Page 57 of Forever Mine

"Why are you stressed?" Liv asks.

"Just got a lot going on with work," I answer.

Emily reaches out and covers my fist with her hand and squeezes, I look up at her, and she nods. She mouths, 'Marcus,' and I nod. I reach around to grab her hand and squeeze it. I know she is reading my mind.

"I don't feel like cooking tonight. I need queso," Em announces. Liv bursts out laughing. "What? When you're this pregnant again, I'll cater to your wants, too."

"Please. You want queso when you aren't pregnant. What's your excuse then?"

"It's spicy cheese. I don't need an excuse. But right now, Ineedthe queso. Y'all coming?" Emily asks as her eyes widen comically as she stares at Liv.

"Liam gets off work in about an hour. I'm sure he'll want to meet us there. You want to see if Harper, Owen, and the boys want to come?" Liv asks as she begins typing on her phone.

"On it," Em says as she grabs her phone.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I see it's from Liv in a group text with the girls.

Liv: Did he do that to you?

Me: Yes.

Liv: Liam is gonna be furious.

Me: He told me not to get the police involved.

Em: Fucking piece of shit.

Harper: What did I miss?

Liv: Mon walked in here with her lip all bruised and bloody. Marcus, the douche, did it.

Em: Does Gabriel know?

Me: No, and we're not telling him. He told me he thought Marcus was a bad guy. I really don't want to deal with his 'I told you so.'

Harper: Gabriel would do that?

Me: I don't know. I'm just not ready to tell him.

Liv: What was Marcus planning? Where did this happen?

Me: He cornered me outside of my work today. I blocked his number, and he's pissed. Told me we have to meet tomorrow to discuss our relationship and how things are going to go from now.

Em: That bastard. You're not going, right?

Me: He threatened things, Em. He said he's been in here.

Em: HE'S BEEN IN MY HOUSE?

Me: Yeah. So I'm gonna go and see what he says.

Liv: Liam is on board with dinner tonight. We'll get his opinion on things.

Me: I'm going to go rest my eyes for a few minutes. I'm getting a headache. Wake me up when everyone is ready to go.

I look up and see both Liv and Em nod at me. They knew immediately why I wasn't comfortable with talking. If Marcus has been in here, he might have planted a listening device. I can't let him know I've told the girls anything.

As I'm stretching out on the bed, my phone dings with another text.

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