She Could Make Hell Feel Just Like Home

“Goddammit.” Vic muttered, erasing the last few lyrics, leaning back on the couch he was sitting on, pulling the guitar back into his lap and strummed a few notes, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. He heard the door above open and then the stairs creak as someone came down them. He set his guitar aside and looked at Aria as she sat down on the couch across from him, crossing her arms across her chest. Vic averted his eyes, turning it back down to his notebook and guitar, waiting for her to say something.
“My parents called.” She finally said. Vic looked up, startled. He leaned on his guitar, waiting for her to continue. “She wants us to come to Thanksgiving.”
“And this is a bad thing, why?” Vic asked, resting his head on the guitar.
“Well for one thing, they’re not very open. They don’t really like guys with long hair, or musicians or, shit, they don’t really like anyone.” Aria answered. “And they haven’t seen me since my life kind of got ruined. They really liked him.”
“Well maybe we can change their minds.” Vic answered, setting his guitar off to the side and opening his arms. Aria got up and sat down in his lap, nuzzling against his neck. Vic laced his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek. She looked up at him.
“You really want to do this then?” Aria asked.
“Why not?” Vic said with a shrug. “I’ll try not to embarrass you too much.” He laughed, cupping her knee.
“How’s the song going?” Aria asked after a moment. Vic shrugged, sliding his hand up her leg.
“Could be better, I don’t know what to write.” He replied. Aria leaned over to pick up his notebook but he stopped her, sliding his hand in hers. “Not right now, I’m still writing it.” Aria smiled up at him and got off his lap.
“I’ll let you work.” She said with a smile. Vic grabbed her hand, holding her still.
“I got a few minutes.” He replied, pulling her back onto his lap so she was straddling him. He cupped her face and drew her closer, kissing her softly.
“Mmm, maybe later. I have some stuff to do before this weekend. Like finding an outfit that doesn’t make me look fat.” Aria said, kissing him.
“Hardly. If anything you’ve lost weight.” Vic answered, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Right.” Aria snorted, shifting so she was sitting on his lap again. “Honestly, the last thing we need is my parents to know that you knocked me up and we’re not married.” Vic looked away from her, then back with a smile.
“So, they’re gonna hate me, huh.”
“Oh, yeah.” Aria said with a laugh. Vic gave her a swat on the butt.
“Go, do female things. Study or something. I need to write.” He teased. Aria got up, but stood over him, a wicked grin on her face.
“You sure about that?” She asked, slowly unbuttoning her shirt, revealing a black lace bra. Vic leaned his head back with a loud sigh.
“Tease.” He muttered, standing up and scooping her up into his arms and carrying her back upstairs and to the bedroom.
~~Three weeks later
“Vic, we need to go, like now!” Aria yelled from the staircase. Vic paused mid-sentence with an exasperated sigh and threw the pen onto the table before getting up and going upstairs. Aria stood at the top, her arms crossed. She wore a loose black knee length skirt and a loose white long sleeve shirt. He red hair was pulled into a neat up-do and she looked at Vic nervously. “Is that what you’re wearing?” She asked. Vic sighed.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” He asked.
“Nothing in my opinion, but to my parents...” She trailed off then, pursing her lips together in a tight line, something she had been doing a lot since her mother had called.
“Babe, I’ll go change.” He said, kissing her lightly on the cheek before hurrying into the bedroom. Aria followed him in, leaning on the doorframe.
“Let’s just forget it; I don’t even want to go.” She said finally as Vic pulled on a white button down shirt and began buttoning it.
“No, we’ll go and have a good time and get drunk—”
“You can get drunk; I have to stay sober because you put a living thing inside of me.” Aria countered, going over to him and re-buttoning it where he had missed some buttons in his haste.
“Well we’ll both be sober then.” He said with a smile, taking her hand and leading her out the door.
As they pulled onto the highway, Aria bit down on a nail, chewing on it. Vic pulled her hand into his.
“Please don’t mention I’m pregnant.” She finally said. “That’s the last thing I need from them. They already are mad about what happened and the fact that I haven’t been home since then.” She explained, turning to him.
“Did they know we were dating?” Vic asked, turning off onto an exit ramp onto a different highway. Aria shrugged in response again.
“I may have not mentioned that we were living on a bus together, or that you’re a musician.” Aria finally replied.
“So what do they know about me?” Vic questioned, glancing over at her as they stopped at an intersection.
“Your name and that you’re from California.” She said sheepishly. Vic sighed and turned on his blinker and heading down a side street as Aria shifted uncomfortably.
“What?”
“I have to pee.”
“Didn’t you pee when we left?”
“That was over an hour ago.” Aria protested. Vic laughed and pulled into a gas station.
“Go pee.” He told her as Aria swung open her car door and ran into the station.
Moments later she came back out, her face as white as a sheet. She clambered into the passenger side and slammed the door.
