Dale and Theo hopped off the bus a few stops earlier, giving Vince and Vanessa one last knowing look before leaving them alone.
When they stepped off at her stop, Vanessa didn't head straight toward her house. Instead, she tugged his hand, leading him toward a familiar corner convenience store.
Vince raised an eyebrow as the automatic doors slid open.
"Why are we here?"
"Sit," she said, guiding him to the stools lined up against the window.
He obeyed, still confused, while she drifted down the aisles. A minute later, she came back with a small plastic bag—alcohol, cotton pads, and a few bandages. She set them down with quiet determination.
Vince smirked.
"What, you playing nurse now?"
Vanessa shot him a look. "Shut up."
She soaked a pad with alcohol and pressed it gently against his split lip. He hissed at the sting, but didn't flinch.
For a moment, he almost forgot about the pain. All he could focus on was her—her brow furrowed in concentration, her soft hands steady, the way her eyes flicked to his face, then quickly away, as if she didn't want him to catch her staring.
Vince leaned back slightly, his smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"You know... this hurts less when you're the one doing it."
Vanessa paused, rolled her eyes, but the faintest blush crept onto her cheeks.
"You're impossible," she muttered, dabbing at another cut.
But her hands never wavered.
And Vince, bruised and aching, couldn't remember the last time he felt so at peace.
"Why did you hit him?" Vanessa asked as she gently cleaned the cut along his mouth.
Vince's gaze didn't waver from hers.
"Because he grabbed you. And because I can't stand that guy."
She sighed. "You know you swung first, right? And then got beat up for it."
A crooked grin tugged at his lips.
"Hey, I didn't lose. My face is just... softer."
Vanessa shook her head. "You're reckless."
"I'm only reckless when it comes to you."
Her hand paused mid-motion. For the first time, she looked him straight in the eyes—and found his locked on hers, steady and unflinching. The silence stretched, charged, until she broke it with a muttered:
"Shut up." She tapped him on the forehead with two fingers.
"Ow—what kind of nurse hits her injured patient?" Vince said, rubbing the spot with exaggerated offense.
Her lips curved, just slightly. "A nurse with a patient who talks too much." She carefully placed a bandage on his cheek.
Vince leaned closer, voice low, teasing.
"What can I say? My nurse is too adorable to ignore."
She froze for a fraction of a second, heat rising to her cheeks, before quickly standing and tossing the bloody rag into the trash.
"Shut it," she said, her back to him. "You're always flirting."
Vince leaned back on the stool, a small smile tugging at his swollen lip.
"Maybe. But I only mean it with you."
Suddenly, Vanessa's phone buzzed on the counter. She glanced down at the screen—her mom.
"Probably wondering where I am," she muttered, stepping outside to answer.
Vince stayed behind, staring absently through the store window, his bruised reflection faint in the glass.
A few minutes later, she returned, slipping her phone back into her pocket.
"Vince, I've got to go home. But... I'll walk you to the bus stop at least."
He stood, stretching slightly. "That's fine. I can get there myself. Last thing I want is to get on my mother-in-law's bad side."
Vanessa blinked. "Mother-in-law?"
Vince smirked, tilting his head.
"Yeah. You really don't want me messing things up with her."
A soft scoff escaped her. "You really are pushing it today, aren't you?"
"What can I say? Watching your reactions is adorable," he teased as they stepped out into the night air.
She clicked her tongue. "Tch... shut up."
⸻
They walked side by side until they reached the intersection. The main road stretched one way toward the bus stop, while the smaller alley branched off toward Vanessa's neighborhood.
They stopped.
For a moment, neither said anything. Then, with a small wave, Vanessa turned toward home. Vince watched her until she disappeared into the shadows of the alley before heading in the opposite direction.
Alone now, his steps slowed. His smirk faded.
Tomorrow was going to be hell. He knew Darian. Knew how he operated. Once Darian saw him as a threat, it would never stop—clashes in the hallways, stares across classrooms, constant tension.
It was always him.
Always Darian.
And Vince couldn't help but wonder how much worse it was going to get—now that Vanessa was caught in the middle.
Meanwhile—
Darian sat slouched on a couch, pressing an ice pack against his swollen eye. The bruise was already darkening, the sting only fueling the fury in his chest.
He tore the pack off and hurled it at Luma.
"Why the fuck did you grab me? You should've grabbed Vanessa!"
Luma caught the ice pack against his chest, his smirk twitching.
"Hey, calm down, bro."
Jake leaned forward, arms resting on his knees.
"We didn't exactly have options, Darian. Grabbing her in the middle of a park? That's crossing into kidnapping territory, man."
Darian's head snapped toward him, his glare sharp enough to cut glass.
"Kidnapping?" he spat, voice low and dangerous.
Jake met his glare without flinching.
"What—you gonna hit me too?"
The tension was a wire stretched thin. For a second, it looked like Darian might actually swing. Then he hissed through his teeth, ripping his jacket off the back of the couch.
"Tch... fuck this." He shoved his arms through the sleeves and stormed toward the door.
Jake called after him.
"Catalina. Go with him."
Catalina, lounging quietly in the corner, sat up straighter.
"Do I really have to?"
"Just don't let him do anything stupid," Jake ordered.
With a sigh, she pushed herself up and followed.
⸻
Outside, Darian was striding toward his motorcycle when a hand caught his jacket sleeve.
"What—" he turned sharply, only to see it was Catalina.
His brows furrowed. "What, you need a ride home?"
She shook her head firmly.
"No. Just... let me come with you."
For a moment, he looked like he might refuse. But then he clicked his tongue, yanked the spare helmet from his bike, and shoved it onto her head.
"Fine. Let's go."
He revved the engine hard, the sound splitting the quiet night.
As they sped off into the streets, Catalina clung tightly, but her eyes stayed on the back of his helmet.
Darian's whole body radiated fury. She could feel it even over the roar of the bike.
And she knew—wherever he was going, whatever he planned—Vanessa was at the center of it.