Her side

“Can we please not fight tonight.” My boyfriend Vince begged as I sat across our dining room table from him.

I swallowed hard and lowered my eyes to my plate.

My nerves had been bad for the past hour since he walked into our home two hours late from when he promised me he would be home.

“I just want you to tell me where you were,” I whispered lowly, raising my hand to quickly wipe the tears that were threatening to fall.

“Kayla, come on man. I’m not trying to do this shit with you tonight. I told you I got caught up. Damn, what else do you want me to say!”

“Maybe the truth Vincent! Why the fuck were you two hours late coming home!” I shrieked jumping up from the table and slamming my hands flatly on top of it.

Vince’s eyes darkened.

He pushed himself away from the table and leaned back to stare at me.

My stomach rumbled send a ball of nerves shooting through me.

Vince was undeniably handsome.

My eyes ran over His peanut butter, creamy skin. I focused on his well-groomed, luscious goatee that surrounded his full pink lips. It always made me cream myself when I looked at him. Right now his dark hooded eyes were narrowed while his bushy eyebrows bunched together bored into me, but I didn’t cower away. 

For the past couple of weeks, Vince had been on some other shit and I was getting fed up with it. Every time I tried to bring it up he would get angry and deflect the conversation, starting an argument, that would end with him storming out whatever room we were in. 

The shift in our relationship was killing me because I had sacrificed a lot of Vince and this relationship, more than he could ever imagine. I didn’t want all that to go to waste.

The tension in our dining room continued to grow and without knowing it Vince was slowly killing me on the inside. The last thing I wanted was to give up what we had created. He knew he was all I had and if he was doing some foul shit behind my back that would break me.

“I’m not doing this shit with you, Kayla.” He stood up.

Just like I excepted he was running.

“NO!” I bellowed rushing in front of him. I refused to go another minute being uncomfortable in my own home.

“Move.” He demanded.

“No, Vince, you can’t keep denying that our relationship is changing. You’re changing. I don’t know what’s going on but the two of us can fix it if you’ll just open up to me.” I grabbed the bottom of his shirt, begging him with the last bit of dignity I had within’ me. 

I wasn’t this woman; my mama would snatch me up if she saw me now. Begging for a man, no my man to talk to me. To love me right, but I didn’t care. Vince and I had been through so much that there was no way I could just let it go so easily without use finding some resolution. I loved him to the point it hurt, but still, I held on.

Tears ran down my face. The inside of my chest burned and I could feel my throat growing hoarse. 

“Kayla.” Vince grabbed my wrist and held them firmly. “Let me go.”

“Not until you talk to me.”

“Let me go.” This time his voice was deeper, darker.

“Vince!”

“Damnit, Kayla!” He ripped my hands off his shirt causing me to flinch.

I blinked a few times, not recognizing the man in front of me. The man that I spent the four years with. 

No this wasn’t him.

My Vince would never be this cruel to me, so cold. 

This was a stranger. His eyes were uninviting and the curl of his lip indicated he didn’t want to address whatever was going on. 

I used my sleeve to wipe my nose and attempted to sniff back my tears, not caring about the snot that just coated it. I could feel my heart falling apart by the minute.

“I just want my Vince back.” I croaked out.

For a split second, I thought I saw his face soften but it quickly went back to that deep scold.

Shaking his head Vince stormed past me, not bothering to say anything else.

I swallowed hard and looked around our dining room. The romantic night I had planned for us was ruined before it even started. The candles I had lit were nearly burned out and the food was cold.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I turned and slowly headed to the front of the house so I could get to our bedroom. 

I knew Vince was probably getting ready to leave but I wasn’t letting that fly. I was determined for us to fix whatever the hell was wrong with us.

“So you plan on leaving?” I asked lowly when I got to our room. I stood in the doorway watching Vince change out the jeans and shirt he was currently in, into a sweat outfit.

My eyes gawked over his thick athletic frame. 

“I’m going to go meet Chad and them for drinks. Damn, Kayla! Is that a crime?”

