Who: Cole and Felicia
Where: Gino’s East & their apartment
When: back-dated to a couple of weeks ago
What: Felicia posed nude for an art class at the college, Cole’s furious
Rated R for language



"See you in twenty," she said, then ended the call on her Blackberry. She had wanted Cole to meet her for an early dinner at Gino's Pizza, to get him out of the stuffy apartment for a change and go out like normal couples do. Then again, nothing about them was "normal", but she didn't care about that really. Hailing a cab, she hopped in, being careful not to bump the fragile canvas that she carried from the art school. It was a surprise for Cole, and another reason why she was choosing a "neutral" location for them to have dinner. She knew damn well he wasn't happy about her choice to pose nude for the art school, but what he didn't know was that she was allowed to choose the one she liked to keep; and she wanted him to have it. In the back of her mind she had a feeling that public or not, he'd make a ridiculous scene; and second, she was pretty sure he'd ruin the painting anyway. About five minutes later the cab pulled up in front of the famous pizza place to drop her off. She went inside, told the hostess she wanted a large booth out of the way, somewhere secluded and dark, and then followed the lady to the perfect spot. She ordered a pitcher of beer, and waited.

Cole didn't bother with saying back to her as he hung up and shoved his phone into his jean pocket. He didn't want to leave the apartment, lately he has wanted to pretty much hide from the world. Classes were the only thing getting him out of bed and normally he would be better at hiding his 'depression'. With a small sigh Cole headed out of the apartment, checking out some of the girls leaving their apartments as well. He hailed for a cab and got in, telling them where to go and he sat back as he watched his scenery go by; how he just wanted to go back home to the apartment. The shit he did for a crazy woman. Once there he told the waitress he was to meet a small woman with blond hair and she knew where to lead him. ''What the hell we doing here?'' he asked as he sat down across from her. He was still slightly pissed at her, still wanted to reach across the table and take her throat in his hands.

Felicia was just lighting her cigarette when Cole showed up, sliding quickly and abruptly into the booth. She tossed the lighter on top of the menu and leaned her elbow on the tabletop, "Uh, dinner?" She shot at him, instantly putting her wall up. Her eyes wouldn't look him in the face; instead they wandered around him, shifting from the pitcher of beer to the collar of his shirt, to the kid in the high-chair a few booths away, to the graffiti on the wall of the restaurant. "You didn't have to fucking come you know," she said, this time softer, with a disappointed shrug of her shoulder.

Cole snatched the lighter from the table and pulled out a pack cigarettes from his pocket and lit one up for himself, tossing it at her it hit her chest and landed on the table. He sat back and took a long drag before exhaling as he looked at her; dead in her eyes he watched her look around but never at him. ''I didn't want to. But it'll give me something to do. What is it you want?'' Cole knew there was something more behind this. He just waited for it, waited for the opportune moment to burst.

“Ow! Jerk.” she yelped, putting her hand up to her chest and finally giving in, sending a glare straight into his eyes and into his soul. “Grow the fuck up, Jesus.” Day after day she regretted moving here, and while he locked himself inside like a depressed hermit, she couldn’t sit still, needing stimulus and needing to be out and about. She shook her head and put her cigarette in the ashtray, then filled her glass up to the rim with beer, sipping at the foam as it ran over the edge. After wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked across the table at him, “I told you. Dinner. What’s so terrible about being out for a change?”

He chuckled softly as he watched her again, rubbing his cheek a bit. ''Yeah, dinner.'' He said softly and his eyes wandered over to the waitress, looking her over he leaned front and puffed on his cigarette for a moment before finally looking at her. ''Why do you got to be so difficult all the time?'' Of course, he was the one who wanted nothing but to be in an apartment all the time. He couldn't give her what she wanted all the time but he kept her happy for the more part. Or at least he tried too. However lately he's been pushing her so far over a painting. He wanted her to realize it disrespected him in some aspects but she'd never understand a thing because she was bull headed like he.

