Saving the Villain

"I… killed someone."

Time seemed to stop for Maxen as his heart stopped beating when those words escaped his lips. His slow and loud heartbeats rang in his ear, watching her eyes slowly go wide. For obvious reasons, Maxen broke out in sweats as his grip on her shoulder tightened.

But he had already said it. Hence, he forced himself to confess quietly.

"Just a year ago, there was a gang fight, Cozie. Remo and his gang… I, included, were there and —" His eyes widened as Cosette suddenly covered his mouth with both her hands. But what surprised him the most was that she looked around cautiously.

When she faced him, her eyes were sharp, and her teeth were clenching.

"Are you out of your mind? I told you to reconsider," she whispered-yelled. "Maxen, do you know how long we've been dating?"

His brows furrowed, a little confused at where she was going with this. All he could see was the anger in her eyes, as if she was annoyed, instead of shocked.

"It hadn't been a month since we started dating, Max," she continued, keeping her voice down. "Do you always sell yourself out? How can you confess this to me?"

'What?' Deep lines appeared on Maxen's forehead, still confused at this reaction.

Maxen had imagined Cosette backing away, scared, after hearing his confession. He would understand since that would be anyone's reaction. His reaction would be the same as what he imagined if he were in her situation. However, he didn't expect a such reaction. It was more like… she was scolding him for confessing.

Why?

Cosette huffed in distress, withdrawing her hand from his mouth. "Stop selling yourself out, Max. How can you trust me so much? What if I call the police and tell them about it?"

"Then… justice is served…?"

"Fuck justice!" Maxen flinched when she yelled, and only after a second did she realize her remarks. Cosette cleared her throat and looked back at him.

"Cosette." He squeezed her shoulder. "Did you… hear my conversation with Remo?"

Cosette bit her lower lip and looked away. "Yes," she whispered, telling herself to lie, but the truth came out of her lips.

"I heard everything, Max." She looked back at him again, this time showing unbending resolution in her eyes. "And I.. don't care. If you… offed someone, you must have had a reason. There are always two sides to the story, and I only planned to listen to your side of the story."

Cosette then reached for his hand that was on her shoulder, keeping his gaze on her. "If you're worried about me, don't. I can protect myself; I can protect you. I am Cosette Blac, the one and only, Max. It may sound selfish, but I don't care. I'm not as kind and pure as you think I am; I can kill if I must."

For a moment, Maxen couldn't reply to her last remarks. How could she utter those words with such conviction? She could've been saying all those to reassure him, but no. Maxen was certain Cosette meant everything she said just now.

And that… raised a question in his head.

Did he really know her?

Maxen had always asked this particular question in his head since Cosette was, overall, sweet and kind. She was considerate and sometimes mischievous. There were other times she was firm and had always been decisive. It was layers after layers, and now, he just witness another layer unfold.

"Should I… get alarmed?" he blurted out under his breath but didn't regret raising that question. "What will it take for you to hate me?"

"If you hurt me… intentionally." Her answer was quick and certain without looking away from him. "Don't leave me if you think I will be in danger."

Cosette shook her head as she paused. "I am a Blac, Max. And my father is Conrad Blac. You are now a part of our family. No one messes with our family."

Maxen was rendered speechless, and all he could do was stare at her. He felt like Cosette… was older than her age. There were times she would act mature, but this was the first he nearly mistook her for an adult. He felt reassured in a way.

"What can I say?" he let out a deep exhale, pulling her closer to embrace her. "I'm scared, Cosette. I'm terrified, and I don't want to put you in danger. I feel so powerless."

Upon hearing his confession, Cosette glanced at him, and her expression softened. She planted her hand on his back, patting him gently.

"The second you said you're scared... already proved you're stronger. I'm… scared too," she replied in a tiny voice. However, the source of this fear wasn't the same as him. Maxen was terrified that Cosette and Conrad would be in danger since he knew the type of people who were keeping an eye on him. Cosette, on the other hand, was terrified of one thing.

That was losing Maxen.

If those people… got their hands on Maxen, she was afraid all her hard work until now would go down the drain. Even if she made him more humane, the underground world was vicious. It would surely drag Maxen to the pits of hell where there was no way he would be able to crawl back up to the surface without his horns.

"What should I do?" he asked, tightening his embrace. "I feel embarrassed asking you this… when I should be the one who you should lean on."

"Why feel embarrassed?" she chuckled weakly. "What makes a man, Max? Was it being strong, stoic, and someone who endures hardship without showing emotion makes a man?"

She slowly snaked her arms around his waist. "My Maxen had always endured everything bravely. What's so wrong with leaning on me? And sharing your burden? You are only human, Max. We all are. There's nothing wrong with being weak and confused at times. That's life."

Cosette held him gently before releasing him, taking a step back to look at him. She smiled, squeezing his hand.

"You're not alone anymore, Max. You can lean on me, and I would do the same when I'm at my weakest." Her lips stretched warmly as her eyes swirled with nothing but affection. "Trust me this once, hmm? They won't touch you or me, and definitely not my dad."