Chapter 17
Vince ran up the stairs and knocked on her door. When he got no answer he tried the handle and was surprised to find it turned. He opened the door and stuck his head in hesitantly. "Claire? You in here?" He asked.
He walked in and saw her lying on her stomach on her bed. He frowned. He walked over and touched her shoulder. He let out the breath he was holding when he saw her open her eyes and look at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. She looked pale to him. He noticed the bags under her eyes.
She shrugged. "Just tired." she responded, in an 'I don't care' tone.
He didn't like that she hadn't slept because of him. He didn't want to endanger her health. Not sleeping probably wasn't good for her. He walked over and pulled off her tennis shoes. He noted she was still wearing the same tank top and boxer shorts. He pulled the covers back on the bed. "Get in," he told her firmly, leaving no room for argument.
She glared at him defiantly.
"Come on Claire. Just get in." He said more gently this time.
Claire looked at him, curious. This gentle side of him was new to her. It confused her. She didn't understand how he could be gentle, and then turn around and be mean again.
Vince sat on the bed next to her, resting his back against the headboard. There was a long moment of silence.
Claire looked up at Vince, confused. Why is he here? He doesn't want me.
"I had a girl once. Before I was in love with Mia," he said.
Claire's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt.
"It was right after high school." He looked lost at the memory.
"What happened?" Claire asked gently.
Vince looked down at her. He looked vulnerable. There was no scowl to hide his feelings from her.
"I seriously thought I was in love with her. We were even talking about getting a place together. We use to race back then too. The first time I ever lost a race she left me for the guy that won. She said she couldn't be with a loser."
Claire's jaw dropped. She didn't know what to say. How can anyone leave Vince for someone else? He's perfect! She thought appalled.
"I never lost after that. I also never let anyone besides the 'team' get close. Wasn't worth the hassle. Leon and Jesse were different thou. They were just kids who idolized Dom and me. Besides you couldn't have ignored Jesse if you tried." He said with a slight smile.
Claire stayed quiet, afraid that if she spoke he would stop talking. This is the most she's heard him say in the last month that he's been here.
"Then Brian came along and I knew. I knew he had a thing for Mia, and he was a cop. I was angry cuz I knew Mia had a thing for him too. I spent all those years being in love with her and all of a sudden he comes in and just takes her for a ride."
Claire watched him silently. I knew there's been more goin on in his head than he was letting on. She thought.
"But no one listened to me cuz they think I'm this dumb muscled brained fool who has no sense. I'm just a bodyguard to them. I knew thou. Then the last job went wrong." He paused as if he was still shaken by the memory of what happened. "I thought I was gonna die on that truck.when I woke up in the hospital, they told me about Jesse, I wished I had died on that truck. It was our fault. He was just a kid. If we had just went looking for him instead, none of this would have happened."
Yeah, but then I never would have met you. She said silently to herself. Instead she laid a hand on his thigh. Vince looked down at her.
"It's not your fault. There's no way you could have known. Don't spend your life playing what if," she said softly.
Vince scowled at her. When she pulled her hand away he caught it and put back where she had it and held it there.
"When I was in the hospital all I could think about was Jesse and how Brian lied to us and hurt Mia. I swore if I ever saw him again I would kill him. But I couldn't because Mia was in love with him. I hated him. Still do, but you. I hadn't counted on you," he said looking at her.
Claire's heart skipped a beat. There was a look in his eyes that she never saw before. Why is he looking at me like that? What does it mean?
"When Dom called to tell me you were pickin me up I told him to fuck off. I'd stay in LA until I could drive on my own."
Claire's eyes widened. She didn't know that.
"But when Dom says something, that's it. I was so angry. I didn't want nothin to do with Brian, let alone his sister."
Claire's eyes lowered to the bed. She pulled her hand out of Vince's grip. "Stop. I don't want to hear anymore. I know you hate me. It's been obvious since that day I picked you up from the hospital. I don't need you to throw it back in my face." She said bitter he always manages to make her feel like she wasn't good enough for him.
Vince's breath caught. He lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him. "Claire, I don't hate you. I swear I'm sorry for everything I did and said. I just didn't know what to do. I thought I was in love with Mia for so long, I didn't realize I was wrong until you came along." He explained, almost pleading with her.
"If you're not in love with her, then why am I nothing compared to her?"
