Page 99 of Uncaged Obsessions

“They deserve more than getting to stare at your ass as you walk in here,” I tell her and she smirks.

She sways her hips, walking toward me, and climbing onto my lap. I welcome her attention, loving the way it feels to just have her alone, even for a moment.

That’s when I remember the folder in my desk drawer that’s been bothering me for so long, and with Max here with me, I get an idea. Keeping an arm wrapped around her, I lean forward toward the drawer, opening it and pulling out the simple folder, dropping it onto my desk in front of us.

“What’s that?” Max asks, turning in my lap slightly to look at me. “Don’t tell me that’s some in depth report on me or something.”

I breathe out a small laugh. “No, it’s not on you, baby girl. It’s info I asked Danner to get for me…on my birth parents.”

She sucks in a small gasp, and I can see the worry written on her face. “What does it say?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t looked at it.”

“How long have you had it?”

“Awhile.”

“Do you want to look at it?”

I grip her thigh, running my hand along her soft leggings, enjoying the feel of them and her as I try to stay grounded. “I haven’t been sure. But I think I should.”

“You can if you want to, but it won’t change anything either way,” she says, and I know she’s trying to comfort me. I appreciate it more than I could ever explain.

“I know, I just feel like I should know once and for all. I think it’ll help if you stay right here.” I clamp my hand down on her leg, though I don’t think she’s planning to go anywhere.

Max nods. “I’m here for you. I’m always here for you.”

I can’t help myself, reaching up, I grab the back of her neck tangling my fingers in her hair there and pulling her mouth down to mine. “Fuck, I love you,” I groan.

She kisses me back; I push my tongue into her mouth to caress hers and she melts against me. When I part our lips she sighs, “I love you.”

Before I can talk myself out of it, I reach forward and open the folder, pulling it toward the both of us so I can reach it a bit easier. I make sure to keep Max on me, not that I think she’s going anywhere, but I need to feel her sitting on my lap as I read.

There aren’t any pictures, which I half expected to see. I’m somewhat disappointed, since I have no memories of either of my parents and I thought that maybe I would see what they look like. But I don’t.

My eyes dart all over the page, unsure where to look first. I’m looking around so much, I’m not able to read anything. It’s all jumbled together before my eyes finally settle on one of the top lines. It’s information on my birth mom, her name being the giveaway.Talia Hayes.Her last name was the one thing I have known.

I try not to show any reaction to seeing her name. Instead, I try and remain focused on the rest of the page. My eyes catch on the dates just a little lower, and the way my stomach drops is my only reaction.

I was fifteen when she died and had no idea. She was only thirty-one.

I don’t know how to feel about it, about any of this. So, I keep reading until I seecause of death.I don’t know what I was expecting, but seeing the wordsdrug overdosemakes complete sense. I knew she had a problem, that’s why I was never in her care, but part of me hoped maybe she got sober and regretted never getting to know me.

Knowing now she was only sixteen when she had me and died before I even reached that age hits a weird spot in my heart. It’s not exactly pain, but I’m not entirely numb either.

Conflicted, I flip to another page to see any information about the man I truly know nothing about. I see his name at the top of a page, Lukas Woods. The dates on the page catch me off guard. Math was never my strong suit, but this is pretty obvious and my blood boils.

He was ten years older than her, twenty-six with a sixteen year old. What a piece of shit. On top of that, he got to live into his sixties while her life was stolen so much younger by the battle to addiction she lost. It pisses me off even more, and if the bastard wasn’t dead I would kill him.

“Hey.” Max’s soft voice and gentle hand on my cheek pulls me from the blinding rage taking over my body. I flinch at her touch, and she tries to recoil, but I grab her wrist, keeping her hand on me. I like it there. Grounding me.

I tighten my hold on her, still not saying anything, just feeling her.

I don’t even know if I want to see how he died, because if it wasn’t some violent way that made sure he suffered, I won’t be happy. I need to believe my own version of his ending to make myself feel better, even if it’s just barely.

“Hey,” Max says again, a little louder this time and I move my eyes up to meet hers this time. The concern evident in her voice as I look at her. “Are you okay?”

I shake my head, not sure how to answer. All I can say is, “She was sixteen. He was ten years older than her.”

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