Chapter 7: Silent Cries of The Night
Splish splash… Splish splash…
The water around Rody gently splashed around along with his soft movements, his arms hugging his knees close to them as his half-lidded eyes mindlessly stared at his own in the reflection.
Guess Vincent was right after all. It was only yesterday that Rody was in his apartment as his waiter, serving delicious to his guests. Never would he have known, a full twenty-four hours later, he was back here but as a disheveled, helpless puppy, soaking himself in warm water in Vincent's tiered bathtub. Even though it had not been of his taste ever since he saw it yesterday, the tub was undeniably and surprisingly comfortable to sit in, but was it a surprise when it was big enough to fit two full-grown adults and looked like it cost three months of his rent?
How he got here was a blur, all that he could remember being the panic in Vincent's voice and his faint voice that struggled to make itself heard under the ever growing rain, but now that he could have a quiet moment to himself in the safe space that was Vincent's apartment, Rody figured he must've been in a pretty terrible state for Vincent to frantically drag him back here. As his own reflection stared back at him, everything on his face was on full display-his tired, dry eyes that had stopped shedding tears because there was simply no more left, his tousled brown locks that looked more of a mess than it usually was, and a gloomy, dejected expression on his face.
Pathetic, the thought rung in his mind as he curled himself up even more and buried his face into his knees, not wanting to look at himself any more. In fact, he didn't even want to leave this bathtub, his body felt weak and his legs could barely find the strength to move. The only motivation that got him to leave it was Vincent and the clothes he left for him on the sink counter.
As a guest at the apartment, Rody felt it was only right that he let Vincent take a bath first-after all he had embarrassed himself enough, he didn't need to be an annoying frick to add to it, not in front of Vincent. However, Vincent insisted that Rody take it first, and when asked why, he said he had a towel and could wait, plus Rody was in the worse condition anyway.
That just stung Rody even more as he picked up the nicely folded clothes off the counter, biting his lips as he did so.
He didn't deserve this, any of this. He didn't deserve to even work here in the first place, but for some odd reason, Vincent welcomed him in. He wasn't worthy of his help, his tolerance, his cheeky jokes. And most importantly, he wasn't deserving of his concerns, of being here bathing in his bathroom, and wearing his very own clothes. Vincent could have walked past him and left him there under the rain without even bothering to bat an eye at him, and Rody wouldn't blame him one bit. Vincent didn't need to do any of this, yet he did.
Why would he go out of his way to help someone so pitiful like him, that was what Rody asked himself as he put on the clothes Vincent left for him. Judging from the difference in their physique, Rody was worried he wouldn't fit in any of Vincent's clothes when every time he saw Vincent, he was always in something small that perfectly hugged his tall slender body, sometimes Rody even thought they were too tight for him. However, it fit Rody surprisingly well, perhaps it helped that it was an oversized sweater, which of course was black, and gray baggy sweatpants. Even though they looked like regular loungewear, they felt high-quality, the fabric being the softest thing he had ever touched. But again, it was to be expected.
As Rody entered the living room, he saw Vincent sitting on the sofa with a towel over his neck, his head down like he was reading something before he turned back to look at Rody, seemingly having noticed his presence.
"Oh you're done, how was…"
Vincent trailed off all of a sudden, his mouth agape and his eyes widening as they looked Rody up and down.
Rody glanced down at himself before crossing his hands and tilting his head to the side in a curious manner, on his face a small pout. He knew he wasn't in the most admirable state, but he didn't think he seemed that terrible appearance-wise. At least Vincent's nice clothes should help fix it a little. "What's wrong-"
"Don't. Do it-" Vincent turned away with his hand over his face, and it only confused Rody even more.
"What-I'm not doing any-"
"N-Nevermind, have a seat. I'll be back shortly."
As quickly as Rody came in, Vincent got up from the sofa and disappeared behind the bathroom door. However, as Vincent walked past him, Rody managed to catch a glimpse of the light blush on his cheeks. Strange, Rody thought as he sat down onto the couch, his eyes not leaving the direction Vincent just headed into.