Vince winced. God I am gonna regret that for the rest of my fucking life! "I'm sorry. If I could take it back I would. I didn't mean it. I was just angry. When I'm angry I can't control what I say or do."
Claire moved back, away from him. "People say what they really mean in the heat of passion. Be it anger or otherwise. When you're not angry people front and say what they think others want to hear."
Vince started to say something, but Claire cut him off.
"Let me finish. You on the other hand, don't front. If you don't like someone you don't pretend you do. You've never been anything but honest with me. Sam lied to me. Brian lied to me. I'm just tired of being lied too." She said, and then sighed deeply.
"I thought maybe if you could get past the fact that I was Brian's sister maybe we could get to know each other because I knew I was falling for you. When you said all those things to me, that's when I knew. I knew you could never like me. Looking at me would just remind you of Brian and what he did to your family."
She said as tears welled up in her eyes.
Vince couldn't say anything. She thought he was being honest and all this time he's just been lying to himself. Wait a minute; did she just say fallin for me? He thought confused.
"I would appreciate it if you would go away and leave me alone now. Because looking at you hurts too much." She said, and then turned away from him and faced the other side, not wanting him to see her cry. She couldn't keep in the tears. She started to cry.
She didn't even realize Vince had rolled her over to face him. He wrapped his arms around her.
"Shush, baby don't cry. I'm not worth it." He said into her ear, not realizing the endearment slipped out.
Vince didn't know when, but somehow she managed to slip past the shield he keeps around himself. He knew now he was gonna have to make her see that he really did want her. He wanted her in his bed, in his life, but most importantly in his heart. He didn't know how he was gonna do that. He never was good at getting girls. Usually they just flocked to him. He was never attached to girls at races. They were just looking for a good time. Any one with a racecar, and money would suit them. Claire was different. She didn't care about his car, the money, or even that he was part of the 'Toretto team.'
She wanted him the way he was, not because of who he was in the racing world.
That was a first for him.
Claire snuggled closer to Vince. She didn't care that he was holding her now or if he was gone by morning. All she cared about was he made her feel safe now. Her last thought before falling asleep was maybe he was starting to like her at least a little bit. He would have left already if he still hated her.
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Vince ran up the stairs and knocked on her door. When he got no answer he tried the handle and was surprised to find it turned. He opened the door and stuck his head in hesitantly. "Claire? You in here?" He asked.
He walked in and saw her lying on her stomach on her bed. He frowned. He walked over and touched her shoulder. He let out the breath he was holding when he saw her open her eyes and look at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. She looked pale to him. He noticed the bags under her eyes.
She shrugged. "Just tired." she responded, in an 'I don't care' tone.
He didn't like that she hadn't slept because of him. He didn't want to endanger her health. Not sleeping probably wasn't good for her. He walked over and pulled off her tennis shoes. He noted she was still wearing the same tank top and boxer shorts. He pulled the covers back on the bed. "Get in," he told her firmly, leaving no room for argument.
She glared at him defiantly.
"Come on Claire. Just get in." He said more gently this time.
Claire looked at him, curious. This gentle side of him was new to her. It confused her. She didn't understand how he could be gentle, and then turn around and be mean again.
Vince sat on the bed next to her, resting his back against the headboard. There was a long moment of silence.
Claire looked up at Vince, confused. Why is he here? He doesn't want me.
"I had a girl once. Before I was in love with Mia," he said.
Claire's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt.
"It was right after high school." He looked lost at the memory.
"What happened?" Claire asked gently.
Vince looked down at her. He looked vulnerable. There was no scowl to hide his feelings from her.
"I seriously thought I was in love with her. We were even talking about getting a place together. We use to race back then too. The first time I ever lost a race she left me for the guy that won. She said she couldn't be with a loser."
Claire's jaw dropped. She didn't know what to say. How can anyone leave Vince for someone else? He's perfect! She thought appalled.
"I never lost after that. I also never let anyone besides the 'team' get close. Wasn't worth the hassle. Leon and Jesse were different thou. They were just kids who idolized Dom and me. Besides you couldn't have ignored Jesse if you tried." He said with a slight smile.
Claire stayed quiet, afraid that if she spoke he would stop talking. This is the most she's heard him say in the last month that he's been here.
