Page 111 of Vince
Knowing it won’t take long for it to have its desired effects, I head to the bathroom to shower off the grime from the night. By the time I finish my shower, I feel slightly more relaxed. Slipping between my sheets, I make one final wish before I drift off to sleep.
Please let me fix this.
* * *
The next morning, I awake to the sound of one of my roommates in the kitchen. I’ve been tossing and turning for the better part of the last hour, so I toss the covers off and join whoever’s in the kitchen.
To my surprise, it’s neither Abby nor Chloe in the kitchen, but Drew.
“Good morning, Syd,” he says as he pours some coffee from the pot. “Want some?”
“Sure,” I reply, reaching for a cup in the cupboard. “Is Abby up?” Maybe she can help me un-fuck this situation I’ve got myself into. I look in the direction of her room, hoping she’ll join us soon.
“Uh… not even close. Is there something I can help you with?” Drew asks as he sits at the table to eat the cinnamon roll I’d baked yesterday morning in my despair.
“I… uh…” How do I even begin to explain the mess I’m in?
With an easy grin, Drew puts down his fork and stares at me for a moment before looking at the sweets I’ve stashed on the counter. “Don’t get me wrong, Syd, I’ll never complain about your baked goods, but is something bothering you… you know… since you’ve turned the kitchen into an upscale bakery this week?”
Sighing heavily, I flop into the chair across from him and soothe myself by holding my warm mug between my hands. “Yeah… I’d guess you could say there was. But it’s a long story.”
He shrugs. “I’ve got time and two working ears. DeShawn and Grey say thanks for the treats, by the way. We’ll never turn them down, but I’d rather you made them for happier reasons.”
“Where do I begin?” I ask more to myself than him. But he answers me anyway.
“My best guess is the beginning,” he says patiently before taking another bite of the gooey roll before him.
Knowing I need to get this off my chest or I’ll explode, I unload the entire story on him. I start by explaining how things had been perfect last Saturday night and led up to Vince’s departure Sunday morning. I don’t go into specifics, but he gets the gist of my state of mind when Vince left that morning. Then I explain how he ghosted me all week, and end with Vince showing up last night.
“I still can’t believe I sent him away,” I practically whine at the end. “I mean, I miss him so much, but my anger got the best of me, and I lashed out at him. I have no freaking clue what pushed him away to begin with, but what if I’ve missed my only chance to get back together with him?”
Scratching at the back of his neck, Drew hesitates before saying what’s on his mind. “You know, Syd, I don’t claim to be an expert on relationships, but are you aware that Abby almost dumped my ass before the championship game?”
“What?” This is news to me.
“Yeah. Apparently… she had it in her mind that we couldn’t be together because she’d gotten into the school of my dreams, and I hadn’t. She even went so far as to try to push me away. It was fucking agonizing. Trust me… but maybe this is something of the same nature. Maybe he did have a family thing going on. Abby’s mentioned he transferred here to be here for his sister. Maybe something came up with them, and he felt conflicted with you. I know what it’s like to keep your eye on the prize and not want to lose focus.”
“But wouldn’t that mean I should steer clear of him and not get in the way?” I ask, not understanding his point. How is this supposed to encourage me?
I rub at my chest and push my cup of coffee away.
“You’re missing the point. It wasn’t until Abby and I communicated clearly that we got our priorities straight. Go to him… tell him how you feel… then if it doesn’t work out, you’ll know you’ve done everything you can.”
Hope shines for the first time in this bleak morning.
Popping up from my chair, I take a step closer and surprise Drew with a hug. “You know what, Drew? You’re right. I’m gonna head over to his house right now and set things straight. Thank you.”
“Anytime, Syd. Anytime.” I hear as I rush to my room to change my clothes.
When I get to Vince’s house, it’s dark. Not a light on or signs of anyone awake.
Knowing it’s nearly nine, I’m sure they’re awake, so I ring the doorbell and eagerly wait.
For nothing.
I ring it once more… still nothing.
Pulling out my phone, I call him. It goes straight to voice mail.
