Page 107 of Corrupt Obsession

Her nails sank into her palms. Memories swarmed over her, reviving needs she was desperately trying to forget. She opened her eyes and saw Mom watching her intently. Violet flashed amegawatt smile as she said, “We just finished dinner. We’re eating cake and ice cream.” She let out a false laugh and said, “No. Not German chocolate cake, but we did have buttermilk pie recently. Dad got two pies all to himself.”

“That’s what you get when you go to the military! No home cooked meals!” Dad said loudly and took a swat on the arm from Mom before he carried his bowl into the living room to finish eating in front of the TV.

“Mom? Violet?” Jesse called.

Violet moved into the kitchen as Mom began to clear the table and asked, “What have you been up to? Are they treating you good?”

“Mom,” Jesse bit out.

Violet’s stomach churned. He sounded different. Harder, colder. Even his voice had deepened.

“Mom? What the hell?” Jesse snapped and hung up.

Violet blew out a breath. “Uh-huh,” she said, nodding. “That doesn’t sound too bad.” She wiped down the counters as she chattered for show. “School’s been good. At first, I loved driving myself everywhere, but now I miss being a passenger princess. Can you believe that? Oh my gosh. You know who I saw recently? I…”

She yanked the phone away from her ear when it began to ring loudly. Why hadn’t she thought to turn off the volume? Damn! When Mom frowned, Violet widened her eyes. “I didn’t even know we got disconnected.”

She answered the phone and immediately pressed the mute button again.

“How long was I talking to myself?” Violet asked ruefully.

“Mom?” Jesse called in a clipped tone.

“That long?” Violet chuckled before she flicked her hand. “I was just talking about school and wishing you could chauffeur me around like the good old days.”

When Mom turned away with a smile and went to join Dad in the living room, Violet’s tense shoulders dropped.

Jesse’s voice abruptly hardened. “Damn it, Vi. I know you’re there. Answer me.”

Her hand tightened on the phone. “You’re almost done with basic training, right?”

“It’s been two months,” he rasped. “Let me hear your voice.”

Fuck him. She wouldn’t give him anything he wanted ever again, even if it was just the sound of her voice.

“Oh, really?” she asked, trying to sound interested.

“If you don’t talk to me, I’m going to tell Mom,” Jesse said.

Outrage seared her throat. She should be the one threatening him, not the other way around! She wanted to slam the phone on the counter until it came apart in pieces. Instead, she held her smile, though it was now more of a sneer as she unmuted the call. Thankfully, Mom and Dad were watching the news and not paying attention to her.

“You’re an asshole,” she said quietly.

He exhaled before he said grimly, “This is the only way I can get you to talk to me since you blocked me.”

“You’re blocked for a reason.”

He ignored that and asked, “How… how have you been?”

He sounded nervous and awkward.

She glanced at Mom and Dad before she hurried down the hallway to her bedroom. If she had to speak to him, she wanted privacy to say what she needed to.

“I was okay until I had to talk to you,” she retorted as she closed her bedroom door and punched one of the balloons a friend had given her.

“I wanted to tell you happy birthday.”

“Thank you,” she said ungraciously. “Is that it?”

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