Maria.
"Don't say that, Maria. I won't force you!"
Vincent's voice came out rough and strained the moment he managed to regain control of himself. The desperation in his eyes hadn't disappeared, even though he was trying hard to appear calm.
"Just don't think about dying," he added quietly.
The words hung heavily between us.
For a few seconds, I could only stare at him.
I was completely dumbfounded.
The intensity of his reaction had caught me off guard. His chest rose and fell unevenly as if he had just run a marathon, and his eyes remained fixed on me, watching my every movement with frightening attentiveness.
It was then that a realization settled inside me.
Vincent wouldn't kill me. No matter how possessive, obsessive, or unreasonable he was, he wouldn't hurt me.
More importantly, he wouldn't allow me to hurt myself either.
The certainty of it became clearer the longer I looked at him and suddenly, I realized I could use that to my advantage.
