Chapter. 28
It was Saturday morning as Vincent packed a suitcase. The day had come for him and his family to get away to the hills for a weekend. Closing the suitcase Vincent put on a green hoodie then lifted the suitcase up and carried it down the stairs and out the front door.
"Hurry up Vincent!" Shouted Elizabeth. "What took so long?"
"Packing my stuff. I'd have it done sooner if you would carry your own shit sis!" Vincent lunged a suitcase out the front door to his waiting family by the car.
"That everything?" Asked the father.
"Should be, I carried most of it." A massage appeared from Catherine and Vincent ignored it.
A car pulled up in front of the house, the door swung open and Rebecca stepped out. "Thank you." Rebecca closed the door and the car drove off.
"Reby!" Vincent dashed to greet her. "You're here, what's up?"
"I, uh... I want to go if I can-"
"Of course you can!" Vincent lead her to his family. "Mom, Dad this is Rebecca. I asked her to come with us."
"Hello." Rebecca's voice was low.
"Vincent bringing his girlfriend?" Asked Elizabeth.
"Shut it sis!"
"Hello Rebecca." Vincent's mother hugged the girl. "I finally get to meet one of my son's friends."
Vincent hair was ruffled by his father. "A fine young woman you got there Vincent."
"Can we go now?" Vincent got a call from Catherine, which he blocked.
Everyone loaded into the car, Vincent sat in the middle of the back seats as Elizabeth was on his left and Rebecca on his right. As the father started it up Vincent got a call from Jade, he shut off his linker and leaned back. "How far is this place?"
"An hour drive."
The mother looked to the backseat. "So, how did you two meet?"
"We met at fencing practice." Vincent answered.
"So you're on the team too?"
"Not yet, I've been giving her lessons for the tryouts."
"Private lessons?" Elizabeth smirked.
"Yes sis, private lessons. Take it how you will."
Their mother turned back in her seat. "I don't know Vincent. A boy and girl, working out their frustrations. Can get pretty heated."
Vincent groaned. "Dad! Talk some sense into Mom!"
"I'm driving Vincent."
"You bitch! Leaving your own son to be ganked!"
The mother adjusted the rear view mirror to see Rebecca. "So Reby, what's my like when its just you two? What do you like about him?"
"He's very kind and looks out for me."
"My brother, kind? I don't believe it"
Vincent spun to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry. Who was it again you crawled into bed with when you had nightmares? Tell me again, who was it that you come crying to when you were sad or hurt?" Elizabeth crossed her arms and glared at her brother. "Yeah. Checkmate."
Elizabeth grinned. "So did you two have sex yet?"
"Really!" Vincent leered at his sister as his face was red. "Mom!"
"It's a fair question. You better be treating her right son."
"Dad! Help!" Vincent's father was snickering. "Et tu Dad?! You too?!" Everyone in the car laughed. "I'm beyond done with you people." Vincent pulled his hood over his head and looked down to hide his face.
Vincent's mother looked at Rebecca who used her hair to also cover her face. "Don't hide Reby. You have such pretty eyes." Rebecca shuffled closer to Vincent. "Okay let's stop teasing the couple. Tell us about yourself Reby."
...
The family arrived at their destination. They got out of the car to find a single floor house with a stone exterior. "Here we are, just remember to keep it clean." The father took out some keys then unlocked the door for everyone to come inside. "Oh check it out." Elizabeth pointed to a sliding glass door to a balcony over looking a forest.
While everyone explored the house Vincent throw his suitcase into one of the rooms and went to the balcony, sliding the door open to walk outside he spotted a staircase on his left. He stood by the railing to see a path in the woods.
"What'cha looking at?" Rebecca stepped outside, closing the sliding door behind her.
"Take a look." Vincent pointed down to the path below. "Wanna go down and walk it?"
"Can we?"
"Why not? I'll tell my parents." Vincent slid the glass door open. "Mom, Dad! Reby and I are going for a walk, see you in a bit!" Vincent slid the glass door shut, no caring for a reply. Rebecca had already gone down the stairs and waited on the path. Vincent looked down from the balcony then turned on his linker to measure the height to the ground and was hit with forty messages and a dozen missed calls from Catherine.
"Bitch, take a fucking hint!" Vincent got his measurements then shut off his linker again. He placed his hand on the railing then lifted himself up to leap over the railing. Vincent landed on his feet and fell forward, using his right hand to catch himself and his left hand for balance. He stood up and flapped his hoodie for any dirt he kicked up. "Ready?"
Rebecca slowly nodded with a stunned expression. The two walked down the path, listening to the sounds of nature and looking at the plants and animals. Rebecca spotted some poppies growing by a tree. Rebecca kneeled down to gentle touch one. "So pretty."
Vincent kneeled beside her. "You want one?" Vincent plucked one of the poppies, ripping off the stem to shorten it. "Hold still." He combed Rebecca's hair with his fingers then placed the flower in hair. Moving some strains to keep it in place. "Soft." Vincent stood up and dusted his hands. "All done. Wanna see?"
