Chapter 14
Claire slammed her bedroom door. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea," she mimicked Vince's tone. She scowled at the door. "Stupid stubborn bastard." She muttered. Doesn't he know anything? Why can't he just. She stopped in mid-thought. Just what? Like her instead? Claire snorted at the thought. Yeah right. He's too busy looking at the sign above my head that says 'Brian's sister'. Claire took a bite of her sandwich. I don't know why he's gotta be so damn stubborn. She plopped down on her bed. "This sucks." She muttered, annoyed because she knew she was into Vince. She was in far deeper than she thought.
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Mia frowned at Vince. He had been sitting in the living room scowling at her and Brian for the last half hour. It was starting to piss her off. "V, why don't you go and see if Claire needs help with dinner?" She told him.
Vince scowl deepened. He didn't want to, but he would because Mia asked him. He stood up abruptly and headed into the kitchen. He saw Claire standing in front of the stove. He sat at the table and watched her silently. He didn't want to talk to her.
Claire noticed Vince had come into the kitchen. She glanced at him when she heard the chair scrap across the floor. He sat down at the table. She turned quickly before he caught her looking at him. "You still mad at me?" She asked tentatively.
Vince looked at her sharply. Her back was to him. Half of him wanted to go over and shake her for making him mad. The over half wanted to go over and stand behind her; wrap his arms around her and nibble at her ear. Stop it! Damn it. You need to go and get fucking laid and quit thinking about HER. His eyes widened when he saw she had turned and faced him.
"Do you wanna know why I didn't let you apologize earlier?" She asked him softly.
Vince looked at her skeptically. "Oh please, enlighten me." He said tauntingly.
Claire's eyes narrowed. "Because I like you. If I didn't I would have slapped you in the car." She told him, slightly angry because he was being impudent. She turned her back on him, facing the stove. Ha! Let him think about that. I hope it makes him mad too. She told herself.
Vince's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe she just said that. He didn't want to get to know her. He didn't want to be her friend. He definitely didn't want her to be there. "What the fuck is wrong with you? How the hell can you like me? I don't even like you. You don't know anything about me," he snapped without thinking about what he said. He saw the hurt first, then the anger that took over.
"You know what never mind. Get out of my kitchen." She snapped back. She was just trying to be friendly. Obviously he didn't need anyone.
Vince scowled. He turned and left the kitchen. He went into the living room and saw Mia and Brian cuddled together on the couch. That made him angrier.
No fucking way I'm gonna sit here and watch these two. I fucking give up. She can fucking have him. I don't want her anyway. He screamed in his head.
He stormed thru the living room and headed out the front door, slamming it behind him.
Brian and Mia jumped startled at the slamming of the door. Brian frowned, confused. He went into the kitchen to check on Claire.
"Hey C' everything all right?" He asked as her looked at her concerned.
Claire nodded and threw a fake smile his way. "Yeah. Why?" She asked.
"You have any idea why Vince rushed out of here slamming the door?" Brian asked, watching her carefully.
Claire's eyes widened slightly, but she just shrugged.
"Could you check on him? He tends to do irrational things when he's angry. I don't want him to do anything bad. I would, but he hates me too much to listen to me anyway." Brian asked her.
Claire glared at Brian. "Yeah well I'm part of that club too. We're related remember. I doubt he'll listen to me either." She told him in a bitter tone.
Brian looked at her pleadingly. "Please, C. If one of the others were here they would. You don't have to say anything. Just watch him," he begged.
Claire looked at him, and then sighed audibly. You people need help. You hate each other, but still look out for each other. What kind of twisted logic is that? She thought.
"Fine. Go back to Mia. I'll go in a second." She informed him. She turned and shut off the stove.
Brian backed out of the kitchen, not wanting to Claire to change her mind.
Claire found him sitting on the front lawn. She approached him cautiously. She knew he wouldn't want her near. She saw his body stiffen and tense up when he heard her come closer.
