The Same Last Name
Disclaimer: This is an original piece based on a book of the same title by
Kathleen Gilles Seidel. No copyright infringement is meant and all rights for
Beauty and the Beast characters belong to CBS and the CW Network.
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE, ETC. IF YOU ARE
UNDER 18, SCRAM!!! IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE YOU!
#------
Chapter 14
Catherine stayed in her apartment for the next few days, her misery too much
to bear. She called the manager and told him she was having personal issues and
so she wouldn't be working for a few days. He was very understanding, telling
her to take as much time as she needed. He also said if the other staffers
asked, that Catherine had a stomach bug.
Heather knocked at her door several times a day, asking if she needed
anything. Catherine always told her she was fine and she just needed to be left
alone.
Tess, Joe, Evan and JT also knocked a few times, having heard she was sick
and wanting to be sure she was okay. Catherine ignored them, feeling bad about
it but knowing it was for the best. They were, after all, Vincent's friends.
After a couple days, they stopped knocking at the door.
Vincent himself had called and texted her numerous times, leaving messages
that she ignored, and texts that she erased without reading. He had also shown
up to her room, knocking repeatedly. Catherine sat in silence, the shades drawn
and the door locked. She hadn't changed her clothes or bathed since that fateful
day. She ate only enough to stay alive and only got out of bed to eat or use the
bathroom. Beyond that, she was listless and defeated.
#-------
After 5 days of this, Vincent had enough. He knew she wasn't sick. He knew
something had happened. He went to her apartment, and pounded on the door.
"Catherine, open up! I know something is going on with you. Open this damn
door before I break it down!" he shouted.
After a minute, he heard the lock click and the door swung open. Vincent was
unprepared for what greeted him, though. Catherine's hollow eyes stared at him.
She was unbathed and her clothes were wrinkled and unkempt, as if she hadn't
removed them for several days.
"Catherine, oh my god..." he said, walking past her into her apartment. It
was a mess. Dirty dishes were piled in and around the sink. The place was
starting to smell. He chanced a glance in her bedroom. The sheets were twisted
and knotted.
Turning to face her, he saw she hadn't moved from the door. Gently, he guided
her away from it and shut the door. He threw the lock. Catherine made no sound
as he guided her to the couch.
Taking her hand, he put his other hand under her chin, forcing her head up to
meet his eyes. She stared at him, her face a mask of defeat.
"Catherine....what happened?" he asked gently.
She continued to stare at him as if he hadn't spoken. He almost thought she
was in a state of shock. She was almost catatonic. "Catherine...?" he tried
again.
Finally, she blinked and seemed to realize that he was there. "Catherine.."he
breathed out.
Before he knew what was happening, Catherine was screaming in his face, and
pounding on his chest and legs. "You bastard! You arrogant, lying son of
a bitch! I hate you!!" she screeched.
Vincent grabbed her flying hands, trying to figure out just what the hell was
happening. Obviously, this had something to do with him, but why was she calling
him a liar?
"Catherine, stop! You're gonna hurt yourself! STOP!" he shouted.
Catherine deflated like a balloon. She panted quietly, eyeing Vincent as if
she were a wounded tiger. He stared at her.
"Catherine, what the hell was that?" he asked her.
"Get the hell out!" she cried. He shook his head.
"Na-uh! Not till you talk to me. What is going on? You dropped off the face
of the Earth for 5 days! No one has talked to you or even seen you. You have
bags under your eyes and you look like death warmed over. Talk to me!" he
beseeched.
"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?" Catherine shot back.
"I am asking her!"
Catherine snorted, and said, "Nice try, asshole. But, I'm not falling for
your lies anymore."
He pushed his hands into his hair. "What have I lied about?" he asked, at a
loss.
"You've lied about everything."
"Care to elaborate..."
Catherine held up her hand and started ticking things off her fingers. "You
lied about why you married me. You lied about our whole relationship. You've
lied about Alex. You've lied about EVERYTHING!!!!"
"Woah, first off, what the hell are you talking about? I haven't lied about
anything. I told you the truth."
"Oh, really. You told me the truth when your father threatened to disown you
if you didn't marry me? You told me the truth when I was home alone every day
and you were with Alex, instead of at work? You told me the truth when you said
I meant more to you than just sex? You arrogant bastard!"
"I...what? Who the hell has been feeding you this pack of lies? Yes, my
father threatened me, and yes, you mean more to me than just sex. But the part
about Alex, that is a flat out lie. I haven't been with her in years. I told you
that!"
"You told me alot of things. So, you were seeing Alex the whole time we were
together? Hell, you probably still are. Go to hell and take that bitch with
you!" Catherine spit out.
