The Conspiracy of Baby-Switching novel Chapter 84

"Mom, I can have Coke on special occasions, can't I?" Lucia asks.

"Yes," I reply without looking at them.

"Would you like a hot dog, Violet?" he asks.

"No, thanks."

"What would you like?" he asks.

I would like to scratch your eyes out.

"Nothing from you." I clench my jaw, damn it, I hate having to be civil in front of Lucia. I want to scream and kick and tantrum, burn him at the stake and throw him to the wolves.

"Ha, Mom's grumpy today, isn't she, Lucia?" Lucia laughs on cue. "Sure is." I wonder why.

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from spitting venom all over him.

He wanders down the stairs of the grandstand and without turning my head, I watch him beneath my sunglasses.

Fuckface, thinks he's so irresistible to all female kind.

I hate that he is.

And how dare he be so good-looking, why isn't he getting uglier with age like the rest of humanity?

He stands in line at the snack bar, and sure enough, Felicity Fox goes to stand in the line behind him; she's been waiting for this opening all day, no doubt.

She begins to chat and he talks back but keeps facing forward, every now and then I see him glance up to see if I'm watching.

I turn my head away from them in an exaggerated way. I'm still spying, of course...tearing my retinas with all the side eye, I'm sure.

Ten minutes later, he returns with a box of food. He passes Lucia her hot dog and drink and then holds out a hot dog and drink out for me. "Here you are, Vee." Vee.

"I said I didn't want anything."

"Sometimes I'm forced to serve you things that you think you don't want but obviously need. It's for the better good of the outcome." He's talking about his little outburst yesterday.

My eyes meet his, and he gives me a slow sexy smile before raising an eyebrow. He holds the hot dog up.

I can feel Lucia's eyes watching me, so I snatch the hot dog and Coke from him.

"You didn't say thank you." He smirks.

"So help me," I mutter under my breath. "Mom," Lucia says. "Say thank you." "Thank you," I say through gritted teeth.

He gives me a broad smile and taps his hot dog against mine before taking a huge bite, totally unfazed. "Hmm, so good." Fucker.

Gabriel

The kids fall silent as they drift off to sleep, but my mind has gone into overdrive.

I've fucked it, I've fucked everything about it.

I get up and sneak out of the bedroom and go downstairs and get a glass of water.

Don't call her.

Don't call her.

Don't call her.

Too late. I find myself dialing her number. Ring ring...ring ring...ring ring...

You've called Violet, leave me a message.

I frown, not what I wanted.

"This voice mail is full," her phone tells me.

Beeeeep.

Shit.