While Rody was there worrying if Vincent had perhaps gotten a cold from the rain, Vincent had his back against the bathroom, his hand over his mouth as though trying to stop the deep red blush from tinting his face. He had suspected that he was sick this whole week, but now, he was absolutely certain he was sick. It must've been the damn rain, he cursed under his breath as he put a hand over his chest, trying to calm his racing heart down. Because otherwise, why else would his heart skipped a beat when he saw Rody with a little bit of his collarbone peeking out from underneath the sweater, tiny drops of water dripping from the tip of his hair, and a cute little pout on his face as he had his head tilted and arms crossed?
And why else would he want to take it off him?
It looks terrible on him, that was the reason Vincent gave himself as he returned to the living room and saw Rody sitting there, who then gave him a small smile as he put the tea set down to the coffee table.
"Hey-" Rody leaned over with a smirk on his face. "You have those fancy wine that I saw in the kitchen yesterday-"
"Not when you were standing there under the rain by yourself like a damn ghost." Vincent shot him a disapproving look as he sat down on the opposite side of the sofa with his arms and legs crossed. "Go ahead, while it's still hot."
Rody stared at Vincent for a few seconds, seeing the hint of concern in his eyes before picking up the tea cup. As steam floated atop the surface, catching his eyes was the deep amber color of the tea, the beautifully golden slice of lemon sitting neatly at the bottom of cup and the aromatic smell filling the warm heated room, bringing a sense of warmth and coziness to the place. Not only the tea was wonderfully displayed just like any dish Vincent had made, the taste was also immaculate-citrusy, refreshing and sour with a hint of delightful sweetness. All those cheap boxes of tea bags Rody had in his kitchen could not come close to this taste. He even wondered if it was homemade, which was entirely possible given the lemon tree he had in the dining area. It was so good, he could almost feel all his worries melting away.
Almost.
"Wow, I almost missed out on such nice tea-All because I just wanted to forget this all ever happened…"
Rody let out a chuckle as he placed his cup back down the table but it felt forced. It was further proven in the way he was afraid he was going to drop the cup from his shaking hands, and the fact the more he laughed, the harder it was for him to hold back tears.
Vincent sat there quietly for a few seconds, seemingly unsure what to say, before leaning towards Rody. "Do you-want to talk about it?"
As though scared to make eye-contact, Rody shot a quick glance up at Vincent before lowering his head again. "I-I don't know Vince…"
Both of them fell into silence again, Rody contemplating whether to stay silent because otherwise, he would breaking down right there and then and embarrassing himself even further than he already was. Right now, talking about a single ounce of his feelings would cause him to burst into tears once again, and he was debating if that was better than locking his heart and throwing the key away to prevent him from being tempted. Plus, why would he vent about something so personal, so pitiful to Vincent of all people? The guy had taken every single opportunity possible to make it clear that he was not interested in anyone other than himself and his business, that he wasn't into chasing "petty romance", and that he would not give a damn if a meteorite flew down, hit Earth right now and eradicate all of human race, let alone Rody's measly little feelings. In the grand scheme of thing, Rody's issues seemed too small look like anything that Vincent would concern himself with, nor should he do so. This was something Rody should talk about with a friend, not his boss.
The boss that everyone said could not care less about anyone else.
The boss that was rumored to have loveless cooking, and was incapable of any emotions other than anger and disgust.
The boss that had accepted him in as a waiter despite having all the reasons not to.
The boss who had looked out for him whenever he got hurt.
The boss who would make cheeky jokes with him.
The boss who did kind things sometimes without realizing.
The boss who had petted the stray cats behind the restaurant when he thought no one was looking.
The boss who would scold his employees almost like a parental figure whenever they made a mistake that could've hurt them and everyone else.
The boss who had given him free food even though he didn't have to.
And the boss who had frantically taken him back to his own apartment, prepared a warm bathtub for him to hop in, offered to wash his drenched clothes, given him his own clothes to change into and made warm tea for him to sip in, when he had all the right to just sneer at him and left him there under the rain.
With all the strength her could muster up, he looked up at Vincent and saw him still sitting there quietly, with that same concerned expression on his face, and he knew it was specifically meant for him from the gaze Vincent was giving him. How many minutes had gone by, he wasn't sure, he had lost track of it long ago. But what he did know, however, was despite however long it had been, Vincent was there still, patiently giving him time and space to collect himself. It was as though he had put away his easily agitated side tonight, and it was for Rody.