She followed his wandering gaze to the waitress and then raised her brows at him, slightly amused as he faced her, front and center. “Pfft. Me? Difficult? Whatever.” Felicia rolled her eyes and gulped down the rest of her beer, the covered her mouth as she belched softly. “You know…” she said, setting her glass to the side and leaned in toward him too, “...you need to stop over-reacting to everything. And there are better ways to disagree with something that throw a temper tantrum.” She was talking matter-of-factly, not down to him or telling him what to do, but just talking as a friend would tell another friend.

He took a deep breath and put out his smoke. He wanted to just get up and walk away from her, no use in wasting words on someone who wouldn't listen and consider. ''You know what? I don't fucking care anymore.'' He whispered softly, sitting back again in his seat. Cole rubbed his face a bit. ''I don’t...care. You want to be naked for... another fucking man to see you, then do it.” He pulled himself out of the booth, what a waste of time, a waste of cab money. ''I'm going to pack my shit.'' He told her as he pushed passed some other customers and headed for the door.

His words caused her to flinch and her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “You don’t know how easy you’re making it on me…” she whispered back, then watched as he rubbed his face and started looking like someone ugly and disgusting. She bit on her bottom lip and felt her heart race but she sat there frozen; frozen solid to the booth as he walked out of the restaurant. She waved the waitress away who just then walked up to the table and poured herself another glass of beer, her hands shaking. As she brought the glass to her lips for a drink, she felt a burning in her chest and wondered where she’d sleep tonight.

Once outside Cole wasn't close to letting it go. He hated how she picked a public place, he'd have to keep his voice down and not cause a stupid scene. He let out heavy sigh and cleared his throat, he wasn't finished exercising his vocal cords just yet. ''Fucking little cunt.'' He muttered to himself as he headed back inside. He was a Cavataio for Pete’s sake; he could cause a scene and just buy the stupid restaurant. ''Listen-'' he started out as he sat back in his seat and he grabbed Felicia by the chin to have her look at him and not his shirt collar. ''The shit you pull, thinking you're cute is over.'' He let her chin go once he knew he held her attention and sat back a bit more. From afar it would like as if he was being a little affectionate but if anyone was close enough to hear the words he gritted out between his teeth they'd know. ''What do you want from me? Huh? To be strung along like some puppet you had back in fucking Hollywood land?''

He hadn't caused a scene just yet, but the night wasn't over. Just as she finished her second glass of beer and started on her second smoke, she saw him storm back in, his long arm somehow reaching across the table to grip her chin. She clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth and stared at him, though she was really looking right through him. His voice was like nails on a chalkboard and she cringed at the words spewing out of his mouth. Bringing her hand up, she swiped his hand off of her jaw. Finally, she sighed and rubbed her jaw a little, not being able to help the slight quiver of her bottom lip. "Nothing. I want nothing from you. You're pretty much ruining every bit of admiration I ever had for you." She looked across at him and chewed the inside of her lip, "I thought we'd be able to talk, but obviously that's beneath you."

He didn't want to talk and she knew that so why did she even bother trying? Everything frustrated him over these past few days. ''Talk about what? You posing nude? Obviously you did and you know why! I have told you why! But yet what I think doesn't matter to you!'' he almost yelling if his voice would allow him. Resting his elbows on the table now he let out a heavy sigh filled with worry and sadness. ''I'm starting to wonder how important I am to you. I've been nothing to you but a brush off your shoulder. You and I both know that.''

She felt her tense shoulders relax when she realized that he was actually talking to her...in his own twisted fucked up way. She stretched her legs out and accidentally hit his legs, she thought, and quickly retreated them. "Ugh, fuck Cole," she sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "I listen to everything you fucking say...but you never hear ME out. It's never, ever about me...or what I want or need, its all about you." Her voice was quiet, yet firm and when she finally opened her eyes she stared at him for a moment or two, not saying a word. "And what have I been? I place to park your dick right??." Her mouth closed and she clenched her jaw again, and then reached down next to her to grab the canvas wrapped in a trash bag. "I brought this for you...if you want it."

