Vincent “What do you want, Fiona?” I asked, irritated. I didn’t need this right now. I just got back from a 20 hours shift in the hospital due an emergency. I felt like a complete zombie. I wasn’t in the mood or in need of any drama. “Vincent,” she called out with a sad smile, taking a brief step, and extending her arms as if asking for permission to hug me. I sighed exasperatedly, running a frustrated hand across my face. “I’m exhausted, Fiona. Please, I need to rest,” I said, mustering all politeness I had in me. “Oh, Okay! Ermm… can I come in and make you anything? You must be pretty hungry,” she said eagerly, taking a confident step. “No… No, I don’t need that. I already had something to eat,” I said dryly, almost using up my patience. This was my mum’s plan. Uniting my brother and I was a part of it, but getting me back with Fiona was the other part. It’s been her dream since the beginning; from the time she saw the sloppy kiss Fiona and I shared until now. She loves Fiona.
Andrew “I want her out of my house, Drew,” my brother said from where he was leaning on the wall, right beside the door. He had both hands inside his pocket and a stoic expression that screamed ‘I’ve had enough’. “What are you yapping about?” I said, scrunching up my face in feigned confusion. “Don’t give me that bull…you know what I’m talking about. I want her gone,” he deadpanned, leaned off the wall, then walked past me towards the stairs, with his hands still in his pants’ pocket. That was my intention. To tick him off. I wanted to make him miserable. I had no business with Fiona. I ended things with her a long time ago. Although, the day she visited, she had tried luring me to sleep with her, but I declined. I might not be dating Pamela, but she is my lifeline at the moment. I don’t want her fleeing because of Fiona. But… I saw the need for Fiona when I noticed my brother’s reaction to her presence. I capitalized on that to make Vincent squirm. After I’d taken Fiona to my roo
Vincent Today I called in sick. I woke up with aches all over my body and a pounding headache. I didn’t feel sick the previous day, so it was strange that I felt it this morning. The minute Anne heard my voice this morning, she knew something was wrong. She said I wasn’t sounding right. That was when I told her of my ill health. She had wanted to run over immediately but I dissuaded her. I reminded her I was a doctor and could take care of myself. She’d shunned me and told me that even doctors needed care from others, and promised to come over with a home-cooked meal right after her first class and spent the rest of the day with me. I’d asked about Andrew who didn’t return last night, and she told me he’d slept over at Pamela’s. When Rita came in to clean the house last night, she'd told me that Fiona’s things were no longer in the guest room and there were no traces of her in the house. It was a tremendous relief. Andrew must have gotten her to leave. After taking a hot shower, I
Vincent “I’m so smart, right?” she said with a snigger, slowly standing up from where she crouched. “What did you put in my drink?” I slurred, trying to keep in touch with consciousness. “Uh…” she began, holding her jaws thoughtfully, “A mixture of Rophenol and Ketamine, or thereabout. My supplier said it’s quick and it’ll hit you hard. How do you feel?” She asked with feigned concern. I didn’t respond. I couldn’t even. I was finding it hard to hold on to the light. I felt like I was falling down an endless dark tunnel. My lids were getting heavy and my limps getting weak. My arms vibrated violently, threatening to give in to the increasing weakness. “What did I ever do to you?” She inquired. I couldn’t make out her expression, but with the way she spoke, she sounded pained. “We were doing pretty well when I returned. You did everything I asked you to. We talked a lot. We did almost everything together. You treated me like I mattered. I knew it would be difficult rekindling what
Anne I was worried. Since the last time I spoke with Vincent, he hasn’t been picking up his call. I’d call just before leaving for my lecture to know how he was fairing, but the phone rang throughout and no one picked up. He couldn’t have changed his mind about work. He’d already called in sick. Was it that bad that he couldn’t get to the phone? I couldn’t concentrate throughout the entire class because of the thought of Vincent. This was why our parents told us that men were distractions to our studies. I couldn’t focus one bit, and I couldn’t wait for the class to finish before I jetted out of the hall. I was going to prepare something for him as I’d promised, but I couldn’t get myself to stop fidgeting. I might probably pour hot oil on myself with the way things were going. I decided to go to his house. If I found out he was alright, I’d cook for him there. On my way to his house, a lot of things went through my mind. Why was he not picking? Vincent would have called back imme
Anne I was going to head up the stairs when I saw someone holding onto the stair's railing for dear life, while the rest of his limb quivered in their bent position. Vincent’s hand on the railing had almost slipped. With the way he was bent over, he would have fallen face flat and would have tumbled down the stairs if I hadn’t gotten to him in time. He fell forward and into my open arms. I had directed my back to the railing of the stairs because I know I couldn’t hold all his weight, without sending both of us down the stairs. He fell on me and went limp with weakness. “It’s not what it looked like, Anne. Believe me, I did nothing. She…she drugged me,” he slurred tiredly. I felt raw pain surge throughout my entirety. Here he was, barely grasping consciousness, but he still felt it needful to explain to me. My eyes stung with angry tears. I wanted to run back down and fulfill my threats. It really hurt. “Hey… hey… sweetie,” I whispered softly. “I believe you. But that’s not impo
Andrew I thought Fiona said she left. Before entering Pamela’s apartment, I had called her to tell her to leave but she didn’t pick up. Later on, I got a text from her telling me she’d left. From the text, she said she’d overheard my fight with Vincent and it made her pack up and leave. She said that it wasn’t her intention to cause a rift and that she would strategize and inform me of her new plan. She didn’t. Spending time with Pamela made me forget all about her. The moment Pamela opened the door, half of the anger and pain I felt when I was driving was washed off by her radiant smile. The rest drifted away when she made me freshen up and have dinner, then we lay on the bed with our feet up on the wall and talked through the night. When sleep was imminent, she’d told me to sing for her. I told her I’d lost my zeal to sing, and my old songs tasted bland. She’d urged me to give it a try and had slipped her fingers into mine, there in the darkness of her room. I sang. I was shocke
Anne I knew he was getting himself the minute he slowed down and finally stopped moving. He went quite for a while. All I could hear was his heavy breathing against my ears, which from the sound of it, you could tell he was trying to control himself. “Anny,” he croaked, slowly releasing his hold on my neck, moving it down to my back, then releasing his hold on my butt, raising it to rest with his other hand. He was now hugging me back. “I’m sorry. I kinda lost it,” he apologized. “You did lose it, hommy,” I replied, trying to lighten the mood and calm my rapid heart at the same time. “You’re scared.” It was more of a statement than a question. “Maybe,” I voiced in a funny tone, trying to make him feel less guilty. “I’m….” “That’s enough sorry for one day,” I interrupted, placing my index finger against his lips. “Stop blaming yourself for everything,” I said, slightly pinching his cheeks. I tried to back away and go back to cooking but a part of me pushed me to ask, “Are you