Chapter 35 - Insieme
"West, why are you here?"
He tilted his head to the side, mimicking a lost puppy. "You ran away from me."
His words echoed around the empty room, making my heart race. "Did you follow me here?"
He shook his head immediately, denying the only explanation that made sense. I watched his jaw clench tightly as he looked up at the ceiling, like I was the one being difficult. "Did you forget what you did?" He asked suddenly, shaking his head in disgust.
I shook my head, his words clawing at my heart. I would never forget. Didn't we always let the worst thing we'd ever done define the rest of our lives? I wasn't any different.
"Maybe I was wrong about you. I tell you that you killed one of my best friends and you go on vacation?" He sneered the last part.
"It's not a vacation—" His sarcastic laugh cut me off as he took a few steps towards me, his bright eyes burning into me. "Yeah nothing's ever a vacation for you rich people. That's why you love him, isn't it? 'You're sad, baby? Let's go to Paris.'" His harsh mocking rung loud and true, making my stomach roll with guilt.
"I'm so sorry." I was choking, my throat was closing up, I was always sorry, but it wasn't worth a damn thing. My vision of West's approaching figure was getting blurry. His hands were on my waist, pulling me into his chest as he shushed my panicky breaths.
"Shhh, let's go for a walk." I nodded, wiping at my cheeks as I tried to pull myself together. Getting out of the abandoned building was a good idea. I tugged at my leather jacket, pulling it around myself tighter as West lead us outside, his arm around my waist.
"You want a coffee?" His words were soft, calm, he was always doing that—jumping from hot to cold like it was as easy as flipping a switch. I nodded, following him as he sat down in a busy cafe.
I got up quickly, needing room to breathe. "What do you want?"
He eyed me sceptically, like he thought I might run, but then it eased into a relaxed smile. "Café au lait." He knew he had me wrapped around his finger.
I got in line, waiting to order. I was tapping my hand against my black jeans in a quick rhythm that mimicked my racing heart. Fear was easing its way down my spine, he'd followed me to Paris, not his friend Vinny. Or maybe Vinny was here too? Everything was so confused and my head was spinning at the rate of which it was all unraveling. I ordered our two drinks and paid quickly before stepping to the side to wait for them.
I just needed to call Slate and let him know where I was. I reached for my phone, cursing when I remembered I hadn't gotten a new one since I'd thrown my last one into traffic, I'd been using Slate's when I needed one.
I scoffed at myself, half sobbing. I always needed Slate. I couldn't do a damn thing on my own.
The two coffees were placed in front of me, and I sucked in a shaky breath. My time was up. My hands were shaking as I carried our two coffees to the table, hyperaware of West's eyes watching my every move. I placed them on the table, taking my seat.
"We could be good together."
I snapped my eyes up to his, confusion gripping me when I saw how serious he was. I shook my head silently, biting my lower lip painfully.
"What are you doing, West? Where's your friend?" I was becoming desperate, sick of the mind games he was playing. Sick of being thrown from one emotion to another. Every ounce of sense I had was screaming at me to run away, but I knew I owed him so much more than a coffee.
"Don't worry about him." He was getting angry again, his leg bouncing under the table. His hand reached out and gripped my knee. I could feel him restraining himself, like every time he'd ever touched me, using all of his strength not to bruise me. "Tell me you don't feel it."
"Feel what, West? All I feel is pain. Every time I look at you." It was the truth, but I'd wanted it to sting. I was angry at him for bringing feelings into this, for making everything more complicated.
He grunted, looking around the room, "Is there a difference?" He dragged his chair closer to mine, both his hands gripping my thighs now.
My heart ached at his words, words I'd asked myself so many times. I could suddenly picture our future, god we were so similar; two broken people angry at a world that had treated us unfairly.
I knew the connection between two broken souls too well—it would become nothing but a blackhole of anger and pity. We'd only feed each other's sadness until there truly was no line between love and pain.
West's green eyes were blazing, dragging over me with a fire that I knew would only burn me. "I love you." I stood up quickly, moving away like he had burned me.
I eyed his coffee that was sitting on the table untouched, another prop in this elaborate show of his. He stood up to his full height, reminding me of how much larger than me he was.
He reached for my waist but I pushed him away, "Don't." I could see his jaw ticking, he was getting angry quickly and I knew we had to get out of the cafe before he caused a scene. I grabbed his hand, leading him out.
