"I was the one that killed her." Vita's words echoed in my head, repeating over and over again as I stared at the tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

The vulnerability in her eyes broke my heart and I reached forwards to cup her face with both my hands. Using my thumbs, I wiped her tears away when she didn't bother to. I leaned down so that our foreheads touched and whispered gently to Vita in this delicate situation. "What do you mean?"

Vita paused for a moment and I saw that she was replaying whatever had happened in the past in her mind. A few moments of silence later, the tears immediately stopped and a stone cold nonchalant expression took over her features. She ripped my hands away from her and took a large step backwards. Just like that, any visible proof that she had just been crying disappeared.

"Cadence was standing there and she was in the way, so I pulled the trigger."

I could see her trying to make this all sound like it didn't matter to her, but the clenching and fidgeting of her hands proved to me that talking about this was taking a big emotional toll on her.

A cold smirk took over her face. "Regret working with me now?"

"Angel- "

"Perhaps you'll be next if you're not careful."

I knew what she was doing. She was building her walls higher and higher around herself, making the emotional distance between us grow further and further apart. Her words were designed to repulse me so that I wouldn't even bother to try and get closer to her and pull out the truth.

"You're doing it again."

Vita rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Trying to push me away." I took a step closer to her and she took a step back. There was a brief flash of fear that skipped through her light blues.

"You're scared?" I eyed her carefully, but she didn't look into my eyes. "Why's that?"

When she looked up to meet my gaze, she put an impassive mask on, but I could clearly see everything as I looked into her eyes.

"You're scared of me?" I took a big step forwards and closed our distance.

"No, I am not. You're crowding me. Move."

I narrowed my eyes at her as she boldly held my gaze.

"Do you really think I'm that quick to judge?"

When Vita took one more step backwards, her back met the wall and she closed her eyes in dread.

"You know I'm a patient man, Angel. Until you to tell me the whole story, I'll reserve my thoughts. I know you, Vita, and you're not come cold-blooded murderer bloodthirsty for their next kill. You might have pulled the trigger and killed her like you said, but there's more to that."

Her eyes were ice cold as she maintained her facade. "Maybe there isn't. People change, Alexander. Maybe I've finally lost my mind."

I ignored what she said because everything that just came out of her mouth was absolute rubbish.

"I gave you a chance to pull the trigger on me, you didn't take it."

Vita clenched her jaw and I noticed that her hands were tightly in fists. Reaching out with my fingertips, I trailed it down her cheek, barely bushing against her skin.

"Tell me." I whispered as brushed a strand of her hair that was hanging in front of her face and hooked it behind her ear.

Her mask broke and a lone tear slipped down her cheek, but she quickly looked away.

"I'm going to grab some fresh air."

Vita kept her voice steady as she talked, but I noticed pain and guilt lacing her words.

Without another word, Vita walked out and I didn't try to stop her because maybe she just needs a little space to think. There's definitely more to the story than her just pulling the trigger on her friend and whether she wants to tell me or not, it's up to her.

*

I laid in bed for at least an hour and still no sign of Vita. With a sigh, I got up and I walked out of my room to search for her.

Going down the stairs, I noticed that none of the lights were on, but there was the light of flickering red flames flashing on the hardwood floor. Walking to the family room where I knew the fireplace was, I saw Vita's crouched form sitting on the floor near the flames, holding her legs tightly to her chest and her head resting on top of her knees.

Knowing where she was, I made my way to the kitchen and made a cup of hot chocolate and dropped in two marshmallows. People ate junk food or ate ice cream whenever they were upset or sad but for Vita, she drank hot chocolate with specifically two marshmallows. It was something that she did since she was very young. No one knows this except for me because I caught her late at night around twenty years ago drinking it and crying. When I asked her, she confessed that it was what she made whenever she was feeling unhappy. After that, there were many occasions where I ended up bringing her hot chocolate.

I made my way back to the fireplace and Vita didn't move an inch, still dazed and deep in thought. She must have caught the aroma of chocolate because she slowly turned her head in my direction.