Perhaps… it was okay to confide in Vincent. That was what his heart was telling him, and he trusted it.
"It's…" Rody looked at Vincent as he spoke. "It's-about my girlfriend, Manon."
He paused, glancing away before weakly letting out a pained, wavering laugh. "Well, correction, my ex-girlfriend, Manon."
Vincent widened his eyes, a quiet gasp escaping his lips.
"Y-You don't say…"
Vincent trailed off, not wanting even wanting to finish that sentence, so Rody figured he should do it instead. They were already at it anyway, why hesitate now? "Yeah, she-she told me things a-already ended… and I-I didn't even know it…"
Rody held his head low, his hands clutching it as though ashamed to say it, and Vincent just sat there as silent as could be. Why he was even stunned, he wasn't sure of it himself. Didn't he already know this since day one? Perhaps it was the shock of Rody finally finding out the hard way because Vincent didn't have the heart to tell him and feel like it was his place to do so? Or maybe, just maybe, it was because when he saw the sting in Rody's eyes, his heart broke also.
The only reason Vincent didn't let out a sigh was that he was doing his best to be mindful of the situation, and Rody's feelings. Comforting people wasn't Vincent's best suit-some would even say it was evident in the lack of love in his cooking-but he was aware enough that any negative reaction from him could send Rody down the spiral further than he already was. However, the temptation to reach up and pinch his nose was strong. He had already shown more tolerance towards Rody than he would like in the extremely short span of a week, to the point one could describe it as "kindness" and "generosity", and now he was being heartbroken for Rody, because he, at last, discovered that his girlfriend broke up with him long ago and he had been fighting for no one this whole time? Vincent should be sitting here and berating him for being a blind fool, not trying to understand what emotions might be going through him. It absolutely wasn't that he was brought back to the first time he got dumped out of the blue by his very first love, and slowly after other failed relationships, he developed the fear of not being the one initating the break-up. Because hey, you can't have people turning their heels on you when you do it first.
"She-I thought-" Rody continued, interrupting Vincent's train of thoughts back to his younger days. "I thought this was just a break…"
"Did-" Vincent spoke, his voice so quiet, it was almost inaudible. "Did she say it was a break from the start-"
"She did, but I guess I misunderstood it." Rody sighed heavily. "She told me she fully meant to end things, just-When she said it was a break, she meant a break from… everything in general. No talking, no asking to catch up, no… trying to mend things back."
As Rody said those last words, he bit his lips, his fingers gripping the hoodie tightly.
'Rody-"
"I-I don't get it-" Rody's tone started showing more frustration, as though he had contained his confusion in a little jar in order not to face it, yet he was now forced to, now that the jar that was his heart had shattered, "She kept saying I was killing myself for her, but-how was it even possible? What does it even mean?"
Vincent wanted to say something, but he figured he should shut it.
"I simply was just-caring for her. Isn't that what a good partner's supposed to do?"
It's not worth it, Vincent reminded himself.
"Killing myself over any progress I make for myself? I just-don't understand. My progress is our progress, my happiness is her happiness. I thought… I thought partners should work towards each other, for each other."
It's not worth the trouble Vincent.
"Everything I'm doing right now, it was for her, for-for us. For our future, for the plans, the… the dreams we both have. It made it my goal to make sure she doesn't have to worry a day in her life. I thought… that was also what she wanted…"
Things are already bad enough, you don't need to make it worse.
"Wh-What use am I, if I can't make my girlfriend happy? I did everything I could, and it-it still wasn't enough. I didn't work hard enough so I lost her."
Don't. Fucking. Say it, Vincent.
"I-I guess I do deserve it after all... She's right, I'm not ready for a relationship, because I can't do shit. She's worth anything, everything. So she doesn't need to care for a loser like m-"
"She left you because she cares."
Rody jolted and turned to look at Vincent, who he didn't realize had been completely quiet until now. In fact, he had just only been aware he had been going on and on for who knew how long. Scooting backward on the couch, he covered his face with his sleeves as though to shield himself away from the humiliation, stuttering with anything his flustered mind could come up with.