The moment we were on the sidewalk he tugged my arm, pulling me against him abruptly. "Is it cause he has more money than me? I'll take care of you, baby."
I shoved his chest, too lightly to hurt him, but the smile that lit his face made me regret it. "You love me, West? Why, because I hurt you? That's sick."
He gripped my hip tightly, pulling me against him so I could feel his erection. "Oh yea, baby? I'm sick? I'm not the only one who gets off on that shít, I know you love a good fight and fùck." His green eyes were blazing, getting brighter the more we fought. I wanted to stay calm, to stop giving him exactly what he wanted, but more words just kept spilling out of my traitorous mouth.
"See, that's the thing West. You don't actually know anything about me." I turned away from him, but his hand reached out quickly, snagging my arm and pulling me back.
"Don't walk away from me." His eyes flashed with anger, but I could see the excitement laced in with it.
"Don't touch me." I snapped back, regretting it when his jaw clenched in warning. He took a step closer to me, no longer touching me but he was close enough that I could smell his cologne.
"I know you better than anyone else. I know that you bite your lip when you're nervous, I know that you're scared of the dark, I know that your biggest weakness is guilt, I know you have a tattoo on the inside of your lip, I know that you sleep on your stomach—" He must have seen the fear register in my eyes at his last confession because he stopped talking, instead letting a small smile grace his pink lips. "Want me to keep going?" I shook my head no, stomach contracting at the thought of him watching me sleep without my knowledge.
"You watched me sleep?" I questioned hesitantly, voice wavering as I took a step back. I didn't know this West and he was scaring me more then the rest of them.
"Jesus, don't say it like I'm a fûckin stalker or something. I've been protecting you. Where was Slate all those nights you were alone?"
"Stop West," I eyed his hand that had gripped onto my wrist, before flickering my gaze up and scanning his face as I spoke my next words. "You're scaring me."
"Love is scary." His determined gaze was tormenting me, intuition telling me that he wasn't acting anymore, that this was the real him.
"You have no idea what love is." I whispered, moving against the wall to get out of the way of a group of pedestrians.
"I robbed a fùcking bank for you." His green eyes were wide, staring at me in disbelief at how I was responding to him. He brought his hand down next to my head, trapping me between his body and the brick wall. "Would I do that if I didn't love you?"
No. I was shaking my head, trying to deny his awful confession, but he took the gesture as an answer to his last question.
A wide smile split his handsome face, his hand moving to grip my neck and then he was smashing his lips to mine.
My head was spinning, jumping from the news report that talked about a bank being robbed and then to the two huge cargo bags West had left in the abandoned building.
He pulled away, eyes bright as he gripped my hips tightly between his large hands. "God, you don't know how long I've wanted this."
I shook my head, wondering how he could have wanted this for so long when he claimed he only recently stopped hating me. But I was sick of asking questions that never got me any answers, so I said the thing that was weighing heaviest on my mind. "I'm not going down for this."
He narrowed his eyes at me, "Neither of us are going down for this." When I nodded my head—sensing his hostility—he released a tense breath, his hands loosening slightly on my waist. They trailed upwards, pushing at the hem of my shirt until I could feel his cold hands on my skin. "We need to leave as soon as possible. Let's go get your bags."
My stomach clenched at the thought of walking away from Slate, at the thought of leaving with West. He tried to get me to walk in the direction of the hotel but I pushed against him, not budging. "No."
He raised a thick eyebrow, "No? Don't you want to say goodbye to Slate?" Fear filled my veins, ice cold, freezing me until I couldn't breathe. I was ready to scream bloody murder if it meant keeping Slate safe and away from West. I prayed there was no chance West had been able to bring his gun to France, but I vowed to die before ever allowing the situation to unravel far enough that I'd find out.
I no longer cared about what would happen to me, I just wanted Slate to make it out unscathed. "Let's just go. I'll go wherever you want West, please let's just leave."
He shook his head slowly as he analyzed me, a pained grimace on his face. "No baby, this is the fresh start we need. He needs to know that you and I were always meant to be together and that you were only with him because you were lonely." Tears were filling my eyes, the crowded side walk around us the only thing keeping me from screaming out, as West dragged me to the lobby of the hotel.
