okay," I whisper, trying to muster up some confidence. "I'll put on a brave face, but only because I think that I'm really starting to like you Vincent." I finally admit, seeming to take him aback with my words. There, I finally said it...

It's him that I like...

Vincent's lips curve into a small smile, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes, with something almost guilty buried beneath them.

"That means a lot to hear you say that, I've really been trying. I don't think I've ever chased a girl like I have with you in my whole life you know?" He chuckles slightly as I smile.

"We can talk more tomorrow about what exactly this is between us, although I don't think Daryl will be too happy about it, since you know that he likes you too..." Vincent states, his expression seeming to find joy in that fact, which causes for me to roll my eyes at his childish reaction.

The choice was mine, I knew that, and I wanted to take my time to explore things with Vincent to see if a relationship between us could actually work out or not.

I nod, even though deep down, one concern still remained - Ashton was back in town - and no matter how hard I tried to live in my happy bubble, I was afraid that things were beginning to draw to an end here...

Tomorrow was going to be another test, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to face it on top of everything else...