°Sweet Dreams° (1)✔️

21. Liar, Liar, Feet on Fire.

My punctuality was poor due to the amount of time Nova spent stuffing my suitcase with nonsense like bathing suits and makeup. I lost track of the actual clothes that she snuck in there.

Even as she was driving Nova pegged me about when and how to use the makeup. I tuned out the sound of her voice when she started talking about the importance of mascara.

I was going to another country. And Italy at that. Who would have thunk it?

We finally pulled into the circle drive of Vincent's home and Nova leaned over the steering wheel to gaze up at the mansion.

"I've seen bigger." She assessed with a roll of her eyes.

Before I could respond to her chide I saw another car parked ahead of us that was familiar.

What could he be doing here-

"He knows." I whispered before rushing out of the car with Nova doing the same out of curiosity.

I jogged up to the front door and Linda met us there before I could sound my first knock.

"You always seem to arrive at the right time sweetie." Linda widened the door to let us in and she gave Nova one of her warm smiles to which Nova surprisingly returned.

"They're in his study." Linda answered while shooing us up the stairs to the loud male voices.

I skipped steps hoping to get there faster since I could hear Henry's voice begin to rise like a wave in the distance.

Nova trailed behind me as I came up to the door with gold handles and pushed them open.

Henry had Vincent by his collar and I could see Vincent struggle with his darker side by the way his hands gripped the front of his desk. I bet if I looked under it there would be eight crescent moons carved into the mahogany.

With a look to Nova, in lightning time she pulled Henry by the back of his shirt and proceeded to put him in her famous unbreakable chokehold. When he tried to wiggle out of it Nova didn't move.

She may be skinny, but she be mighty.

I stood in front of Vincent and put my hand on his chest in an attempt to hold him back.

His eyes were shut tightly and he kept his head down.

"The amount of testosterone in this room is on a whole 'nother level!" Nova chastised as she continued to hold onto an resilient Henry. I laughed internally when I heard her Chicagoan tongue kick in.

"Amari, how could you be with him? And don't deny it because I know it's true!" Henry accused and paused his struggle in between Nova's elbow and stomach. "He will ruin you because that's what he does to every innocent soul he meets!"

My eyebrows creased and when my eyes met Vincent's again they were their usual green but held no emotion. Much like the first time I met him.

What struck me was the blood trickling down his cracked lip which could've been a result from a punch given by Henry.

Why did my heart squeeze in pain when I saw him hurt? Was it because I didn't do it? Was it because someone else had?

"Why would you think that Vincent and I are together?" I snapped at him for the first time.

"Isn't it obvious? You running to him after a phone call you get when you're at an ice cream shop with friends. You storming out of a room in the nail shop after Vince came in there; which I assume you two were having a fight. You being here now to fly with him to God knows where a whole week before the actual Italy trip that you were supposed to go with me on. You two are undoubtedly fucking!"