"What the fuck do you want? I wanna be out here by myself," he yelled without turning around. When he received no answer he turned and looked. His eyes narrowed when he saw it was HER. "Don't you have anything better to do than follow me around?" He snapped.
Claire walked around and faced him, looking down slightly. She slapped him so hard he almost rolled back from the force. "What the fuck is your problem? Why do you have to be mean all the time? All I'm tryin to do is help. Stop being such an asshole and get over the fact that Mia doesn't want you. She wants Brian, despite what he did to you and your precious 'Team'. There's nothing you can do to change that, and forget what I said earlier. I could never like a jerk like you." She yelled at him.
"Oh yeah?" was all he said before he yanked her down to his lap and crushed her lips with his own. He wanted to hurt her, punish her. He didn't want care what Mia wanted anymore. He did know he was never going to go for Claire.
At first Claire was stunned. What was he doing? She pushed at his chest, pulling her lips away. "Let go! Let go!" She shouted struggling to get out of his grip.
He let go immediately. Vince remembered she had struggled in the same way when he found her with Sam.
"I can't believe I liked you. I could never like a bastard like you!" She yelled down at him.
Neither of them noticed Mia and Brian were now standing in the front door.
Vince growled at her. "Good! I wouldn't want a girl like you either because you're nothing compared to Mia anyway." He yelled back, pushing himself up from the ground to face her.
Claire sucked in a breath. She did the one thing her mind said not to do. She punched him as hard as she could in the face.
Brian ran towards them to stop Vince from doing something in retaliation.
Claire ran for the house, rushing past Brian and Mia without a word. She wanted to scream, kick, and throw things. She ran up to her room and locked herself in.
Vince looked stunned, he didn't even try to get up until Brian helped him. Once he was up he shrugged off Brian's help. Mia on the other hand came over and immediately started yelling.
"Vince, what the hell is the matter with you? Why would you say something like that to her? You better go apologize. And I'm telling Dom when he gets back. You promised you wouldn't fight with her." She yelled.
Vince closed his eyes tightly to her voice, trying to ignore her. No such luck, because just as she was finished Dom pulled up in front of the house.
Oh fuck. Great. Just fucking great. Vince kept his eyes closed while he listened to Mia tell her brother what happened. Dom was quiet, just listening to Mia and stared at the cut on Vince's cheek. When Mia was done Vince opened his eyes and looked at Dom cautiously. Fuck.
"Everybody go inside. I wanna talk to V alone." Dom stated. No one argued.
Vince stood silently waiting to hear Dom bitch at him.
"What's up with you V?" Dom said in a quiet tone instead.
Vince's eyes widened. Why isn't he yelling? "Nothin," he said nonchalantly, and then realized that was the wrong answer.
"Bullshit V!" Dom snapped. "You can't even look me in the eyes. I've known you since the third grade. You can't lie to me."
Vince refused to speak.
Dom sighed, frustrated. "I thought you gave your word? Was it really to much to ask for you not to fight with her?" He asked, more calm than before.
Vince looked at him sharply, but then looked away feeling guilty.
"She's his sister." Vince stated stubbornly.
"God damn it Vince! I don't care if she's his fucking mother. Stop being so fuckin stubborn! She drove sixteen hours just to bring your ungrateful ass here. Even after Brian told her about you and how you are. She's letting us stay here until we get our shit together. All I asked was for you to back off and don't start shit. You're only making yourself look stupid and embarrassing us." Dominic growled at him, angry because Vince was being so immature.
Vince opened his mouth to say something in his defense, but Dom cut him off.
"I don't want to hear it V. Go and apologize and maybe I'll forget this happened." Dom stated in his 'my word is law, don't argue' tone.
The blood drained from Vince's face. Apologize?
"She started it," Vince said, and then winced. He even sounded childish to himself.
Dominic stared at him angrily. "Go."
Vince slumped his shoulders, and stomped his way into the house.
Once he was out of earshot Dominic smiled. "You got it bad V. I wonder how long you'll hold out," he said to himself.
