BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER, vinnie hacker

chapter thirty-five

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE,,,
narrative.

    

    

     frances was in her kitchen grabbing a donut when she heard a knock on her door. she knew exactly who it was; that's why she choked on her doughnut.

     she genuinely wasn't ready to see him. but also, she wanted nothing more than to see him.

     she opened the door, and there he was. he stood right there, his eyes glued to hers and an awkward smile on his face. for a second it was quiet, simply staring at each other. things would be so much simpler if they didn't need to break the silence. because it reminded them that nothing was truly simple, they were far from it. things were just too fucking complicated.

     "come in." frances moved, letting him come in then closing the door.

     they say animals have better memory than humans, which explains why peanut immediately wags his tail and jumps at vinnie. his paws on vinnie's thighs as he pets behind his ears.

     "seems like you made an impact on him," frances commented. she almost continued her statement, she almost said he had made an impact on her too. but she refrained from doing so.

     frances walked over to her couch, sitting with a leg propped up. peanut immediately ran over and jumped on the couch, sitting next to her. vinnie joined them, sitting across from her on a different couch.

     "you've been missing," frances said, referring to his media disappearance.

     vinnie shrugs, "it did me good. just some time off." his eyes never leave hers.

     "why are you here, vinnie?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

     "to do the thing you hate most: apologize." he started. "because of jasmine," he added.

      the mention of her name crushed her heart, he could tell by the fading look in her eye for a second.

      "i'm not gonna speak for her. frankly, i don't think she wants me to either. last time we talked, we just kind of fought." he sighed. "but i am sorry. she had no right saying the things she was saying and bringing up that stuff. and i'm sorry you two aren't friends anymore."

      "it's not really your fault, vin." she bites her cheek. "i mean, sure, a lot had to do with you, but it's not your fault. you're not responsible for what your sister does." she says.

      vinnie smiles vaguely. "i know that. but it is my fault. i mean, if i hadn't hooked up with you at that party, most of the things that happened wouldn't have happened." he shakes his head.

     frances shrugs. "think whatever you want to think about it. but some things just happen. maybe something would've still set kendall off and nora would have helped her. maybe you're sister and i would've still fought."

      "it's not really your fault." she repeats. "for some time, i wanted it to be. i was looking for someone to blame and you were right in the middle of things. not because it was your fault, but because all of a sudden everything i did was about you or for you. and it sounds so fucking lame."

      "what does that mean?" he quirked a brow.

      she sighed. "i really can't explain it. i never felt like that for someone. then you started acting like a total dick, even started dating kendall again. and i wanted to prove a point to everyone; that i didn't want you. that it didn't phase me the way you were acting or what you were doing. but i was always thinking about what you'd think of a picture i'd post and stuff like that."

      frances realized that she would never say stuff like this, she'd never admit it to anyone, not even herself. it didn't feel like the person she had become as things with vinnie ensued and kendall began bitching at her again.

     "you know." vinnie started. "the day of your birthday, that i told you how i felt. i was relieved to have told you about it. i was going to the restaurant that night, i wanted to be there with you. but kendall showed up at my house."

     frances furrowed her eyebrows, "what for?"

     "she was hysterically crying. she said that if i loved you she would drag you down and turn everyone against you. said ruining your reputation wouldn't be enough. i told her to leave and she said that she knew so much stuff about you that could bring you down. said she had already started, and that was true, i mean people were starting to flip on you. i should've known she was full of shit, but at that moment, i didn't see through her. she said that nothing would happen if i just stayed away from you and left you behind. but i couldn't do that for long, especially not when she was still dragging you through the shit. i couldn't stay away from you and that's when i had enough of her."

      frances stayed quiet simply looking at him. he furrowed his brows at her, wondering what she was thinking.

      "you should've told me this before," she said.

      "i was going to. but i knew you would've forgiven me for it. and though that's what i wanted, i knew i was to blame too. it wasn't just kendall. it was me. i was unfair to you for no reason. especially during a time when you didn't need that shit. i was an asshole. and you didn't deserve that. so kendall's not the only one to blame. i'm at fault too."

     "vinnie—" she hesitated. "that's okay. i mean— you tried going against kendall and it backfired. i forgive you. however, i'm not sorry for being a dick to you too, you deserved it." she smiled.

      vinnie couldn't help but smile with her, he missed that. "oh, totally. but also, i didn't know you could be so mean. caught me off guard." he joked.

     it had been so long since frances had seen vinnie in a different light. this was the vinnie she had gathered feelings for. the honest, funny, sweet one.

      "but game's on. it's time kendall got her ass handed to her." 

estela's corner
some of you about to be real mad at me for letting fran forgive him😖😖 but it needed to happen, plus it was always gonna go down like that

frances being soft for a chapter because deeply shes tired of fighting and feeling angry 🙁🙁