“Go. Drive.”
“Are you ok?” Vic asked, noticing how her voice trembled when she spoke.
“Please just drive.” She pleaded. Vic said nothing, but shifted the truck into reverse and left the parking lot.
“Aria.” Vic said, as they pulled back onto the highway. “What happened?”
“My ex. He was there and he saw me and I think he knew who I was.” She said.
“Shit.” Vic muttered, swinging into the left lane and speeding past some slow moving cars. “Are you going to be ok?” Aria nodded in response and pointed to a sign.
“You need to turn there, and then it’s another half hour.” Aria told him, then scooted into the middle seat and rested her head on his shoulder, slipping her arm around his and curling around it.
“Put on your seatbelt.” Vic said quietly. Aria complied and leaned back against him with an audible sigh.
~~
“You ready?” Aria asked, turning to face Vic as she rang the doorbell. Vic shrugged.
“Why the hell not?” He said before the door swung open, revealing a thin older woman with light brown hair. She frowned at the two of them.
“We’re not buying this year, go away.” She said, moving the shut the door.
“Mom, it’s me, Aria. Do I look that different?” She asked, grabbing the door before she could shut it.
“I’m not the one with the unnaturally red hair, now why did you do that.” She told her, but swung the door open, giving Vic a cool look. Aria took Vic’s hand and pulled him inside.
“Mom, this is Vic, my boyfriend.” Aria said when the door shut. “Vic, this is my mom, Tracy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Aria’s told me about you.” Vic said, offering his hand to her. Tracy took it, giving him a dirty look.
“I doubt it. Aria’s a little bit of a black sheep.” She said, dropping her voice to a stage whisper. “Never really fit in here.”
“Where’s dad?” Aria asked, trying her hardest not to start picking at the hangnails on her fingers.
“In the kitchen.” She said, pointing up the stairs. Aria and Vic headed up the stairs.
“Your mom is…pleasant.”
“If by pleasant you mean a complete ice queen, yeah.” She stopped at the top of the stairs. “I have to warn you about my dad he’s a little—”
“IS THAT MY LITTLE GIRL?” A loud voice boomed before a large man came thundering out of the kitchen and grabbed Aria, crushing her into a bear hug.
“Loud.” Aria gasped out her last sentence.
“Look at how grown up you are, with your red hair. Its looks great on you, better than blonde. And this must be you’re new boyfriend, Vic.” He stuck out a hand and offered it to him. “Nice to meet you. The few times I’ve managed to speak to her I’ve heard about you. Her mom scares her off a little bit.” He said sadly, letting go of Aria. He shook Vic’s hand vigorously. “So what do you do?”
“I’m the lead singer in a band.”
“Are you successful?”
“As successful as you can be in the punk world.” Vic answered without hesitation.
“I like this one, not all weasel-like, like that Jason guy.” Her dad winked. “Welcome to the family son.” He then headed back into the kitchen.
“Aria, dear, come say hi to your grandma.” Tracy called from downstairs.
“Do you want to stay up here with my dad? My grandma is, well.” Aria didn’t finish.
“No, I’ll come with you.” Vic said and they both went back downstairs to the living room where an old lady sat on the couch, a grumpy look on her face.
“What did you do to your hair? Are you trying to look like one of those street walkers?” She spat when she saw Aria. “And that skirt is too short and your shirt is too low.”
“Hi Nana.” Aria sighed.
“And who’s this? Your new boyfriend?” She eyed him closely. “Do you sit there and let him boss you around and hit you too?” Vic felt Aria stiffen then before she turned on her heels and stalked away, going down another set of stairs. Her grandma made a coughing noise that sounded a lot like laughter before Vic turned away and followed Aria, only to run into a locked door.
“Aria, open the door.” He said, knocking softly. The knob turned slightly and he pushed it open. Aria was sitting down on a small bed, her face in her hands. Vic sat down next to her. Aria buried her face into his neck and he felt hot tears slide down. “Ssh, none of that.” He murmured, wrapping an arm around her.
“Why is she so mean to me? What have I done to her? Or my mom?” Aria sobbed. “Every time I come home the only lone I get is from my dad, but he can’t stand up to my mom, so I feel so unloved here. That’s why I stayed with Jason, because when he was here, they at least pretended to love me.”
“Do you want to go home? Stop and get some Chinese?” Vic asked her. Aria nodded, sniffling. “And I was going to do this later, but.” Vic slid off the bed and onto one knee in front of her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring. “Aria, will you marry me and be stuck with me forever?” Aria started laughing as more tears came out of her eyes and she covered her mouth as she nodded.
“Yes please.” She said before falling onto her knees in front of him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled away, holding her at arm’s length.
“C’mon, let’s go say goodbye to your dad at least, and then we’ll slip out like we were never here.” Vic told her, pulling her to her feet.