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Claire slammed her bedroom door. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea," she mimicked Vince's tone. She scowled at the door. "Stupid stubborn bastard." She muttered. Doesn't he know anything? Why can't he just. She stopped in mid-thought. Just what? Like her instead? Claire snorted at the thought. Yeah right. He's too busy looking at the sign above my head that says 'Brian's sister'. Claire took a bite of her sandwich. I don't know why he's gotta be so damn stubborn. She plopped down on her bed. "This sucks." She muttered, annoyed because she knew she was into Vince. She was in far deeper than she thought.
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Mia frowned at Vince. He had been sitting in the living room scowling at her and Brian for the last half hour. It was starting to piss her off. "V, why don't you go and see if Claire needs help with dinner?" She told him.
Vince scowl deepened. He didn't want to, but he would because Mia asked him. He stood up abruptly and headed into the kitchen. He saw Claire standing in front of the stove. He sat at the table and watched her silently. He didn't want to talk to her.
Claire noticed Vince had come into the kitchen. She glanced at him when she heard the chair scrap across the floor. He sat down at the table. She turned quickly before he caught her looking at him. "You still mad at me?" She asked tentatively.
Vince looked at her sharply. Her back was to him. Half of him wanted to go over and shake her for making him mad. The over half wanted to go over and stand behind her; wrap his arms around her and nibble at her ear. Stop it! Damn it. You need to go and get fucking laid and quit thinking about HER. His eyes widened when he saw she had turned and faced him.
"Do you wanna know why I didn't let you apologize earlier?" She asked him softly.
Vince looked at her skeptically. "Oh please, enlighten me." He said tauntingly.
Claire's eyes narrowed. "Because I like you. If I didn't I would have slapped you in the car." She told him, slightly angry because he was being impudent. She turned her back on him, facing the stove. Ha! Let him think about that. I hope it makes him mad too. She told herself.
Vince's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe she just said that. He didn't want to get to know her. He didn't want to be her friend. He definitely didn't want her to be there. "What the fuck is wrong with you? How the hell can you like me? I don't even like you. You don't know anything about me," he snapped without thinking about what he said. He saw the hurt first, then the anger that took over.
"You know what never mind. Get out of my kitchen." She snapped back. She was just trying to be friendly. Obviously he didn't need anyone.
Vince scowled. He turned and left the kitchen. He went into the living room and saw Mia and Brian cuddled together on the couch. That made him angrier.
No fucking way I'm gonna sit here and watch these two. I fucking give up. She can fucking have him. I don't want her anyway. He screamed in his head.
He stormed thru the living room and headed out the front door, slamming it behind him.
Brian and Mia jumped startled at the slamming of the door. Brian frowned, confused. He went into the kitchen to check on Claire.
"Hey C' everything all right?" He asked as her looked at her concerned.
Claire nodded and threw a fake smile his way. "Yeah. Why?" She asked.
"You have any idea why Vince rushed out of here slamming the door?" Brian asked, watching her carefully.
Claire's eyes widened slightly, but she just shrugged.
"Could you check on him? He tends to do irrational things when he's angry. I don't want him to do anything bad. I would, but he hates me too much to listen to me anyway." Brian asked her.
Claire glared at Brian. "Yeah well I'm part of that club too. We're related remember. I doubt he'll listen to me either." She told him in a bitter tone.
Brian looked at her pleadingly. "Please, C. If one of the others were here they would. You don't have to say anything. Just watch him," he begged.
Claire looked at him, and then sighed audibly. You people need help. You hate each other, but still look out for each other. What kind of twisted logic is that? She thought.
"Fine. Go back to Mia. I'll go in a second." She informed him. She turned and shut off the stove.
Brian backed out of the kitchen, not wanting to Claire to change her mind.
Claire found him sitting on the front lawn. She approached him cautiously. She knew he wouldn't want her near. She saw his body stiffen and tense up when he heard her come closer.
