Page 32 of Deadlier Obsessions

“You’ll need to have something non-alcoholic now, of course. I can make you some tea?”

She’s deflecting. She’s fighting her pain by focusing on me, and that’s not what I want. She needs to let me in, so I can support her, or help her, or hell… call her a twat, if she’s just making an assumption right now.

“Stel, is there some medical reason you’re thinking you can’t get pregnant? Do they know?”

She shoots a worried look at the doorway but nobody’s there, it’s just us.

“I took out my IUD, Lucy. It’s been ages, and you’ve seen how much they all cum in us. I should be pregnant. You shouldn’t be, not with your implant, but I should be. Something has to be wrong, and I’m afraid that no matter how much they keep trying, it’s just not going to happen with me.”

My god. She’s going through all this worry, and I was getting edgy because I wasn’t sure I wanted the very thing she’s so desperate for.

“I’m sorry, Stel. I didn’t mean to, and I’m not even sure I wanted to, but I mean, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t. Maybe two of them are firing blanks, and the odds aren’t even as high as we think!”

“Who’s firing blanks? You better not be saying that about me,” Sebastian says, stepping into the room, and pausing as he takes in Stella’s distress. “What’s going on?”

SEBASTIAN

It takes me about half a second after walking into the room to see visibly that Stella isn’t okay. Her wet eyes, and heartbroken expression, tell me that. Did they get into a fight? I know women tend to have disagreements, but I’ve never seen it with these two. It would be normal if they had, but they are always laughing and completely supportive of each other. So, this is bizarre and I intend to get to the bottom of it.

“Are you two arguing?”

They both look at me like I have two heads as they simultaneously answer, “No.”

Alright, so that’s not it. Then it hits me.

“Was I too rough? Did we hurt you?”

She shakes her head. “No. I’m fine, Sebastian.”

“Something is bothering you, baby.”

Stella clenches her fists at her sides. “Do you know what’s bothering me? Living with the four of you. I hate it. I can’t get five fucking minutes to myself. If you really care, Sebastian, fucking give me that.”

Both Lucy and I wear matching shocked expressions as she storms out of the kitchen with a beer in her hand. Something is very wrong because this isn’t Stella. I’m tempted to chase her to wherever she went to hide, but I don’t, because her words keep playing in my brain like the worst soundtrack I’ve ever heard.

Lucy gently touches my arm and I turn to her. “She hates living with us?”

She laughs softly. “No, Sebastian, she doesn’t. Stella is lashing out because she doesn’t know how to handle her emotions right now.”

“How do I help her when I don’t even understand what’s happening?”

Lucy wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me. “You give her a little time to herself, and then you go find her, and tell her you are there to listen to her with no judgement. Don’t tell her how to feel. Just listen.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

GAGE

Lucy comes in and hands a beer to Mav and I, while a sulking Sebastian sits on the couch beside me. Something happened with our other woman, I could see it in the way she went angrily toward the bedrooms.

“What’s wrong with Stella?”

“Nothing,” Lucy says with a headshake, “Everything is fine.”

I narrow my gaze at her. “Sweetheart, I could clearly see she was upset. Don’t fucking lie to me, I’ll spank your ass. You’re not pregnant there.”

She gasps as she glances at Mav, and he shrugs his shoulders. Does she think he’s going to protect her from me? I don’t think so.

Lucy throws her hands in the air. “Fine. She’s upset, but it’s not my story to tell.”

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