"I-I'm sorry Vincent, I-I didn't realize that I-"
"Stop apologizing for god's sake!"
Contrary to Rody's defensive posture, Vincent leaned towards with his hands on his thighs, his exasperation in his voice and eyes as clear as ever. It was only when he saw the frightened look on Rody's face that his frustration mellowed out as he leaned back against the sofa's armrest, a sigh escaping his lips.
"I'm sorry." A sigh escaped his lips, his eyes glancing away as he crossed his arms again as though thinking of how to approach this. "I'm not upset you're speaking your mind, just-How do I say this…"
Vincent went quiet for a few more seconds before turning back to face Rody, who was nervously fidgeting with the hem of the hoodie. "It's-This is exactly what she meant. You really don't care for yourself, even if for once."
The same wave of confusion rushed over Rody. "What-do you mean-"
"Rody-Look at yourself." Vincent uncrossed his arms and rested his elbows on his knees. He moved closer to Rody again as he leaned forward, but this time in a concerned manner. "It's all about Manon's needs, feelings and perception of you. And I can believe what she said, because you're… doing the same with me too."
An audible gasp escaped Rody in a way that was almost involuntarily.
"You were always worrying about what I'm thinking of you and shielding me from difficult things just because you think it-it may inconvenient me, or make me think less of you. Think about the times you've ignored your injuries because you don't want me helping, the times you've avoided telling me something because you think it will upset me, or-hell, just now, you were drenched under the rain without a single sign of life in your eyes, and what did you do? You… apologized for looking like that."
Rody looked at Vincent for a moment before glancing down at his hands, looking as if he just realized he had never looked at things in that perspective, until he saw Vincent's hand entering his vision. He gasped and jolted his head up to see Vincent had scooted closer to him without his knowledge. With his hands near Rody's but not touching, Vincent gave him a look that Rody immediately could interpret, and he slowly nodded in agreement.
"Rody-" Having been given permission, Vincent wasted no time to held Rody's hand in his, his gaze gentle while not losing the usual firmness in it. "Listen, there's nothing wrong with caring and fight for your partner. I'm not saying that's the case. But-You're going about this the wrong way."
Another silent stare was exchanged before Vincent continued.
"It's not that you're not doing enough, but that-you're doing too much." Vincent looked straight into Rody's eyes as though that was his way of making sure his words got to him. "There's no such thing as loving someone too much, but there is a thing as loving someone so much, you destroy yourself in the process. While chasing after someone, you're leaving yourself behind, just because you think pleasing them determines your worth. Yes, Manon's needs and wants are important, but what about yours?"
"My…" Rody looked down at his other hand. "My needs and wants?"
"Yes…" Vincent grabbed both of Rody's hands and put them together. "What about your own dreams, your own ideas of how you want your future with her to look like? You said both partners should work towards each other, didn't you? So, why would your needs be any less significant, to the point you're willing to neglect them for expectations that-didn't even exist?"
Rody seemed as if he wasn't sure what was happening, and Vincent would be correct about that. All the feelings, confusion, doubts and speculations he may have in his mind were now jumbled up, all tangled together. It was a mess, but in a way that he was… quite okay with. All those fights with Manon on the same issue, he had never been able to grasp such concepts and always ended up brushing it off as she was avoiding telling him the truth, that he wasn't doing enough, seeing that as what he would've said if the roles were switched. He never wanted to confront his issues as it was more comfortable pretending everything was fine, or said anything that could possibly hurt Manon's feelings because it was better to take the hurt than see her cry. It was more pleasant to act as though there was no issues than cause an argument, and without realizing, he went to an unhealthy extents to avoid it, just how he unknowingly assumed Manon was the same and was trying to shield him from her truthful but bitter thoughts.
What did he say when Manon broke up with him? "I thought we were doing good"? Turned out he was wrong about that.
Or was he aware this whole time and was actually running from the inevitable?
"Plus-Being in denial and trying to win her back in the same way-it doesn't do her sacrifice justice."
"S-Sacrifice…" Rody glanced up at Vincent, who gave him a gentle but stern nod.
