Outside The Lines (Interracial Romance) [Part 2]

Chapter 37

Copyright © 2020 Nicole Mckoy

Cecilia P.O.V.

Lance took a sip of his beer as we sat in this back booth in the hotel bar. After seeing Josie and revealing to me that she was the one to give him HIV we came down to the hotel bar to talk.

Lance had some kind of panic attack when he saw her and I had to help calm him down. Now we were just sitting here in silence as he took sips of his beer and didn't really look at me.

I couldn't tell if he felt embarrassed or ashamed.

Maybe he was even angry.

I couldn't tell.

I mean I don't know Lance well so I couldn't read him in this moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked as I looked over at Lance.

Lance picked up his beer bottle and looked at me. He took a sip of his beer then put the bottle back on the table.

"Are you going to talk or just look at me like you're ready to kill someone?" I asked.

"I never thought this moment would actually come. The day I was face to face with the bitch who ruined my life. Excuse my language but your friend is a foul slut," Lance said nastily.

"Josie didn't get HIV by being a slut!" I argued.

As someone who got HIV because of someone else's senseless behavior I had to stick up for my friend.

"Well she sure as hell knew she had the shit when she slept with me!" Lance argued.

"Look she was born with it alright! Her mother had it when she gave birth to her! I'm sorry you got it from her but it takes two! It was just as much your responsibility to use protection that night you were with her as it was hers," I said in defensive of Josie.

"I might be at fault for the lack of protection used that night but that bitch knew she had a disease when she slept with me and didn't say a damn thing! That is a crime you know," Lance said angrily.

"Don't yell at me! I get it trust me!" I argued.

"Like hell you do! How could you possibly understand the way I feel?" Lance snapped at me.

"Because I have HIV too!" I snapped.

I didn't even think as I let the words leave my mouth. I was just so tired of Lance acting like I couldn't possibly understand how he felt.

I know how it feels to have someone give you something incurable. The only difference between us is his sex was consensual where as I was raped when I contracted the disease.

I got up from the table upset.

Maybe coming here was a mistake.

Lance doesn't seem to want to listen to reason or even think someone can relate to him.

I headed towards the exit as quick as possible.

"Cecilia wait!" I heard Lace's voice as I stepped back into the hotel lobby.

"What!" I snapped as I turned around to face him.

"You have HIV too?" he asked quietly.

"Yes I do but you can't seem to think anyone else in this world is suffering but you," I said.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to come off like a jerk. It's just I never thought I'd see Josie again after the night we hooked up. I always remembered her face but never even knew her name," Lance said.