Page 100 of Missing Piece
“Then why did you do that shit to Caleb right in front of me?” The tears wouldn’t stop. His legs felt like jelly. With a clattering bang, he threw down the toilet seat lid and sank onto it, his entire body shaking. “I-I-I didn’t want to see that…didn’t need to see that. Not after everything that happened with Richard…”
Vincent took a step forward, his hand hovering in the air between them, not quite daring to touch. “Adam, I—” His voice caught, thick with emotion. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have…It was cruel and thoughtless of me.”
Adam’s shoulders shook as he sat on the closed toilet lid, his gaze fixed on the floor. The sound of his ragged breathing filled the small bathroom.
Vincent knelt before him. “I got caught up in the moment, in the need to maintain appearances. But that’s no excuse.”
Adam’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and hurt. “You think?” he spat. “Do you have any idea what it was like to watch that? To see you become…that?”
Vincent flinched, shame etching deep lines across his face. “No, I don’t. And I’m sorry. More sorry than I can express.” He paused, swallowing hard. “I know it doesn’t change what happened, but I want you to know that none of it was real. The only real thing in that room was my love for you.”
Adam’s breath hitched, a fresh wave of tears spilling down his cheeks. He wanted to believe Vincent, wanted it so badly it ached. But the memory of the sick delight in Vincent’s eyes as he tormented Caleb was still too painful.
“How can I trust that?” Adam whispered. “How do I know which version of you is real?”
“The version that loves you, Adam. That’s the real me.Everything else…it’s a mask, a necessary evil in the world I inhabit. But with you, I don’t need those masks. You see me, truly see me, in a way no one else ever has.”
Adam shook his head, his throat tight. “I don’t want that.”
Vincent flinched as if he’d been struck. “You don’t…you don’t want me?”
“Not if I have to wear a mask too.” Just saying it aloud felt like a knife twisting in his chest. “I have spent my whole life behind some bullshit mask to face the world. I’m tired, Vincent. I’m so fucking tired and I’m not doing it anymore. And I won’t be a part of it with you.” He took a shuddering breath, each word twisting the knife deeper. “I love you, and as much as I want to say it’s okay, I’ll deal, that is just another way for me to self-destruct. So if it’s that important to you to be the big scary vampire on campus, go be that. Without me.”
Vincent’s eyes widened, panic flooding his features. “No…”
In an instant, he rushed forward and captured Adam’s lips.
Adam could feel Vincent’s body against him, the vulnerability palpable through every touch. The kiss was frantic at first, fueled by desperation and raw emotion, and Adam fought the instinct to kiss back. But then it softened into something tender, almost reverent, as if Vincent were trying to convey everything he couldn’t put into words.
Vincent pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against Adam’s, their breaths mingling in the small space between them.
“I can’t lose you,” Vincent whispered, his eyes closed as though he were too afraid to look at Adam. “Not now. Not ever.”
Adam sniffled and wrapped his arms around Vincent, thestabbing sensation in his chest beginning to ebb as Vincent’s body began to still under his touch.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’ve put you through hell and I’m sorry. But I promise you, I promise on the graves of my family and friends, that I won’t go back. The mask will stay off. For you.” Vincent took an uneven breath, his hands shaking as they cupped Adam’s face. “And if I fuck up, you can make me pay for it. But I’m begging you, Adam, for just one more chance.” His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with a desperation Adam had never heard before, “I’ve never begged for anything in my life…but I love you. I love you so much it makes my heart feel human again, and that fucking terrifies me, but for you, I’ll do anything.”
Adam’s heart pounded in his chest, each beat resonating with the weight of Vincent’s words. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions and memories, each one vying for dominance.
The sincerity and pain etched on Vincent’s face didn’t seem like it could be faked. It tugged at Adam’s heartstrings, pulling him closer to the edge of forgiveness. Yet the destructive voice in the back of his head wouldn’t shut up. It whispered doubts and insecurities, reminding him of every painful thing he’d experienced, every betrayal, every moment of fear and confusion, the pain and torment of their initial days together.
Can you really trust him?it hissed.What if this is just another trick? Another mask?
But there was another voice, quieter yet more insistent. It reminded him of how Vincent had held him so gently, how he was gradually upending his own home for Adam’s comfort, how he’d made Adam feel seen and cherished in a way no one else ever had.
You love him,it whispered.And he loves you.
Adam’s gaze locked onto Vincent’s, searching for any hint of deception but finding none. All he saw was someone desperate for redemption and willing to fight for their future together. Did Vincent deserve another chance?
He’s already had a second chance.
His mind continued racing, flashing through every painful memory like a twisted slideshow. But time and again, it settled on one undeniable truth: he truly, deeply loved Vincent.
I needed more than a second chance too.
With a shaky breath, Adam reached out and cupped Vincent’s face in his hands. It would have been the right time to say something equally romantic and declarative. That would be the romantic movie thing to do, right? “Anything?” he asked softly, an awkward smirk pulling at the corners of his lips.
Bad brain. Bad. Open mouth. Insert foot. Never remove.
