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At the end of the week, Gabriella was walking up the stairs to the court house she hadn't visited since her dad's first hearing. He admitted to killing Ashley and another hearing was called. They weren't there to prove his guilt, but to decide what changes would be made to his life sentience. He was getting death. She knew it. He knew it. The judge knew it. Vincent knew it.

Vincent.

She hadn't seen him or heard from him since their fight. She heard him moving around in his apartment but she couldn't bring herself to go over to him. She had hurt him, cut him deep, and she needed to wait for him to forgive her and come to her. She knew she was going to see him in the court room and her heart was slamming in her chest.

She walked into the court room, taking a seat in the back, opposite of the defense. Vincent was in the front row and Gabriella knew he hadn't seen her yet. She was praying he wouldn't. She was thankful that he was alone. She had half expected Alice to be with him. She hadn't seen or heard from her former "friend" since she punched the woman in the mouth. Jonathan had told her Alice had broken up with him without an explanation.

When her dad was lead into the court room, shackled, his eyes swept across the people that were gathered and found her right away. Gabriella held her breath as images from her childhood started to play over and over again. Her eyes stung with tears and she hated him even more. His lawyer looked back and saw her too. He offered her an small, sad smile, catching Vincent's attention. He turned around and saw her as she ducked her head down. Gabriella didn't see him as he watched her wipe at her eyes. When she looked up again, he was facing forward again.

Shane had prepared a statement to read to the judge and was allowed to go to the witness stand. Tension swept through everyone but his statement was short and sweet. He asked for lethal injection, the sooner the better. He admitted that he was sick and would never stop killing. The need to take lives consumed him and he was tired of living with it. He looked at Vincent and said he was sorry. He asked Vincent to care for Gabriella the way she deserved. Vincent's eyes closed and dropped his head while Gabriella started to cry harder. Shane, seeing her tears, started to cry. He told her how sorry he was and how much he loved her and her mother. He hoped that one day she would be able to forgive him.

Gabriella slipped out of the room before the judgment was given. She didn't want to hear the date her father would be put to death. She needed air and needed it bad. Her stomach was rolling and she felt like at any minute she could just throw up. She picked up her pace, reaching the stairs to the court house doors quickly.

" Gabriella." Vincent's voice froze her. All the breath in her left her in a hard, hot rush. She closed her eyes but didn't turn around.

" I'm sorry." She said when she finally found her voice.

" I know." He said. She swallowed hard then turned around to face him with fresh tears coming down her cheeks. His hands were in the front pockets of his jeans. " I'm sorry too." She nodded. She covered her mouth to try and hold in her sobs. " I made a request to the judge. I asked him not to give your dad death."

" He wants it." Her voice was shaking and tear laced.

" I'm sorry I haven't been around. I just needed some time. I needed to think and figure out what I was thinking and was feeling." Vincent said.

" I understand." She said. Neither one spoke for a few minutes.

" Mr. Harris." One of the lawyers said from behind him. " We need you back inside." Vincent's frowned, his face as pain filled as hers. He turned around and looked at the lawyer.

" Can I have five minutes?" He asked.

" I'm afraid not. The Judge is going to make his ruling." Vincent sighed and turned to face her again. But she was gone.

Another week went by and Gabriella was finally returning to their building. She had come home from the court house, packed a bag and checked herself into a hotel. She needed a break. She took a leave from her work, explaining the situation to her boss and her boss alone. She turned her phone off and left it off. She still hadn't turned it back on when she reached the building. There was a moving truck outside the apartment building doors. Gabriella looked inside, feeling her stomach drop. Vincent was moving away.

Her steps were heavy and hard as she walked up the stairs slowly. A few men were passing her with boxes of Vincent's stuff in their arms. She kept her eyes down and hoped to be able to disappear into her apartment without seeing him. She just couldn't face him, knowing he was leaving her for good. She couldn't take the pain.