I was screaming in my head, chanting that I loved Slate like it was a prayer, like it was somehow enough to save him. I was ready to get down on my knees and beg any higher power that would listen to save him, to take my life instead of his.
When we got into the elevator I thought I might be able to stall West by telling him the wrong floor, but he pressed the 5 button and I whimpered. Of course he knew which room we were in, he knew everything.
My energy was gone and suddenly all I could do was hope that Slate and I could still be together somehow, even in death.
"There was never a Vinny was there?" I asked, the harsh truth settling in on me. The water I thought had been drowning me turned to cement, and suddenly all I could do was stare straight into West's snake-like eyes. Eyes I suddenly realized I'd looked into far before that night in the green room. Like a camera that finally found its focus, I looked at West clearly for the first time. "You were at the bar the night of the accident."
"I did all of this for us." His eyes were shifting back and forth between mine quickly, his palms gripping my face, watching me in a panic as all of his lies began to unravel too early. "I knew I loved you from the moment I first saw you that night, but you kept trying to leave and I needed to do something to make sure I'd see you again." It might've been sweet if it wasn't so fùcked up.
"So you drugged me and caused a car accident!? Wait..." My breath caught in my throat at the realization, hope electrifying every cell in my body. "The other car caught on fire so their were no remnants of the body...no one got killed that night?"
He shook his head 'no' and I collapsed into his arms, letting out a whimper in relief. He stiffened in surprise at first, then wrapped his arms around me tighter. The relief of the situation overpowering the anger I should've been feeling. It was all so sad when I really thought about it. My entire life all I'd wanted was someone to love me as much as West did, but he'd gone about everything so wrong.
"Fùck West, why did you have to do it this way? I'll never be able to look at you like that now, I'll never forgive you. You sent Jace to jail and you convinced me that I killed someone. It's too fùcked up."
When I looked up at him fresh tears were shining in his green eyes and he'd never looked more like a lost puppy then right then. He dropped to the ground, arms coming around my waist in a desperate plea, "I'm sorry, I know I fùcked up. I'm fùcked up. But please Willow, I can't let you go. Give me another chance." The elevator doors slid open to the 5th floor, but neither of us moved.
"I think you need to get help, West." His forehead pulled together in a frown, he looked so broken and I knew I should've hated him for what he did, but all I felt was pity.
"You can help me. Or I'll get help— Baby just, please. I can't live without you." I shook my head, giving him a sad smile as I put my hand out to stop the elevator doors from closing. "It's too late," This was our goodbye, I hoped West would get the help he needed, but all I could focus on now was my future with Slate. There was nothing standing in our way anymore. My heart was filling with so much happiness I could barely breathe.
"I'm in love with Slate. I always will be." West's arms dropped from around my waist instantly, and I suddenly realized the horrifying mistake I had made.
"That's the real reason we can't be together isn't it? Because of him?" He said the last word with so much venom that I shouldn't have been shocked to see the gun he pulled out of his waistband, but it made me scream anyways.
His hand covered my mouth quickly, muffling the sound as he pulled us towards the door to Slate and I's hotel room and banged loudly. He looked down at me with a psychotic smile, "Fortunately there's an easy solution."
I screamed and twisted in West's grip, hoping Slate would hear the muffled noise and not open the door, but my heart dropped to my stomach when the door swung open.
I suddenly saw red, I twisted in West's grip, digging my acrylic nails into his forearm so that he'd let go and I could protect Slate, but he barely flinched, pushing us all into the hotel room and slamming the door shut behind him.
"Let her go before I fùcking kill you." Slate threatened, the gun pointed at his head barely keeping him back. His eyes were murderous, muscles straining in his neck as he fought the urge to do something impulsive despite the deadly weapon pointed at his head. I tried to beg him to calm down with my eyes, giving a weak smile through the tight grip West had on my mouth.
West's gaze swung over to Slate, "She's fine, I'm gonna protect her better than you ever could. Right, baby?"
Tears were slipping out of my eyes, as I watched the gun in West's hand. Please no. Please. No. I could barely focus on his words. Maybe West was right, maybe love and pain were the same thing. I loved Slate and now it was going to get him killed.
"Stop crying for him." West's words were laced with distress, anger and sadness pulling on his features as he watched tears stream down my cheeks. I watched his finger twitch on the trigger,
"If you kill him, I'll take that gun and shoot myself right after. If you don't want to lose me, then drop the gun and let's go. I'll go with you, okay? Let's go." Panic was clawing at my chest, emotion straining my words as I pulled at West's arm, trying to get him to leave.