"Yes, she sacrificed the relationship… for both of you."
Vincent's voice was so soft, softer than he had ever been, yet those words rung so loudly to Rody, so much that it filled the whole apartment with silence. One second, two seconds, three seconds… No words were spoken, and Vincent had no intention of breaking or rushing it. Vincent had not been known as the most patient man alive. In fact a lot of times, he was the opposite. People being late and not making the deadlines were amongst his biggest pet peeves, to the point sometimes it would warrant a cancellation from him, along with people not speaking to him and taking too long to respond. It makes the air awkward, and awkward air made him uncomfortable. However, the silence here was almost soothing, giving both of them a space for them to sort through the difficult feelings they were feeling. And hey, if it was what Rody needed to collect his thoughts, then it was not at all an issue.
"She did it… for us…" Rody looked close to tears again and he took a sip of his tea as though to stop it from happening. "Th-Thank you Vince, you opened my eyes today. In fact, it-even felt like she told you herself, from how on point it was."
Vincent sweated bullets as he took in a gulp.
It was probably time to tell him, even if it was a bad time to. But he would rather have Rody hate him, than keep this from him and pretended that he had no idea what was going on, and the fact he knew all of this was just "a hunch".
"Actually… She did."
"Wait…" Rody raised his eyebrows in confusion. "How?"
"I-" Vincent gritted his teeth, forcing the words out. "We went on a date together."
Rody snapped his head back to give Vincent the most startled expression he could ever muster up in his entire life, almost like, if not more startled than the face he probably wore when Manon ended the relationship. And because of it, a wave of instant regret washed over Vincent with panic evident on his face.
"I-I'm sorry, this was-this was before I met you, I-I didn't know and-" This was probably the most stuttering Vincent had ever done in his entire life, his hands unsure what they were doing as they waved around randomly. "And she asked, so I-"
He got cut off when a hand was placed on his shoulder and jolted him out of his rambling.
"Vince-" He looked up and saw that Rody had leaned slightly forward and looking intently at him. But unlike what Vincent had feared, in Rody's eyes weren't anger or disgust. Instead, they seemed filled with curiosity. "Calm down."
Vincent took in a few deep breaths before he could talk properly again, coughing into his hands as though to recollect himself. "Sorry-"
"When-" Rody maintained eye-contact as he spoke. "When was this?"
"As I said-" Vincent crossed his arms, leaning back against the sofa as he let out a sigh. "This was before you even asked for an interview, Rody."
"Huh…"
Rody rubbed his chin, seemingly more intrigued than upset and Vincent couldn't help asking what was on his mind. "You're-not mad?"
"Well, I could be, but there's literally no point in that." Rody shrugged. "Whether you went on a date with her before or after today, or at all, it's not like me and Manon are still together for me to make a fuss about it. Although-I do wonder if she's the girl that your friends were betting on being your new girlfriend, or something."
"Yeah, but-just don't mind them." Vincent groaned and pinched his nose, seemingly fed up with it. "You know I don't do romance, and I'm not even interested in her. She's a nice person, but I don't like her like that."
"Then-" Rody raised his eyebrow. "Why did you even go on a date with her?"
Vincent stared into the distance quietly, seemingly in the process of figuring out how to best put his thoughts into words. "Because… if I didn't, someone else would, and I don't want to risk her getting harmed."
There was a few moments of silence before Rody could be heard again. "Huh?"
"I know it sounds weird, but let me explain." Vincent turned back to face him. "I met her because she was the daughter of the food critics who often come to the restaurant. We only knew each other in passing, a few chat here and there but nothing too serious, until one day she just insisted on going on a date with me."
Rody let out a chuckle, although there was a small hint of sadness in it. "Sorry, she must've learned it from me-"
"No-Rody, it was… odd." Vincent uncrossed on hand and held it up as a way to express the perplexity he felt that day. "Not to brag, but I've had many people begging me for a date, some borderline harassing me even, and I usually just ignore them because it's plain annoying. But the way she did it, it was… strange, especially when we weren't even friends, just casual acquaintances. It was like-she was on a timer and was looking for anyone in sight possible to help her, and I just… couldn't leave her like that. I don't want bad people taking advantage of her while in such a vulnerable state."
