At Peace

“Not goin’ anywhere.”


“But if you’re selling –”

“I’m staying here.”

“Yes, but, then your house will be sold and fall is coming, winter’s after that. Are you going to Florida?”

Joe put a hand to the counter and leaned slightly toward me. “Vi, stick with me, yeah? I’m staying here.”

He was getting impatient but then again so was I.

Not to mention I wasn’t all that thrilled with him being patronizing.

“Yes, I know that, Joe. But what about after? You said you spent the winter in Florida. Is that where you’re heading?”

“No, I’m staying here.”

“For how long?” I asked.

“Jesus. For long enough to pay the fucking mortgage and utilities,” he answered, losing patience. “How long’s that say to you I’m stayin’?”

I stared at him, uncomprehending then I comprehended and my mouth dropped open.

Joe noticed and said with mild but undeniable sarcasm, “That’s it, baby, I see it’s penetrated.”

I was moving from impatient to angry, as well as still confused with just a hint of afraid, a volatile combination.

“You’re moving in?”

I watched as his eyebrows snapped together before he said, “I’m already in.”

“Yes, for two months,” I returned.

“No, for good,” he shot back.

I shook my head, stunned at this news and said, “I didn’t agree to that.”

“I didn’t exactly give you a choice, seein’ as you were playin’ games, fuckin’ another guy and I needed to stake my claim. I did, I’m here, I’m stayin’.”

The confused and afraid slid away, the angry snapped right into place.

“What did you just say?” I whispered.

“You heard me.”

“I wasn’t fucking Mike,” I snapped.

“Right,” he replied, the sarcasm less mild this time.

“I wasn’t!” My voice was rising.

Joe’s voice didn’t rise, it got lower which was even scarier. “He was caught on your hook. I’ve had a fair taste of you, Vi, man only gets that caught if he’s had a taste.”

I could not believe him.

I planted my hands on my hips and retorted, “Yes, Joe, he had a taste. That’s all he had.”

Joe’s face went full-on scary when he returned, “I’ll say it once, buddy, not a good idea to tell me about that shit.”

“We were over!”

“We’ve never been over, we started when you begged me to fuck you and we’ve never been fucking over.”

“You broke it off with me twice!” Yes, my voice was definitely rising.

“Not twice, it was you who tried to end it the second time.”

“I did end it.”

“Not even close.”

“We were over!” I repeated.

“We weren’t fuckin’ over.”

“We were!”

“Vi, since we started I been home twice when you weren’t in my fuckin’ bed. How the fuck is that over?”

I didn’t know if this was true, though I reckoned it was, but it didn’t matter. We were still over. However I knew I’d never convince Joe of that.

Therefore, I snapped, “It’s ridiculous to fight about this.”

“You’re absolutely right,” he bit out, making it sound like I was the one being ridiculous.

Not liking that one bit, I therefore declared, “You’re not movin’ in for good.”

His face went from scary to sinister, he took two steps toward me, his legs being long meaning this brought him into my space and he looked down at me.

“I’m in,” he clipped.

“You can’t be. This is too fast. The girls –”

“Yeah, the girls. Better for them I move in then move out for no fuckin’ reason then move fuckin’ in again?”

It pissed me off but he had a point so I changed strategies.

“We haven’t even been on a date!” I cried.

He stared at me like he didn’t know who I was then he muttered irately, “Jesus Christ.”

“Joe –” I started but his hand came up, it did this fast, he hooked me at the back of my neck and pulled me in and up. I fell into his body, my hands going to his chest, he bent at the waist and neck and his face was an inch from mine.

“As fuckin’ ridiculous and clueless as you’re bein’ right now, when you aren’t bein’ that, this is us, this is good, this is where we are and this is where we’re stayin’. I’m not dickin’ around with you anymore. I told you, I’m movin’ in and I’m sellin’ my house. Sellin’ my house means I’d have no house which means I’m moving in.” Then he finished, now sounding not only angry but also frustrated at my stupidity. “Christ, Vi, what did you think?”

I didn’t back down even knowing he was losing more of his temper, he was bigger than me, stronger than me and scarier than me. “Obviously, I thought you were staying until your house got renovated.”

“Yeah, to get sold. Then what?”

“I didn’t think about that!”

“No, you didn’t, but that didn’t mean I didn’t fuckin’ tell you.”

“You didn’t spell it out either!” I snapped.

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