little faith follow me

Catalina still felt completely blind-sided. Sure, an end was bound to happen and while they’d discussed it many times in the past — she hadn’t imagined it would come so soon. Frankly, she felt like it was a cowards way out. What hurt the most, she felt, was the inability to budge. Even as she stood there completely heartbroken, she didn’t understand how he seemed so stoic. His mere wave from the other end of the bar while it took everything in her person not to go to him. From where she stood, the inability to see his pain only hurt her more. They hadn’t been merely friends, even mere lovers, but it had felt like something deeper. He was family and someone she’d fallen in love with. “I know,” she whispered as she looked over at him. “I know I don’t know about him. I meant that I know you don’t like to speak about him.” A sigh parted from her lips. “I know. I just got upset because I feel like there’s pain there and … I help. That’s my thing. I like to help people and I thought maybe I could take some of it away. I wasn’t mad that you wouldn’t tell me, Vic.” A hand moved beneath her eye to swipe at the tears. “I just care about you and I don’t like seeing people I care about in pain alone.” 

As dark hues flicked down to her phone, she looked back up at him. “Thanks,” she said breathlessly. Her form stiffened as she dialled her mother’s number. With her grandmother there was always panic when a phone call came in. The health problems she had meant that she could get sick quickly. “Which hospital?” She asked in the phone before rushing to the front of the bar in order to get a taxi. With the alcohol she’d consumed, she knew that driving wasn’t an option. 

Jenny had a book opened on the table, holding it open with one hand as the other hand held the black cup of coffee in her hand. The woman wasn’t planning on doing much with her day, maybe dropping by and saying hi to a few people like Sophia and Kevin but that had been about it, the rest of her day was as free as a bird. She lifted her eyes up when she heard a voice, putting her cup of coffee down to grab her bookmark, shoving it into the book and shutting the book. “I order it every time I know you’ll be around,” she teased. “ Ya ves, dándome la gran vida,” she chuckled softly as she nodded her head. “Who doesn’t he owe a beer to?” She lifted her foot up, pushing the chair in front of her out towards him. “You do have time for me this morning, don’t you?” She teased once again.

Accepting the chair in front of Jenny, Victor took a seat and set his latte on top of the table. At least there was one Hayes who seemed to take to his presence with the right amount of enthusiasm. “I always have time for my favorite Hayes” Victor chimed in with a faint smile. Besides, it had been a while since they caught up and so this was long overdue. “Honestly, I bet Cesar owes at least half the town a beer at this rate” he added with an amused expression and a chuckle. “I’ve gotta be back at the station by noon so feel free to eat up my time until then. So what’s going on with you? Anything new I should know about? Any parking tickets I need to clear from your record?” He joked, well, half-joked anyway.

Cat’s shoulders fell, stepping back from the impact of his words. “What?” she almost whispered in disbelief. This fight, or whatever it was, meant that they could no longer be friends? After so long of being in one another’s life? “You told me it was done. You threw it all away, me, because of what?.” At least, it had felt like that. They’d both in one another’s life for so long, loved each other, been family that she hadn’t understood how easy it felt for him. “And now… we can’t be friends?” A humourless laugh escaped as she pushed a strand of hair back. Arms wrapped around herself as she swallowed thickly. “So, what, we don’t talk?” 

Dark hues narrowed then as she looked at him in mere disbelief. “I asked a question and rather than tell me that you couldn’t, or didn’t want, to speak about it — you decided that we weren’t working.” Her head shook as she looked back at him. “I would have accepted that because I know you and I know about your brother….— I don’t know I got upset…” she trailed off because he’d always been a subject the male didn’t touch on. It doesn’t matter? Her head whirled as she closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Whether it was the fact that he hadn’t said no, or the feeling in her gut. It felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her chest. “We had a fight. We both did.” Again, it was her but she could barely focus on taking the blame or not. He, above all else, should have known that it was not the way she was. He’d caught her off guard. Cat had always been the person to care for her abuela and mom or drop anything for those around her. “I wouldn’t flirt with your coworkers. I wanted a reaction — anything but silence. I love you. I wouldn’t…” Her head shook as she sucked in a deep breath. “It’s fine, Vic.” Her shoulder rose and fell in defeat. She wouldn’t plead for him to be in her life. Especially if he believed her to be violent or vengeful. When her phone illuminated in her hand, she looked down at the text from her mother signalling that she was on her way to the hospital with her grandmother. A routine event in her life as of recently. “Fuck. I need to go.”

