Romeo exhaled a slow breath, shutting his eyes.
It was the first one that came up.
Suicidal thoughts.
“Fuck.”He scrubbed his face with his hands, breathing out a tired sigh against his palms.His gut sank in his body, pulling him down.
A prickle of awareness rushed down his spine, and he turned, locking eyes with the painting on the wall.It was his own painting, but it was as if his mother watched him.
Romeo’s dad had asked him to paint the starry-eyed lovers for their twentieth wedding anniversary.They’d met while both performing in Romeo and Juliet, neither the star, they had minor roles, but that was where they fell in love.
That was why they chose the name Romeo.
His parents had loved each other.
Romeo had never seen them row.
He certainly had never seen one threaten to kill the other.
When one was ill, the other took care of them.
And illnesses weren’t always of the body, they could be of the mind too.
They could be sudden, completely unexpected, and punch a hole through the norm.
Unconditional love meantloveregardless.
Chad loved him despite his inclination.
He loved Romeo despite the monster that currently wanted him dead.
Romeo dropped the medication in the drawer, then called out for Chad.
His heart thumped in the silence.He hurried, checking each room before slipping on his shoes to try the outhouse.
He froze when he found Chad outside.
Romeo kept his distance, not wanting to interrupt what he knew was an important moment.
Chad crouched on the ground.
His breaths came quick and shallow as he lay a hand to the dirt.
Lucinda had fallen there.
If Romeo could keep a memory from Chad, it would be that one.He’d go further, and forbid Chad’s mind from remembering anything about Vincent Whitehall and all that happened after Chad met him.
“This is where I killed her.”
“Yes.”Romeo said softly.
“I killed her.”
“You did it to protect me.To protect us.”
“I remember...”Chad bit his lip, “You wanted me to kill someone.You liked the idea of it—”
“Never like that...”Romeo shook his head.“I never wanted you to be in that position.I wish I did it, not you.”