"What the fuck do you want? I wanna be out here by myself," he yelled without turning around. When he received no answer he turned and looked. His eyes narrowed when he saw it was HER. "Don't you have anything better to do than follow me around?" He snapped.
Claire walked around and faced him, looking down slightly. She slapped him so hard he almost rolled back from the force. "What the fuck is your problem? Why do you have to be mean all the time? All I'm tryin to do is help. Stop being such an asshole and get over the fact that Mia doesn't want you. She wants Brian, despite what he did to you and your precious 'Team'. There's nothing you can do to change that, and forget what I said earlier. I could never like a jerk like you." She yelled at him.
"Oh yeah?" was all he said before he yanked her down to his lap and crushed her lips with his own. He wanted to hurt her, punish her. He didn't want care what Mia wanted anymore. He did know he was never going to go for Claire.
At first Claire was stunned. What was he doing? She pushed at his chest, pulling her lips away. "Let go! Let go!" She shouted struggling to get out of his grip.
He let go immediately. Vince remembered she had struggled in the same way when he found her with Sam.
"I can't believe I liked you. I could never like a bastard like you!" She yelled down at him.
Neither of them noticed Mia and Brian were now standing in the front door.
Vince growled at her. "Good! I wouldn't want a girl like you either because you're nothing compared to Mia anyway." He yelled back, pushing himself up from the ground to face her.
Claire sucked in a breath. She did the one thing her mind said not to do. She punched him as hard as she could in the face.
Brian ran towards them to stop Vince from doing something in retaliation.
Claire ran for the house, rushing past Brian and Mia without a word. She wanted to scream, kick, and throw things. She ran up to her room and locked herself in.
Vince looked stunned, he didn't even try to get up until Brian helped him. Once he was up he shrugged off Brian's help. Mia on the other hand came over and immediately started yelling.
"Vince, what the hell is the matter with you? Why would you say something like that to her? You better go apologize. And I'm telling Dom when he gets back. You promised you wouldn't fight with her." She yelled.
Vince closed his eyes tightly to her voice, trying to ignore her. No such luck, because just as she was finished Dom pulled up in front of the house.
Oh fuck. Great. Just fucking great. Vince kept his eyes closed while he listened to Mia tell her brother what happened. Dom was quiet, just listening to Mia and stared at the cut on Vince's cheek. When Mia was done Vince opened his eyes and looked at Dom cautiously. Fuck.
"Everybody go inside. I wanna talk to V alone." Dom stated. No one argued.
Vince stood silently waiting to hear Dom bitch at him.
"What's up with you V?" Dom said in a quiet tone instead.
Vince's eyes widened. Why isn't he yelling? "Nothin," he said nonchalantly, and then realized that was the wrong answer.
"Bullshit V!" Dom snapped. "You can't even look me in the eyes. I've known you since the third grade. You can't lie to me."
Vince refused to speak.
Dom sighed, frustrated. "I thought you gave your word? Was it really to much to ask for you not to fight with her?" He asked, more calm than before.
Vince looked at him sharply, but then looked away feeling guilty.
"She's his sister." Vince stated stubbornly.
"God damn it Vince! I don't care if she's his fucking mother. Stop being so fuckin stubborn! She drove sixteen hours just to bring your ungrateful ass here. Even after Brian told her about you and how you are. She's letting us stay here until we get our shit together. All I asked was for you to back off and don't start shit. You're only making yourself look stupid and embarrassing us." Dominic growled at him, angry because Vince was being so immature.
Vince opened his mouth to say something in his defense, but Dom cut him off.
"I don't want to hear it V. Go and apologize and maybe I'll forget this happened." Dom stated in his 'my word is law, don't argue' tone.
The blood drained from Vince's face. Apologize?
"She started it," Vince said, and then winced. He even sounded childish to himself.
Dominic stared at him angrily. "Go."
Vince slumped his shoulders, and stomped his way into the house.
Once he was out of earshot Dominic smiled. "You got it bad V. I wonder how long you'll hold out," he said to himself.
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