CHAPTER TEN

Vince

 

Having no credit was apparently as bad as having bad credit. Vince was looking at having to come up with a hefty deposit if he was going to get his own cell phone account. Getting a pay-per-use one where he’d pay to add minutes was also too expensive. He and Rose would blow through those minutes in no time. It would be cheaper if he just stayed on his mom’s account and paid her to add more minutes, unlimited nights, and weekends to their plan. He told his mom he’d pick up a part-time job at the hardware store on the weekends to help with the added expense.

Thankfully she agreed. Being able to hear Rose’s voice now instead of just texting alleviated the incredible need to be with her a little. But he was still mad at himself for not having just walked away from fucking Randy and costing himself a month away from Rose.

The month dragged on, and just a few days before he and his parents were scheduled to make the trip out to La Jolla, he and Rose had their first spat.

Since they’d become a couple, he rarely went to any parties. Rose hadn’t asked him to cut down; he’d started cutting down even before Rose. The parties in his area almost always ended in trouble. Since he’d decided to get his shit straight, parties were one of the first things he began avoiding. But not all could be avoided: Alfonso’s birthday party yesterday for example. Alfonso was one of Vince’s closest friends since they’d been kids. Alfonso even offered to pick him up from work then have someone drive him home when he was ready because Vince told him he wouldn’t be able to hang around long.

“You went to a party?” Rarely had Vince heard Rose sound irritated, but the irritation came through loud and clear. “I thought they grounded you from everything.”

“Well, yeah. But my dad doesn’t know my exact schedule at the hardware store. I told him I was off at nine. And I got home just a little after nine. Alfonso said he’d have someone drop me off just as soon as I was ready, and Ray-Ray dropped me off ten minutes after nine. My parents didn’t even question it.”

Instead of that calming her, she raised her voice. “Ray-Ray dropped you off?”

“Yeah,” he responded without even thinking then it hit him. Shit!

“Isn’t he the one that’s still doing the drug dealing?”

“Yes, babe, but he wasn’t dealing yesterday. We were all just kicking it at Alfonso’s. His parents were there, and the only thing we had was beer.”

“You had beer?”

Well, hell! “One,” he said standing up and moving away from where the guys were sitting on the front stairs with him. Alfonso was already smirking. “I had one. My dad doesn’t have a problem with me having a beer or two here and there, as long as I’m not driving.”

“But you’re grounded, Vincent. So you weren’t even supposed to be there, and on top of that you were drinking. Then!” she gasped. “Then you go and get in a car with a drug dealer!” She lowered her voice almost to a whisper. “Are you deliberately trying to sabotage this summer for us?”

“No! Of course not.”

“Then why would you do that?” She didn’t sound mad anymore. She sounded wounded. “If there’d been a fight or something at that party or if Ray-Ray had gotten pulled over for any reason and they’d found drugs on him, you both would’ve been taken in. I don’t understand why you would take such a chance.”

“Alfonso is my best buddy, and it was his birthday.”

“So he’s important to you?”

“You’re more important,” he said firmly and a little annoyed that she’d imply she wasn’t.

“I gotta go.”

“Rosie, wait.”

“No. I can’t even talk to you right now.”

“Really? You’re that mad about this?”

“Vincent, I’m more hurt than mad. You know I’m dying to see you again.”

Now he was so mad at himself he wanted to spit. Not for telling her, but because she was absolutely right, and she had every reason to be hurt. He’d already fucked things up once. He just hadn’t thought it was a big deal. He was certain it would go as smoothly as it had, but it was still a risk.

“I’m dying to see you too, Rosie. I’m sorry. And you’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I swear to you I will from now on. It’s just that in the past, I’ve done so much worse, so this didn’t seem like a big deal at all. But listen to me, babe,” his dumb-ass needed to get one thing clear “don’t you ever think it’s because I’m trying to sabotage my going to La Jolla. There’s nothing I want more than to be there with you. I’m counting the days—the hours. I miss you so much.”

She was quiet for a moment, and he squeezed his phone. Finally he heard her exhale. “Don’t take any more chances. Please. I don’t know what I’d do if they took the entire summer away from us.”

From that moment on, he swore, no more chances. It wasn’t even about his parents anymore. He still had Sal and Grace to think about. If he fucked up, enough they could forbid him to come around all together. “I promise, Rose. For you—for us, I’ll stay out of trouble for good.”

 

***

 

As much as Vince was looking forward to spending time with Rose this summer, especially now that he had to make up for lost time, he also knew he had to put in extra hours at the restaurant.

