Page 100 of Light My Fire Three Times
I want to scream. I want to throw something. I want to burn his entire empire down.
What the fuck do I do now?
I don’t even remember dialing her number. My hands are shaking so bad that I nearly drop the phone twice before it rings.
“Liv?” Ivy asks. “Hey, what’s up?”
And just like that, I crack.
A sob rips out of me, ugly and uncontrollable. I press the heel of my hand to my mouth, but it doesn’t stop; I can’t stop. The sound is raw, humiliating.
“Liv?” Ivy’s tone shifts instantly. Sharper. Scared. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”
I slide down the kitchen cabinet until I’m curled on the floor, the phone clutched tight to my ear like it’s the only lifeline I’ve got.
“He’s suing me,” I manage to choke out. “Richard. He… he’s saying I stole from him.”
There’s a beat of silence, then Ivy’s sharp inhale. “What?”
“It’s a lie,” I gasp, tears streaming hot and fast down my cheeks. “I didn’t—I never touched a cent. But his lawyer just called, and I don’t…” My throat is raw from the sobs tearing through me. “Ivy, what am I supposed to do?”
“Okay,” she says firmly, slipping into that tone she always gets when she knows I’m about to drown. Calm. Unflinching. “Okay, first thing: breathe. Liv, listen to me. Breathe with me.”
“I can’t?—”
“Yes, you can.” She inhales loud enough that I hear it through the phone. “In. Right now.”
I drag in a shaky breath that shudders apart in my chest.
“Good. Now out. Do it with me.”
I follow, exhaling like I might collapse with it.
“Again,” Ivy says. “In. Out.”
Little by little, the sobs soften. They don’t stop, but they come in waves instead of avalanches. My hands are still trembling, but I can at least hold the phone without dropping it.
“That’s it,” Ivy murmurs. “Good. You’re okay. I’ve got you. I’m on the way, okay? I’ll call Freddie. Get him here with the kids, then I’ll be on the way.”
I slide my eyes closed, trying to gather myself up. I have to admit, it eases the tension a little to know she’s on the way, that I don’t have to drown by myself.
I don’t know what I’d do without Ivy.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Leo
DECEMBER 12TH
…and then Ialso need to think about what to get for my aunt. But she’ll probably want some fancy bath salts or a new set of gardening tools. Honestly, it’s the thought that counts, right…?
I’m so full of Christmas shopping distractions that it takes me a moment to realize something in the house isoff.
It’s quiet. Too quiet as I slip through the front door. It manages to silence my brain for a moment.
I glance up, and my gaze lands on Olivia. She’s sitting on the couch, her back slightly hunched. The sight of her in that way, vulnerable, small, not the usual smartass I’m used to, is a punch to the gut.
Ivy’s sitting beside her, rubbing her back, concern flooding her expression. The moment her eyes meet mine, I can see that shit has well and truly hit the fan.