I took a seat right next to her in front of the fireplace and Vita let go of her legs to stretch them out straight in front of her.

"That for me?" She turned her face and asked, her voice soft and quiet, so unlike her.

I took her hand and placed the steaming mug in her grasp.

Vita stared quietly at the hot chocolate for a moment and I saw her wipe her cheeks. "Thank you."

She blew the top of the mug to cool down the drink, then took a small sip. For a long while, she didn't talk and neither did I.

"Red," Vita began, staring into the mug and watching the marshmallows shrink smaller and smaller by the second. "Sometimes it feels like I traded one hell for another."

She didn't explain further as she took another sip of the hot chocolate, but I understood what she meant. After coming home, she was kidnapped and enlightened on the fact that her both of her parents were captured.

"Where did you go today?" She tentatively gave me a glance before staring back into space in front of her.

"Hmm?"

"During the day, you disappeared for a while."

I took a deep breath. "I thought I deciphered what your father sent and left to check it out. I was wrong."

"Can I see it?"

"Tomorrow."

She took a few more sips quietly and I watched her every movement carefully. In this darkness with only the flames illuminating her face, she looked so much smaller and vulnerable than the girl I was used to in public.

Vita finished her drink and set the cup aside on the floor but didn't make any further movements.

"I never asked my parents what they did. I've always known it was dangerous, but I never questioned it because I always believed that they would come back home to me." She let out a soft, broken sigh. "Like any child, I thought my parents were invincible."

Vita pulled her legs up to her chest once more and wrapped her arms around them, still staring forwards into the burning fire.

"But no one's invincible, Red. Cadence was proof of that, so are your parents, you, and even me."

Vita turned her face and her haunted, pain-filled blue eyes met mine. "Maybe I'm just bad luck."

Immediately, I frowned at her. I lifted her and swiftly sat her down across my legs, her legs straight out to my side. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she twisted her torso to face me.

"Don't say that, Angel," I softly whispered back as I put my forehead against hers.

"Are you going to leave me too? I don't want to lose you, Red." Vita's arms lifted to wrap around neck and I saw her eyes become glassy with unshed tears.

"You won't," I firmly replied back and pressed my lips gently against hers.

Vita hesitated for a second, but she tilted her head to side as she kissed me back. The kiss was slow and sincere.

I pulled away and gave her a soft smile. "Trust me."

She looked at me wearily and I lifted her up bridal style, walked to the fireplace switch to turn it off, then carried her all the way up to our room.

As soon as I laid her down on the bed, she rolled away to her side with her back facing me. Amused at her behaviour, I got in and I pulled Vita closer by her waist until the whole length of her back was pressed firmly against my chest. Reaching over her, I found her hand and interlaced our fingers together with a small squeeze. She didn't fight to roll out of my embrace, instead, she welcomed me by squeezing my fingers lightly back.

I closed my eyes as we laid there in silence. Just as I thought Vita had fallen asleep, she called out my name.

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm wrong. There's probably no way that's Cadence's coding. It's probably my wishful thinking and stress that clouded my judgement. I'll look it over again tomorrow."

"How similar were they?"

"Very. Maybe she taught someone else, or maybe the person that decided to hack into Phoenix has nothing to do with Cadence."

"Okay. We'll figure it out tomorrow. Go to sleep, Angel." I planted a light kiss at her temple and closed my eyes.

"It can't be her. There's no way." She buried her face further into the pillows. "I miss her more than anyone, but she's gone, Red."

I remained quiet and simply waited for her to continue. After a moment of silence, I felt her tighten her hold on my hand, as if gathering strength from the fact that I was right next to her, and she began. "Eight weeks ago..."

****

Yay! Another chapter is up and done! Hope you enjoyed this temporary change of POV and learned more about Alexander and also how well they actually know each other.

Please don't forget to comment, share and vote if you liked it!!

Anyone excited for the next one? (Casually raises my hand)

I'll see y'all next week!

InvincibleBunny