Vince grinned at her knowing she spoke the truth about not wanting to hurt him. They were best friend with romance included, which only made the relationship to him sweeter.
His smile faded, the look of concern and acceptance replaced it. He mopped up some tears as she started baring her heart. His eyebrows shot up. Killed them? She destroyed the people that enjoyed spreading terror and shame upon them both? Anna did it for him. He scooted closer a few inches as she told him about Christine. The one who, before he met Anna had pulled his swimming trunks down around his ankles at a public and very full pool. That same Christine that never let him forget the tears he had shed at that moment when he had been so rudely exposed to most of the people in his world. 

“She got what she deserved,” he said barely above a whisper. His own anger echoed by the fact that girl was determined to make their lives hell and enjoyed it on a daily bases. Those people who had taken high school and their self-appointed popularity to a twisted level as if someday they would not all leave the place and join the real world. They were heartless, cruel and deserved what they had received. 

“What?” Vince exclaimed straightening. Then forced his mouth shut to let her finish her tale about her mother. He threw his arms around her, pulling her out of her curled state and encouraged to wrap herself around him instead. “You are not a monster, Anna. You are not. They were. All of them,” his voice cracked with emotion at his declaration. “They didn’t help us. They turned their back on us. They are the monsters, Anna. Them. Not you.”
It was them against the world, and it was like that even now. He hated them that sentiment pooled his soul so deeply and darkly he didn’t care notice his jeans turning black. He had to protect his Anna from them, he would. He would destroy them if they tried to hurt her again. He would do what he had to in order to keep her safe. He held her for some time, letting her have her cry as he silently cursed the world. 

When her sobbing had calmed, he didn’t stop comforting her by his soft caresses and butterfly kisses. He tightened his grip on her for a moment taking in a breath, his hip and back aching from the position he had forced them into. “I know you hadn’t eaten since this whole thing begun,” he said softly. “I would go and buy you food, but I don’t think I can physically. I will go with you. Always. I insist you getting something to eat. I bet it will make you feel better.” He shifted his leg. “And something to fix that wound. I’ll tend to that. Then we should leave this place. Go somewhere nice, just the two of us. The beach or maybe the mountains.”