Page 12 of Back to You (Legendary Shifters #14)

“Okay, I do want that, but not before we’re together again, and for that to happen, we’re both going to need some time.

I still have some resentment over what happened, and again, he believed I was dead for years.

I won’t push him into something he’s not ready for.

” Vincent sighed and sat on the edge of the mattress.

“And then there’s what my father did to him. It’s a miracle he survived, Peter.”

“You can’t allow your father to continue ruining this. He did enough damage already, and he’s dead.”

“I’m not allowing him to do anything. I’m scared.”

Peter’s expression softened, and he dropped onto the bed next to Vincent. Vincent grimaced at the thought of Peter’s clothes on his sheets, but Peter rolled his eyes and squeezed his knee.

“I’ll change the sheets when you leave,” he promised. “You’re leaving soon, aren’t you? You have a date with your mate.”

“I’m tempted to stay home,” Vincent muttered.

“You’d regret it if you did. You want to go on a date with Ronan. You want to see him and to get your relationship back.”

“What if we can’t?”

“I think it’ll be different. You believed that he left you for years, so of course, you’re hesitant, but now, you know that he didn’t go willingly.

He wanted to stay, and the two of you can have a second chance.

I know you, Vincent. You don’t want to waste that chance.

You’ll do anything in your power to make sure that you don’t. You just need to give yourself time.”

“You just complained that we’d given ourselves enough time already,” Vincent pointed out.

“Don’t listen to me. I have no idea what Ronan went through, and while I was here for you, I know that watching you from the sidelines isn’t the same.

The two of you went through hell, and I’m glad that your father’s dead since it was his fault, but you deserve to be happy now.

No matter how long it’s going to take, you deserve to have your mate back. ”

Vincent wasn’t going to cry. He couldn’t afford to when he was supposed to leave the house soon.

It was hard to resist the urge, though. Peter always knew what to do or say.

He was always there for Vincent, even though he had his own life to deal with.

It made Vincent wish there was more he could do for Peter, but until Peter was willing to change something, Vincent could only be there for him when he needed a shoulder to cry on.

Unfortunately, that was happening way too often these days.

Peter needed to dump his asshole boyfriend, but for some reason, he was unwilling to do that.

Maybe once Vincent and Ronan were back together, they could talk about Peter and find a way to drag him out of that relationship.

It wasn’t doing him any good. If anything, it was doing him damage.

Lou didn’t deserve someone like Peter. Hell, he didn’t deserve anyone.

He was an asshole and should be on his own.

“You’re okay?” Vincent asked.

Peter frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I know things have been dicey with Lou lately.”

“I don’t want you to worry about that.”

“How am I supposed not to worry about it? You’re my best friend, and I can see that you’re not happy.”

“I don’t need to be happy right now. You do.”

“Well, I’d be happier if you were.”

Peter sighed. “I’ll be fine. We’re working things out.”

Vincent was sure that was a lie, but then, it would be just like Peter to lie about it.

He wanted Vincent to focus on Ronan and their relationship, and he knew that telling him about Lou would distract Vincent.

Maybe that was what Vincent needed. Hell, maybe that was what he and Ronan needed.

Now that they’d reunited, it was like Vincent couldn’t think of anything or anyone else but his mate, and it didn’t feel like a good thing.

It would be too easy for Vincent to get hurt again if he made Ronan the center of his universe the way he had when they were together the first time.

But today wasn’t the right time to push Peter. It was clear that he wouldn’t allow it, and it would only make it worse.

Vincent turned back to Peter. “Okay, so what do I wear?”

Peter’s answering smile was easy. “Not those jeans. They make your ass look flat.”

“Why do we care about that? Ronan has seen my ass in and out of jeans several times.”

“Hey, you just found each other again after years apart. He doesn’t know what you look like under your clothes anymore. He’s going to have to relearn that.”

Just like Vincent would have to relearn Ronan’s body.

It made him feel like the first time they’d been together.

He was nervous and excited, terrified of not being good enough and of losing Ronan again, happy to know that he hadn’t done anything that had pushed Ronan to leave, and pissed with his father.

It was a mix of emotions that felt too large to deal with, but what choice did Vincent have?

Fulton had hurt both Vincent and Ronan, but he wasn’t there for Vincent to yell at him for it.

