SHATTERED | RILEY AND VINCE

Sighing, Juliet found herself leaning up against a tree before looking up at the stranger again. Of course, she would run up on some sort of empath during her run away from the house. "It's complicated." She conceded, moving her hands to where they were covering the majority of her arms. It was quite cold tonight. Then again, she did need someone to talk to, and who better than this guy? "My former boyfriend and I attempted to reconcile after a bad break up, but it only lasted a few hours before I had to tell him something that changed everything. I can't expect him to move on, any more than I can expect myself to forgive him." That's where it began. She wasn't sure what exactly the strager was looking for in these answers, but maybe it would give him some sort of

"You can't always forget but you can forgive. Pain is a part of growth and growth is needed in a relationship. You said you tried to reconcile with him? How long have you been apart and did you love him before you were separated?" Vince asked trying to see what was going on in the girls heart a little clearer without hitting her in a spot that wouldn't have helped her at all. He added as an after thought, "Do you love him now?

Juliet listened to his advice for a moment before shaking her head. "Two years. He left me for two years because he's a stubborn moron." If he would've stayed with her, she never would have had a doubt. She would've married that boy, they would've had a family. "And yes, I loved him. More than anything. Now...I'm not so sure. Things have happened, and have been said, that I'm not sure can ever be fixed." Her head was telling her she was right, that she should wait until Riley left in the morning and then never come back. Was it really over though? If they tried, could she some day forgive him?

Listening to her Vince found himself cringing overtime she was thinking that she didn't love him. This one had it bad for her man, and there was a lot of pain, he couldn't just tell her that she was wrong. There had to be a way he could lead her in the direction that despite it all he loved her in his own way. "Men can often be morons, I should know I am one. Did he tell you why he left?" He smiled softly at her hoping that her young man had told her, it could help him allow her to find the path back. "If you once loved him that deeply what does your heart tell you now?"

created by rynstone

@juliet

"He said...he said that he was doing it to protect me." She started with a shaky breath. "That something had happened and he was afraid that I would end up hurt." It's not that she didn't understand his reasoning, but he hadn't asked her. The decision had been taken out of her hands when he kissed Abby.

The question of her heart and what it was telling her to do was almost too much to bear. "I love him, I never stopped. I just don't quite know how to forgive him, not for this. We should've been a family by now, but now..." She let the thought trail off, realizing she probably shouldn't be telling this random person her problems.

His smiled widened as he was able to see that she was starting to notice her hearts desire but still she wasn't quite there yet. They would have been a family by now which means they were expecting when he left, now that would complicate things as it was more of a trust issue than a true issue of the heart. "You lost a child when he left and now feel you can't trust him?" he sighed understanding that part but her heart was only for him. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "He left you because he loved you enough to face life without you. As foolish as he was he wanted you to live in happiness. I have a feeling had he known he never would have left. Men are foolish sometimes when it comes to protecting the ones we love."

created by rynstone

@juliet

Of course, Vince was right. He was the expert on love, afterall. "So what do I do? Just go home and pray nothing else happens? She asked as the anger began to fade, giving way to terror at the thought of losing Riley forever, or at least until he could be reasoned with. "I'm just not sure where the line goes, at least not now."

"Your heart lies with him... I'm sorry I never asked your name. Come to think of it I never introduced myself either, my name is Vince Woods" He looked at her knowing that she probably would think he was lying or was simply an empath so he thought he should explain a little more but decided it would be interesting to see if she guessed who his parent, or rather family was. "You are afraid it will happen again and so I ask you this, what happened when you told him? Or even better yet what happened during or after the battle as I can safely assume he survived."

"Juliet. My name is juliet. " She whispered, leaning heavily against the tree she had been standing by. "He blamed himself. He's hurt, burned him hand when he fell..." Gods, she was a horrible person. Riley had needed her and she was off talking to a stranger in the woods instead of being there for him. She would deserve it if he left. As the realization dawned on her, she couldn't find the words to answer the last part of Vince's question. No, that didn't matter now. What mattered was tonight and everything she had done wrong. How could Riley ever forgive her now?

Vince let his hand drop from her shoulder and he smiled at her, "If he stayed then you have nothing to worry about. Your heart is his and his is yours I would confidently say. Juliet, don't let your love become the next tragedy in this war. Your heart tells me without any doubt you love this man. All you need to work through is the trust, it can be a hard path but you are meant to be with him." He crossed his arms and began to turn away and added, "I should know, I have a gift that's been passed down all the way from my grandmother. My father loved the irony, thankfully it helps in my business which you will never need. Though if you want to try fighting against your heart anymore Cupids Curse is always looking for new members." He winked as he continued to turn back to the path.

