Chapter Thirteen
JOSHUA
I find Vince seated on the bed, his head in his hands. And Question standing too close to the door on guard, this is not good.
Question nods at my unspoken question before I decide to approach Vincent.
‘Vee.’
He raises his head to face me, ‘Nancy just told me that she wants some space.’
‘then give her space.’
‘space is the prologue towards a long break up Josh.’ He glares at me, ‘what will I do now.’
I let out a sigh and sit next to him on the bed, ‘tell her the truth Vee—all of it.’
‘what truth?’
‘dude you really did hook up with Tasha once and before the DNA tests came out we believed her child was yours too—just because you stopped seeing her doesn’t mean there isn’t history between you two and Nancy has the right to know that history.’ I tell him.
‘its in the past—its my past, why does it matter?’
I stand up, ‘because it does—how would you feel if the wheels were turned?’
He narrows his eyes, ‘what do you mean if the wheels were turned?’
‘if Nancy’s ex-boyfriend had contacted you before your wedding and you refused to talk about it?’
‘who would have the nerve to talk to me about their past relationship with my woman? I will kill him.’ Vince is on his feet in rage over the thought.
‘Vincent--.’
He gets where I am going with this because he sits back on the bed muttering, ‘shit.’
‘I get that this is all a huge misunderstanding and we as your guys we know that Tasha is half-balanced and you have nothing for her—but you did not show any respect to Nancy by not explaining to her who Tasha was as if you were trying to protect her.’
Vincent looks up into my face, his own pale, ‘I didn’t mean to make it seem that way—I just didn’t want to make a big deal out of Tasha by talking about her after what she tried to do to me.’
‘you didn’t come clean about her to Nancy dude.’ Question speaks after a while, ‘I will speak to my sister but you have to tell Nancy everything—even if you have to tell her about your history with that HR manager, who knows, maybe her two crazy friends might trace her again.’
We glare daggers at him.
‘don’t talk about those two women to me right now.’ Vincent says then looks up at me, ‘how serious are you about July?’
‘you’ll be seeing her more often from now on.’
Question raises a palm at me, ‘whoa, dude—excuse me did I miss something?’
‘yes you did,’ Vince nods, ‘now go talk some sense into your sister while I fix things with my woman?’
‘what about Ludo—the initiator of all this?’
‘will I be seeing her more often too?’
Question raises both his hands in a surrender form, ‘god no, why would I do that to myself? Only Nancy and July are the normal of the three, I’ll pass.’ And he rushes out of the room before we interrogate him farther.
JULY
I expected to find Nancy crying. That would have been easier to handle, I figured if that would be the case I would just pat her on the back and beg for forgiveness, hand over a tissue or so as her tears of sorrow rip my heart with guilt for what I have done to her.
But I hadn’t prepared to find her pissed as hell, standing tall in the middle of the room, her arms akimbo. Even Ludo looked slightly pale as she tried without success to look indifferent as she sat on the bed close to the window.
‘I knew Vincent wasn’t telling me everything.’ She hissed, ‘and I knew you were pissed at my method of getting the truth out of him but why did I have to have a heart to heart talk with the woman he screwed around with?’
Yeah she was pissed.
‘Nancy…’ I begin to speak but she silences me with one finger.
‘I am not sure what your plan is supposed to do other than proving to me that Vincent doesn’t belong to me alone. You just couldn’t let me see that in my own way.’
‘Nance—I know you are mad right now—but all we wanted was for you to know the truth…’
She cuts Ludo off, ‘I know the truth now—you thought you were hurting Vincent but you hurt me the most. I thought you were my best friends.’
‘Nance we are.’ I walk to her and stop a meter away, ‘we didn’t mean to…’
‘never mind—its over now anyway.’
My eyes widen, ‘you don’t mean—‘
‘its not only this, he doesn’t want to tell me everything—he says it doesn’t matter. And I keep on wondering that I was going to dedicate the rest of my life to him—but he doesn’t think I need to know every part of him that way.’
‘Nance we are so sorry about Tasha—but I think you should hear what Vince…’
‘I don’t want to hear what he says, I just want to go back home and never see him again.’
