I Can, I Will, I Did // Vinnie Hacker

Chapter 17: I Don't Want To Owe You One

"VINNIE STOP! STOP IT!" Sarah shouted as she ran towards Vinnie and Dylan, dropping her bag in shock. She was coming back home from her work when she had passed Vinnie's home to realise the door was ajar and there was a lot of shouting coming from his home. Curious, she decided to go check if everything was okay. Well, it was not because she had to stop two guys fighting like hooligans. Running up to them, she pulled Vinnie off Dylan.

"What is wrong with you both?" Sarah questioned the two guys angrily and made both sit on the couch, far away from each other. "You both are freaking adults! Vinnie, you're older than Dylan yet you both were on each other's throats like small children. Even small children have some sense in them!"

Both guys were a bloody mess, nose smashed and eyes almost shut with swelling. Dylan was grotesque and was more purple than brown. His face bore congealed blood and his clothes were an utter mess. He lay his head on the headrest as he occasionally whimpered. Sarah attended to Dylan first taking out the first aid from Vinnie's room.

"Do not f-f-fucking t-touch me, you s-slut," Dylan slurred as he pushed Sarah's arms away. Vinnie looked over at Dylan giving him a death stare only to be calmed down by Sarah with a little shake of her head.

"Stop acting like a fucking baby here. You're injured and it's not like I am touching you for fun so cooperate with me. At least for once, don't be an asshole," Sarah rebutted. She remained quiet as she cleaned up Dylan's wound on his face. Bringing an ice pack, she asked Dylan to press it against his swollen eyes and jaws. Dylan reeked of alcohol as Sarah tried not to gag from the overwhelming smell. She pitied Dylan, what had become of him. Where was that Dylan that she had met two years ago? He had changed.

She called Tessa as she explained to Tessa the state Dylan was in. Telling Tessa Vinnie's address, she waited for Dylan's girlfriend to come and pick him up. Tessa arrived a short later, running up to Dylan as soon as she saw him. "Baby, what happened?" Tessa cooed. Tessa looked at Vinnie and flinched. Both guys had beaten each other up pretty bad. Sarah advised Tessa on what to do as Tessa helped Dylan up, leaving Vinnie's house. Tessa thanked Sarah as she drove away with Dylan. Two best friends now strangers with memories.

Sarah closed the door as she turned to Vinnie. His eyes fixed on the black screen of the television until Sarah stood in front of me. She kneeled to face him. She had so many questions for him. How did all of this happen? His face was not too bad, just a cut above his eyebrow, the scarlet blood flowing into his eyes. His lips however had split open and his jaws were badly bruised. His arms were wrapped around his guts like he was holding them in. However, his white shirt had been bloodied.

Sarah sighed as she slowly cleaned his wounds. Vinnie winced every time she touched his wounds with the antiseptic cotton. Sarah could see how much pain he was in and softened her touch even more. Every part of his face burned with the antiseptic as Vinnie held onto the side of the couch tightly, knuckles turning white. There was silence between them as Sarah avoided Vinnie's eye contact. Vinnie traced her hand movements on his face with his eyes, occasionally stealing glances at her focused face. Sarah was a doctor and she had seen injuries worse than this but attending to Vinnie's wounds, felt different. Sarah's bottom lip trembled and Vinnie could see the conflict inside her already, her wanting to be strong for him and the raw need to cry welling up. "It's alright," he croaked, "you can cry."

"What happened?" was all Sarah could force out as tears streamed down her eyes. Looking at this state of Vinnie robbing him of his once easy smile was upsetting her.

Vinnie explained what happened as Sarah listened, flinching and frowning as Vinnie went on recounting the incident. "I was not going to throw hands but the second he called you a sl-"

"I have heard worse from him-"

"That does not give him the right to call anyone a slut. I don't care if he doesn't respect himself but he can sure respect others around him," Vinnie cut Sarah off.

"You didn't have to fight him for me. He is dangerous. And the little stunt you pulled before I stopped you could have gotten you to jail," Sarah reasoned. What if she had not arrived on time? What would have happened? She felt shivers down her spine.

"I told you the reason already. He should not be calling girls a slut," Vinnie repeated himself, shrugging his shoulders, unbothered. Sarah glared at Vinnie. This was not a joke.

"Yeah, but what if something happened to you? Why did you put yourself at risk for me? The whole thing had ended on the last phone call to Dylan. You did not have to threaten him. I told you that day to not do anything stupid yet you did and look what happened," Sarah scolded. Sarah was not having it.

"Why does it bother you so much? Take it as I wanted him to know the taste of his own medicine," Vinnie replied bluntly. He rested his head back, closing his eyes.

"I don't want to owe you one," Sarah whispered a little later as she looked away from Vinnie, packing up the plasters sprawled on the floor. She blinked back her tears that were threatening to spill.

"You don't have to. Look at me, he won't bother you anymore. I made sure of it," Vinnie said as he pulled Sarah closer to him, their faces inches away. Sarah looked straight in the eyes, not breaking any eye contact. 

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A/N: HAHAHA I robbed yall of the scene again. Don't worry, soon! Anyways look at me, I managed to update back to back. So, I have already finished writing the ending like the last part but I still have the middle to write. The book should end in two to three chapters. I can't wait for yall to read the ending!! But, let's enjoy the cliffhanger right now. Do you think they kiss or would Sarah again back away? Stay tuned. Stay safe and don't die. Toodles!