Victor slowly let his gaze drift to the ground beneath their feet. Truth be told, they both had some appalling reactions to the issues brought up that day at the cottage. Was it a rash decision to end things? Probably not, though Victor would argue it would be the best choice given their known ending. But Catalina was right, they were both guilty in this situation. Usually, Victor always had something to say, it didn't matter if it was profound or if he was spewing bullshit, but it was moments when he was silent that seemed to be the most alarming. Like right now. When she admitted that she loved him, Victor’s eyes met back up with her dark hues. It was impossible not to feel some type of way when she said something so damning and vulnerable. “You don’t know about my brother,” Victor said, head shaking from side to side. Sure, she knew of his existence but not much else since he had never spoken openly about him before. “And I don’t wanna tell you about him. And I know that’s not fair but that’s just the way it is with me” He wasn’t going to pretend like he was innocent in all this because he wasn’t. In order for a relationship or even friendship to work there had to be communication, and Victor was closed door when it came to certain aspects of his life. 

Something about her features and body language told Victor that Catalina wasn’t really fine. Lying to each other wasn’t something they usually did but even Victor couldn’t blame her now. He was about to speak when Cat’s attention seemed to be stolen by the light of her phone. If he had to guess it was probably a text or missed call from her mother or family, that was the only reason she ever seemed to turn away from him. Letting out a deep sigh, Victor nodded his head at her words, “Okay.” He was still calm even if a part of him wanted to scream or yell, not at her, but at the situation, they found themselves in. For now, he chose to let things be, “Be safe” He added, wanting to tell her to let him know when she got home but that didn’t seem fair given everything else that night.

Catalina hadn’t known this side of the male. For so long, she’d only gotten the caring side of the male. The Victor who would drop anything to come help her and her family out. Of course, when he had the time. Never had she expected there would be a day where he would attempt to push her away completely. Even if things were bad or he left, she’d always imagined they’d keep in touch. It felt as if there had been some sort of shift. One she hadn’t seen coming or had any notion of given that they’d confessed the lingering feelings between the two. Lowering her hands at her side, she stepped back as he commenced. 

“Then say that…” she trailed off as a blurry gaze lifted to meet his. “Say that we go back to being friends. Don’t leave for a week and disappear. You’re leaving in two years. I don’t fucking understand how you could make it seem so easy to be okay with not having each other in our lives.” Her head shook, brushing away tears of frustration. “You don’t care, do you?” She didn’t want to believe it but she knew she’d spent the entire week in bed. Never once had her eye lingered elsewhere and all she’d wanted was to not waste a moment of the time they had left in whichever way she could get it. “Of course I need you. You were breaking it off. Pushing me away, what else could I say? Would it even matter?” Her head shook then, knowing for certitude that he was aware of just how much she both loved and needed him. “I don’t want to.” She whispered softly. “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to go on a date. I wouldn’t…” Her eyes fell to the ground for a moment. “Are you… Are you going to go on a date? Have you?”

The last few days had probably been the only time Victor was happy to have work keep him from enjoying a personal life because it provided the distraction he needed. However, standing in front of Catalina now, he couldn’t help but feel a bit defeated about the entire ordeal. “It’s a two-way street, Catalina. You didn’t reach out either” Which told him everything he needed to know about their relationship or lack thereof. “Being friends isn’t working. Not anymore, not after all this” He said, waving his hand to the space between them. Perhaps it was a mistake to blur the lines just a little, but it was too late to go back now. Victor didn’t like seeing Catalina cry, more than that, he didn’t like being the reason for her tears but there was nothing more he could say to ease her distress. 

As much as Victor could abide by the rule of space, he couldn’t be completely and downright cold to the woman he still loved. He never was very good at that and it still rang true now as his features softened, “Por supuesto que me importa...” His words trailed off. If it hadn’t been clear to her over the last few years then perhaps it never would be. “But this isn’t healthy” Whatever faux relationship they had formed after their break-up was slowly becoming toxic and Victor didn’t want either of them to get hurt because of it, or worse, resent the other. “I broke things off because things are already getting too close again and you’re getting upset over things that I can’t control” Telling Catalina about his family was one thing, but he refused to talk about his brother. Even as understanding as she could be, Victor wasn’t quite ready to deal with any of it yet himself, which meant no one else got the privilege to either. To her question, Victor only sighed and shook his head, “It doesn’t matter.” And it didn’t, not really anyway. “I didn’t like that side of you, Cat. The one that’s angry and violent, the one that goes out of her way to make me jealous, threatening to flirt with my coworkers –– if you wanna be friends, we can be friends, but I can’t promise you anything else.” He gave in just a little if only because she did feel like family at this point given how long he had known her and while things were complicated, being 100% without her for a week was a bit like hell. 