Rody just stared at him silently and it made him nervous again.
"Look-I know this all sounds like a massive excuse, but I promise that-"
"No." Rody's voice was stern, which was very unlike his usual upbeat, carefree spirit. "Go on."
There it was, that same determination in Rody's eyes that had caught Vincent's attention. Even if Vincent wanted to hesitate, he knew he couldn't resist it. Therefore, he let his mind drift to that day, with Manon sitting across him in the empty La Gueule de Saturne past closing time.
"Let me ask you a honest question, you're not actually interested in me, are you?"
With those big brown eyes of hers, Manon looked up from her plate with a curious look. "What-do you mean?"
Vincent narrowed his eyes, seemingly in thought about how he should approach this, and he figured the best way to do it was straight to the point.
"Manon, I don't think you realize this, but"-Vincent rested his chin on his palm-"you've mentioned your ex a lot, whether directly or in passing."
"I-Have I?" Manon let out an embarrassed gasp with a hand over her lips. "I'm so sorry, I-"
"It's alright, just…" Vincent put his hand down and leaned forward, a hint of concern in his eyes. "You seem… how do I say this, you seem like you're still not over him."
Sorrow washed over Manon's face as she held her head low, her hand fidgeting with her scarf. She bit her lips, Vincent's statement seemingly having gotten to her more than she had anticipated. It had not been long since the break-up, but to be fair, she had not kept track, nor did she want to. One thing that did stick to her mind, however, was the moment Rody, with those heartbroken eyes that she had tried so hard to forget, asked what happened. What she really wished to tell him was… she wasn't sure herself.
It all started with a thought, the thought she had when Rody apologized for being late for their date because he had taken on more shifts than he was capable of working, leading to him barely getting rest or sleep. He's not taking care of himself, she thought, but it wasn't too concerning yet. Maybe he was low on money, late on rent, or wanted to save up for a new apartment, so it was only natural he wanted to take up as many shifts as he could. Therefore, checking up on him regularly and making sure he was taking care of himself was what she did. Then, she noticed an odd pattern. Every date he took her on, it was always at an extravagant place that seemed way out of his budget. Every gift he bought for her, it was something extremely luxurious that looked like it cost his entire paycheck. Every decision he made, it was about her-he said sorry for his shabby apartment and asked her which place she had in mind, she decided the location for their next place, she picked what food they were having that night, where they were moving to after marriage was her choice to make, as well as how many children they would have. It was one thing if he was simply taking her opinions into consideration, in fact that was also what she convinced herself to be the case, but it was another thing if he was basing his life entirely on her preferences. He liked what she liked, he did what she said without any question, without any hesitation whatsoever, and it greatly bothered her.
"I'll do better", he said after she expressed her worries, but it was obvious with time that it wasn't going to happen. And to her, the most devastating fact wasn't the fact he wasn't changing because he wanted to hurt her, it was that he wasn't changing because he loved her. It was quite obvious he didn't know what he was supposed to do, or how he was wrong at all. So, she told him with exasperation, no it wasn't wrong to love her and he did nothing wrong, but it pained her to see him killing himself like this. She couldn't be happy when he was denying himself personal growth to please her, to fit into the mold that he assumed he had to fit in, meanwhile he kept brushing it off as her hinting that she wanted him to work harder, so he did just that.
It all started with a thought, then it turned into small, gentle reminders, and slowly before she realized it, they were having full blown arguments over it. Those arguments would persist for an extended period of time, both of them would go to bed upset with each other every time it happened, then things would cool down and she thought that would be it, but oh how wrong she was. Each time it happened, the argument got more heated, and the more heated it became, it turned… quiet. One morning, she just woke up and felt empty inside. All her will power of turning things around for both of them, all the motivation, all the hopes of Rody prioritizing himself one day at last, they were long gone, as though they never existed in the first place. Or, they had faded away long ago but she was didn't want to accept it, "for their sake" like she had tried to tell herself?