If only he'd hear her out, take a look at the painting that was nothing but classy. She lay on her side, with a velvet cloth draped strategically in the front of her, her bare leg bent slightly over it and a bare hip exposed. It wasn’t Playboy, it wasn't crude, and she didn’t do a full frontal. She respected her body and respected it was Cole's temple too. She found the woman's body to be beautiful and had allowed the full of her breasts to show, and the slight hint of nipple. Her face was serene, like an angel’s, as her blond hair spread out around her like a halo. Felicia handed it to him, "I thought about you the whole time."

Cole rubbed his forehead. He hated the things she said, he didn't believe that. Shifting in his seat he held his head in his heads and looked at her. He was listening but not putting it together. One way track - that was Cole's mind. ''Cut the sarcastic shit.'' He told her before she handed him the painting. He didn't want to look at it and tossed it beside him. He didn't care how classy or tasteful it was, he couldn't understand why she had done this. He didn't even know why it bothered him as much as it did but he couldn't put his feeling into words for her. He never could, it was him wanting to either kill her for reasons unknown or fuck her. He let out a small breath as he bit down on the inside of his cheek. ''You did it. Good for you. I don't want to talk about it anymore.'' It was now exhausting to keep the circle going now. ''Just... don't tell me if you do it again.'' His voice was low and he wanted to just give up the fight.

That was it; the last straw for tonight. "You know, it amazes me that you're how old now? 27? You're grandfather would be so proud of you."

She stood up straight in the booth and reached over; knocking the half empty pitcher of beer over and barely was able to grab the canvas, bending it as she ripped it from getting caught between the booth and the table. "I don't want to talk either. Its useless and you make me sick." Again she couldn’t look at him but she managed to pull a twenty from her purse and toss it crumpled on the table. "For the beer," and without looking back, she pushed herself form the table and as walked away. He made it easy as pie for her.

She left a mess and him scrambling to get up before the beer spilled onto him. ''You know what?'' He yelled as she was headed out but she wasn't paying attention to him. ''God damn it.'' He sighed and followed her, rubbing his forehead. ''Felicia, will you just... fucking stop right now. Please?'' He asked now outside and he reached for her arm. ''Please tell me why ever since you and I were kids that I was just never good enough for you? Why was it someone else, you were always looking for someone else and when no one else came by I was alright to go with? Why were you the one to never listen to me? You're so selfish and I don't get why you block out everything I say.''

The wind was blowing her hair around and she turned to look at him but had to brush it away to see him. "What?!" she snapped and stomped her foot at the same time. The canvas was ruined and the wind blowing didn't help her hold on to it so she put it between her legs and held it that way. The whole time he spoke and asked questions she didn't take her glaring eyes off of him, and everything he asked her were the exact same questions that she wanted to ask him. "Oh you want answers now? You want to talk now?" The wind made her eyes water and that was her cue to let the pent up tears out.

He stood before her and reached down, grabbing the painting from her legs and held it for her. ''Yes, I do! It's almost like you're doing that now! You're waiting for someone new to come by and...Give you what you're fucking daddy couldn't give you!'' he was yelling now, yelling against the wind and yelling to just finally get the words out of his throat. They've been stuck there for years, stuck since he was six and she left him in the sand box for Lincoln and his friends. Just to play cute and get some reaction. Who knew? He didn't. He waited for her there and when she returned she acted like leaving was fine. She always did.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve, the sting of his words ringing true in her ears. "You and your brother both dished out attention, and yeah," she nodded, "yeah, I have daddy issues. And so do you." She looked down now at the canvas in his hands and hated him for knowing her so well, knowing her better than she knew herself. The earlier questions were still hanging in the air and she wanted to answer them, but wanted to get into a cab and go somewhere warm. "Can we just...go back in or back......home?"

Cole nodded his head slowly and whistled for a cab. When one stopped he opened the door for her to climb in the followed, telling them where to go and handed her the painting. It was broken like they were, however if taken to the proper place it could be fixed, the two couldn't. God has dipped their love with cyanide and hung them out to dry. The ride to the apartment was silent and tore Cole apart in the inside. He wanted to know what the answers were, why they loved each other but couldn't stand in the same room without wanting to kill each other some point. Cole paid the cab as they got out and headed inside.

