Breaking the Cycle

Chapter 4

Claire

I woke up sometime later to a refreshing smell. I took a deep breath and my heart started to ache. When I opened my eyes and saw I was still holding onto Vincent’s shirt. I remembered what we were talking about before I fell asleep and couldn’t help the tears threatening to spill.

The sky was already turning to a dark hue of orange and yellow. I tried to slide out of bed when his grip tightened around my waist. Looking at him this close I realized how much he’s changed. He was always a cute kid, but now he was handsome. I gently placed my hand on his chin, feeling him nuzzle into it.

I felt so safe here with him. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. Why did I feel this way with him and not Levi. I slowly slid out of his arms and walked downstairs

My stomach was hurting since I really haven’t eaten all day. I walked into the kitchen to see Leon sitting at the counter while dad was cooking.

“Hey princess, how are you feeling?”

“Just hungry,” I sat next to Leon.

“I bet. Your mom told me what happened. Dinner will be done soon. It’s just chicken and vegetables. Figured we’d keep it pretty plain tonight for you”

“Thanks dad”

“Can you wake up Vincent?”

I turned to my brother.

“Leon?”

“No way. He’s always cranky when he wakes up from a nap”

“Fine”

On my way back to my room I felt my heart start to beat rapidly again. I walked into my room and saw him stretched out on my bed. His sweats riding low, revealing his hips and v line going into his sweats, his hair had become more messy and his lips parted slightly.

“Vincent,” I whispered

I placed my hand on his chest to shake him a bit. When did he become so solid?

“Vin-“

I let out a small shriek as he gripped my hand and pulled me into the bed.

“Don’t,” he whispered, “don’t leave”

What did he mean don’t leave? Was he dreaming? I poked his nose and watched him scrunch up his face. A small grin spread across my face. I poked his nose again, but this time he pulled me closer and buried his face into my neck.

I froze up. I’ve never been this close to him before. I didn’t want to move, but I knew if I didn’t my dad would be up here soon.

“Vincent,” I whispered in his ear.

He made a low rumbling noise and I felt his lips press against my neck. I felt hot all over. He pulled me in closer and I felt him press himself against me. I let out a soft moan and out of nowhere he abruptly stopped and jumped out of bed, nearly tripping over the chair as he got up.

“What are you doing?” He asked, panicked.

“Me? What are you doing?”

“I-I was I-“

Just then we were both saved by Leon.

“Claire, have you woken up Vincent. Oh, come on guys I’m starving,” Leon said as he walked back downstairs.

Vincent placed one hand on his hip and ran the other through his hair. He looked at me with those green eyes and gestured to the door.

“We should- we should go eat”

“Vincent?”

“Yeah”

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. Who did you not want to leave? Who did you think you were kissing?

“Never mind”

He headed out the door and I was right behind him till I heard a phone buzzing. I thought it was mine but it was Vincent’s

I saw the notification flash on his screen.

‘Hey, I was wondering if you weren’t busy if you could stop by and keep me company ;)’ - Katie

Was he sleeping with Katie? How long has this been going on? I didn’t even know they hung out. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.

We sat down to eat. I lost my appetite and pushed my food around.

“How are you feeling princess?”

“I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought”

“Do you want something else?”

“No, thank you dad. Where’s mom?”

“She’s at the mall with Sarah and Ellie. They’re setting up to find a model for their new line”

“I forgot about that. Mom and Sarah are hoping to get the collection out within the next couple of months,” Vincent took a bite of his food, “they’ve been hoping to get Claire in there”

“Why?” I looked up at him.

“They made this collection with you in mind”

“They’ve been wanting you to model for them since the day you were born,” my dad laughed.

We finished eating and I went back up to my room and started to get a jumpstart on my homework. I felt better, but I should probably stay home again. I was getting annoyed that Vincent’s phone kept buzzing. I didn’t want to look at it anymore so I tossed it on my bed.

It wasn’t too long after that I heard Vincent come back in my room and plop down in my bed.

“You want to watch a movie?” He asked.

“I have homework”

“Do you want some help?”

“No thanks”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine”

“Why are you being so snappy?”

“Don’t you have somewhere else you’d rather be?”

“What?”

“Your phone is going off”

He looked at the desk and then back at me. I pointed my pencil at the bed. He felt around and found it under the blankets. His eyes grew.

“Claire I’m not-“

“You don’t have to explain anything to me”

“Please Claire, just listen to me”

I sat my pencil down and turned to him. He just stared at me only, making me more annoyed than I already was.

“It’s getting late, and I’m getting tired”

“We’re not together”

“I’ve never seen you guys hang out at school”

“Why would we? I’m not the type most people want to bring home to meet their parents”

“What?”

“I don’t have that all American boy look about me if you haven’t noticed. I don’t date, but I don’t just go sleeping with anyone”

“Just Katie?”