Cupid? Had she really been talking to a son of the love God himself? It appeared to be so, she thought as he began to walk away. "Thank you." She whispered, though by the time she found her voice again he seemed to be out of ear shot. Now, all she had to do was force herself to decide what happened next. She could call Riley, but she doubted he would answer. No, the only option she really had would be to go home. As soon as she decided this, she took back off in the direction she came, her heart in her throat. If she was lucky, she may still have time to find him before he left forever. Even if he hated her now, she could handle that better than him being gone for good.

Riley found himself stumbling down to the kitchen knowing that Juliet probably had some wine in there as she preferred it. It might not be what he wanted, as nothing could fill the void of a child but what he desired more than the wine or the child was Juliet. He saw that it had already been an hour, or was it two, that had passed. He knew what was needed of him but how could he prove to her that he was committed. "Where is that blasted... Ah there you are my friend!" He said as he found the wine and popped the cork and began to drink it from the bottle. He wanted to numb himself and just fall asleep in their bed, if she wasn't back in the morning he would know that she didn't want him there any more and he would leave. Pain, pain come and play. Stay all night and make it rain. he thought to himself. Once the bottle was finished he set it on the counter and it toppled over he barely caught it before the bottle dropped to the ground. He backed away and made his way back into the room, He curled up on the bed facing the crib as silent tears fell, Blake jumped up and curled in next to him trying to comfort him. Riley wondered why this dog even cared about him. He began to doze off when he felt the bed shift a little, though Blake stayed where he was. "Jules?" he mumbled.

created by rynstone

@juliet

Juliet ran the rest of the way back to the house, entering through the same door she left. Thankfully Riley hadn't locked it, otherwise she would've had to go through the window. Again. Now wasn't the time to think of that though. The first thing she noticed was that her wine bottle was in the kitchen, completely empty. That, and something in the house smelled like scotch, something she knew he enjoyed from time to time. Without even having to see him, she knew that Riley was beyond drunk.

Walking through the house, she started to wonder if he had left. It would serve her right. She should have handled the situation better. Yes, Riley had been the catalyst, but she should have known better. Noticing that Blake hadn't come to greet her at the door, she decided to take her search upstairs. When she saw the open bedroom door, her heart stopped beating. He had to be in there, didn't he? 

Taking s deep breath, she managed to make herself walk in to the room before sighing sadly. Riley was curled in on himself, with Blake keeping watch. Even fri. Where she stood, she could tell he had been crying. Gods, what had she done to him? Approaching him quietly, she made her way on to the bed, attempting not to disturb him. At least, that's what she had tried to do. The instant he said her name, she felt her heart breaking all over again. "I'm here, Ri. I'm right here." She whispered, wrapping an arm around him before kissing his shoulder, laying her head against it as she did. 

Riley rolled over so he could look at Juliet, he made sure he didn't disturb Blake though he seemed to know he had to move and so with a quick lick to his arm before he jumped of the bed. Once he was facing Juliet he felt bad he had drunk so much, he wouldn't blame her if she wanted to recoil or leave him alone in the room. This could be the last time thought that he could taste her lips and fell her skin and so as he kissed her has hand slipped under the hem of her shirt for a brief touch before he pulled his hand away. At the same time he broke the kiss and rolled away, he missed he and he loved her so much despite everything that happened he was truly lost with out her. Turning away he found himself looking at the crib again and all he could say was, "I am so sorry." he didn't even know why he said it, he could never fully compensate or help her through that grief with out being totally ashamed of what he did. What he had caused her. He made to sit up and then went to stand but he stumbled back down to the bed. He gripped the edge of the bed. He was a failure. She should kick me out. Just toss me to the curb after all of this, I have been a fool.

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@juliet

Juliet sighed before sliding off the bed herself, crouching down beside him. "Hey. Don't do this. We've both messed up now. I can't lose you again. Please." She pleaded softly, placing one hand on his knee, the other steadying herself against the bed. Looking around, she supressed a shudder when she realized that there was no way he was leaving this room. If she wanted to stay with him tonight, and she did, Juliet would have to stay in the place she had avoided for so long.

"Come on, baby get up. Let's clean you up and then we can rest for a bit." Grabbing his injured hand by the wrist so that she wouldn't hurt him, she pulled Riley up until he was leaning against her shoulder enough for her to help him to the bathroom. Gods, he was covered in blood and alcohol, all because she couldn't handle things correctly. She should've told him when it happened, maybe then they wouldn't be here now.

The downside to not being in her room, was that she had cleaned out the place of towels and other necessities. That, and Riley's hand would need a proper bandage by now. Kissing Riley's temple she quietly let him know where she was going before making to stand. "I'll be right back. I'm just grabbing towels and a first aid kit, okay?"