Cesar couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his friend’s reaction. It was no secret that cops were notorious for hating lawyers for more reasons than one, but when it came to Victor, it was like he dialed that stereotype up to eleven. “¿Celoso? No me conoces tan bien como pensé que lo sabías. You definitely have a gift for it, though.” There was absolutely no denying that. It was where the two friends vastly differed – while Cesar attempted to put our fires, Victor seemed to be igniting them. At least he could vouch for his good conscience. “Does she? Or is she just humoring you so that you don’t make her job ten times harder?” he challenged, knowing Gema might have a different take on things. “Just callin’ it as I see it – and what I see are some quadriceps that could use some serious work.” Cesar teased, taking another long sip of his drink. “Yeah, I know you did. Still don’t understand why that had to end, but, hey, no es de mi incumbencia.” He held his hands up innocently for a quick moment, shoulders lifting in a shrug. “Ah – what’s there to tell, really? My love life is as boring and pitiful as ever.” The male lamented. “They don’t make guys here like they do in Mexico City, I’ll tell you that. I mean – I’m sorta seein’ this one guy, but…” he pursed his lips. “I dunno. I think he’s into me, but he might not be into just me.” River had expressed how into him he was, but Cesar being Cesar, he had his doubts.

“¿Estás seguro de eso, hermano? Besides, are you really done with the badge?” Victor asked with the raise of his brow. He hadn’t come across a lot of people who backed out of the job willingly so he was curious if Cesar ever missed it. Still, while he and Cesar differed on a lot of levels, in the end, they both had good intentions. While Victor’s mother would point out that good intentions pave the path to hell, Victor truly did think he was doing good work despite whatever rules he chose to break. And speaking of rule-breaking, it seemed like he had quite a few helpers, like Gema, “I already make her job ten times harder. She keeps me around because a ella le gusta mirar mi culo” Victor said with a bout of laughter, if only because she had admitted as much recently and he couldn’t not tell everyone he knew. “Quadricepts?” Victor scoffed, shaking his head, “Yeah well I’ve got some biceps that work just fine” he said leaning over to playfully threaten a slap. “Catalina lives here, all her family is here. Mine is back in California and once I get that call about my brother, I’m gone. I just don’t wanna waste her time when I can’t give her my all” He sighed, if only because he truly did feel sad about it. However, his time in North Carolina was always meant to be temporary. He spent five years in Texas, three and counting in NC, and soon enough he’d head back home for good once his brother’s retrial happened and he was set free. Moving onto something more uplifting, like Cesar’s love life, Victor grinned, “Sounds like a lot of bullshit to me. If you want me to arrest the other guy just say the word” He joked, “I don’t know, man, too many games isn’t good for the long run.”

Catalina peered down at her phone and felt a rush of panic clutching to her chest. “Stay here, I’ll be back,” she told her friend as she rushed outside and peered around until she noted the male in the distance. “Victor!” She screamed after him, rushing towards him as she zipped through parked cars and shoved past individuals. Despite the pain that exuded from her feet, she gritted her teeth as fingers coiled around his wrist. “Stop,” she pleaded, evidently out of breath. Shifting to stand in front of him, Cat placed an hand on his chest to ensure he wouldn’t leave. They’d been through too much for them to act this way. 

“This can’t be it. I’m not talking about us, or our relationship, but we’ve been in each others lives for years now. You might want to throw that friendship or relationship away — but I won’t.” She told him, ensuring he knew she wasn’t asking to be with him but merely have him in her life. “If it’s not enough, then I’m going to need more than what you’ve given me. Because you don’t want to be with me, but you don’t want to see me flirt. So what is it, then?” Her shoulders fell in defeat. “What happened? Did I do something?” Dark hues searched his eyes as she swallowed thickly. “You haven’t called or checked in.”

Victor was already bubbling up with some feelings of anger by the time he made it outside. He headed for his car and was standing in front of the driver’s side door when he felt Catalina grab hold of his wrist. Turning to face her, Victor look away and made an attempt to continue on but when her hand pressed to his chest, he stopped. It seemed like she could still control him to some respect even if he didn’t like it right now. Exhaling a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself Victor listened to her. Still, she was right, they had been in each others lives for so long that not having her in it felt so foreign. 