"Willow, no. You're not going anywhere with him."
My gaze swung over to Slate at his words, anger burning my chest, "Slate, shut up." Couldn't he see that I was trying to save him?
West was shaking his head, gun in his hand shaking as he realized he would lose either way.
"Stop making impulsive fùcking decisions then." Slate shot back. I turned to glare at him, annoyed at how stupid he was being. My heart caught in my throat as I noticed his watery eyes. He was crying? Over me?
"What's the worst that can happen?" I questioned, wanting him to realize that this was the only option.
"You die," He answered angrily, begging me to listen to him, his voice straining with each word.
"I said the worst."
"It's the worst thing that could happen to me, okay?" My breath caught in my throat as I watched a tear role down his cheek. My heart stretched at the gesture and somehow I loved him even more.
"I love you, Slate."
"Don't." I could see the pain in his beautiful blue eyes as he shook his head, registering the goodbye in my words. Watching as I put an ocean between us. I was glad he was on the shore, I couldn't care less if that meant I was underwater—as long as he was okay. Why didn't he look okay?
West released a gargled whimper at my words, grabbing my waist and pulling me to look at him. He hugged me to him, pressing his lips tightly against mine before pulling away. "Take it back." He cried, his green eyes bloodshot and glossy.
I shook my head, I'd lied to Slate too many times already, if I was going to leave him for West, I needed him to know I was doing it because I loved him.
West squeezed his eyes closed, releasing me from his iron grip as he took a step back. "You'll hate me either way, won't you?" He inhaled a shaky breath before turning the gun away from Slate and putting it to his own temple.
"WEST, NO." I cried, my heart leaping to my throat as I realized just how broken he really was.
He kept his eyes tightly shut, his Adams apple bobbing as he prepared to speak his next words. "I never wanted to hurt you, Willow."
"You're hurting me now, West." His eyes opened, pain darkening his bright irises. "I really do care about you. I'm sorry so many people have hurt you, West. Please, put the gun down. One day you're going to find someone who loves you so much and when you do, you'll thank me for stopping you right now." The door to the hotel room swung open and I grabbed the gun from West's hand quickly, hiding it in the back of my jeans as hotel security rushed into the room.
I stepped forward wrapping my arms around West's waist, as I hugged him tightly. I looked up at him through watery eyes, "Promise me, you'll get help?"
He stared down at me, his eyes wide at the unexpected gesture. "West, promise me."
"You care about me?" He questioned softly, his features pinched with confusion as he struggled to comprehend it. My heart broke for the millionth time today.
"So much, West. But I need you to get better. Please."
"Ms. Woods?" Hotel security stood next to us, waiting on my order.
"Can you please bring West to the airport?" I asked, letting my arms fall to my side. They began escorting him out of the room and West went without fighting them.
He hadn't promised me he'd get help, but I hoped I had at least planted the seed in his mind.
Worry about what would happen to him eased its way down my spine, but I pushed it away. I couldn't worry about him anymore, I'd done what I could and now he needed professional help that I couldn't give him.
Then Slate was in front of me, arms coming around me as he lifted me up against him in a bear hug. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, breathing in his familiar scent.
"Why'd you hide the gun?" He questioned lightly, his soft tone washing over me, reminding me that he was okay and safe.
"He needs help, not to be locked away in a cell." Slate nodded in understanding, hugging me tighter.
"You're okay?" He questioned, pressing soft kisses to my neck. I nodded my head, light headed from the joy that was wrapping itself around us like a blanket.
"I've never been better." And for the first time, it was true.
"Willow?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you too. So fùcking much."
I pulled back, cupping his face and bringing his lips down to mine. Heat surrounded us, engulfing us like a flame, as his lips moved against mine with a desperate passion that promised an eternity of love.
I finally understood that I'd had everything wrong. Love doesn't kill.
Love heals.
A/N
LAST CHAPTER. WOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHOSE BEEN ALONG FOR THE RIDE !! I LOVE Y'ALL AND IT'S YOUR SUPPORT THAT ENCOURAGED ME TO FINISH THIS BOOK ♥️♥️♥️
xoxoxoxo
-SlytherinAfff