Page 52 of Deadlier Obsessions

Mav’s chuckling on the other side of me, but I know he agrees with Sebastian, and maybe he’s not wrong about this.

“What if they won’t answer my call?” That’s the main reason I haven’t considered phoning them instead, because it’ll kill me if they do that. What if they’re so mad at me, or hate me so much, that they just ignore me? Can I take that?

“What if you get to their door, and they refuse to answer it? Or slam it in your face?” Mav asks reasonably, and my heart thuds in my chest. Oh my god. What if they did that? It hadn’t even occurred to me, but he’s right.

“Let’s call them,” I say decisively, and Sebastian grabs my phone from the table.

“Best we do it now, while they’re busy out of the room, because it might be easier for your asshole parents if there are fewer of us here.” He was doing so well until the ‘asshole’ part.

I dial my mum’s number and sit with clenched fists as I wait for her to answer. Sebastian’s holding the phone, but he’s making sure all three of us will be visible if she answers. And she does!

“Lucy, oh… I thought maybe you’d come to your senses, but they’re still with you.” Mav growls under his breath but pastes on a smile.

“Hi Mrs Greene, so great to see you again.” I dig my elbow in his side, because my mum does actually understand sarcasm, dammit.

“Hi mum. Is dad there too? I need to tell you both something.”

She sighs, glancing across the room and nodding.

“If you’re just going to rub this depravity in our faces again, I’m not interested,” dad’s voice calls from off-screen.

“See? Asshole,” Sebastian mutters in my ear.

“I had some news, that’s all. It’s… I’m really happy about it, and-”

“We all are, by the way,” Mav adds firmly, interrupting me mid-flow.

“It’s not going to make a difference to you, is it?” I ask mum suddenly, noticing that she never walked closer to dad with the phone, so clearly, he isn’t willing to give me even a moment of his time. I feel tears burning my eyes again, and I reallydon’t want to cry on this call. Mav’s hand strokes up my thigh, squeezing gently to offer support.

“If you come to your senses, and move back home, love, we can get back to being a family and start again. Your dad’s company is looking for people right now, and you know it’s a good-”

“Fuck that, Mrs Greene. Lucy’s a fucking great writer, and more than that, she’s happy with her career,” Sebastian practically spits at her from beside me.

“But… but this… Lucy, please.”

“Baby, I think they don’t deserve your news,” Mav says gently, squeezing my thigh again, as we hear footsteps approaching the room, and know we’re risking an impending Gage intervention.

“I really wanted you to be proud of me,” I whisper to my mum, the person who should always be on my side, and supporting me. “I wanted that, but nothing will ever be enough for you both. I can’t keep doing this, putting myself in a position for you to hurt me again.”

“Yeah, we were in the bedroom, but we didn’t even fuck! Check out how I’m growing,” Gage declares loudly as he walks in, halting in the doorway and taking in the scene in front of me, while mum’s disapproving frown deepens.

“Is that them?”

We’re out of time if I don’t want Gage yelling at them.

“You don’t deserve to meet your grandchildren,” I say sadly, reaching over to end the call. “Block the number, Sebastian, and my dad’s. I’m done trying to fit into their box.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

MAV

I’m starting to agree with Gage that this fucking trip is cursed, because I feel like we’ve all been through the wringer since we left home on our travels. Just like him, I can’t wait to get back there, and try to put things back on track, because I’m not letting this trip destroy us, and I’m not letting anyone fucking hurt our girls. Lucy bursts into tears after that call with her parents, and she gets sandwiched between me and Sebastian as we try to soothe her pain and calm her down. Honestly, I know they think we fuck for the sake of it, but you know what, sometimes sex and orgasms just fucking help a person’s mood.

Gage sits down on the low table by the sofa and waits us out, being unbelievably patient while our girl cries her heart out. When she finally calms down to the occasional sniffle or soft hiccup, he catches our eyes and we both move back to let him at Lucy.

“I’m sorry, Gage, I don’t mean to keep messing things up for us all. I promise that’s it with my parents, and all I care about now is you guys and… and… where’s Stella?” In the old days, we’d have assumed Gage had killed her, accidentally or otherwise, but these days we know that’s not how he rolls with any of us now.

He takes Lucy’s hand and squeezes it gently, again something we’d never have thought him capable of before this multi person relationship happened.

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