The two walked to a small river with a wooden bridge over it. Rebecca stood on the bridge and looked down in the water to see her reflection. "Like it?"
Rebecca hugged Vincent. "I love it."
Vincent held Rebecca lightly, her hair smelled of the same pine as the trees around them. "That's good." Vincent's thought went back to his room. Rebecca pulled back and his hand hung on her shoulders. Rebecca looked up to Vincent, her eyes held a polished shine. His left hand raised to hold her cheek.
"Vincent!" The two separated to see Elizabeth running towards them. "Sorry to interrupted but Mom and Dad want you two to come back before it gets dark."
"Thank you Elizabeth." Said Rebecca.
"Of course. So, what'cha doing?" Elizabeth noticed the poppy in Rebecca's hair. "Oh that's so cute! Did Vincent do that?"
Vincent tightened his fist, using all of his self control to not throw his sister into the river. "Care walk with us Liz?"
"Sure." Elizabeth walked beside Rebecca, as they talked Vincent stayed behind glancing down at his hand as slowly opened and closed it. Elizabeth turned back to her brother. "You good Vince?"
"Fine."
...
The sun began to set when the three returned to the house. Elizabeth slid the glass door open. "Mom, Dad! We're back!"
The three were greeted by sweet smells from the kitchen, their mother coming out to see them. "Did you all have fun?"
"It was good to get out and see some real nature." Replied Elizabeth.
"Okay, Dinner is almost done. Don't make any messes, we're still selling this place."
Rebecca turned to Vincent. "Then why are we here if something could go badly?"
"Because my parents are dumb risk takers."
After dinner everyone went to the living room except the father who went into one of the other rooms then came out again to show everyone a CD player. "Here you go kids, something from an older generation."
"Oh god no!" Elizabeth grabbed a couch pillow to cover her face. "It's bad enough you two and Vince like that old stuff do we have to suffer too?"
"Old stuff has its charms." Said Rebecca.
"You too? I'm surrounded by old people."
Vincent grinned. "Laugh now but one day you'll be in the same place, what you like will be old and you'll be thinking its better then the new."
"No..." Elizabeth slumped into the sofa.
The parents turned on the CD player and music started to play.
(Angel of the morning, by Juice Newton.)
As music played the mother gasped. "This song."
"The same one from the night I proposed." The Father held out his hand to the mother and parents started to dance.
Vincent crossed his arms as he watched his parents with a soft smile.
"Vince." Elizabeth poked Vincent in the ribs to get his attention then point to Rebecca who watched the parents dance with her hand over her chest.
With a nod Vincent stood up and held a hand to Rebecca. "Want to dance?"
"Okay." Rebecca gingerly took his hand and stood up, going into center of the room Vincent placed a hand on Rebecca's waist and held her hand with the other. Rebecca rested her free hand on his shoulder and they started to dance.
It took a few seconds for them to get into a rhythm and stop looking at their feet but to each other. Vincent smiled when he saw Rebecca was having fun. She pressed her head against his chest and Vincent moved his hand from her waist to her back, gently rubbing it. The smell of pine washed over Vincent, reminding him of earlier that day.
When the song reached its build up Rebecca pulled away from Vincent and looked up to him with the same eyes as before. "Not this time." Vincent let go of Rebecca's hand to hold the side of her face then leaned in to kiss her. Rebecca was frozen from the action, she stared back at Vincent in shock when he pulled back.
"Not your girlfriend?" The two spun to see Elizabeth and her parents watching them with wide smiles. Returning to reality Vincent and Rebecca separated, Rebecca rushed to one of the rooms while Vincent ran to the balcony jumping over the railing to go into the woods.
...
It was dark when Vincent returned to the house, he climbed up the stairs to find Rebecca standing by the sliding glass door. Vincent took a deep breath and approached her. "Hey."
Rebecca spun to him. "Hello V."
"Look... I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"Oh no! I was just surprised! I didn't know you felt that way about me."
"I do, but I don't want to make you feel forced into anything. I'm open to us becoming a thing. If not then-"
"No!" Rebecca jumped at Vincent, throwing her arms around him. "I want you! I want to be us!" Rebecca pulled back to look up to Vincent, gone were her warm eyes now filled with worry. She lunged up at Vincent and kissed him. Vincent was surprised at first then returned the kiss. The two pulled to breath, smiling to each other. "Was that good?"
Vincent chuckled. "How would I know? I've never kissed someone before."
"Really?"
"You sound upset."
"I just thought, you've had, uh, other relationships."
"None. I've never been keen on dating just to date."
Rebecca nods happily, the warm glow in her eyes returned. She wrapped her arms around Vincent, holding on tightly. "Good."
Vincent held on to Rebecca, rubbing her back while he stroked her hair. "Care to try again?"
Rebecca let go and almost shoved Vincent away. "Yes!"
! #$%^&*()_++}"?:{{
Angel in the morning by Juice Newton
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