CHAPTER TWELVE

Vince

 

As soon as Vince stepped out of the bus, he called Rose. This was his usual after-work routine. He hated talking on the phone on the bus like so many of the other riders did and let the rest of the people on the bus in on their conversation. So he’d texted her until he got off.

So far their text conversation had been the usual, updating each other on how their days had gone, until she let him know what she was in the middle of.

 

I’ve been looking up apartments in this area. La Jolla is pretty pricey, but the surrounding areas aren’t too bad.

 

That was the last text he got before he got off the bus. He hadn’t bothered responding to that since he was off the bus now and could call her. He spoke as soon as she answered. “Rosie, I told you the whole thing about us moving in together wouldn’t be for a while. I don’t even know how long it’ll take me to get the business going once I finish school. It might be longer than I was thinking.”

There was silence on the other end for a moment. “I uh…I wasn’t looking this up for us. I know it’ll be a while before we look into this. Grace asked me to look up some prices for my mom. She might be moving down here soon. I just thought I’d mention it because I didn’t realize how expensive this area was…that’s all.”

Feeling like an ass that he’d sounded nearly panicked, he backpedaled, trying to make up for it now. “I don’t want you think that I wouldn’t want to this soon if we could afford to, okay? It’s just that…well I thought that maybe…”

“I’m planning our wedding already?”

Vince couldn’t make out if she was teasing or upset. “No, that’s not what I was gonna say. And if you were that wouldn’t be a bad thing, but right now…”

She finally laughed softly, making Vince exhale in relief. “Relax, Vincent. Maybe I should’ve mentioned I was looking for my mom. I can see why you’d get the idea that I was apartment shopping for us.”

Not wanting to stick his foot in his mouth again, he thought about what to say next. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Moments like this were unusual for them, and he didn’t like it.

She cleared her throat and spoke before he did. “Listen there was something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

Grateful for the change in subject, he didn’t care what the subject was until he heard what it was. “It’s about Ben.”

Rose’s prom date had only come up one other time after that day at the park. She’d told Vince that he texted her. Her friend Candace had given him Rose’s new number, and the guy had texted her a few times before she mentioned it to Vincent. She explained that the only reason she hadn’t mentioned it sooner was because she thought it might be one or two casual texts, but he’d sent her a longer one asking more personal stuff about Rose and her new boyfriend. She finally responded that she didn’t feel comfortable talking about it, nor did she think Vince would like the jackass texting her. Damn straight he didn’t like it. She stopped responding to his texts, and they’d since lessened, until they stopped all together.

Feeling the immediate annoyance, he slowed his pace. “What about him?”

“I ran into him last night.”

This was exactly what Vince had been worried about when he’d gone back home after summer was over. He knew he could trust Rose, but even something like this was enough to have him reacting in a way that might make him say or do something he shouldn’t.

Rose had gone to a party with her friends the night before, and afterwards there’d been a bonfire at the beach. Vince hadn’t been able to make it out at the last minute because he’d worked late, and even though he wasn’t thrilled about it, he said he was okay with her going without him. He was actually a little surprised that she’d still want to, but he bit his tongue when she said she’d go so her friend Candace wouldn’t feel like a third wheel there with just Alison and her boyfriend.

“Candace didn’t even mention that she’d told Ben about the party and bonfire until we were at the beach.” Rose’s tone was forewarning. “I wasn’t even aware she and Ben were still talking. She hadn’t brought him up in a while.”

That alone was enough to get Vince hot. “So you hung out with him?”

“No. Candace did, but she was around us, so—”

“So you hung out with him.” This was no longer a question but a statement that came out more like an accusation.

“No, Vincent. Are you listening to me? He was there but not for me. We barely talked.”

This was bullshit. She’d spent time with this dickhead last night: the very asshole that had looked at her and groaned like he wanted to eat Rose up. But because her friends were there, she was trying make is sound like she hadn’t.

“The only reason I’m even telling you is because I think he and Candace are going to be hanging out more from here on. He may be around again. Ben doesn’t do relationships, but he’ll hang out with her as long as she’s okay with just having a good time and nothing more. I don’t want this to come up later and have you think I was keeping anything from you. I know how you feel about him.”

“Is that right? He told you he doesn’t do relationships? When did this conversation happen?”

She exhaled loudly pushing Vince’s annoyance level that much higher. “It’s a well-known fact about him. This goes back to high school. It’s why he asked me to the prom in the first place. Everyone knew we were just friends, and he wanted it that way. He didn’t want any of his many girls to think he was playing favorites, so he went with a friend—someone he’d never been with that way and never would.” She paused then repeated. “Never would, Vincent. He knows even if I didn’t have a boyfriend, that my relationship with him would never be anything more than a friendship. Even before I met you, I could never be with someone like him.”

Vincent took that last statement and let it simmer. He knew Rose wasn’t that kind of girl, and she’d never given him reason to question her. But remembering the way Ben had so blatantly ogled her and then how he’d tried to sneak in a hug still pissed him off.

“Did he try to hug you again?” There was a moment of silence, and Vince could feel the hair on the back of neck begin to rise. “Did he, Rose?”

“Hmm.”

“Is that a yes?” The hair on his neck was at full attention now.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Vince squeezed the phone, already knowing the answer just from the way her voice dropped to a whisper, but he still had to ask, “And you let him?”

