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Authors: Millenia Black
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keep the floodgates from opening full on. Her twenty-one-year-old heart was pounding like a sledgehammer as she waited for his next words.
“Don’t do this to yourself anymore.” Vincent looked her directly in the eyes. “It’s been my experience that if you suspect something like that, it’s probably true.”
Olivia felt like her insides had been hollowed out.
Damn it!
“How long, Vinnie?” she asked quickly. “How long has Jackie been back in the picture?”
“Olivia, go on home now, okay? There’s nothing here for you but more grief.” He turned and walked away.
Olivia caught up with him just as he started up the stairs. “I’m coming in with you. I want to hear what he’s got to say to me now.”
“Did you hear what I said? Why do you want to continue hurting yourself? I’m telling you in plain English that you’re wasting your time with Sean. Our entire family knows that he’s only loved one woman and one woman only, and that’s Jackie. It’s always been Jackie. You just need to take this as a learning experience and move on, dear.” Vincent shook his head. Pity.
“Vincent, after all he’s put me through these last few months, he owes it to me to look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Now, I’m going in with you!” She climbed up the stairs ahead of him and waited in front of their door.
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ll just learn the hard way,” Vincent said, joining her at the doorway. He shuffled with his keys and opened the door. Olivia followed him inside.
There was no questioning that Sean and Vincent were horrible decorators. The living room consisted of a ghastly mahogany-colored sofa and a hideous blue pinstriped loveseat that Olivia assumed were hand-me-downs. No piece of furniture in the room matched or complimented any other. To the right of the doorway was a tiny dining area that barely accommodated the two-chair Formica dining table. On the left was a slightly larger, all wooden kitchen.
As she passed, Olivia noticed two empty wineglasses on the counter. Her adrenaline spiked again. Before she could get any farther, Vincent stepped ahead of her and knocked on Sean’s room door, which was on the left side of the two-bedroom residence.
“Sean, you awake?” he called, trying the knob and finding it locked.
“Yeah, I’m up,” said Sean from the other side. “What’s up?”
“Come on out here and talk to Olivia. She’s here to see you,” Vincent called out before turning back to Olivia, who was right on his heels.
“Now, I’m going to my room and I don’t want to hear the racket, so please take it outside.”
“Thanks for letting me in, Vinnie. You know I respect you very much. I’ll take it outside.” Her eyes never left Sean’s door.
Vincent walked across the living room and closed his bedroom door behind him.
Olivia stood rooted to the spot, waiting for Sean to open the door.
But he never did.
She stood there, listening and waiting. When she came to the hurtful realization that he was not going to come out at all, she began banging rapidly on the door.
“Open the door, you bastard! Open the door and face me!” she screamed, pounding away. “I don’t care if you have your slut in there with you, Sean! Just open the fucking door! Now!” She beat the door for nearly ten minutes, but Sean was ignoring her. He didn’t even acknowledge that she was there. She finally gave up and stormed out of the apartment without even closing the front door.
So much for respecting Vincent. Fuck Vincent!
Olivia descended the stairs two at a time and ran to her car. She recklessly backed out of the handicapped space and almost hit an approaching Buick. The floodgates gave way as she drove out of the complex. She made her way, dazed, along Dixie Highway. Unable to see the road clearly, she pulled into the parking lot of a deserted Bank of America.
“ Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” she chanted. He’d been making a complete
“Don’t do this to yourself anymore.” Vincent looked her directly in the eyes. “It’s been my experience that if you suspect something like that, it’s probably true.”
Olivia felt like her insides had been hollowed out.
Damn it!
“How long, Vinnie?” she asked quickly. “How long has Jackie been back in the picture?”
“Olivia, go on home now, okay? There’s nothing here for you but more grief.” He turned and walked away.
Olivia caught up with him just as he started up the stairs. “I’m coming in with you. I want to hear what he’s got to say to me now.”
“Did you hear what I said? Why do you want to continue hurting yourself? I’m telling you in plain English that you’re wasting your time with Sean. Our entire family knows that he’s only loved one woman and one woman only, and that’s Jackie. It’s always been Jackie. You just need to take this as a learning experience and move on, dear.” Vincent shook his head. Pity.
“Vincent, after all he’s put me through these last few months, he owes it to me to look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Now, I’m going in with you!” She climbed up the stairs ahead of him and waited in front of their door.
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ll just learn the hard way,” Vincent said, joining her at the doorway. He shuffled with his keys and opened the door. Olivia followed him inside.
There was no questioning that Sean and Vincent were horrible decorators. The living room consisted of a ghastly mahogany-colored sofa and a hideous blue pinstriped loveseat that Olivia assumed were hand-me-downs. No piece of furniture in the room matched or complimented any other. To the right of the doorway was a tiny dining area that barely accommodated the two-chair Formica dining table. On the left was a slightly larger, all wooden kitchen.
As she passed, Olivia noticed two empty wineglasses on the counter. Her adrenaline spiked again. Before she could get any farther, Vincent stepped ahead of her and knocked on Sean’s room door, which was on the left side of the two-bedroom residence.
“Sean, you awake?” he called, trying the knob and finding it locked.
“Yeah, I’m up,” said Sean from the other side. “What’s up?”
“Come on out here and talk to Olivia. She’s here to see you,” Vincent called out before turning back to Olivia, who was right on his heels.
“Now, I’m going to my room and I don’t want to hear the racket, so please take it outside.”
“Thanks for letting me in, Vinnie. You know I respect you very much. I’ll take it outside.” Her eyes never left Sean’s door.
Vincent walked across the living room and closed his bedroom door behind him.
Olivia stood rooted to the spot, waiting for Sean to open the door.
But he never did.
She stood there, listening and waiting. When she came to the hurtful realization that he was not going to come out at all, she began banging rapidly on the door.
“Open the door, you bastard! Open the door and face me!” she screamed, pounding away. “I don’t care if you have your slut in there with you, Sean! Just open the fucking door! Now!” She beat the door for nearly ten minutes, but Sean was ignoring her. He didn’t even acknowledge that she was there. She finally gave up and stormed out of the apartment without even closing the front door.
So much for respecting Vincent. Fuck Vincent!
Olivia descended the stairs two at a time and ran to her car. She recklessly backed out of the handicapped space and almost hit an approaching Buick. The floodgates gave way as she drove out of the complex. She made her way, dazed, along Dixie Highway. Unable to see the road clearly, she pulled into the parking lot of a deserted Bank of America.
“ Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” she chanted. He’d been making a complete
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