“No. We’ve fooled around a handful of times, but nothing more. I know who she has messed around with and I don’t want to get mixed up in that”

“Who?” I asked, watching him intently as his face darkened, “You know what, never mind. That’s her business”

“Claire,” he grabbed my hands, “There is nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you,” he looked at my trash bin, “sickness and all,” we laughed, “come on. Take a break and watch a movie with me”

We sat next to each other and he started the movie. When I heard the ominous music I knew I was screwed.

By the end of this movie I was nearly curled up in Vincent’s lap with one of his arms around me while I used the other to cover my eyes.

“It wasn’t that bad,” he chuckled.

“Well we obviously have different opinions on the definition of horror”

“You want to watch something else?”

“Anything but that”

He put on one of the marvel movies since it was one we’d watched a hundred times and he knew I could fall asleep to it.

“I’m gonna go to bed. Don’t stay up too late,” he moved from behind me and stood up.

“Wait,” I grabbed his arm, “can you stay with me just for a little while?”

He smiled, crawling back in with me. We were about thirty minutes into the movie when I couldn’t hold back my burning question.

“Why were you saying don’t leave?” I asked.

“What?”

“When you were sleeping. I tried to wake you up and you pulled me into the bed,” I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, “and you said don’t leave”

I looked up to see a sorrowful look across his face.

“You don't have to tell me if you don’t want to”

He turned those sparkling green eyes towards me.

“Do you remember,” he let out a deep sigh, “when we had our fight, back in middle school?”

I felt a lump in my throat. I nodded at him. To afraid that if I spoke I’d start to shed tears.

“I was having that same nightmare again and I was asking you to not leave… me”

“Nightmare?”

“One of the worst things I have ever done was let my jealousy get in the way of our friendship”

“What were you jealous of?”

He furrowed his eyebrows and the same look of anger appeared on his face.

“I was jealous of you and Levi. You two started to become so close and when he started spreading rumors about me I didn’t care as long as you were by my side, but when you started questioning me I felt betrayed and I let you believe his lies,” he placed his hand on the side of my cheek, “I never meant to push you away, but I didn’t know how to apologize to you after. I shouldn’t have said many of the hurtful things I said to you. You never deserved that, I’m sorry”

I felt the tears pricking at my eyes as a few of them slipped away.

“I was so scared”

“Scared of what?” He straightened up.

“That I was going to lose Levi the same way I lost you. I didn’t really believe any of the rumors. That’s why I asked you. I knew you wouldn’t lie to me, but when you started to yell at me,” I sniffled, “that was the first time I was really hurt by you”

“I’m sorry,” he pulled me into his chest and ran his hand over my back, letting me cry out everything I had been holding back for so long.

When I finished we sat in silence, watching the movie.

“Do you also remember when we were younger and I told you that I didn’t think my mom and dad were my parents?”

I looked at him confused.

“Yeah, we made up this story about how you were actually adopted from another planet”

“Well… we were kind of right”

“What?” You’re an alien?” I giggled.

“I heard our parents talking last night. I came down to say goodnight to my mom and dad and I heard them say that my birth mother wants to talk to me”

“Are- are you sure?”

“Positive”

“I mean… we always kind of guessed about it, but… Vincent, this is huge! Are you going to talk to them about it?”

“No, not yet?”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to hurt them. I mean, they’ve raised me. I want to figure out as much as I can on my own. Maybe I won’t even need to ask them”

“I get that, but maybe being honest with them might be better. Maybe they’ll understand and give you the answers you need”

“I doubt it. My dad said she could talk to me over his dead body”

“I don’t know. What if it hurts them more that you didn’t just go and talk to them. You’ve normally been pretty open with your parents”

“I could say the same for you. Why are you locking yourself away here? Your mom is worried about you”

I wrapped my hands around my arms.

“Claire, if there is something going on you can tell me”

“It’s nothing,” I know I didn’t convince him, but he dropped it.

“So, will you help me?”

“Help you?”

“Help me find out who my birth parents are? Our parents seemed to know who them, but I don’t think they got along”

“Of course I’ll help you, but we really should get some sleep. If I finish my homework tomorrow morning I’ll start searching”

“If we finish our homework”

I gave him a puzzled look

“you think I’m going back to school when I just got my best friend back?” He chuckled.

I smiled and laid back down. It felt like the heavy weight that had been sitting on my chest was finally lifted.

“I forgot to ask you, but could you come into the cafe with me on Saturday? Papa has to take pops in for an appointment and needed me to cover till they get back”

He looked like he’d rather do anything else

“You can have the tips I make”

“Fine,” he sighed, “but you need to tell that to pop’s. Last time he thought I was stealing your tips and tried to hit me with his cane. I still have the marks to prove it”

“No you don’t,” I laughed.

“The marks on my heart”

It was nice to be able to talk with him like this again, but the only thing that bothered me was how much it made my heart race to be this close to him.