Authors note: Sorry it took me so long to update. :)
Chapter 13
Claire drove for over half an hour and still Vince said nothing about stopping. She frowned. This is what started his last temper tantrum, sitting in a car and not speaking. I really don't want to do this anymore, she thought. Claire was tired. She didn't want to drive anymore and she surely didn't want to want sit in the car with Him anymore. She sighed and turned the car around. She headed for a place she frequented as a child.
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Vince was too lost in his own thoughts to notice Claire had turn the car around. He stared out the window not seeing the scenery as it flew by.
There have only been three things Vince has been confident about, racing, the 'team,' and his love for Mia. Nothing else mattered. It's been this way for as long as he could remember, ever since Leon and Jesse became a part of the 'team.'
Vince frowned. Mia didn't want him. That made him angry because Mia wanted Brian instead.
That fucking bastard lied to us lied to her and she still wants him. What the fuck is the matter with her? He thought venomously. Vince glanced at Claire out of the corner of his eye, and then looked away quickly. And HER. What the fuck? If it weren't for Brian we wouldn't even be here. If it weren't for Brian she wouldn't have had to take us in like we're strays. If it weren't for Brian I wouldn't have to baby-sit her. If it weren't for Brian I would have Mia. If it weren't for Brian I wouldn't have looked at HER twice. If it weren't for Brian we would still have a home. Brian ruined everything, the 'team,' our way of life. He glared darkly at the window. Even if Vince didn't want to admit to himself, he knew deep down Brian didn't deserve so much credit.
Vince blinked several times when he realized the car had stopped moving. In fact they were in a parking lot in front of an ice cream parlor. He turned and sucked in a quick breath when he saw Claire was no longer in the car. When did she leave? Why hadn't he heard her? Where did she go? Why the fuck wasn't he paying attention? He growled low in his throat. He glanced around. He didn't see her anywhere; he climbed out of the car. Just as he slammed the door shut he saw her.
Claire walked toward him slowly eating an ice cream cone. She was too busy licking the chocolate, keeping it from spilling on to her fingers, to notice Vince staring at her intently. She stopped in mid step when he appeared in front of her. Claire looked up and saw the anger in his eyes. What? I didn't do anything damn it, she thought. "If you wanted one too you should have said so when I asked you," she said and then side stepped him and climbed back into her car.
Vince was outraged. She never said anything about stopping to get ice cream. She never asked him if he wanted anything. She didn't tell him where she was going. Vince climbed into the car and slammed the door. He sat and stared at her hard. She wouldn't even look at him.
"Stop staring." she told him without looking at him. She continued to lick her ice cream.
"Nervous?" He asked, mockingly.
Claire ignored him, content in eating her cone.
Vince continued to stare at her, knowing eventually she would be unnerved.
He was right. After a minute Claire tossed her ice cream cone out the window, frustrated. She turned and met him eye to eye. "Do you have a destination in mind now?" She asked, irritated.
"You have ice cream on your face." He said, ignoring her question.
Instinctively Claire's tongue reached out to clean it, but didn't quite reach. She didn't see his eyes travel from her eyes to her tongue then back to her eyes again.
"Let me." He gripped her chin from underneath to keep her head still. Even as he leaned forward Vince knew he shouldn't. Stop! Don't, his mind shouted. Slowly he licked the ice cream clean.
Claire closed her eyes and unconsciously leaned closer to him. Oh god what is he doing? Her body shivered at the contact. Then the moment was gone. Vince flung her face away as if he had been burned. Claire's eyes flew open. He looked angry again. Why? Why why why? Was all she could think of. She started the car and headed back to home.
Vince looked at her, enraged. Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid. What the hell did I do that for? His mind screamed. Fuck! What if the others find out? What about Mia? What will she say? Fuck, god damn it!
When Claire pulled up in front of the house, Vince turned toward her to speak. He was faced with her back instead as she climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut behind her. He watched as she ran for the house and let herself in, slamming the front door as well. Vince ran his hand thru his hair, "Fuck!" He yelled out as he slammed a fist down on the dashboard. He looked at the door fiercely. He be damned before he would ever apologize to a woman, no matter what he did. Vince headed for the house reluctantly. He found her in the kitchen making a sandwich. She wouldn't even look at him. He started to open his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.
