Contagious Chemistry (Vic Fuentes) ✔️

Chapter 9: I Walked Into a Wall

it's almost 3 am and I can't sleep so here's an update... enjoy!

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"Thanks, Kellin! You make the best lunches." Kyle beamed happily as he took the paper bag from Kellin's hands, all set and ready for me to bring him to school.

"You hear that, Jaime? I make the best lunches! This pretty ass needs a promotion!" Kellin then yelled back into the kitchen with a smug smile on his face.

Jaime popped his head out and gave Kellin a less than impressed look. "Your pretty ass needs an attitude check." He simply stated before disappearing again.

I snickered softly as Kellin frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, time to go." I then said, letting Kyle give Kellin a goodbye hug before we went off to the bus.

After dropping him off at school, hugging him tight and telling him over and over how much I loved him, I immediately went back to the diner to work. I had decided- after a lot of texts from Vic- that I would meet him after work to talk. . . which for me meant that I would meet him to pick up my things.

Sadly, on my way back to the diner, I ran into my ex- Kyle's father.

"I've been meaning to talk to you." He started in a calm tone as we walked.

He seemed to be in a bearable mood this time, which was a relief. "Okay, sure Johnnie, what's up?"

We had a normal conversation for the most part, though I could tell that there was something else on his mind. We weren't together very long, and basically split up before Kyle was even born, then things went sideways and he was granted custody, but I still knew him well enough to know that something was bothering him.

"You've already transferred this month's money for the kid, right?" Johnnie then asked me.

"Of course." I was never late, not once- even though I knew the money didn't go to Kyle. I knew it went to his stupid new girlfriend instead. But I had to pay it; it was part of the legal agreement.

"Good, so- who was the guy I saw you with the other day?" The tone in his voice had changed. "Are you fucking him?" Severely changed, at that point.

"No, of course not." I spat, all too quickly. It wasn't a complete lie, Vic and I had slept together once, but it wasn't like it was going to happen again anyway. So to me, it was the truth.

Johnnie sighed deeply. "Don't lie to me, Max. You know I hate it when you lie to me."

I shot him an involuntary are-you-kidding-me kind of look, since he had always been the liar out of the two of us. He didn't quite appreciate that look, though. . . and I should have known better.

"Don't you fucking give me that attitude!" He then suddenly snarled as he unexpectedly back-handed me across the face.

I gasped, stopping dead in my tracks as I felt the burning sting build up on the entire left side of my face. That was the downside of the fact that his hands were huge. Which- by the way- honestly says nothing about what's in someone's pants. But that was beside the point.

But this was how he was. He'd get mad over the smallest of things, and then the next day he'd apologize, expecting an instant forgive-and-forget. I never forgave him, but I was willing to let it slide as long as he kept his hands off our son.

- - -

When closing time at the diner finally came around, it was pretty late. But then again, it always was. Our usual closing time was at eight, but if customers were still eating or drinking, we'd let them stay until they were done. It was just one of Jaime's policies. And sometimes it sucked. . . especially when the endless coffee-drinking hipsters came around. They sometimes managed to stay until midnight.

Lucky us though, today wasn't that day.

Kellin locked up the door of the diner behind us and smiled as he faced me. His eyes suddenly grew wide and he gasped, as if he just saw something amazing.

"I totally forgot to tell you!" He then screeched. "I've got a date tonight!"

I smiled, feeling genuinely happy for him. It had been a while since he'd met anyone. "Really? With who?" I then asked, honestly interested. Whoever it was needed my approval, of course.

"Well his name is Gabe. He's so hot, you have no idea- and he's a masseuse. So guess who's getting a massage tonight." Kellin rambled and then sang ever so suggestively, while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Well that sounds great, Kells." I told him sincerely. "Just remember to be safe, alright?"

He snorted, as if what I was saying was completely absurd. "Of course I'll be safe." He said in a serious tone, before finally laughing. "Who am I kidding, I'm gonna come back pregnant."

I rolled my eyes at his silliness before the humorous mood slowly died down.

"You're going to see Vic now, aren't you?" Kellin then cautiously asked me. I simply nodded in reply. "Well, good luck. Kick his ass." He said as he engulfed me into a tight hug.

We then said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Vic lived pretty close to the diner anyway, so it wasn't that long of a walk there- taking the bus would just be a waste of money.

In the distance, I could already see the old fire station building that Vic ever so amazingly had changed into a house. As I slowly walked towards it, I internally started scolding myself for messing this all up myself in the first place. I got too close too soon to Vic, and that part was my own fault.

I arrived at the door and took a deep breath before I pressed on the button of the doorbell and waited.

I waited for probably several minutes, but no one answered. Figures. He was probably out with his fiancée. So instead, I took out the key that I still had and let myself in, going straight upstairs to start packing some of my things.

My first stop was the bathroom, so I could retrieve my shower items and make-up. It actually surprised me that nothing else of the sort was here, only Vic's stuff. Which smelled amazing by the way. Okay no- stop.

"Oh hey, you're already here." The man himself suddenly said, standing right beside me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard his voice, not expecting him at all. "Jesus fuck, you scared me." I breathed, holding my hand to my heart.

Vic just smiled slyly and watched me as I went back to grabbing my things.

"Can we talk now?" He eventually asked, breaking the awkward silence.

I sighed and stopped almost instantly, putting the bag down on the counter. "Yeah alright, if it even has a point." I murmured sourly as I finally faced him and looked right at him.

His brows suddenly furrowed as he looked back at me. He raised his hand and I just stared at him curiously as he brushed his fingertips across my cheek. "Is that a bruise?" He asked incredulously. "What happened?"

I swatted his hand out of my face and shrugged. "I walked into a wall."

Vic looked at me, pure disbelief in his eyes. Duh, of course he didn't believe me, it wasn't a serious answer. But I could tell that he was actually expecting one.

"Look, just stop pretending that you care so much, alright? I deal with my shit; you deal with your shit. We shouldn't even be communicating to be-"

But before I could even finish my train of thoughts and rambles, Vic interrupted me.

"I broke up with her."

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WHALE THEN.