Page 50 of Secrets & Desires
“Waitressing? Yeah, I’ll get rightonthat.”
Nox laughed. “I meant your musiccareer.”
“Oh, that. Nox, I love music, it is my passion. But I never envisioned a career in music as such. I wanted to be good enough to teach it, like Charvi. I would love that. Maybe play some small concerts here and there, but as far as a fully-fledged career as a musician—I think that’s a pipedream.”
“You don’t want to befamous?”
“Good god, no. No,ugh, can you imagine? The press everywhere… Wait. Yeah, youcanimagine. God, I’m dense.Sorry.”
Nox laughed. “It’s okay. You know, once they get hold of the fact we’re dating, you have them to lookforwardto.”
Livia groaned and rolled on top of him. “Let’s not worry about that at the moment. I’m hoping to put that off for as long as we can.Agreed?”
“Promise.”
Nox didn’t realize justhow soon that promise would bebroken.
ChapterTwenty
At work the next day,the restaurant was so full of customers that Livia and Moriko didn’t have time to catch their breath, let alone catch up. Livia had mentioned to Nox that she wanted to see more of Moriko. “I feel since I moved out that we’ve been drifting apart, and I would hate that. Morry’s my girl,youknow?”
She said as much to Moriko when they were finally relieved of duty by the evening staff. Moriko asked Livia to come back to her new apartment, wanting to show off, she said with a grin. Shadowed discreetly by Livia’s bodyguard, they went to Moriko’s new apartment building, travelling up to the seventh floor in the wrought iron old-fashionedelevator.
“Fancy,” Livia said with a wink at Moriko, whogrinned.
“Jealous? Not that you need to be, living in a freakingmansion.”
“Ha. Listen to us, we’re both kept women. What happened to the Sisterhood?” Livia sat down on a vast dark blue couch. “God, this isheavenly.”
Moriko laughed. “I know, right? And speak for yourself—I payLucasrent.”
“Lucas, is it? Tell me more, girl. You’ve been keeping this Lucas secret fortoolong.”
Moriko handed Livia a bottle of beer and sat down next to her. “Well, if I saw moreofyou…”
Livia punched her shoulder lightly. “I know, I’m sorry. I always swore I wouldn’t be one of those women who deserted her friends when she fell in love, but I seem to be doing just that. I am sorry, Morry. I’ll dobetter.”
“How are things out on thebayou?”
Livia talked to Moriko about her life with Nox, about how close they had become, and her friend listened with a frown on her face. “Sure you two aren’t becoming co-dependent?”
Livia was stung. “What doyoumean?”
Moriko sighed. “I mean, how long have you actually known each other? Not even two months, right? You moved in with him—less than a day after giving him the whole ‘I’m an independent woman’ speech, I might add—and now you’re practically imprisoned in that place. The place where your boyfriend got shot, for crissakes…” Moriko stopped, dragging a shaky breath into her lungs. Livia had never seen her so riled upbefore.
“Morry? Where’s this coming from? Imean,I—”
“No, let me finish. I’m scared, Liv, I’m terrified. I feel like something bad is going to happen to you, like you might die. Like Nox is a dangerous person to be around, and something—someone—could hurt you and then his circle of friends will close ranks and we’ll never really find out whathappened.”
Livia was stunned for a long moment. “I know the thing with Pia is horrific, and yeah, we gotassaultedbut—”
“And his girlfriend was murdered and his family got killed. Jesus. Death follows him around, Livia. Look, I like Nox, I do…I just don’t think he’s goodforyou.”
Livia felt her eyes fill with tears. Having Morry’s blessing for her relationship was important to her, and she hadn’t seen this coming. “So, what? You want me toleavehim?”
“Yes.”
“Are you kidding me?” Livia blinked at the sudden change in the atmosphere between them, and looking closely at her friend, she could see the strain on her face, the dark circles under her eyes. “Morry, is something else going on? Areyouokay?”