Slowly, things clicked in Vincent's brain. Alex....Alex had said something to
Catherine. And if he knew the vindictive bitch the way he knew he did, she had
spouted a pack of lies.
"Catherine, Alex lied to you. I don't know what she said, but it was all
lies. I was never unfaithful to you. Hell, after the divorce, I still wasn't. I
told you that. I didn't want her. I never did. Our parents set their hearts on
us marrying from the time we were in diapers. And, yeah, we did date as
teenagers, but I ended things with her because I couldn't see myself spending
the rest of my life with her."
"Whatever," Catherine scoffed. Vincent grabbed her face, forcing her to look
at him.
"It's the truth," he said softly. "I couldn't with her, but when I met you
that changed."
"How the hell would it change? You sure as hell didn't love me."
"Maybe I did. Maybe I was too blind or stupid or whatever to see it. All I
know is that when you left, I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. I
couldn't work. I couldn't function. I couldn't....live."
"Yeah, well......doesn't change anything. You're leaving next week. You'll go
back to your life, and I'll continue on with mine. The sex was great, but it's
over. Just get out Vincent," Catherine said, her voice quivering from unshed
tears.
"Catherine, I told you before. This isn't just about sex for me. I care about
you. I l-" he started, but she cut him off.
"Don't tell me you love me, because I know that's a lie."
"It's the truth. I do!"
"Then the joke is on you this time, cause I don't love you. Now, get out,"
she said, her voice hard as granite.
Vincent sighed deeply, knowing he had lost her....again. All because of that
self serving bitch. He looked at Catherine, wondering if it would be for the
last time. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her toward him,
capturing her mouth with his. She protested, pushing against his chest. But, he
held firm. After several seconds, he pulled back, fully expecting her to slap
him. Instead, she stared at him, a glazed expression on her face.
Standing up, he walked to the door. Throwing the lock, he pulled the door
open and started to step through. Pausing , he turned to face her again.
"Catherine, I do love you. I think I always have. I'm sorry about everything.
Good-bye," he said, before walking through the doorway.
Closing the door, he listened. A keening wail came from inside, followed by a
loud thump. Vincent fought the urge to go back inside and take her in his arms.
His fist clenched at his side.
He had a visit to make......
#---------------
Disclaimer: This is an original piece based on a book of the same title by
Kathleen Gilles Seidel. No copyright infringement is meant and all rights for
Beauty and the Beast characters belong to CBS and the CW Network.
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE, ETC. IF YOU ARE
UNDER 18, SCRAM!!! IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE YOU!
#------
Chapter 14
Catherine stayed in her apartment for the next few days, her misery too much
to bear. She called the manager and told him she was having personal issues and
so she wouldn't be working for a few days. He was very understanding, telling
her to take as much time as she needed. He also said if the other staffers
asked, that Catherine had a stomach bug.
Heather knocked at her door several times a day, asking if she needed
anything. Catherine always told her she was fine and she just needed to be left
alone.
Tess, Joe, Evan and JT also knocked a few times, having heard she was sick
and wanting to be sure she was okay. Catherine ignored them, feeling bad about
it but knowing it was for the best. They were, after all, Vincent's friends.
After a couple days, they stopped knocking at the door.
Vincent himself had called and texted her numerous times, leaving messages
that she ignored, and texts that she erased without reading. He had also shown
up to her room, knocking repeatedly. Catherine sat in silence, the shades drawn
and the door locked. She hadn't changed her clothes or bathed since that fateful
day. She ate only enough to stay alive and only got out of bed to eat or use the
bathroom. Beyond that, she was listless and defeated.
#-------
After 5 days of this, Vincent had enough. He knew she wasn't sick. He knew
something had happened. He went to her apartment, and pounded on the door.
"Catherine, open up! I know something is going on with you. Open this damn
door before I break it down!" he shouted.
After a minute, he heard the lock click and the door swung open. Vincent was
unprepared for what greeted him, though. Catherine's hollow eyes stared at him.
She was unbathed and her clothes were wrinkled and unkempt, as if she hadn't
removed them for several days.
"Catherine, oh my god..." he said, walking past her into her apartment. It
was a mess. Dirty dishes were piled in and around the sink. The place was
starting to smell. He chanced a glance in her bedroom. The sheets were twisted
and knotted.
Turning to face her, he saw she hadn't moved from the door. Gently, he guided
her away from it and shut the door. He threw the lock. Catherine made no sound
as he guided her to the couch.
Taking her hand, he put his other hand under her chin, forcing her head up to
meet his eyes. She stared at him, her face a mask of defeat.
