4

It may have been a month or so delayed but we did end up having dinner together. Granted it wasn't at a restaurant. It was in my small, one bedroom apartment.

"Howard! Take the chicken out of the oven!" Reyna said while downing a

glass of champagne.

He gave her a menacing look, "You do it lazy ass!" He yelled back while throwing a single black olive at her face.

"I'm glad to see that you two haven't changed in the past couple of months," Austin laughed. "Still very childish, I see."

"Oh, go fuck yourself," Howard chucked an olive at him now too. "At least I'm not cheating on my pregnant wife."

Low blow.

"You would never have a wife though," Reyna said.

"Fine. Husband. At least I wouldn't cheat on my husband," he clarified which made me laugh.

"I hear it's a test tube baby. You really

hate Silvia that much?" Reyna asked.

"Why are you hating on test tubers?" Howard interjected, "I was one myself and I turned out normal...ish. I'm gonna love this kid. When does it crawl out of Silvia's nasty V?"

"Sometime in April," Austin answered.

"Oh. So in three months? Is it a boy or a girl?" Reyna asked.

"Can't tell you."

"Are you excited?" I asked. I sensed mixed feelings from him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged, "But then I realize...never mind," he shook his head.

"Well...come eat some food," Howard yelled.

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I could live like this. I actually wish I could.

I want to be the one to go to sleep at night knowing that I'm forever secured financially. I want to be the one to wake up in the morning with an arm fastened around my waist, keeping me safe at night.

I deserved to be the one living in the fancy Cruise Mansion! Not Silvia!

"Violet," Austin grumbled from beside me, moving his arm away from me and tucking it underneath the pillow instead. "Shut it up!"

I was just barely awake, so I honestly had no clue what he was talking about until I heard my phone start blasting 'Shake it Off' by Taylor Swift. I quickly

sat up and grabbed the phone off the bedside table.

My dad was calling. I wonder what he wanted. I haven't told him about what I caught Lacey doing in Victoria's Secret yet. I honestly wasn't even sure if I was going to tell him. Did he deserve to know?

Just as it was about to go to voicemail, I answered it, "Hello?" My voice was groggy and gross.

"Violet! Lacey's being admitted to the hospital. I need you to meet her there," he seemed way too calm.

I scoffed, "Sorry dad. I already have plans for today. I'm not sitting in the hospital with Lacey until you finally decide to show up. She's a big girl, she can do this herself. What's wrong anyway?"

"She's having the babies."

"Oh. Yeah sorry, I'm not going to that. Bye," I hung up immediately, before he could guilt trip me.

Austin grabbed my arm and pulled me back down, "What's going on?" He asked while propping himself up on his elbow. He seemed wide awake and alert suddenly. There was still that cloud of fatigue in his eyes though.

"Lacey's in the hospital."

"Oh. What time is it?"

I turned my head to the side to see what the clock said, "6:30. Why?"

He slowly sat up and stretched, "I gotta get ready."

"For what?"

He smiled and gave me a crazy look, causing him to gain the same thing from me, "Work?" He made it sound like a question.

"Oh. Yeah. You're a rich business man. I forgot."

"You ok?" He asked while gathering his tee shirt and other various clothing items I didn't quite care about off the floor. "You seem...not Violety."

I mean, I wasn't ok. How was I supposed to know when I was going to see him again? Who's to say that he wouldn't come around again for another year or so? I nodded anyways, "I'm fine," I tried to give a reassuring smile.

The time it took him to be at my side was very small. I almost didn't have time to blink, "Liar," he whispered before planting a small kiss on my forehead. "What's wrong, Vi?"

I laughed nervously. I don't know why I did that, it was just a bad habit I picked up from some unknown place, "I don't want to never see you again but I know

you have to go back to Silvia or she'll start to get suspicious."

He scoffed, "I hate being around Silvia, Violet! I thought I told you that! The only thing she seems to know how to talk about, is how much of a disgrace you are. I don't like hearing it because I know it's not true."

Now I was just angry! Why the hell am I the disgrace? "Why am I a disgrace?"

"Don't ask me. I don't listen to her! Just smile and nod, it's how I get through life."

"Oh," I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot against the hard wood floor impatiently. "So she thinks you agree with her?"

"Violet!"

I smacked him playfully, "Be back by nine, or I'm not opening the door for you."

"I get off at 8:30. I'll have to stop at home and get more clothes, I'll be late."

"Find a way to make it work," I said before leaving the bedroom, satisfied, to start my morning routine.

+

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"I can't believe I was stupid enough to come here with you. She's such a bitch to me and even to you," Howard snapped as we waited impatiently in the lobby of the hospital. "I don't like bitches, especially not when they're bitches to my friends," he took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, I wouldn't have come here either. My dad is insisting that it's an emergency and I'm going to believe him this once."

He suddenly started to smile and turned to face me. All of his attention was on me and it was freaky, "How's Austin?" Those two words said it all.

I cracked a smile, "He's good."

"That's good. I'm so glad that you guys are happy again. Just do me a favor and be careful. Silvia's a freaking Viper. She'll find out about you two if you leave even the slightest of hints. I love you too much to see you die at her hand."

"Howard, I'm a big girl. I'll be fine."

I watched as my dad came into sight. He was a mess and believe me when I say that I've never seen him look like that. He was always such a prim and proper, man. Never would he even wear a shirt with one wrinkle. It always had to be pressed nicely, "Violet, something's gone wrong," was all he said.

"Yeah and what exactly would that be?"

He motioned me over to a corner. I followed him, giving Howard a panicked look right before I left, "What's up?"

"One of the twins came out a little different," he said slowly. I was starting to get pissed off! If he wanted to tell me something he better do it now. "Charles has Down syndrome. Lacey's in a bit of shock so I think it would be best if you took care of him for the time being."

Are you fucking kidding me?!

"She's not even capable of loving her own child? Goddamn! The poor kid has Down syndrome and he doesn't have a decent set of parents either. If mom heard this, she would slap you fucking bald!" I mock slapped the air just to add to the drama. "You can't keep handing off your responsibilities

How am I supposed to live it, if you're always giving me more tasks? Find someone else," I turned to leave. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

I bet a guilt trip is on it's way.

"It's either you take care of him for awhile or he goes and lives in a foster home forever, Violet. It's your choice."

I narrowed my eyes in on him in disgust. How could he be so heartless, not only to me but to another little part of him also? He has never been like this before! I bet Lacey brainwashed him! Image is the only thing that matters to her and the poor kid obviously doesn't meet her standards.

"Let me think about it."

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