Second Chances (ON HOLD)

Chapter 14: Idle Threats

Vanessa stood there gawking dumfounded, at the man before her. Saying she was shocked at his nerve to show up at her doorway, right after walking out on her the night before was the biggest understatement of the month. And to ask her out on a date of some sort.

 He needed to realize that those times were gone where she’d been vulnerable enough to let her get hurt whenever he walked in and out of her life as he pleased. The beast –who hardly looked like a beast –had managed to scare the beauty –which wasn’t even a beauty –away.

“Come again?” Vanessa forced out, her eyes disbelieving of the scene unfolding. Mitch flinched. He clearly wasn’t looking for that response, Vanessa assessed wryly. He seemed a bit too discombobulated standing in the position he was in, at the moment. 

“Um. Uh, will you go to the Governor’s Ball with me?” he took a deep measured breath and repeated once again.

“Unbelievable,” Vanessa murmured under her breath and slammed the door shut at his face, only to be dissuaded by his intruding hand. Annoyed, she watched as he flung the door open once again and he took a few steps inside, uninvited, looking as determined as ever. Vanessa folded her arms across her chest casting daggers at him.

“You need to listen to me,” Mitch glared back at her, not faltering one bit under her intense stare.

“No. You need to listen to me, and get the hell out of my home.”

Mitch marched towards her eventually cornering her against the wall and trapping her. 

“There are things that we need to clear out right now Vanessa, and I’m not leaving until and unless you hear me out properly.” 

In these past few months whenever she’d seen him, he had always had looked regretful, sad maybe even a little remorseful. The man she was looking at right now, looked far from him. He looked as stalwart as Achilles, and he looked angry. Very angry. And maybe, just maybe a little hurt. 

“What the hell do you want to clear out after so many years Mitch? There is nothing left in between us to be cleared out. It all ceased to exist almost six years ago when you walked out on me,” Vanessa shouted at him. She didn’t give a damn that she could hear a pair of footsteps hurriedly approaching her. She didn’t pay much regard to the fact that she may have an audience. All she cared about was the man standing in front of her, having the ability to look at her right now without even a little remorse in his eyes. 

“You’re right. We had nothing to be cleared out before. But we do now. And I’m going to make you listen to me even if I have to tie you to the damned post of your bed!” Mitch answered back. None of them backed down from what appeared to be a glaring competition between the two, until a clearing throat made them jolt out of their reverie and jerk their heads simultaneously at its source.

“Is that guy the one you had hot make-up sex with?” Phoebe burst out, breaking the heavy tense silence.

“WHAT!” “–NO” They shouted at the same time.

“Wait… so was it the guy you kissed yesterday at the rest –”

“NO Phoebe. Shut. Up,” Vanessa bit out. She could feel the red creeping up her neck as she felt a very fierce stare drilling a hole in her back making her feel extremely exposed as she remembered the kiss she had shared with Marco and the events that had followed after. Phoebe looked a little sheepish and her cheeks had turned a little pink, as she was a deer caught in a headlight. 

“Oh. Ahem,” she cleared her throat once again rather neurotically, gulped and said. “Okay… er… some work came up at the diner, I’ll… uh leave you two to… whatever it is you were doing…” And with that she practically ran out of Vanessa’s apartment.