"Catherine....what happened?" he asked gently.
She continued to stare at him as if he hadn't spoken. He almost thought she
was in a state of shock. She was almost catatonic. "Catherine...?" he tried
again.
Finally, she blinked and seemed to realize that he was there. "Catherine.."he
breathed out.
Before he knew what was happening, Catherine was screaming in his face, and
pounding on his chest and legs. "You bastard! You arrogant, lying son of
a bitch! I hate you!!" she screeched.
Vincent grabbed her flying hands, trying to figure out just what the hell was
happening. Obviously, this had something to do with him, but why was she calling
him a liar?
"Catherine, stop! You're gonna hurt yourself! STOP!" he shouted.
Catherine deflated like a balloon. She panted quietly, eyeing Vincent as if
she were a wounded tiger. He stared at her.
"Catherine, what the hell was that?" he asked her.
"Get the hell out!" she cried. He shook his head.
"Na-uh! Not till you talk to me. What is going on? You dropped off the face
of the Earth for 5 days! No one has talked to you or even seen you. You have
bags under your eyes and you look like death warmed over. Talk to me!" he
beseeched.
"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?" Catherine shot back.
"I am asking her!"
Catherine snorted, and said, "Nice try, asshole. But, I'm not falling for
your lies anymore."
He pushed his hands into his hair. "What have I lied about?" he asked, at a
loss.
"You've lied about everything."
"Care to elaborate..."
Catherine held up her hand and started ticking things off her fingers. "You
lied about why you married me. You lied about our whole relationship. You've
lied about Alex. You've lied about EVERYTHING!!!!"
"Woah, first off, what the hell are you talking about? I haven't lied about
anything. I told you the truth."
"Oh, really. You told me the truth when your father threatened to disown you
if you didn't marry me? You told me the truth when I was home alone every day
and you were with Alex, instead of at work? You told me the truth when you said
I meant more to you than just sex? You arrogant bastard!"
"I...what? Who the hell has been feeding you this pack of lies? Yes, my
father threatened me, and yes, you mean more to me than just sex. But the part
about Alex, that is a flat out lie. I haven't been with her in years. I told you
that!"
"You told me alot of things. So, you were seeing Alex the whole time we were
together? Hell, you probably still are. Go to hell and take that bitch with
you!" Catherine spit out.
Slowly, things clicked in Vincent's brain. Alex....Alex had said something to
Catherine. And if he knew the vindictive bitch the way he knew he did, she had
spouted a pack of lies.
"Catherine, Alex lied to you. I don't know what she said, but it was all
lies. I was never unfaithful to you. Hell, after the divorce, I still wasn't. I
told you that. I didn't want her. I never did. Our parents set their hearts on
us marrying from the time we were in diapers. And, yeah, we did date as
teenagers, but I ended things with her because I couldn't see myself spending
the rest of my life with her."
"Whatever," Catherine scoffed. Vincent grabbed her face, forcing her to look
at him.
"It's the truth," he said softly. "I couldn't with her, but when I met you
that changed."
"How the hell would it change? You sure as hell didn't love me."
"Maybe I did. Maybe I was too blind or stupid or whatever to see it. All I
know is that when you left, I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. I
couldn't work. I couldn't function. I couldn't....live."
"Yeah, well......doesn't change anything. You're leaving next week. You'll go
back to your life, and I'll continue on with mine. The sex was great, but it's
over. Just get out Vincent," Catherine said, her voice quivering from unshed
tears.
"Catherine, I told you before. This isn't just about sex for me. I care about
you. I l-" he started, but she cut him off.
"Don't tell me you love me, because I know that's a lie."
"It's the truth. I do!"
"Then the joke is on you this time, cause I don't love you. Now, get out,"
she said, her voice hard as granite.
Vincent sighed deeply, knowing he had lost her....again. All because of that
self serving bitch. He looked at Catherine, wondering if it would be for the
last time. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her toward him,
capturing her mouth with his. She protested, pushing against his chest. But, he
held firm. After several seconds, he pulled back, fully expecting her to slap
him. Instead, she stared at him, a glazed expression on her face.
Standing up, he walked to the door. Throwing the lock, he pulled the door
open and started to step through. Pausing , he turned to face her again.
"Catherine, I do love you. I think I always have. I'm sorry about everything.
Good-bye," he said, before walking through the doorway.
Closing the door, he listened. A keening wail came from inside, followed by a
loud thump. Vincent fought the urge to go back inside and take her in his arms.
His fist clenched at his side.
He had a visit to make......
#---------------