Victor fell silent, not wanting to indulge in another painful conversation but it didn’t seem like he had much of a choice. “I can’t do it” he began, “I can’t do this” He motioned between them to indicate their relationship or lack thereof. “We said we’d be friends and stay in each other’s lives but then we started crossing lines and” he sighed. It messed with his head and led to some truths he wasn’t so keen on facing. “We can’t go back to that” Because it would only make him love and miss her more when he finally did have to pack up and go. “You said you didn’t need me or my money. If you’ve got it all figured out then you don’t need anything from me” Despite the fact that he wanted to check in with her and her family, Victor didn’t think he’d be welcomed regardless. “Go back in and flirt with whoever you want. It’s not my business and I’m not here to ruin your good time” He said, even though that was probably the last thing he wanted out of tonight.

Catalina peered back at the text and closed her eyes for a moment. Everything had seemed perfect, almost too easy, for it all to turn to shit. She didn’t understand how not putting any rules had suddenly fucked it all up. A mere question, it seemed, was what turned it all on its head. As dark hues fell upon the text, she couldn’t help but laugh before she ordered another shot before she answered the text messages that came in. 

TEXT: A break up? We would have had to be together first. We’ve been broken up for a year and never needed distance.  TEXT: Yeah, you can leave since apparently you can’t be around me now. I’ll take care of your buddies. Parecen del tipo amigable. Creo que me amarían. Think they could handle me, mir amor?  TEXT: ¿Me extrañas?

Her eyes moved towards him then, chewing on her lower lip. There was a fine line between what to cross or not, but right now, her emotions were raw and she wanted a reaction. Anything. 

Victor wasn’t nearly drunk enough to deal with all this tonight. In fact, he had expected a boring night out with some coworkers and now he was having anything but that. While it felt nice to see Catalina after a week apart, that was about the only nice thing he felt about her right now. In his head, he told himself that she was still angry, rightfully so, and that mixed with alcohol probably wasn’t a great combination, but her words still weighed heavily on him despite that. While Victor was fairly easy to make jealous, this time around he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. Not to mention it was obvious that she was just trying to make him upset. Upset wasn’t how he felt, a bit heartbroken maybe, but not upset.

TEXT: I’m not doing this with you. TEXT: Have a good night.

Sending that last text message, Victor paid his tab and said his goodbyes to his coworkers before heading out of the bar. He certainly wouldn’t be able to stomach the sight of Catalina all over someone else so it was best he left her to her night to enjoy.

“This whole dating thing has been sort of new to me lately but I guess I wouldn’t say no to a second date with Gema. Only because the first was so successful.”

feat. @jenkinsgema

“I can’t remember the first time I ever said those words but the last time? Probably to mi mamá. I call her every few days to check-in on the family and I try to tell her every chance I get.”

🔥

Catalina saw the wave from across the room and felt the flames of frustration bubble into her chest. The fight had been one thing but the silence was another thing altogether. No matter the fights or scenarios that had played out between the two — they always kept in touch. Their presence in one another’s life had been detrimental for the last few years. He’d always checked up to ensure her madre and abula didn’t need for him to pick something up. A flash of hurt crossed her features as she made her way to the other end of the bar. With an array of shots ordered and eventually consumed, she couldn’t help but pull out her phone. Her ego and pride prevented her from closing the space between them, but she refused to do this any longer. 

TEXT: Is that’s how it’s going to be? A wave across the room?  TEXT: Just like we’re old friends who’ve lost touch?

Victor sipped on his beer, watching his co-workers tell stories he didn’t actually care about. He wasn’t quite sure what he had in common with some of these guys other than the badge, but perhaps the night would prove more promising as it went on, at the very least he’d have more alcohol. While seeing Catalina had put a damper on his mood, it couldn’t prepare him for the string of text messages he soon saw on his phone from her. Sighing, Victor debated whether he should answer them or not before deciding on the latter. It might’ve killed him to send it but, in the end, space was what they needed, right? Victor couldn’t be quite sure. The only thing he was sure of was that he missed her but couldn’t dare let that show.

TEXT: That’s usually how it goes after a breakup. TEXT: If you want me to leave just say the word and I can go to another bar.