Sal would let him use the restaurant car during the summer, but he couldn’t count on that forever. He needed his own wheels. Not only that, he knew Rose was ready to take their relationship further, and she just wasn’t a backseat girl, not to him. She deserved better. He already had enough saved up for a few times at a hotel, but based on how crazy it made him to just kiss her, a few times with Rose would never do.

Vince thought he had their first time all planned out. They’d go to dinner then maybe a walk on the beach and then get a room at one of the fancy hotels on the beach for the rest of the evening. He hadn’t anticipated how their extended time apart would contribute to the intensity of their urges. He’d only been in town three days when he’d gone over to Sal’s place to help Rose babysit Sal and Grace’s baby boy. Sal had agreed to let Vince hang out with Rose that evening as long as he behaved.

Of course Vince had every intention of behaving. He wasn’t about to get his ass thrown out of La Jolla after he’d already blown the first month. After watching TV in the front room with Rose as she cradled the baby to sleep, he walked with her into the nursery to put him down in his crib. They stared at the sleeping baby for a few minutes. His mom was right; sleeping babies did look like angels.

“Isn’t he perfect?” Rose whispered.

“Yeah,” Vince nodded in agreement, taking her hand in his.

They tiptoed out of the room quietly, and Rose closed the door all the way, taking the monitor with her, so in case he woke, they’d hear him.

“He’s probably out for the night. He’s real good that way. Sal and Grace lucked out. I’ve babysat other kids before, and most babies are not this easy.”

Vince stopped to kiss her in the hallway. He couldn’t wait anymore. Even while she’d cradled the baby to sleep, he kept slipping in a few kisses, but he had her all to himself now. Before things got too heavy, there was something he wanted to do.

Pulling a few inches away from her, he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet. Her eyes grew wide at the sight.

“It’s nothing extravagant, Rosie, but it’s a promise.” Her eyes pinched in confusion. “A promise,” he said as he placed it nervously on her wrist, “that no matter how far you are from me, you’re always in my thoughts…my heart.”

She looked up at him, her eyes full of emotion and filling with tears.

“I thought of you every day, every night this past month, Rosie. And I know now that’ll never change. I just wanted you to know that. I love you.”

Rose shook her head wiping her tears away. “You’re too good to be true, Vincent.”

Vince had to laugh. “I am?’

“Yes, you are.” She lifted her hand up to admire the delicate silver bracelet on her equally delicate wrist then turned back to him, throwing her arms around his neck. “Not a moment goes by that I don’t think of you either. Thanks for making me see I’m not the only crazy person. I love you, too!”

They backed up into the wall, kissing deeply. As their kisses became more frantic, she tugged his hand and pulled him away from the wall. “C’mon.”

He followed her to her bedroom and stopped at the door. “Rose, I don’t think I should be in here.”

“Well of course you shouldn’t, but Sal and Grace won’t be back for hours. It’s their first night out since the baby was born. They’re on a very romantic dinner cruise, and then they’re going to meet up with everyone else and go dancing. They’ll be out until late.”

“Yeah but—”

Rose’s lips were on his, and there was no resisting them. Instinctively he sucked her lips and tongue back hard. She tugged his hand again, pulling him to her bed. She fell back into the bed, and he fell with her. Vince thought of the special night he’d mentally planned for their first time and then wondered if maybe it wouldn’t be better that their first time be right there in her bed. She’d think about it every time she went to bed, and that made him smile.

Within minutes her cotton top and bra were off, and he was sucking softly on her breasts, but the longer he sucked, the urgency to have her completely naked became overwhelming. She arched her back, moaning a little louder with each tug Vince’s lips took of her nipples. Sliding a hand into her shorts, his fingers grazed the warmth that awaited him as she spread her legs for him. He stopped and looked at her; both were breathing heavy as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“We’ll be alone for hours,” she whispered. “Did you bring protection?”

He nodded, his eyes going from hers to her lips and back up to her eyes again. Even in all the times he’d been in trouble—all the times the adrenaline had pumped through his veins as he readied himself to kick someone’s ass—he’d never felt his heart beat this erratically. “Rosie,” he whispered, “you’re positively sure about this, right?”

She smiled, running her fingers through his hair. “Positive, Vincent, I love you.”

Her soft touch alone followed by her words did things to him he couldn’t explain. He’d felt this many times when he was around her. She didn’t even know it, but he was already completely at her mercy. Rosie could do no wrong—she was faultless. And now she’d be his completely. It was as alarming as it was thrilling.

Forcing himself to get his thoughts together, he took a deep breath before kissing her again softly. “You should get a towel.” He swallowed back the immense fear that suddenly inundated him. This was really happening. “You might bleed, baby.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh,” she nodded as the fear swept across her face, too, “right.”