Claire looked up at Vince. "Don't bother. I realize you're not all together there sometimes, because of the painkillers you still take. I understand that sometimes you can't control some things. So don't worry about it." She told him, and then went back to making her sandwich.
Vince stared at her wide-eyed. She was giving him a way out so he wouldn't have to apologize. Fuck why does she have to be like this? Vince knew if it weren't for Mia and Brian things would be different. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea," he said.
Claire looked up as she finished her sandwich. "Really? How noble of you. Thanks for clearing that up." She replied sarcastically and then snatched up her sandwich as she left the kitchen.
Vince glared. What the fuck does that mean? "What the fuck is your problem?" he yelled at her retreating back.
Claire stopped in her tracks; she turned and looked at him briefly. "Me? What about you? At least I'm not pining over someone who doesn't want me." Liar. Her mind taunted. She left quickly, retreating to her room.
Vince growled. She doesn't know what she's talking about. He isn't pining over Mia. I'm not. He thought back to when Claire had ice cream on her face. He was supposed to keep her at a distance. He didn't need the hassle of worrying about someone else. Had she been any other woman, Vince knew that situation would have gone a lot differently. Hell, he might be upstairs with her right now, instead of down here in the kitchen cursing the fact that he knew her. But she's not any other girl. She's Brian sister. Remember that. He told himself sternly.
He shut his eyes tightly, trying to keep the memory from his mind. Her presence was intoxicating; her warm creamy vanilla scent. He wondered what her lips would taste like. They looked so soft and smooth. He could have known; all he had to do was lean in a little further and.
God Dammit! Stop fucking thinking about her! I don't want her. I don't want nothing to do with her. I don't. His mind cried out. He really was confused. How can he just push Mia away in his thoughts and think about HER instead, when he knew he was in love with Mia?
Vince stared at the empty hallway where she disappeared. He is in love with Mia.isn't he?
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Chapter 13
Claire drove for over half an hour and still Vince said nothing about stopping. She frowned. This is what started his last temper tantrum, sitting in a car and not speaking. I really don't want to do this anymore, she thought. Claire was tired. She didn't want to drive anymore and she surely didn't want to want sit in the car with Him anymore. She sighed and turned the car around. She headed for a place she frequented as a child.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Vince was too lost in his own thoughts to notice Claire had turn the car around. He stared out the window not seeing the scenery as it flew by.
There have only been three things Vince has been confident about, racing, the 'team,' and his love for Mia. Nothing else mattered. It's been this way for as long as he could remember, ever since Leon and Jesse became a part of the 'team.'
Vince frowned. Mia didn't want him. That made him angry because Mia wanted Brian instead.
That fucking bastard lied to us lied to her and she still wants him. What the fuck is the matter with her? He thought venomously. Vince glanced at Claire out of the corner of his eye, and then looked away quickly. And HER. What the fuck? If it weren't for Brian we wouldn't even be here. If it weren't for Brian she wouldn't have had to take us in like we're strays. If it weren't for Brian I wouldn't have to baby-sit her. If it weren't for Brian I would have Mia. If it weren't for Brian I wouldn't have looked at HER twice. If it weren't for Brian we would still have a home. Brian ruined everything, the 'team,' our way of life. He glared darkly at the window. Even if Vince didn't want to admit to himself, he knew deep down Brian didn't deserve so much credit.
Vince blinked several times when he realized the car had stopped moving. In fact they were in a parking lot in front of an ice cream parlor. He turned and sucked in a quick breath when he saw Claire was no longer in the car. When did she leave? Why hadn't he heard her? Where did she go? Why the fuck wasn't he paying attention? He growled low in his throat. He glanced around. He didn't see her anywhere; he climbed out of the car. Just as he slammed the door shut he saw her.
