Holding Someone's Hair Back

The sadness I saw on Vic's face told me that his meeting didn't go as good as he hoped it might've been. His eyes looked red and swollen from crying. I closed the door as he walked past me and I turned around to find him standing infront of me.

"Do you want to...talk, about it?" I asked. He shook his head and just continued to stand there, looking at me with sad eyes. I sighed, took his hand in mine, and pulled him into a hug. "You have to give him time Victor."

He didn't reply. I sighed once again and held his face in front of me. I smiled, symbolizing that everything would be okay in the time to come. He grinned and pulled me into him, his arms wrapping themselves around my waste once again. I took a deep breath and the body wash that I had missed on him so much filled my nostrils. The smell of his shampoo made me smile even more. I kissed his cheek and I felt his arms tighten around my waist.

"I love you Cadence." he whispered into my ear.

"I love you to Victor." I replied. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Yeah."

-<<FF>> Cadence-

I woke to the light of the setting sun in my face and groaned. My eyes fluttered open and I began to wonder about the length of time that I had taken to sleep. I yawned and stretched my arms above my head. I let them fall beside me and sat on the bed, trying to listen for any noises through the silence of our bedroom.

Downstairs, I could hear what sounded like a guitar being strummed. I got of bed and opened the door. The strumming was louder. I crept down the stairs, not wanting to disturb Vic while he sat in the recliner and played a song. I made sure that he wasn't able to see me as I took a seat on the steps and pulled my jacket around me even more.

My eyes glanced over his hands. I looked at his fingers and how unsure and cautious they seemed as he strummed one note after the other. I looked at his arms and how they hugged the guitar so lightly. Then my eyes went from watching the light breathing of his chest, to the intense amount of concentration and care he had on his face. I didn't think much of it while I watched him play. This another wish on my long list of longings. It's been so long since I've seen him play. I closed my eyes. That guitar hasn't made a sound for a couple of years too many. It was always kept away in the corner of the closet since I went through trying to get it back.

God, I remember that day. I had come home from work to find that the house was quiet. Mike would usually stay with Vic while I was gone, but he stopped coming around after the both of them started fighting. And still never, even after that, did I come home to a quiet house. I'd always come through the door to the sound of him strumming his guitar, the only moment I had to spend with him being sober other than when he'd wake up in the mornings. But on that day, the house, it felt so still and uneasy.

I sat my purse down on the end table and placed my keys next to them. I looked out into the living room and found that Vic's usual seating place. So I moved up the first flight of stairs and peeked around the corner of the den, then into the kitchen, and made my way up the second flight of stairs with nothing.

"Vic? I called. "Vic? You home."

"Cadence?"

I went into our bedroom and found Vic huddled in the corner next to our bed. Mike was leaning next to the door. His hands were in the pockets of his jeans. He didn't say anything when I walked in and leaned down in front of Vic.

"Vic? Baby what's wrong?" I asked. He didn't answer. He just kept his face down. I grabbed his chin and held his face in front of me. His eyes were huge and he looked terrified. Paranoid even.

Mike had explained to me everything that happened. I had a very difficult time trying to find the shop he sold it to. But wit all my efforts, I found it and brought back. He hadn't even touched the thing afterwards until now. It's good to see and hear that guitar being played once again. It sounds even better with him sober.

"Cadence?" I heard him say.

"Hi." I said lifting myself off the steps.

"What were you doing?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I was listening to you play."

He nodded and smiled. I watched set his guitar to the side and it made me frown a little. I wanted him to keep playing. As I started to protest against him setting his guitar down, the phone began to ring and Vic reached over to answer it, then suddenly, he drew his hand away from it.

"It's probably for you." he announced with a hint of sadness and disappointment in his voice and walked off into the kitchen.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hey it's Mike."

Oh goody. My favorite fucking person in the world. I still hated him for everything in the past. I wouldn't out it past him to still hate me too.

"Yes?" I asked not replying with a 'hi' or a 'hey' like I would with anyone else. I heard him sigh into the phone and I could picture him running his hands through his hair like he always did after sighing.

"Did Vic tell you about everything?" he asked.

"Nope, and he didn't have to." I replied.

"What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "You hurt him Michael."

"What the fuck did you want me to do? Just smile and tell him that everything was going to be fine? Did you just all of a sudden forget about everything he's done?"

"No."

"Then what the fuck!" he yelled.

"Couldn't you have just tried to talk to him?"

"I did. He just kept telling me that he wouldn't fuck up this time. Do you expect me to listen and believe that shit?"

I sighed into the phone and shook my head as if he can see me. He had a point in his argument and I hate it. Don't get me wrong. I trust Vic, but a lot of it has gone away throughout the situation, and at times, I find myself questioning the truth in his words. But I wasn't going to let myself give up and not help fix things between him and Mike.

"No I don't. But he really is trying this time."

"Really?" he replied. "How long has it been only a few weeks? It didn't take him that long to fuck up again."

"Will you just stop it?"

"No!"

"Just stop!" I yelled. "Is this all you called for?! To fucking argue with me?!"

I was well aware that Vic was looking at me and making his way over to the living room.

"Cadence who is it?" he asked standing in front of me.

"It's your fucking brother." I answered and handed him the phone. "He's pissing me off."

As if that needed to be said.

-Vic-

"Mike. This needs to stop." I said into the phone. There was silence on the other end and I chose not ask if he was still there or to repeat myself. I knew that he was still there and that he heard me loud and clear. "No one is in any position to have to argue constantly."

"Oh and you have all the room in the world to even speak." he retorted. I sighed and shook my head. Why does he have to be so difficult and stubborn all the time?

"You can't keep fighting with her like that," I said, ignoring his last statement. "She doesn't deserve it."

"There are much worse things that she didn't deserve than just arguing with-"

"Yeah Mike, I know that. But she doesn't deserve any of the animosity you have because of what I did. If you want to be mad at someone then be mad at me. Not her."

It was the truth. As much as it hurt me to basically ask my brother to hate me instead of Cadence, it was the truth. She hasn't done anything but try and put up with me, and help anyone who wanted to help as much as she could. She doesn't deserve to be yelled at or berated by anyone for what she's done. If anything, they should treat her like a fucking goddess.

"Fine." he finally answered. I sighed with relief. Hopefully he means that he'll stop. Otherwise I won't be the only one to call a liar.