            “That long, huh?” She teased, remembering that conversation all too much. She’d been sure to mess with him, telling him to think of her on the drive back to the station, and apparently he’d done just that. Whether it was a ploy to get in her good graces or not seemed irrelevant right now. When all she could think about was his lips gracing hers, the same sense of desire washing over them as he finally acted upon his wants. Something she was beginning to think he’d chicken out of, leaving her to make the first move. Especially with his talk of rules over dinner. His kisses intermittent as he proceeded to let his ego show with no restraints, nor regrets, probably. So, she stopped the latest lip-lock, her index finger pressed against his lips to separate the pair and stop him from shutting her up with another kiss. “Don’t test me, Valencia.” Gema responded, smirking as she did so, referring to her truly stubborn an challenging nature. “I’ll not call you out of spite if you carry on.” Her tone teasing, and to be honest, entirely untrue. Evident as her finger dropped from his lipstick stained lips, which were then stolen by her own in one final collision. Her hands rising to his checks, as they splayed over bare skin, her thumb brushing against his jaw line briefly before she pulled back, tongue coursing over her lips before laughing at his state. With the hand that remained against the side of his face, she began to rub gently at the remnants of lipstick against his lips. “As much as red is your color too, how about we leave it to me tonight?” She referred to the cosmetic look he was clearly not trying to achieve.

“What? You thought I was bullshitting you about that?” Fair if she did considering how much bullshit actually came out of Victor’s mouth on the daily. However, Victor wasn’t blind and Gema was a very attractive woman. Most of the time their flirting had been pretty tame, if only because Victor had been seeing someone which meant there was no possibility for anything more with anyone else, no matter how beautiful the woman was. Even now, he had some reservations since he wasn’t quite sure where he and Catalina stood these days, but that didn’t stop him from falling victim to a bit of lust and thinking with his downstairs brain right now. He didn’t stand a chance. Not with Gemma in that dress and certainly not with the way her lips pressed into his. It stopped momentarily if only because once against, Victor’s big mouth got him into a bit of trouble. Going silent as she called him out, Victor wanted to say something, he really did, but he wanted to continue kissing her more. A rarity, truly. “Lo que quieras” Was all he managed to say to appease her since he was smart enough not to actually test her. And once she pressed her lips to his once more, Victor was glad he chose the road of silence. His hands still remained on her hips, slipping down her backside the moment she began to wipe the lipstick from his lips, “No? Are you jealous it looks so good on me?” He grinned, only joking since it was certainly a look that only suited her.

@victorvalencia​

It had been what felt like weeks since she’d last seen Victor. She’d been through all the emotions since then. Listened to the way her madre and abuela spoke about the male who had been the reason behind their tears. Nevertheless, she hadn’t truly told anyone about the conversation she’d yet to wrap her head around. All she knew was that she hadn’t reached out and she hadn’t heard or seen from him. After the initial week, she began to pluck herself up from her bed and decided that it was time to go out and dance. Perhaps invite a few friends and boys, or find someone else to take her attention away for tonight. 

The dance floor is alive and Catalina dances for the majority of the night. People come and go, all of which are a blur, but it’s only when she notices her friend arrive that she unhinges herself from a male to give them a hug. In the distance, she catches the eye of Victor at the bar and feels her entire form turn rigid as if ice had been poured over her form. She hadn’t seen him, nor known how long he’d been there. “I need a drink,” she tells her friend, hues flicking down, “can you come with me?”

To no one’s surprise, Victor ended up on his Captain’s shit list for what seemed like the hundredth time. It turned out he couldn’t abuse his power to help get himself information without getting into some trouble. At least it was mild trouble for now, but that still left him with another night of playing babysitter with the other guys on the force. Victor sat at the bar with a couple of his fellow colleagues nursing a beer. He had caught sight of Catalina straight away. he should have figured she’d be there having fun with her friends but the thought hadn’t really occurred to him until now. If they hadn’t gotten into a blowout argument a week prior, Victor would have gladly gone over and offered to buy her a drink or indulge in a dance. However, with the way they ended things, Victor felt like perhaps he’d give her some more space since that’s what he thought she wanted. After all, usually when a woman didn’t want to see you then she wouldn’t call or visit so he got the message loud and clear. Instead, he offered a polite wave and resumed drinking in his corner of the bar with people he didn’t care for, wishing he was anywhere else. 