‘that was the original plan.’ Ludo nods
I turn to her, ‘what is wrong with you?’
‘nothing is wrong with me.’ she snaps, ‘all we want is the truth, transparency—isn’t that what builds stronger relationships? You cant ignore loop holes like this because you want to just focus on how crazy you are about the guy.’
‘I know Ludo—all I’m saying is that maybe its time we stopped interfering--.’
‘I will not stop interfering where Nancy is concerned, she is my friend like a sister to me and I can see something that she doesn’t I will not turn a blind eye again July—I did that when you met David and I will not watch one of you get hurt again.’
I feel like I have been punched in the gut. ‘this has nothing to do with David--.’
‘it does—you wanted to hold on to something that wasn’t there, I don’t know why you were so desperate to make it work with that freak, and when you realised that he didn’t care about you, you of all the people should not let the same thing happen to Nancy.’ Ludo marches out of the room and a silence descends in the room.
Nancy doesn’t look so angry anymore, and the look she is giving me shows that my face is revealing my emotions. I just shake my head at her and walk out. By the way I haven’t found my room yet and I really need to be alone right now.
***
Three hours, thirty minutes and five seconds later, I am fuming.
My room is littered with flickering candles you’d think I was trying to cast an evil spell or something. I am sitting in the middle of a very nice comfy bed by the way in a bathrobe, legs crossed and typing into my computer.
Work.
I am literally doing work during a vacation. And I don’t care.
It gets my mind off things and since nothing else seems to draw my attention besides my pending work at this moment, why not?
It’s the only therapy I have ever known since the chaos. So Nancy isn’t the only one among us who met a psycho that got us all involved. David was like a dream. For an introvert like me who spend half her life building her career and never had much time for dating, when I met David I felt as though puzzle pieces of my life were coming together to form a wonderful; picture.
I fell hard for that bastard. He was my first and only and lets just say when he found out the depth of my feelings regarding our relationship he threw in a disclaimer and backed off. To summarize it all. My friends were the ones there to pick up the pieces after.
I have since then concluded that there are only two outcomes to a severe heartbreak in regards to women. Its either total misery and wariness for the male population or turn into me, career focused and independent I am even beginning to wonder how I managed to get intangled with Joshua in less than tweny four hours.
Ok well I could just say that the universe was helping me in my resolve to not involve myself with the opposite sex again by bringing in people that didn’t spark my interest--- until now.
I groan and shut my laptop. Why in the ever loving hell am I thinking about Joshua? I should be depressed and angry that Ludo had to bring up David and that disaster as if I wasn’t feling bad for what my friends had to go through to let me out of that predicament.
So I decide to drop work and maybe get some sleep. But two hours thirty minutes later I am still staring at the ceiling and its when my mind start to think about ghosts and creatures from the stranger things series (yes I watched that one with Ludo) that I give up and start to get dressed.
I have no idea where I am going but if I stay in that room for another second I am going to lose it. And I cant lose it because right now Nancy is the one who just broke off her engagement and she needs counselling. They cant counsel heartbreak and insanity at the same time. They didn’t do anything to deserve such a punishment.
The night walk around the lodge is refreshing because people are all over taking night strolls and some are sitting around a fire chortling and chatting. I take a deep breath and admire the stars above me. Because here I can be assured that I wont meet a murderer or an escapee from prison, I close my eyes and let the night aura consume me. or that’s just me feeling dizzy because I am walking with my eyes closed and a gazillion thoughts running through my mind.
I sway a little and then stop to steady myself. My eyes open when I hear laughter somewhere near me. A small group of people are seated around a fire sipping drinks and chatting easily. As the rest of them, but only that Question and Joshua are among them.
Studying the group of men and women I do not see Vincent, and the reality hits me once again—wait stop, why would I be concerned how Vincent feels about the break up? I don’t like him, I never liked and I never will.
A lump comes in my throat with the realisation that I do care about how he feels and I am concerned, what is wrong with me?
‘great night for a stress stroll right?’
