Violet Warwick doesn't date

Chapter 13

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Caitlyn Kiramman

Caitlyn sits in her car, gripping the steering wheel tightly, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. Cupcake. Did Vi seriously just call her Cupcake? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Where did all that professionalism go? Where was the distant, reserved Vi who had practically ignored her for weeks? And now, suddenly, she was throwing around nicknames like they were friends? Caitlyn presses her lips together, takes a deep breath through her nose, but it does nothing to calm her down. She's mad. Vi has annoyed her countless times before, but this? This feels like a personal attack.

She starts driving, the streets are empty, but her head is crowded with thoughts. Muttering angrily to herself, she replays the conversation over and over again, growing more irritated each time. By the time she pulls into the driveway of her parents' house, her annoyance has reached a boiling point. The empty driveway is a relief, no parents, no questions, no explanations. She doesn't need them asking why she looks like she's ready to commit a crime. Slamming the car door shut, she storms inside, kicks off her shoes without care, and heads straight for her room. The second she lands on her bed, she lets out a frustrated groan, staring at the ceiling.

What the hell is Vi's problem?
So she looked at her arms for a second. So what? It wasn't like she was checking her out. Caitlyn groans again, rolling onto her stomach, burying her face in the pillows. Vi needs to stop thinking she's so damn important. Caitlyn grabs her phone and FaceTimes Mel without hesitation. The call rings a few times before Mel finally answers, wrapped in a robe, lounging on her couch with a glass of wine.

Mel takes one look at Caitlyn's face and raises a brow. "Okay. What happened?"
Caitlyn doesn't hesitate. "Vi happened!" She launches into an irritated rant about what just went down at the construction site, about the stupid Cupcake nickname, about how Vi had the audacity to act so smug about it. The entire time, Mel listens with a knowing smirk. And then, she laughs.

Caitlyn's mouth drops open in betrayal. "Why the hell are you laughing?"
Mel takes a sip of her wine, still grinning. "It's about time something happened between you two."
Caitlyn blinks. "What?"

Mel sighs dramatically. "Caitlyn, for fuck's sake, you desperately need to get laid."
Caitlyn nearly drops her phone. "Are you fucking serious?! I'm sitting here, pissed off, and this is what you're focusing on?!"

Mel laughs again, full and genuine, clearly enjoying this way too much. She leans closer to the screen and tilts her head. "Relax. So she called you Cupcake, big deal. Call her something back. I don't know, Oil Slick? She's always covered in dirt from work. Which, by the way, is lowkey hot."

Caitlyn glares at her. If looks could kill, Mel would be dead twice over.

After hanging up, Caitlyn tosses her phone onto the bed and lets out a deep sigh. Oil Slick. Cupcake. This is so fucking stupid. She just wants peace.

She gets up, heads straight for the wine cellar, and grabs a bottle of sweet Riesling. A glass of wine and some Gossip Girl should do the trick. One glass turns into two. By the third, she's talking to herself. And then, then she does something stupid.

She grabs her phone, opens Instagram, and starts typing.

"You look like an angry Oil Slick during work! I am not your Cupcake! Don't call me that, you angry, angry, hot, angry Oil Slick!"

She doesn't even think. She just hits send.
A few seconds pass. Then, her phone vibrates.

Message from v.warwick: Did you just call me a hot, angry Oil Slick?

Caitlyn's entire world stops. Her stomach drops. She fucking sent that.

Panicking, she immediately calls Jayce. He picks up almost instantly. "Caitlyn?"

Caitlyn is too busy mumbling to herself, staring at her phone like it's betrayed her. Jayce sighs. "Are you drunk?"

"No," Caitlyn says, which immediately comes out as a lie.

Jayce groans. "Stay where you are. I'm coming over."

By the time he arrives, Caitlyn is lying sideways on the couch, groaning into a pillow. Jayce just looks at her and shakes his head. Without a word, he bends down, scoops her up bridal-style, and starts carrying her.
Caitlyn, too drunk to fight back, mumbles, "Why do you have to be gay? You'd be the perfect man."

Jayce laughs. "There's always lavender marriage. Say the word, and I'll propose."

Caitlyn pouts. "Wouldn't be the same. You don't have boobs."

Jayce sets her down in bed, helping her get into something more comfortable before forcing her to drink water. She grumbles the entire time but listens. Once she's settled, Jayce grabs the emergency sleepwear he always keeps at her place, changes quickly, and slides into bed next to her. Just as she's about to drift off, he grins.

"Goodnight, Cupcake."

Caitlyn groans loudly. "I hate you."

Jayce just laughs.