"Then Brian came along and I knew. I knew he had a thing for Mia, and he was a cop. I was angry cuz I knew Mia had a thing for him too. I spent all those years being in love with her and all of a sudden he comes in and just takes her for a ride."
Claire watched him silently. I knew there's been more goin on in his head than he was letting on. She thought.
"But no one listened to me cuz they think I'm this dumb muscled brained fool who has no sense. I'm just a bodyguard to them. I knew thou. Then the last job went wrong." He paused as if he was still shaken by the memory of what happened. "I thought I was gonna die on that truck.when I woke up in the hospital, they told me about Jesse, I wished I had died on that truck. It was our fault. He was just a kid. If we had just went looking for him instead, none of this would have happened."
Yeah, but then I never would have met you. She said silently to herself. Instead she laid a hand on his thigh. Vince looked down at her.
"It's not your fault. There's no way you could have known. Don't spend your life playing what if," she said softly.
Vince scowled at her. When she pulled her hand away he caught it and put back where she had it and held it there.
"When I was in the hospital all I could think about was Jesse and how Brian lied to us and hurt Mia. I swore if I ever saw him again I would kill him. But I couldn't because Mia was in love with him. I hated him. Still do, but you. I hadn't counted on you," he said looking at her.
Claire's heart skipped a beat. There was a look in his eyes that she never saw before. Why is he looking at me like that? What does it mean?
"When Dom called to tell me you were pickin me up I told him to fuck off. I'd stay in LA until I could drive on my own."
Claire's eyes widened. She didn't know that.
"But when Dom says something, that's it. I was so angry. I didn't want nothin to do with Brian, let alone his sister."
Claire's eyes lowered to the bed. She pulled her hand out of Vince's grip. "Stop. I don't want to hear anymore. I know you hate me. It's been obvious since that day I picked you up from the hospital. I don't need you to throw it back in my face." She said bitter he always manages to make her feel like she wasn't good enough for him.
Vince's breath caught. He lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him. "Claire, I don't hate you. I swear I'm sorry for everything I did and said. I just didn't know what to do. I thought I was in love with Mia for so long, I didn't realize I was wrong until you came along." He explained, almost pleading with her.
"If you're not in love with her, then why am I nothing compared to her?"
Vince winced. God I am gonna regret that for the rest of my fucking life! "I'm sorry. If I could take it back I would. I didn't mean it. I was just angry. When I'm angry I can't control what I say or do."
Claire moved back, away from him. "People say what they really mean in the heat of passion. Be it anger or otherwise. When you're not angry people front and say what they think others want to hear."
Vince started to say something, but Claire cut him off.
"Let me finish. You on the other hand, don't front. If you don't like someone you don't pretend you do. You've never been anything but honest with me. Sam lied to me. Brian lied to me. I'm just tired of being lied too." She said, and then sighed deeply.
"I thought maybe if you could get past the fact that I was Brian's sister maybe we could get to know each other because I knew I was falling for you. When you said all those things to me, that's when I knew. I knew you could never like me. Looking at me would just remind you of Brian and what he did to your family."
She said as tears welled up in her eyes.
Vince couldn't say anything. She thought he was being honest and all this time he's just been lying to himself. Wait a minute; did she just say fallin for me? He thought confused.
"I would appreciate it if you would go away and leave me alone now. Because looking at you hurts too much." She said, and then turned away from him and faced the other side, not wanting him to see her cry. She couldn't keep in the tears. She started to cry.
She didn't even realize Vince had rolled her over to face him. He wrapped his arms around her.
"Shush, baby don't cry. I'm not worth it." He said into her ear, not realizing the endearment slipped out.
Vince didn't know when, but somehow she managed to slip past the shield he keeps around himself. He knew now he was gonna have to make her see that he really did want her. He wanted her in his bed, in his life, but most importantly in his heart. He didn't know how he was gonna do that. He never was good at getting girls. Usually they just flocked to him. He was never attached to girls at races. They were just looking for a good time. Any one with a racecar, and money would suit them. Claire was different. She didn't care about his car, the money, or even that he was part of the 'Toretto team.'
She wanted him the way he was, not because of who he was in the racing world.
That was a first for him.
Claire snuggled closer to Vince. She didn't care that he was holding her now or if he was gone by morning. All she cared about was he made her feel safe now. Her last thought before falling asleep was maybe he was starting to like her at least a little bit. He would have left already if he still hated her.
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