For better or for worse, Nikki, unlike many others, was the type of person who on the other hand was far more likely to be five minutes early than five minutes late. Having arrived even earlier than that on this particular occasion, Nikki had nearly finished her own coffee by the time the male finally showed up. It wasn’t like she could blame him though, for the having waited for nearly half an hour part; but then again, she hadn’t really minded the time alone while waiting either. With a kid at home, alone time was rare most of the time, which made you appreciate the small moments in-between meetings and at work even more. Her gaze steering up as Victor took place on the chair opposite of her, one corner of her lips soon lifted at his initial greeting, or rather, excuse. “Oh yeah?” It wasn’t the first time she had heard that line, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. “Sounds thrilling. And also kind of a lot like bullshit to me.” The smile grew on her lips then, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. “I’m still waiting to hear back on the excuses for the last three times.” Which, he hadn’t been authorized to talk about either. However, she didn’t really mind and technically, he wasn’t that late. At least he hadn’t crossed the half hour mark yet. “It’s good. Or I guess, alright?” She paused briefly before clarifying. “We were supposed to have a calm week off to spend at the beach, then Ollie caught some nasty bug from somewhere and has been down with a fever for the past few days.” Her features twisted into a mild grimace, and she quickly added, “Don’t worry, it’s not contagious, or I’m pretty sure I would have had the same thing by now.”

“Just because something sounds like bullshit doesn’t mean that it is” Victor argued, if only for the sake of arguing because he was 100% full of bullshit and they both knew it. His grin wavered only after a few seconds, giving into the fact that Niki was right, he never really did have a good enough excuse for his lateness other than punctuality not being his virtue. Thankfully, that never seemed to get in the way of their friendship. “The excuses for last time are still pending, have a little patience in the judicial system” He added with a wide smile, which meant there was no way those excuses would ever be leaving his lips, true or not. “Kid has a fever? You sure you have it, too?” Victor said, pulling his hands away from the table and leaning back in his chair as he gave her a playful glare. “A beach day does sound nice but the weather’s looking good for next weekend, maybe Ollie will feel better and you guys can have a take two on the perfect beach day again” He suggested, hoping the kid’s fever would break soon since Victor knew a sick kid meant a very stressful family. “I’ll give you guys a police escort and everything” he joked with a smirk as he took another sip from his latte. 

at MATIAS’S APARTMENT with @victorvalencia​.

“Don’t tell me, it’s the promise of a good taco that had you coming all the way out here,” Matias said with a chuckle as he opened the door. Wrightsville Beach wasn’t that far from Downtown, but it wasn’t exactly a five minute drive, either. He’d only known Victor a short time, but that hadn’t stopped him from inviting the other man over when he was making tacos. He knew all-too-well the struggle of missing food from home, and unlike Victor, he didn’t mind making it on a regular basis. “Mav, off.” This, he directed to the nearly 20 pound puppy trying to greet Victor by jumping up onto his legs. “We’re working on how to say hi politely but … it’s a work in progress. Come on in, I’ve just about got everything ready to go.”

“Okay. But if I don’t tell you that doesn’t mean it isn’t still true,” Victor said waltzing right inside of Matias’s apartment. While Victor had gone from Texas to North Carolina, he still hadn’t been able to find some good quality Mexican food like they made back home, however, Matias’ culinary skills seemed to come pretty damn close, which made the long drive worth it. “Bajar de––” Victor said with a playful glare at the puppy greeted him, “Better learn fast because I’m not all that polite” Despite his words, Victor caved bent down to scratch the dog behind the ears. “Alright, I’m starving. Plus my Captain me personally apologize to some family who lives a few minutes from here so it’s not all a waste” At least that helped Victor cope with the fact that being on the Captain’s shit list again didn’t feel too great. “So what’s been going on with you? other than becoming the Mexican Bobby Flay” he said with a chuckle, setting down the six-pack of beer he brought onto the table.

After several years in Wilmington, Victor managed to gain a few friendships that he actually cared about. One of those people were Nikki Thompson. On some level he felt as if they were kindred spirits when it came to having siblings who found themselves in too much trouble. While Victor couldn’t save his older brother from a long prison sentence, he could at least provide some help to Nikki for hers. Given his busy schedule the last fe weeks, it was hard to catch up with Nikki but Victor was finally able to carve out some time for a quick coffee date. However, true to form, he was late. Roughly fifteen minutes after their agreed time, Victor found himself rushing through the doors of Bespoke where he caught sight of Nikki at a table in the back. Ordering himself a quick coffee, Victor soon joined Nikki and took a seat across from her, “You won’t believe the excuse I have this time” Victor began with the hint of a grin. He always did seem to have a file cabinets worth of excuses for everything. “I mean I’d tell you but I’m not authorized to speak about it yet so...” his grin only widened since that usually meant he was full of bullshit and just needed a convenient excuse for his lateness once again. “Anyway, how’s it going? What have you been up to lately?”