He lifted himself away from her, and she slid off the side of the bed and walked out into the hallway. She walked back in, covering her bare chest with a towel, and smiled at him nervously.

Since this wasn’t so spontaneous anymore, Vince stood and helped move her teddy bears aside. It made him smile to see out of all the bears on her bed, the pink one—the he’d won for her—was front and center. He stopped to kiss her again then lifted the bedspread. This was only his second time doing it in a comfort of a bed. Ironically it’d also been when a girl he knew had called him to ask him if he wanted to hang out while she babysat. He’d gone over and hung out then he left immediately after. His friends were parked up the street waiting for him.

All the other times had been in backseats, front seats, on the roof of his apartment building; he’d even made use of public bathroom stalls a few times. None of those times had he given any thought to the outcome—the consequences. The only consequence he’d ever worried about was the possibility of getting one of them pregnant. Otherwise it was just something he’d enjoy and never think twice about. This—this had him thinking so differently now. Rose being pregnant with his baby was almost a pleasant thought. It didn’t scare him half as much as what Sal would do to him if he knew what was about to go down—under Sal’s very own roof.

Rose placed the towel on the bed. Vince closed in from behind her, kissing her neck and cupping her perfect breasts in his hands. “I don’t think you realize,” he whispered in her ear then sucked her lobe, “what you do to me.”

She turned around to face him and smiled. “If it’s anything like what I’m feeling, then I do.”

He shook his head staring in her eyes. “No,” he said slipping his hand behind her neck, “I am so crazy about you, Rosie. I really don’t think you have any idea.” He gulped again, trying to suppress the fear, but only because it was her would he share a little of what he was feeling. “It’s terrifying.”

Her eyes widened again, searching his. “Why?”

There was no way to explain it. “I don’t know, but after we do this, I know it’ll be even worse. No one has and I don’t think anyone will ever come close to making me feel what you do, ever.”

“Good,” she smirked, “because I don’t want you to ever be with anyone else. I know I don’t want to be with anyone else…ever.”

God, that’s exactly what he needed to hear. Taking her face in his hands, he smiled, groaning as he kissed her with the same urgency he’d kissed her earlier. Within seconds, they were back on her bed. He kissed her deeply before moving down to her soft breasts again.

Knowing he was the only guy that had ever had the pleasure of even kissing her and hearing her say she wanted to keep it this way alleviated a little of his fear. Vince had no doubt he could stay out of the normal stuff he usually got into trouble for. After his punishment for the Randy fight, he decided nothing that petty was worth it. He realized that taking any kind of chance was a slap in the face to Rose who herself said she’d never chance something like that. But lately just thinking of her being so far away and the possibility that any other guys might make a move was more than enough to make his blood boil.

After today he knew that feeling would be magnified a thousand times. This past month away from her had been torture. He loved and trusted her completely, but it still didn’t take from the fear that he may someday snap, and his ability to be around her would be taken from him for good. She was after all still a minor—would be for another year.

Vince stopped suddenly, lifting his head when he heard something. “It’s the baby,” Rose said running her fingers through his hair, smiling, and gesturing to the monitor. “He makes noises in his sleep.”

His relieved heart thumped a little less violently. “We’d hear them before they’d walk in the house, right?”

Vince was having visions of jumping out her window into the backyard while she threw his clothes at him frantically. He’d be dead if Sal caught them. She nodded. “Yes,” she smiled obviously trying to reassure him. “They come in through the garage, and we’ll hear the garage door open before they even drive up the driveway. But I’m telling you they’ll be gone for hours.” She pulled his shirt to bring him closer and kissed him even more passionately.

After a very long kiss that had him harder and more ready than he’d ever been to take things further with Rose, he moved away from her and pulled his shirt off over his head. Rose smiled, running her fingers over his muscled stomach and chest. She’d done that every chance she got when they went swimming in the pool or at the beach. “Very nice, your muscles get bigger and harder every time I see you.”

Vince smiled back proudly, loving that she enjoyed touching his muscular chest almost as much as he enjoyed running his hands up and down her long legs. Then he stopped when he heard something again, making Rose giggle. “Will you relax? Right now, they’re on a boat. Even if they wanted to suddenly leave, they can’t. Grace was actually worried about that.”

That made him feel a tiny bit better, but he still knew anything could happen. Sal wasn’t stupid. He could have someone else drop by and check on them, especially since Grace was worried about leaving the baby this long for the first time.

As much as he wanted to take his time and make her first time as special as possible, slow wasn’t happening in Sal’s house. He’d save that for when he got them a room. With that in mind he stood up and unbuttoned his jeans. “Take your shorts off,” he said with a sly smile.

