why i need you

chapter 6

Vincent

I watched as the boys, Bro, and Sammie take their turns giving their private pleas. Lily had asked me earlier if I would go in with her. I wanted to go last so I had my time to talk to her and hopefully stay the night with her. Rocco and Lane were with Scottie right now. They told me they would take the kids to the hotel after Lily was done. During a time like this leave it up to Lily to be able to put a smile on the boys faces. She is so much like her mother. She can brighten a room the minute she walks in. I always tell Scottie how scared I will be when she turns sixteen. Right now at ten she still hasn't developed a attitude and loves to hold my hand in public, I'm still considered "cool" in her eyes. If she looks anything like Scottie when she is sixteen I'm going to be in big trouble. Unfortunately for me I feel that she is going to be exactly like her mother. Thank goodness for the boys they can help with keeping the boys far away as possible.

I was watching my children support each other so intently that I didn't notice someone come and sit next to me. I look down at the arm curl around me and lace their fingers with mine. Her chin rest on my shoulder. This was Sammie and I. This is the way we were, I was a big brother to her. Sammie will always be 'lil sis' to me.

"I still want to punch you in your face for hurting my sister and the kids. I want to beat your damn head into the fucking wall to make you see what kind of person Veronica really is. I don't understand how you can be so fucking stupid. As much as I feel all this hate towards you I can never really truly hate you. You have been there for me all my life. Most of all thank you for being here. I didn't know what to expect but I am so grateful to have you here with us."

" I'm not sure what to say to that but I love you Sammie. I love you like the sister I never had. I made some fucked up choices but things are going to change. I love her I always have and always will. I love her like I did the first day I saw her. I let her down and I let our children down. I'm so sorry that I let you down." We sit in silence. Once again she curls her body as close as she can again to my side. I would do anything for Sammie. I press my lips on the top of her head and ask her to tell me what happened when Veronica stopped by the house.

" I don't know all the details. Scottie came to us one day and said she felt like there was something wrong with you. She would ask you but you would just deny anything was wrong. So one day she brought it up during lunch and Veronica suggested that she have a chat with you. You know how I feel about her. Trouble. Scottie said after that everything went downhill. She said next thing she knew Veronica is at the house talking about your guys affair. Scottie called her over to ask if she could spend the weekend with the kids, she wanted to take you away for the weekend. She wanted to tell you that she was sick. Jaxson said he saw Veronica come in and she looked giddy. She was sitting at the breakfast bar almost bouncing out of his seat with happiness. Scottie asked what she was so happy about. Veronica went on this huge things about how she was finally happy, she was in love, and that he finally agreed to leave his wife and marry her. You know how Scottie feels about that shit. She told Veronica it was wrong to break up a family. Veronica didn't like that, I guess she flipped out and told Scottie that you were leaving her. You guys planned on getting married the second your divorce was final. That's all I know. She did even tell me what happened with you. I come back from school for the summer and you are prancing around with Veronica and her acting ok with it like it was normal."

Sammie and I sat there for what felt like hours. Lily had fallen asleep in one of the chairs. I decided to let her rest and wait for her to wake up before I took her in to see Scottie. I look down to see that Sammie also had fallen asleep against me and started to drool down my sleeve. Sometimes I can't figure out how she managed to keep a boyfriend.

I can't help but think about Veronica. She has always been flirty with me but I feel like she is like that with every guy. I remember the day she came into my office to talk to me.

She walking in swinging her hips walking towards me. Scottie asked me to hire as a secretary since she couldn't find work that she would be happy with. I remember thinking that hiring her would end badly and sure enough it did.

The work day was just about to come to an end. It wasn't unusual for her to come in and checkout with me before she left. As she walked towards my desk I had a feeling that she was coming in for a different reason. She perched herself on the edge of my desk next to her.

"Vinny....?"Her voice was soft and low. I know she uses this tone at the bar plenty of times when trying to get men to buy her drinks. Now I knew to keep my guard up. I turn to look at her, her knee length skirt had made it up to her thigh. She had toes off her borderline heels and was swinging her legs."We need to talk. It's the end of the day, let me garb you a drink because you are going to need it."

"Fine. Grab me some whisky and tell me what you need. I have to get home early tonight." I waved my hand in the direction of my mini bar in the office. I turned my attention back to my work. I was building a bigger house for Scottie and I. She has mentioned that she wanted to foster more kids but afraid our house was too small. Handing me my drink, I turned my chair around to see Veronica sitting on my windowsill. "Out with it. I wasn't joking when I told you that I needed to be home early."

"Scottie is going to leave you." I started to choke. I look at Veronica to find a hint of joking but I come up empty. I straighten myself up when she started to make my way towards me. She started to finger my tie, she slowly tugged on it. I bent down so her lips were close to my ear. "She is going to leave you. She doesn't love you. I love you. I have always loved you. I can make you happy. I'll be here when you start to trace all the dots. think about all her 'business trips' that she took. She is hiding stuff from you" She kissed my jaw. Her hands reached up to my cheek with one last look she walked away.

I'm still not really sure how things ended up the way they did. Somehow I ended up moving in with Veronica and my family hated me. I don't know what was worst, the fact that it took Scottie to be on her death bed for me to realize that I needed my family, or during the whole time I was with Veronica, Scottie supported me and did what she could to keep the kids from hating me. Who does that? Only Scottie. I need to make things right. I will make things right.