That day was simultaneously the most relieving and painful day she could ever experience, the day she picked up the phone to tell him that they needed to talk. Her heart screamed no, but it was as if the thoughts in her head were the ones guiding her body that evening, and before she could stop herself, she was standing in front of him and uttering the very words she had stopped herself from saying for who knew how long.
"I don't think I can keep doing this with you."
Yeah, that was right. She didn't want to do it anymore. Vincent was wrong, she was over him. That was why she was seeking new relationships and potential new partners to begin with, because she was over her relationship with Rody. No, she wasn't still sad it had to happen suddenly, or that it had to happen at all. She didn't miss the time he would play her favorite songs on his guitar. She wasn't hurt by the fact she had to abandon all the dreams they had discussed for their future. She didn't yearn for his voice, his embraces or his silly smiles…
No… she didn't love him anymore…
And no, it wasn't tears that was forming on the corner of her eyes…
"S-Sorry…" As though it was instincts, her hands reached up immediately to cover her face, wiping her tears away as she did so. "Something just got in my eyes…"
She took a quick glance at Vincent, who was quiet, his posture not changing. If anything, it was his eyes that seemed to have narrow even more.
"I'm… I'm fine…"
Vincent didn't reply, and whether he was leaving her a moment to recollect herself or to rethink her words, it was unclear. Manon gave him a polite smile and was about to continue on with what they were talking about until a drop of tears landed on her hands, and before she could stop it, another drop came, then another, and another…
Tears were rolling down her rosy cheeks, lot of them, and all of a sudden, all the needs to pretend everything was okay had gone out of the windows.
"I'm… I'm not fine-" She buried her face in her palms, her voice quivering. "I'm sorry, t-this is so rude to you, I-"
"Manon."
Vincent's voice broke the silence and pulled her out of her train of thoughts. Vincent, she had never been close to him for a multitude of reasons. She didn't hate him, she was sure of it, but she also had never felt like they clicked. In fact, if her parents hadn't taken her to his restaurant with them and asked to personally see him, they would have never crossed path. Just like Vincent, her parents were experts in the field and she herself had a little understanding in it. Whether making questionable-looking cakes for Rody counted as experience in cooking, there was undeniably a big gap between her and Vincent in so many ways, and never would she think of ever being in the same social circle as him, let alone on a date with him, yet here she was.
If someone ever asked if asking Vincent on a date was a conscious choice, her answer was, she was unsure, but it was leaning more towards no. It began with one night, where she was crying herself to sleep in bed when she suddenly had a thought, and if she could travel back in time, she would shake her past self out of it. Frustrated with having a date leaving her hanging and overwhelmed with loneliness, a thought popped up in her head-Vincent. Even if they weren't friends, her parents were acquainted with him enough for her to find a chance to talk to him. When she finally got it, it was as though she was on a mission where failing wasn't an option. She had to get him on a date, even if it meant embarrassing herself and going against what she would normally do.
They were absolutely not a good match, she knew so from the very first moment they met. There no warmth in his eyes, no softness in his voice and not a single a smile on his lips. They were a world different. From the way he talked, the way he carried himself, to how he was rumored to be incapable of any sympathy, he was so much different from Rody, so icy cold, so distant, as though nothing else existed besides him.
That was until right at this moment, when there was a hint of concern in the gaze he was giving him. It wasn't obvious, but as she looked into his eyes, she could tell it was there.
"It's okay, but…" Vincent resumed. "You're not looking for a relationship, you're looking for a rebound. I'm not upset, but you can't enter a new relationship like this, not when you're still hung over your ex."
"I'm..." Manon held her head low, a wave of guilt overcoming her. "I apologize, I didn't mean to talk so much about him-"
"It wasn't just that-" Vincent leaned back against his chair, crossing his arms as he turned away for a brief moment. "It was also the way you-insisted so much on a date with me, when we barely talk at all. Manon, if it wasn't me and it was instead someone who wanted to take advantage of you-I mean it when I say I apologize for agreeing to the date even though I didn't return the same feelings, but I couldn't sit here and let you walk into danger, especially when you don't seem like you're aware of it-"
"No, please don't apologize." Manon spoke, struggling to keep her voice from shaking as she wiped away her tears. "I-I should be the one saying sorry instead. I begged you to go on this date, and-I don't even have genuine feelings for you. I was looking for someone to fill in the loneliness in my heart. I was desperate and wasted your time, I'm terribly sorry…"
"Again, don't be." Vincent shook his head. "As I said, I'm glad I could be the one to help you with it, rather than someone who wants to use it against you."