“Vincent, he hugged everyone.”

Before she could say another word, Vince hung up. That mother fucker! He didn’t hang up because he didn’t want to talk to her anymore, but because he was afraid of the things that might spew out of his mouth just thinking about how Ben probably groaned as he felt up his Rosie. One thing was for damn sure: if this guy was going to be around from here on, even if it was just for Candace, Vince was going to make one thing clear. He thought he had already, but apparently this asshole was going to need it spelled out. Rose was not someone his ogling, fucking ass would be copping a feel on.

Vince knew the whole hugging bullshit was just a sneaky way of doing just that. He’d done it himself a few times, and it’d been done to him by girls plenty of times as well but not since Rose had come in the picture. Vince would be damned if he’d be putting up with that shit. Rose should’ve known any guy putting his hands on her would piss him off but especially this guy.

He walked up the stairs in front of his building still on fire and in no way ready to talk to Rose yet, so he sent her call to voicemail. Looking up from his phone he saw Anita by the bus stop with Cruz, the current neighborhood pusher. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her with him, and he’d warned her he was trouble. Anita assured him Cruz was trying to change and deep inside was a good guy.

Acutely aware that Rose had done the very thing Anita was doing, he didn’t push any further. Rose had given Vince the benefit of the doubt when she’d first met him—even stuck with him after he fucked up a few more times. Anita wasn’t a dumb girl. She wouldn’t be hanging around someone who might bring trouble around her little brothers.

Vince watched as her brothers exited the school bus. Pepe hopped a few steps in front of them as they all walked down the street, and Cruz gave Beto, who’d just started kindergarten last fall, a piggyback ride. Maybe the guy was changing. Vince usually saw him hanging around thugs or dealing on corners or in parks. Seeing him hanging out with Anita and playing with her brothers was a side of Cruz he would’ve never expected to see.

No sooner had he turned his attention away from Anita and Cruz than thoughts of Ben’s hands on Rose assaulted him again. He slammed the door behind him as he walked into the building. Knowing he had to get it together before he called her back, he tried without success to calm himself.

Hoping a shower would cool him off, Vince took a long one. It did somewhat, but the moment he was dressed and thought about it, he was irritated all over again. What pissed him off most was that Rose was already warning him that this guy would probably be around more from here on. There were a few things Vince had pushed to the back of his head but had never quite forgotten.

One: she mentioned more than once how extremely flattered she’d been to have been asked to the prom by this prick because he was such a hot shot at school. Even though he knew Rose loved him, he had to wonder if she couldn’t secretly be harboring a crush for Mr. Fucking Popular. Two: Not only would Vince never forget the way this guy had looked at her at the park but how he’d added that jab after about calling her when it was all over. Vince was certain the asshole would like nothing better than get one up on him. He already had by getting that hug from Rose that Vince made clear wasn’t going to fly. The fact that Rose would let him, knowing how Vince felt about him, was the biggest pisser.

Knowing there was no way he could talk to her right now without saying something he might regret, he decided to go hang out with his friends. It’d been a while since he talked to most of them. Between school, work, and driving out to see Rose, he’d pretty much made them last in his list of priorities. Lately, even while at school and work, thoughts of Rose rarely escaped him. Right now he needed to relieve his mind of her at least for a couple of hours.

It wasn’t hard to find them. El Taco Loco up the street where two of his friends now worked was the place to be these days from what Lorenzo told him. “We get all the free chips and salsa we want.” Vince remembered that was what his easily-excited brother had mentioned.

Happy that Lorenzo was there and not somewhere else getting into trouble, Vince decided to treat his brother to dinner. Lately Vince had been pretty tight with his money since he was trying so hard to get the money together for a car. But tonight he was feeling generous. He had almost enough money saved anyway. In the meantime he was still relying on his dad to lend him his car to drive out to see Rose. But he told her just a few more weeks and he’d have his own car.

After catching up with the guys and eating his dinner, Lorenzo stood up and said he was out.

“Where you going?” Vince eyed him.

Lorenzo flashed him a grin and bounced his brows. “I got someone to see.”

Vincent pulled out his phone to check the time and saw the missed calls and unread texts from Rose. The annoyance he’d managed to forget for a while was back. Ignoring it for a moment, he glanced up at Lorenzo. “Get your ass home early, Enzo. Don’t make me come looking for you.”

His brother nodded and saluted him as he walked out of the restaurant. Knowing he had Rose to deal with still, Vince began to wrap it up and finish his food.

Most of the evening Vince thought Alfonso had been eyeing him kind of weird. Now that Lorenzo was gone Vince turned looked up from his plate and caught that same strange leer Alfonso wore on his face all night. “What?”

“Nothin’, I just thought I knew you better is all.”

“What are you talking about?” Vince laughed taking one last bite of his taco. Alfonso laughed now, too and stood up from the booth where he’d been sitting all night. “You still in the market for some wheels?”

Now Alfonso had Vince’s undivided attention. Lifting his eyebrows in anticipation, he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Yeah, why?”

“I know someone who might get you a good deal.” Alfonso smirked again. “That is, of course, if you’re willing to deal.”

Looking around, Alfonso motioned for Vince to follow him outside. Vince grabbed his tray, standing up and following his friend outside. He wouldn’t get his hopes up just yet. This could be something, or it could be one of his friend’s crap-ass ideas. But curious he’d hear him out.