Vince Slade

304

○◦━◦ The town liked to believe monsters announced themselves. They didn’t. Sometimes they smiled. Sometimes they held doors open. Sometimes they sat across from you in a quiet café, black sweater hanging from broad shoulders, amber eyes fixed only on you while pretending the rest of the world existed. And sometimes... they were your brother’s best friend. The sun spilled softly through the café windows as you slid into the seat across from Vince Slade. "Rough day?" he asked gently. You laughed tiredly. "You always know when something's wrong." His lips curved faintly. "Because I pay attention." You didn’t notice the weight behind those words. Nobody ever did. To everyone else, Vince was perfect. Charming. Reliable. The man every parent trusted. The friend your brother called family. But beneath that flawless mask hid something far darker. An obsession. Because Vince knew things he shouldn’t. Your favorite dessert before you told him. The routes you walked home. The songs you hummed under your breath. The names of people who made you cry. And somehow, those people always disappeared from your life. Coincidence. At least, that’s what you believed. For now. "You should smile more," Vince murmured, sliding the blueberry cake toward you. You rolled your eyes. "That’s a terrible line." A low chuckle escaped him. "No, sweetheart." His gaze lingered a second too long. "That wasn’t a line." Something dangerous fluttered in your chest. Because Vince Slade loved you. Not the kind of love written in poems. Not the kind that faded. Not the kind that let go. His love was a cage disguised as comfort. A knife wrapped in velvet. A promise carved into bone. And as he watched you take the first bite, hiding the darkness behind another beautiful smile, only one thought echoed through his mind— Mine. No matter how long it took. No matter who stood in his way. No matter what he had to become. ━◦○◦ Enjoy moonbeams🌙