They were soft cotton shorts, the kind she’d taken to wearing a lot more often lately since they’d graduated to third base. He could do things to her with his fingers without actually having to take her clothes off in case someone arrived suddenly. But even that they’d do in the family room or the backyard where it didn’t look so bad if someone suddenly got home.

Vince was trying his best to not let this being in her room in Sal’s house naked ruin the mood for him. He stopped to admire her nude body before him. Damn, he could hardly believe she was all his.

Just as nude himself now, he ran his hand down her thigh before opening the condom and slipping it on. “I hope you don’t mind, but I can’t do slow in Sal’s house. Every little, fucking noise has me jumping out of my skin, but I’d be crazy to stop now.”

Her smile waned a bit, but Vince knew it wasn’t from disappointment. It was from the nerves. As much as she was trying to play it off that she wasn’t scared, he could see that she was. He’d be gentle. He just wasn’t throwing on the ballads and making this last all night. Being her first time, it probably wouldn’t be too pleasant to even try to go all night anyway.

Lifting himself over her, he kissed her a few times long and soft. He wanted to assure her that’s how soft he’d be doing everything to her. He noticed that somewhere along the way she’d stiffened a bit. “You still sure about this?” he whispered against her ear then looked her in the eyes.

She nodded. “Yes,” licking her lips she added, “I’m just nervous, but I’m sure.”

Kissing her very softly again, he whispered, “Don’t be nervous.” Moving things along so as to not make her anymore nervous, he warned her with another whisper as he spread her legs, “I’ll be real gentle. But you tell me if you need me to stop, okay?”

Again she stiffened in anticipation. “Relax,” he added kissing her temple, and she did a little.

His own heart was going wild, but he wouldn’t prolong this one second more. He spread her with his fingers, dipping one into her slowly. Oh yeah. It was time. Spreading her even wider, he began to enter and knew the second he met resistance that this was going to be painful for her. He was grateful he’d thought of the towel. The moment he heard her gasp, he stopped. Studying her pained expression, he watched intently as she licked her lips, inhaled deeply, and opened her eyes. She squeezed his shoulders with both hands. “Don’t stop, Vincent. I’m even more convinced now that doing this with you is the only way I’d ever want to.” He stared at her as her expression softened into a smile. “It feels perfect that you’re the one.”

Unbelievably, that made him want to plunge right into her, but at the same time it nearly choked him. Without saying a word because he was speechless, he slowly slid in deeper into an almost impossibly tight space. With her pained expression gone now, he slid in and out a few more times as it got a little easier, but knew he’d be done within seconds. The moment he felt her begin to enjoy it, he groaned and was done.

He was almost embarrassed but relieved it was over. Even though he would’ve wanted to lie there next to her for hours longer, maybe even try again later, there was one thing keeping him from doing so—Sal.

“You okay?” he whispered kissing her softly on her forehead again and again.

She nodded smiling then touched his face with her fingertips. “That was perfect.”

Vince couldn’t help frowning but followed up with a smirk. “It’ll be a lot better next time. I promise.” He kissed her lips softly one last time before moving off the bed. “Sorry, but I had a few things working against me here tonight.” He sniggered as he pulled his pants on. “Kind of hard not to kill the mood when you know getting caught would be grounds for a lynching.” He picked up his shirt and brought his face up to face hers as she pulled those beautiful legs off to the side of the bed. “But what was even harder was trying to keep it together because this was you.” He kissed her then stared at her in bewilderment. “I can’t put my finger on any one thing about you, Rosie, but everything in my life is different since I met you. I know we’re young, but I can’t see my future without you anymore. Everything I do now is for you.”

She touched his face, her eyes tearing up. “This is why I had no doubts about doing this tonight. I can’t even imagine being with anyone else but you.”

Vince sat down next to her on the bed, and she quickly climbed on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“No one else ever?” he asked staring deep into her beautiful eyes.

“Ever.”

Tracing her lips with the tip of his finger, Vince allowed the beauty of her words to sink in. “I own these, forever?”

She took his hand and placed it to her soft still naked chest. “You own me body and soul, Vincent. There will never be anyone else for me, ever.”

He’d known it from the first day he met her. There was something special about Rose. She was the positive to his negative. Not only did he not want to be with anyone else ever again he couldn’t even imagine being away from her now. All he ever thought about when he was home was the next time he’d get to be with her. Now she was saying to him the very thing he’d been feeling all this time, only he hadn’t been able to put it into words like she had.

He choked back the emotion before kissing her again then pulling away to stare deep in her eyes. “You own me, Rosie, body and soul, now and forever.”