Claire walked toward him slowly eating an ice cream cone. She was too busy licking the chocolate, keeping it from spilling on to her fingers, to notice Vince staring at her intently. She stopped in mid step when he appeared in front of her. Claire looked up and saw the anger in his eyes. What? I didn't do anything damn it, she thought. "If you wanted one too you should have said so when I asked you," she said and then side stepped him and climbed back into her car.
Vince was outraged. She never said anything about stopping to get ice cream. She never asked him if he wanted anything. She didn't tell him where she was going. Vince climbed into the car and slammed the door. He sat and stared at her hard. She wouldn't even look at him.
"Stop staring." she told him without looking at him. She continued to lick her ice cream.
"Nervous?" He asked, mockingly.
Claire ignored him, content in eating her cone.
Vince continued to stare at her, knowing eventually she would be unnerved.
He was right. After a minute Claire tossed her ice cream cone out the window, frustrated. She turned and met him eye to eye. "Do you have a destination in mind now?" She asked, irritated.
"You have ice cream on your face." He said, ignoring her question.
Instinctively Claire's tongue reached out to clean it, but didn't quite reach. She didn't see his eyes travel from her eyes to her tongue then back to her eyes again.
"Let me." He gripped her chin from underneath to keep her head still. Even as he leaned forward Vince knew he shouldn't. Stop! Don't, his mind shouted. Slowly he licked the ice cream clean.
Claire closed her eyes and unconsciously leaned closer to him. Oh god what is he doing? Her body shivered at the contact. Then the moment was gone. Vince flung her face away as if he had been burned. Claire's eyes flew open. He looked angry again. Why? Why why why? Was all she could think of. She started the car and headed back to home.
Vince looked at her, enraged. Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid. What the hell did I do that for? His mind screamed. Fuck! What if the others find out? What about Mia? What will she say? Fuck, god damn it!
When Claire pulled up in front of the house, Vince turned toward her to speak. He was faced with her back instead as she climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut behind her. He watched as she ran for the house and let herself in, slamming the front door as well. Vince ran his hand thru his hair, "Fuck!" He yelled out as he slammed a fist down on the dashboard. He looked at the door fiercely. He be damned before he would ever apologize to a woman, no matter what he did. Vince headed for the house reluctantly. He found her in the kitchen making a sandwich. She wouldn't even look at him. He started to open his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.
Claire looked up at Vince. "Don't bother. I realize you're not all together there sometimes, because of the painkillers you still take. I understand that sometimes you can't control some things. So don't worry about it." She told him, and then went back to making her sandwich.
Vince stared at her wide-eyed. She was giving him a way out so he wouldn't have to apologize. Fuck why does she have to be like this? Vince knew if it weren't for Mia and Brian things would be different. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea," he said.
Claire looked up as she finished her sandwich. "Really? How noble of you. Thanks for clearing that up." She replied sarcastically and then snatched up her sandwich as she left the kitchen.
Vince glared. What the fuck does that mean? "What the fuck is your problem?" he yelled at her retreating back.
Claire stopped in her tracks; she turned and looked at him briefly. "Me? What about you? At least I'm not pining over someone who doesn't want me." Liar. Her mind taunted. She left quickly, retreating to her room.
Vince growled. She doesn't know what she's talking about. He isn't pining over Mia. I'm not. He thought back to when Claire had ice cream on her face. He was supposed to keep her at a distance. He didn't need the hassle of worrying about someone else. Had she been any other woman, Vince knew that situation would have gone a lot differently. Hell, he might be upstairs with her right now, instead of down here in the kitchen cursing the fact that he knew her. But she's not any other girl. She's Brian sister. Remember that. He told himself sternly.
He shut his eyes tightly, trying to keep the memory from his mind. Her presence was intoxicating; her warm creamy vanilla scent. He wondered what her lips would taste like. They looked so soft and smooth. He could have known; all he had to do was lean in a little further and.
God Dammit! Stop fucking thinking about her! I don't want her. I don't want nothing to do with her. I don't. His mind cried out. He really was confused. How can he just push Mia away in his thoughts and think about HER instead, when he knew he was in love with Mia?
Vince stared at the empty hallway where she disappeared. He is in love with Mia.isn't he?
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