She scooted to the far side of the backseat and tilted her head to rest against the window, and stayed that way the entire ride back to their apartment. Her mind was all over the place, wanting to give him answers, wanting to ask questions, but mostly she was trying to deal with her new feelings toward her lifelong friend. She was hurt, pissed, disgusted and her heart was in shreds. Once back at the apartment, the silence continued. She set the painting against the trash can and headed into the bedroom, changing into a comfortable pair of pajama bottoms and t-shirt, and then met Cole out in the living room. “I need a smoke," she told him, realizing she left hers on the table at the restaurant.

She went and changed and Cole pulled off his shirt, tossing it on the couch and went to the trash can. He looked at the painting and grabbed it. He wanted to break it more but instead he hid it in a place she'd never look to get it fixed for her. When she returned he looked at her and sat down at the table, pulling out his pack and slid them to the end she was closest too. ''Can we please talk?'' he asked her softly.

Grabbing the pack of smokes, she brought it to her mouth and pulled one out with her lips. Her hands were still shaking for some reason and she hoped he didn’t notice. It wasn’t easy keeping up appearances around him; he was the master of breaking people down. "Yeah. Let's talk." She pulled the chair out and sat in it, bringing her legs up to sit cross-legged.

He took the pack when she was finished with it and got one for him, lighting it and sliding the lighter to her. He sat back in his chair, playing with his stomach a bit as he hung slightly over his jeans and chewed on his cheek. ''Can you answer my questions?'' he asked her, he couldn't actually look at her. He hated to even have this conversation but it stung his chest to leave them unanswered.

Felicia sighed heavily as she exhaled and leaned forward on the table, her one hand running through her hair leaving it a tousled mess around her face. She couldn’t shake the sullen look, and she hated to pour her guts to him. "Yeah. I'll answer them. Uhh..."she shrugged and looked at him and it was like looking at a stranger. "I never wanted you to be my number one, I wouldn’t allow it," she began with a shake of her head, her skin feeling hot and flushed as she poured out her heart. "You were good enough for me though, more than you realize..." her voice trailed off.

He listened to her words that burned his heart. She lit the burner and he had a feeling she wasn't going to turn it off. ''I don't get it.'' He confessed her to her. His words soft and low and his eyes searched the floor for something to focus on besides her. ''What was it you wanted? What do you want from me now?'' he finally shot his eyes up at her.

With a thud, she laid her head down in her arms on the table, her cigarette burning slowly from her fingertips. "I can't explain it. You're always distracted, you always move on you know?" she raised her head and looked at him, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. "I figured if I were in your life for moments at a time, you'd never move on from me....so I moved on first.” Bringing the cigarette to her full lips once more, she took a slow drag, the long ashes falling softly onto the tabletop. "What is it you want from me? Huh?"

Cole leaned back a bit more in his chair, stretching a bit. He thought a bit, wanting to pin point how he felt and chose his words wisely. It all came to down to one thing though, one thing he couldn't live without. ''You. All of you.'' He finally said and looked at her.

Her mouth fell open and she closed her eyes, then she dropped her head into her arms again. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but she felt like screaming. She pushed herself up and settled back into the chair, twirled a strand of hair around her fingers and met his gaze. "That’s why you didn’t like me posing," she finally asked, "isn’t it?" It wasn’t as if she meant to bring it up again, the last thing she wanted was to poison the conversation, but she never understood his jealousy.

He nodded his head a little. ''I over reacted though. I'm sorry.'' He whispered his voice hoarse. He looked at the trash can where the picture wasn't sitting then looked at her again. He moved to a chair closer to her. He reached for her hand, to get closer to her and feel her soft skin. ''I'm sorry baby.'' Now he wanted it to end. He wanted to just go about pretending things were alright.

Her eyes followed him to the trash and she made a face when she didn't see the painting. She was speechless, something she rarely ever was but his mood swings freaked her out and she was so tuned out right now she had a hard time showing him any emotion. Her walls were rebuilt up and would need to knock it down once again, but it was something he knew all too well how to do. "Okay," she whispered, biting her lip to keep from it quivering. Her hand slowly reached out and she watched as he took it in his hand.