Page 68 of Their Stolen Obsession
“What doctor?” Gloria asked as concern wrinkled between her eyebrows. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Saint cleared his throat. “Oh, we had our doctor pay Liv a visit.”
“At this hour?” Frank questioned.
I smiled. “Yes. Don’t worry. We paid him extra for his time.”
“Is Liv all right?” Frank asked with worry in his eyes.
Saint answered, “Liv has a minor infection from a dog bite. The doctor prescribed her some antibiotics.”
Gloria gasped, tears shone in her eyes.
I added, “Otherwise, she has sustained some bruising and scratches, but she’s okay.”
Frank took his wife in his arms and held her close. Gloria leaned into him and tucked her head up against his chest. A tender moment shared between Liv’s parents through the traumatic event they had endured together and the result of their daughters suffering. The realization that their actions had caused this had set in. The guilt was evident on the Valencias’ faces, and Liv’s parents suffered as they should have. Let this be a brutal lesson to do better by their daughter. She was the only fucking child they had.
Gloria moved away from Frank, and her expression changed in an instant. “Sebastian? Any news on him?”
“Who cares about that low-life scum?” Frank muttered in hatred. “He’s the one who got Liv into this damn mess to begin with.”
Gloria glared at her husband. “Yes, but Liv and Sebastian are still engaged. They—”
“The wedding is off,” Liv interrupted.
All eyes locked on Liv, wrapped up inmyblanket and leaning against the wall. She watched all of us and holy fuck, was she as beautiful as ever. Her hair was all messed up frommypillow after she had been lying inmybed, resting those gorgeous, tired eyes inside ofmyroom. Shit. I was extremely turned on right now I had to turn away from Liv’s parents to adjust my erect cock. I didn’t need to piss them off with a massive hard on overtheirdaughter.
Christ. That would be a goddamn disaster, more than the shit show about to go down between Liv and her parents. I should grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy the entertainment.
“On that note, I’ll be right back,” I said.
I made my way toward the kitchen and heard Gloria’s dismay over her daughter’s announcement. More chatter took place while I got a bag of popcorn with butter and popped it into the microwave. Two minutes and the popping should be done.
I peeked my head around the corner.
“But I don’t want to marry him, Mom. Sebastian is an asshole,” Liv argued.
Saint looked petrified. A family conflict trapped him right in the middle, and I was glad I was safely away for the time being. I think I’d let the popcorn pop for an extra minute.
“You don’t mean that, sweetheart. You’re confused by all the trauma,” Gloria tried to reason with her daughter. “Once Sebastian comes home, we can get this all figured out.”
Mr. Chamberlain wouldn’t be coming home because he was rotting away in our damn penthouse. I could smell the stench of him where I stood. The charred smell with his blackened disgusting flesh.
Wait.
My popcorn was burning.
Shit!
I hurried to the microwave after I had let the argument from the other room distract me, and I grabbed the bag of popcorn.Fuck!That bag was hot. Only the bottom was slightly burned and left the rest perfectly ready to eat.
Slowly, I entered the tension filled area, watching the Valencia’s go at one another. I ate my popcorn and watched the argument, but Saint eyed me like I had lost my marbles. Family crap made me nervous. I was an anxious eater. Sue me.
I shrugged my shoulders at my best friend and took a front-row seat on the couch. Liv faced off against her mother while Frank stood at his wife’s side. He’d cut in here and there to calm the situation, but Gloria would speak over him. She was in charge,and I could see where Liv got her stubborn attitude. I think Gloria and I’d get along after I set her straight.
“I don’t care about—” I cleared my throat and Gloria shut up.
I raised my popcorn bag in between mother and daughter. “Would either of you ladies care for some popcorn? It’s fucking delicious.”