Manon fell silent for a few moments before looking back at Vincent with a smile. Not just a fake smile to seem polite, or a smile to mask her pain. A true, genuine smile.
"You know, Vincent, you're a cool person." She chuckled through the tears still running down her face. "My parents always have good words about you, I can see why now."
"Then please extend my gratitude to them for me." Vincent said before leaning forward again. "Say, instead of talking about random shit that we probably don't even care about anyway, how about you tell me what's on your mind?"
Vincent turned back to look at Rody, who had been attentively taking in every word that Vincent had been letting out.
"She… told me a lot about you, Rody." There was almost a smile on Vincent's lips when he said it. Almost. "About who you are as a person, what you did and her fondest memories of you. Like, shit, have I known it was you, I might've just hired you straight up without an interview."
Vincent shot his signature shit-eating grin at Rody, who tried to chuckle along but ended up crying instead.
"Rody-?" Vincent's grin disappeared as soon as he saw the streams of tears on Rody's face. "I'm sorry, I-"
"Stop apologizing."
Happy that he got to use Vincent's line on him, Rody mustered up every ounce of strength in him to throw Vincent the biggest smirk he was capable of at the time, and it hit Vincent-those were tears of joy that he was shedding, not the same ones that Vincent caught on Rody's face when his back were against the phone booth, his entire body soaked from the rain.
"Manon-You really did love me, more than my dumbass brain could comprehend at the time." There was no longer a dejected, sorrowful expression on Rody's face. Instead, it was replaced by a sense of relief, as though having gotten the closure he needed. "I was a fool for not realizing what you meant…"
"Well now that you know, time to make a difference." Vincent placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't want to make her effort go to waste, do you?"
"Y-Yeah…" Rody continued wiping his tears, although there was a bright smile on his face that gave Vincent's heart a skip, seeing that it was back. That stupid, beaming smile that Vincent would always say he despised, but had come to secretly adore and was almost scared to death when he thought he would never see it again.
"Alright, then first and foremost…"
Vincent moved his other arm so that both of his hands were clutching Rody's shoulders hard, as though it was a way to make sure his words stick to him. "Until you get your shit together. No. More. Relationship."
"Ah-Y-Yes, chef!"
Rody fell backwards on the armrest of sofa, seemingly back to reality and being reminded of the fact that he was sitting the sofa with his boss and in said boss's apartment.
But perhaps, in a way, Vincent was now something else more than his boss. A friend.
"Good, now, secondly…" Vincent moved back and tapped on the sofa. "Do you want the bed or the sofa?"
"Well-" Rody looked down to think before he snapped his head back up at Vincent, his jaws agape. "Wait what?"
"Do you want to sleep on the bed or the sofa?" Vincent repeated with the most nonchalant tone ever. "It's late, you should rest, you know?"
"I-Vince?" Rody was almost convinced his ears were trying to play with him. What was this, Vincent Charbonneau, his boss, one of the young world-renowned chefs and someone that would not hesitate to kick you out of his restaurant if you didn't behave, was suggesting that Rody stay over for the night? "I appreciate it, but-I'm fine with just going home. I already bothered you so much today, I-I can't take any more than that."
Vincent raised an eyebrow at him, confusion written all over his face until something in his head clicked.
"Oh-" He sighed heavily into his palms, as if he didn't even think it was an option to begin with. "Alright, that's fine, but I'm taking you home personally."
"What-" Rody felt himself running out of words, his eyes following Vincent, who had gotten up from the sofa and walked up to the coat rack to get his trench coat. "Vince, w-what's up with you today? You know you don't need to do this-"
"Yes I do, Rody." Vincent turned to look at Rody as he fixed the collar of his coat. "I'm not letting you walk home alone under this rain, you're getting in the car with me."
Rody opened his mouth to protest, but figured he wasn't in the position to protest. Not right now when he wasn't even in his own clothes.