I freeze. Speak of the devil and he shows up. I turn around so fast startled by Vincent’s sudden appearance behind me.
‘stroll? Yes—stress—no.’
He barely smiles, ‘I am good at reading people, and I say you look the way I feel.’
I tilt my head, ‘you feel like you are about to lose your mind and just one event away from joining the asylum?’
He points a finger at me, ‘well for me that would be prison for murder.’
I cringe, ‘you better work on your temper.’
‘that’s why I need a stroll.’
I cant help but shake my head smiling, ‘this is insane—I don’t like you.’
He nods, ‘I know.’
Okay---
‘you okay?’
‘what do you think?’
Yeah stupid question—well what am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to handle a somber Vincent who look like a fifty year old bachelor?
‘Nancy broke up with me,’ he says, yeah I know that, ‘I didn’t see that one coming, whats your story?’
I don’t know why I say this, ‘Ludo reminded me of my crazy ex-boyfriend and it ended so badly that just thinking about it requires a midnight stroll.’
‘who ever he is, he really is a shithead.’
I scoff, ‘is Vincent really taking my side or am I in a dream?’
We start walking, continuing the stroll side by side. He nudges me and says;
‘I am not so bad once you get to know me.’
I purse my lips, ‘now I feel bad.’
‘don’t—I should have told her the truth from the beginning.’
‘we still shouldn’t have interfered that way-.’
‘I didn’t want her to think I have too much baggage to be with… I didn’t want to lose her.’
I look at him. who knew a guy like Vincent had insecurities? I hold his arm and stop him.
‘listen Vincent… from the very moment I laid my eyes on you I saw a man who has no problem going out to conquer the world, I never admitted this to myself but the reason I didn’t like you was because you had the confidence that reminded me of my ex, but what I have realised now is that you really care about my friend—so you just cant give up now and settle in the she broke up with me status--- I imagine you going after her until she forgives you and loves you again—so please I don’t know who this guy is but he is starting to freak me out.’
He lets out a sigh and smiles at me, ‘I never thought you’d encourage me to go after your friend.’
‘well that makes two of us—now off you go before I turn the pages.’
He nods, ‘okay now I know you are the one for Joshua.’
I scowl, ‘what?’
‘break his heart and you will have to give reasonable answers.’ And with that he rushes away like a man on a mission. I find myself smiling after him. Nancy is in trouble if she thinks she is just going to call it quits and walk away. Maybe I could record their story for my first YouTube video, I will have to talk to them once they get back together.
With that decided, I yawn loudly and decide to go get some sleep. Who knew that Vincent of all people would help me regain my sanity? I will never understand the laws of whoever ran the universe that’s for sure.
‘July.’
I turn around, ‘Josh.’
‘what are you doing out here by yourself?’
‘I wasn’t by myself I was,’ I pause, ‘just going back to my room.’
‘let me walk you.’
We walk a while in silence, well I still have my conversation with Vincent to digest, I have no idea what the hell in going on in his head because holds my arm and pulls me back when I increased my pace at the I sight of my room.
I look at him and I am immediately caught up and trapped in a lingering gaze that sends heat all over my body. I usually have gazillion thoughts flying around my head but at the moment everything is silenced, only my heart beating faster and faster I am positive he can hear it as well.
Then I can’t take it anymore, I step closer to him until I am engulfed by his body heat and my face is inches away from his. I don’t know who this brazen girl is but I stand on my tip toes and kiss him. I am met by a fiery response that goes on to make me so dizzy I just sag against him and he holds me as we are now whirling into a world that is now way too late to come back from.
He pushes me against the door, my body weight now leaning on something other than him, I wrap my legs around his waist. His arm snakes round my waist and his other hand turns the door knob and pushes in open.
He pulls away for a few seconds to reprimand me and push me inside, ‘you didn’t lock the door.’
‘Nothing to steal, the only priced possession was taking a stroll.’
He grins before I latch myself onto him and start assaulting his lips with mine. He kicks the door closed and pushes me back towards the bed.
This is really happening, I chant inside my head as I start to unbutton his shirt.