In a way, it was a good thing. It wouldn’t do Vincent any good to focus on everything he and Ronan had lost. He couldn’t allow his father to win.

Fulton had wanted Ronan and Vincent to be apart, and he’d succeeded for too long.

Vincent wouldn’t allow him to continue doing so.

He was unwilling to give Fulton that, especially now that he was gone forever.

Vincent hoped that his father could see him from where he was in hell.

He hoped Fulton knew that Vincent and Ronan had found each other again.

Living with resentment probably wasn’t good, but Vincent could be smug if it was a byproduct of him being with Ronan and knowing how Fulton would have reacted to that.

He would’ve been furious, and the thought of that put a smile on Vincent’s face.

“You look kind of scary right now,” Peter said.

“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s not you I’m thinking about.”

Peter nodded. “You’re thinking about your father.”

“Do you know how angry he would’ve been if he’d known about this?”

Peter’s smile reflected Vincent’s. “Oh, I know. That’s why you and Ronan deserve a second chance.

You were pulled apart for years, and even though Fulton isn’t here to see you together, we both know how he would’ve taken it.

I can imagine his face. Beyond that, though, you and Ronan are mates.

You deserve that kind of happiness. You should have that kind of happiness. ”

Vincent reached over to take Peter’s hand. “So do you.”

“Maybe I’ll find it eventually. For now, we should focus on you.” He sucked in a breath and turned to Vincent’s closet. “What do you want Ronan to think when he first sees you?”

“I want him to remember what we had.” What they would have in the future would be different, but those memories didn’t hurt as much anymore now that Vincent knew that Ronan hadn’t abandoned him. He wanted to remember the times in which they’d been happy.

And he wanted them to be happy again.

* * * *

IT FELT LIKE THEIR first date all over again. It wasn’t even a date, or at least, that was what Ronan kept reminding himself of as he parked his car in the small parking lot off Main Street.

He and Vincent had already been through this once. More importantly, they’d agreed to take things slowly. They’d been talking on the phone and texting, and now, they’d go for a walk together. It wasn’t a date.

Even though it felt like one.

Ronan turned off the engine and swallowed.

He wasn’t sure that going to the park again was a good idea considering the emotional conversation they’d had there, but there wasn’t anywhere else to go in town.

There were plenty of restaurants and nice places for couples, but he and Vincent technically weren’t a couple yet.

Or maybe they were. They were mates, and this felt like more than meeting for a talk. Even with all the history between them, it didn’t feel like talking to a friend.

Talking to Vincent had never felt like talking to a friend.

Ronan had recognized Vincent as his mate almost as soon as they’d met, and he hadn’t been able to keep it to himself.

He hadn’t seen a reason to. Vincent had been confused but happy when Ronan had introduced himself, and while the confusion had faded after a while, the happiness had stayed.

They’d been happy together until Fulton had ruined everything.

If Ronan knew exactly where Fulton had been buried, he’d go there and find him.

He could ask Cam, but he doubted the alpha would tell him.

He wanted to keep Fulton in the past, as was right.

He also wanted to avoid anyone desecrating Fulton’s corpse.

Fulton might have been a monster, but he was dead, and he should be left alone.

Besides, Ronan didn’t want to allow the resentment to grow. He hated Fulton, and that would never change, but the man was gone. He could never hurt Ronan or Vincent again. He was in the past, and Ronan shouldn’t be thinking about the past when he had his entire future in front of him.

In fact, his future was coming out of the coffee shop, carrying two coffees. Ronan’s stomach churned at the sight of the small smile on Vincent’s face. He was eager and happy to see Vincent, but he was also worried about the Braden thing.

Cam hadn’t told Ronan not to tell Vincent that the pack was looking into him. Vincent probably knew, anyway. It made sense since Cam had to keep his people safe, and he didn’t know Vincent, no matter who Vincent was to Ronan. Hell, Cam didn’t really know Ronan, either.

Ronan didn’t know how Vincent would react. He could take a guess at how the old Vincent would have, but was Vincent still that same man? Ronan was going to find out.

That was what Ronan was here to find out, at least in part. He couldn’t do that from his car, so he opened the door and slid out. When he looked up, it was to see that Vincent was staring right at him.