“Why the fuck are you being so mean to me! All I asked was if you planned on leaving. I planned a romantic night for us, that you fucked up! Then you start a fight, which by the way you’ve been doing a lot lately, now you’re leaving me here alone, while you go do whatever the hell you do when you leave here!”

Vince pulled his sweats up then paused. He turned and looked at me, giving me a once over. His tongue swiped over his bottom lip.

“What does that mean Kayla? I just fucking told you where I was going!”

“And I don’t believe you! Just keep it real with me Vincent are you cheating on me!”

The words felt like venom shooting out of my mouth, but I had to ask. The words had been on the tip of my tongue for a while now, but I was afraid to ask. Afraid that I would get the answer I wasn’t prepared for. 

Vincent released a heavy breath. “Here goes the dumb shit again man.” He shook his head and reached into our closet, pulling out the hoodie that matched the sweatpants.
My heart started pounding in my chest.

He didn’t answer.

Vincent snatched his keys off the dress along with his phone then started towards me.

I stood in front of him with tears running down my face, my legs spread apart and my arms crossed. My body was shaking and I could feel a slight throbbing in my temples.

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“And I’m not answering that stupid shit either!”

“How is it stupid Vincent! All the damn signs are there!”

He chuckled. “So tell me them, Kayla.”

My eyes narrowed because I knew he was mocking me now, but I played into it because I wanted him to feel what I was saying.

“You're distant, you’re barely home when you are here you keep your distance from me until it’s time to sleep. We fight all the time now, we don’t talk. Not to mention we haven’t had sex in almost a month, Vince! We used to fuck at least twice a damn day!”

Now my breathing was heavy. 

My chest rose and fell quickly.

“I get it now.” Before I could question what he was talking about Vincent rushed towards me, picking me up bridal style.

“Vince what the-.” My rant was silenced by his mouth on mine.

He feverous kissed me, shoving his tongue in my mouth.

I felt him lowering me on the bed and he hovered on top of me.

“You just been wanted to fuck huh? That’s why you been acting so crazy huh? You’re sexually frustrated.” Vincent went to undo my jeans but I stopped him.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!” I yelled pushing him away from me.

“I’m sitting here crying for you to talk to me and fix us and you think it’s because I want to fuck! I don’t give a damn about your dick Vincent! I want my boyfriend back! The man that moved me miles away from where I was comfortable and happy at, after promising I wouldn’t regret this and he had me! The man who couldn’t go through the day without calling or texting me to make sure I was good if a couple of hours went by and he hadn’t heard from me. The man who gave a fuck about me and how I was feeling.

Where is that man? Because it’s not you! You haven’t paid me any attention in weeks, you haven’t noticed obvious shit when it comes to me. It’s like you forgot you have a whole girlfriend!”

By now I was full-blown ugly crying. My throat was growing raw and my body was shaking more than before. I could feel my pulse racing and my stomach-turning. 

I hated this feeling.

Vincent stood there not saying anything right away.

He licked his lips and ran his hand down his face.

For the first time tonight, I saw a remorseful look plastered on his face.

“Kayla I-.” He stopped talking and looked up at the ceiling.

I sniffed back some of my tears and sat with my feet tucked under me. Whatever was going on with Vince had to be big. Right now he looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Here I was hurting but staring at my man looking so broken, broke me more.

Sitting up and crawled to the edge of our bed so I was almost eye to eye with him. I reached up and cuffed his cheek.

“Tell what’s wrong baby so we can work this out,” I whispered. My hand ran over his facial hair, feeling his small breaths.

He tucked his bottom lip between his teeth and glanced down at me.
My chest grew tight.

Tears?

Why did he have tears in his eyes?”

“I can’t do this shit.” He mumbled pushing my hand away from his face causing my heart to drop.

“Vincent!” I yelled after him but he never turned back around.

I fell back on the bed feeling defeated.

My shoulders sunk and my head lowered. My body was numb knowing that my relationship was possibly over and I was the only one who seemed to give a fuck about it.
I raised my hand to my head and screamed before releasing a heavy sob.

This couldn’t be life right now.