She managed to slip into her apartment quickly and quietly. She locked the door, tossed her bag on the floor and went to her bed. She laid across it and started to cry. Gabriella was so sick of crying. She had done nothing but cry for the past two weeks and was sick of it. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stop the tears. A knock came to her door but she ignored it. She didn't care who it was. She pulled the blankets over her head then grabbed the pillow and held it over her head too. She was clutching it to her head when she felt some one's fingers touch her wrist. She jumped and threw the blankets off her. Vincent held his hands up.

" I didn't mean to scare you." He said softly. He was crouched down by her bed. " Where the hell have you been? I have been calling you, leaving you messages, texting. I went to your work but no one knew where you went. I kept coming over but you never came home." His face soften as he let his hands rest against her mattress. " I've been really worry, Babe." He finished up softly.

" I went to a hotel. I took some time off work." She said.

" You couldn't call me back, ever?" Vincent asked.

" I turned my phone off." Gabriella said. She sat up and pushed her hair from her face. He stood up so he could sit on the bed beside her. He held her key out to her.

" I need my key back." He said. She nodded, refusing to let her tears out.

" You're moving." She said.

" I am. I can't stay here. I went to Alice, to see if she called the police. Turns out, she did. She thought I'd just fall for her if she turned him in. She said she convinced you not to tell me so I'd break up with you and go to her." Yeah, it worked, Gabriella thought bitterly. " She has this wall in her apartment just covered with pictures of you and I. I went to the landlord. I told him I couldn't stay here and feel safe. She's fucking crazy." Vincent said.

" Are you leaving today?" She asked. Vincent nodded again and sighed. Gabriella dropped her eyes to the blanket as a fresh set of tears started.

" I bought a house, 20 miles from the city. Big yard, porch swing." He said. Gabriella closed her eyes and nodded. She felt Vincent lay his hand on top of hers. " There's room for my stuff...and yours." She looked up at him, feeling her breath leave her at once. " The land lord is releasing you from your lease on account of Alice's photos of us. I told him I didn't think it was safe for you either."

" You want me to come with you?" She whispered, making him smile. He swept his hand over to her cheek.

" That was our plan, wasn't it? If you still want too then I want you to come with me. If you can't because of me taking off for a week then I understand and I will do whatever it takes to make you want to be with me again, whatever it takes to help you understand how sorry I am. I just needed to wrap my head around everything." Vincent said. Gabriella closed her eyes and swallowed again. She sighed then looked at him.

" I want to come with you." She admitted, making him smile. " I won't keep anything from you again but you have to promise to not take off on me."

" I won't. It was stupid, I know. There were so many times I wanted to come over but the more time I spend away from you the harder it got. I was scared you were going to be mad at me for leaving. I thought you might scream or yell at me. Then when I saw you at the courthouse, I just needed to talk to you, even if you yelled."

" I needed a break, that was why I left. I didn't think I could come back and see you or her." Gabriella said.

" I guess we both needed to check out for a bit." Vincent said. He put his hand against the back of her neck and pulled her into him. They let their foreheads rest together. " Come with me to the house. We will unpack my stuff then come back with the boxes. I paid for the movers for two days. We will have them load up your big stuff tomorrow but tonight we will move the boxes." She nodded.

" Okay." She said. Vincent smiled.

" I love you." Vincent said. She took a hold of his shirt.

" I love you too." He grinned as he pulled away from her.

" Come on, Babe. I can't wait to show you this place. I found it by accident and the owners took my first offer. It has been empty for six months and he needed to unload it. I got lucky." He said.

XXXXXX

Vincent held her against him, surrounded by boxes of her things, in the middle of their new living room. He was holding her by her ass while her arms were around his neck. They were kissing slow, turning their heads in opposite directions while their tongues moved against each other. They had brought all her little things with them and were going back to her place in the morning. The house had two bedrooms and a finished basement. They were feeling excited and relieved to be away from Alice and back in each other's arms.

But she was there, watching. She waited three years for him, she could wait a little longer.