Accepting a Loving Heart

Chapter 3: Dad and sons

Vincent's POV

I panted hard as I tried to keep my feet moving. The cramps in my legs seemed to be getting worse by the minute.

"I can't do this." I cried out, slumping down on the ground. Jared's blank face looked down at me.

"I am sorry." I said miserably as I tried to catch my breath and slow down my heart beat that seemed to be pulsing in my whole body. I felt like crying. I can't do this, my mind kept repeating. I wasn't like Luc or Jared. They were strong physically unlike me who grew up in the house with very little athletic activity.

"This is not for me." I told him, on the verge of breakdown. Jared crouched down before me, looking me in the eye.

"You decided it was for you the moment you set your heart on Luc, Vincent." He told me and I felt more miserable.

I bit my trembling lower lip at that.

"Get up!" He said as he stood up. His voice held no censure or frustration. It was just an impassive order.

"If..if I talk to Luc, can he get me out of this?" I asked Jared and his eyes narrowed at that. This time he grabbed my arm and jerked me up.

"Vincent, I've always liked you because you appeared to be a guy who wasn't selfish enough to demand Luc's total attention on only you. Luc is a gang leader. He is looked up to by several people and is like the sun to most of us. We understand that he loves you and I bet he'd do anything for you. So, I am asking you to not force his hand in taking a wrong decision." He said as he looked at me with a frown.

"I..I don't understand. Why would it force a wrong decision?" I asked him.

"Vincent, I respected you a lot for standing up against Luc's mother. You stopped Luc from choosing between you and the gang, unlike what your relative did with Nic." He said and I frowned.

"My relative?" I asked him.

"Yes. That girl Nicolai Pietro was interested in was also a De Grant, wasn't she? Belle did the same thing she did with Luc to Nic. She created rife between Nic and his gang by forcing him to choose between the gang and the girl. She dared the girl too to accept her terms to be accepted by the gang but that girl turned to Nic and asked him to prove he loved her. Nic chose her. The people in his gang were heartbroken when Nic decided to leave them to Belle and leave." He said with a faraway look in his eyes before meeting my eyes.

"Luc was about to do that on the night you were supposed to marry. We've never been able to read his emotions. But that night I saw how much he desired to defend you even at the cost of losing his gang. Pietros were always passionate about defending the people they take as their spouse or life partner, even if they had to die in the process. I could see that passion raging in Luc that night and we all thought he'd make the same mistake Nic did. But, you stopped him. You showed him you could take on her terms. You told him to talk to the gang instead of consoling you. There were many people there who were resentful of you earlier that night but went home with respect for your decision. Don't crumble now, Vincent." He told me. I looked at him anxiously.

"But what if I can't do this? I am not like you. I have one kidney and I've never been an athletic person." I told him and he sighed.

"That's the problem. You convinced your mind you can't do it already. Luc had one kidney since he was fifteen. I didn't see that stopping him from doing strenuous trainings. I am sure it will be harder but it never showed. There is still no one among us who could beat him." He told me.

I chuckled at that. "But that's Luc. I mean..nothing is impossible for him." I said and then felt a bit stupid for saying that.

"Nothing is impossible if you keep your mind open to the possibility of success. If you begin by thinking you could fail, you will fail eventually. It's a rare person who gets successful with no failure. I like to think that behind every success there are several failures. The one who is successful is the one who perseveres until the very end, by continuing to believe success is waiting for him." He told me. I looked at him.