his roommates sat on the couch waiting for the podcast to air. it usually took less time than this. but they saw nothing.
"maybe theyre still recording?" said reggie opening a beer. "the fans were begging for y/n for months. it's probably a big episode."
the front door opened really quietly snd they turned around to see y/n with a tear stained face and her hand on her face. vinnie right behind her, acknowledged none of them.
"baby, get water, please—breathe." he said grabbing her hand and she flinched it back to herself.
"i-i need my car keys."
"youre not driving. breathe." said vinnie and jack handed y/n a bottle of water. her hands were so shaky, vinnie didnt realize it until she was holding something.
she started making her way up the stairs to vinnie's room. vinnie had never seen her like this—she would scream and bitch, even sometimes curse him out, threw something at him once or twice. but she couldn't stop crying.
"y/n, can you please just breathe? i need you to breathe before you go anywhere." he said to her.
"please just let me get my keys." she sobbed out.
"come." he said once they were on the second floor for her to go into his arms.
everything in her wanted to be gone from that house, but she couldn't help but to go into his arms. she knew it was wrong, but she needed him.
"what happened?" asked reggie from downstairs.
vinnie looked at him with an unsure face. all y/n had done of the way over was cry. for a second vinnie thought she was high and having a bad trip, or maybe someone died. he just assumed she wasnt angry because...she wouldve made it known.
"whats wrong baby? do you want to lay down?" he asked her and kissed her forehead.
"vinnie i need you to leave me alone." she said crying into his chest.
"huh?" he said. his roommates weren't trying to be nosy, they were concerned—they all loved y/n. especially reggie. she put up with vinnie in high and lows. the whole hacker family adored y/n beyond limits.
"you had sex with tara." she said to him. "i dont care that you had sex with her—we weren't together. yea i wouldve been maybe annoyed but its normal. but you lied to me. again. you started this off again with a lie. you dont fucking respect me. you never have. you love me enough for what? to fuck? to hold me all day and bring me flowers and send my mom flowers too—but honesty is where you decide that i deserve shit? or just some respect. really? is that what i mean to you?"
"no, i promise you, its not."
"i dont believe you." she cried out. "i dont believe shit from you anymore. and i dont believe that i cant even forgive you, you've done enough to me vinnie. im sorry. i love you, but i cant keep doing this." she said crying. "can you please just let me get my keys and go home?"
"no,please, i can explain everything and it will never happen again—lets just sit down."
"vinnie, we are done. there is nothing you can do." she said going into his room.
it all happened quickly, for him it was like time froze. and she was gone. he didnt even know how long he was standing next to the railing.
"are you good?" asked jack seeing vinnie leaning on the railing.
reggie wasnt going to ask, he just made his way up the stairs and gave vinnie a hug, where he saw his older brother cry for the first time.
***
"hey buddy." said jett when vinnie finally came to the basement.
"you guys can stop talking to me like im a 5 year old who pissed his pants. im fine." he said opening a beer.
"have you talked y/n?"
"pretty sure she blocked me."
"damn...really?" said jordan.
"she definitely did on social media, my texts deliver though. but calls dont go through at all." shrugged vinnie.
"shit—jenny is calling." said reggie. jenny, y/n, and reese were inseparable. they were actually 3 peas in a pod. "jen-ten whats up?" asked reggie putting her on speaker.
"is y/n with vinnie?"
reggie looked over to vinnie. "no? they broke up like a week ago."
"yea...so she isnt with vinnie right now?"
"jenny." said vinnie grabbing reggies phone. "why are you asking? where is she?"
"im asking if shes with you because she was talking about you earlier today. saying she missed you and what not."
"she actually hates me right now."
"she really doesnt. she just said she feels like she's disrespecting herself getting back with you. but she misses you a lot vinnie."
"any advice?"
***
"are you okay? its kind of late." said tara opening the door for vinnie.
"yea, i needed to give you something." he said with an envelope in his hands. "and talk to you too—no, tara. dont." he said with her putting her hand on his chest, obviously to initiate something.
"okay. fiesty." she chuckled. "then whyd you come?"
"this is 75k in this envelope. it is all the money i have made in the last 3 months with the podcast. and im done. so that you guys can have 25k each—and its already divided. so you dont do anything sneaky."
"you signed a contract vinnie...75k in 3 months, you do understand since you joined we are all doing so great—youre making 300,000 a year only off the podcast."
"the contract said if i left i would face a penalty. i know that penalty isnt over 75k, but take it. because im done. tara, you did the right thing but your heart wasnt in the right place.you did it because you thought somehow y/n would leave me, and guess what? she did. and im realizing i need to be far away from you and what you've brought into my life." he said to her. "bye sugar." he said to her dog on his way out.
