Page 32 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“Always,” and I meant it. I’d do anything for her, Larry, and Brandon. “Love you. Bye.”

And we hung up.

I would have to endure Alexander Caldwell for a bit longer.

I decided I could endure him, but he won’t be able to endure me. That man would learn what a force I could be if he kept pissing me off. But what could I do about this sexual frustration simmering inside me? Around this man my sexuality was on steroids.

Ugh, ignore your body’s response to Alexander Caldwell. Stick to the vibrator.

I took a quick, cold shower, grabbed a bite to eat, and sat in front of my laptop staring at the blank space on my screen. I meant what I told Lena. Ever since I started this secretarial job, I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I couldn't even get past the first page of the book I was reading. I would read it over and over and had no clue what I read.

My ghost writing projects went by the sideline since I started this job. It was my main source of income for the past three years. Now, I couldn’t even write a page. I’d sit and sit for hours staring at my laptop, nothing would come. Same with my attempt at starting a publishing company, like Lena suggested. No ideas, no words, just irritation at Alexander Caldwell and imagining his sensual lips on my body and my fingers gripping his dark hair as we...

Don’t think about that damn devil!

After an hour of trying to come up with something, I gave up and flipped the television on, settling on an old movie. There was no sense torturing myself in front of a blank laptop if nothing was happening.

In these old movies, the main male characters reminded me of Alexander Caldwell. They were stoic, boring, male chauvinist pigs, and totally not fun. Yes, that was a good description.

It was well past ten at night when my phone rang, causing me to jump out of my seat. I couldn’t imagine who would be calling so late. I answered the phone.

“Miss Smith?” an unfamiliar voice called. “Miss Liberty Smith?”

“Yes?” I really hoped this was not a sales call.

“This is Officer James,” he started. “There’s been an accident.”

I frowned, trying to understand what accident could I possibly be connected to. I didn’t know that many people in England.

Before I could ask, he continued. “Mr. and Mrs. Dank have been in an accident.” My heart stopped. “We’ll need you to come down to the police precinct right away.”

“Yes, of course,” I wasn’t even sure how I found my voice. “Where?”

He gave me the address that I jolted down before I sped across the town in my old Volkswagen bug. I kept praying over and over again that it was a minor accident and kicked myself for not asking any details over the phone. Panic kept trying to swallow me, but I pushed it away.

The time it took me to get there was a torture, and images of my mom kept replaying in my mind. My mom in the pool of her own blood, being carried away by the medics. Pulling in front of the police station, I didn’t realize I parked illegally as I ran inside.

“I’m here for Mr. and Mrs. Dank,” I spoke quickly to the receptionist. “Officer James called.”

I was teetering on the edge, but she seemed unfazed. She probably had to deal with this every day. My hands shook, and I pressed them into fists, trying to keep it together.

A few minutes later, Officer James met me and took me to his office. He was an older gentleman with grey white hair and slightly overweight. I wasn’t sure why I noticed his kind brown eyes and kept staring at them as he spoke. I had a hard time concentrating on his words, my heart was pounding so hard.

“Miss Smith?” his concerned voice finally reached me.

“Where,” my voice was a raspy whisper, “Where are Lena and Larry?”

“I am so sorry,” I was trying to grasp for straws. It couldn’t be what he meant.

“They are not here?” I asked again, desperation overwhelming me. With each second that ticket by, the dread inside me got worse.

“Miss Smith, I am sorry. The accident was fatal,” he spoke kindly, but those were the most brutal words I had ever heard since my mother’s death. “Another vehicle lost control and hit them head on…” My ears were buzzing, and I couldn’t follow his words although his mouth was moving. The only thought screaming in my head was that I lost them.

They are gone. They are gone. They are gone.

I wasn’t even aware of tears running down my face. I just stared at him, trying to understand how it happened. Unbearable pain swelled inside me; it was so hard to breathe. How could life be so cruel and take the last bit of family I had left? Why?

“I don’t understand,” Maybe all this was a misunderstanding. I was grasping for straws, any hope. “I just spoke to her a few hours ago. They were going on a date.”

---