we f*cking hate each other now | YUNGBLUD

chapter 77

"How are my boys doing?"

Liv walked into her bedroom to see Dom and the toddler they agreed to call Boots play fight with each other on the king sized bed, Boots loudly laughing while Dom kept pretending to throw him on the bed but instead went in to tickle him. When Dom threatened to lift him up again, Boots screeched and crawled back, only to immediately run back to Dom to punch his chest and get his attention again.

When Dom heard Liv enter the room and talk to them, he wrapped his arms around the toddler instead of continuing to play with him and turned his head around. He obviously heard what Liv said, she saw it by the way he was doubting to answer her, but he frowned instead and asked "did you call the police?"

After Dom had comforted Liv for a while as she had been crying, he had barely touched her again as he was obviously still mad about what happened. She couldn't blame him, and she wasn't mad at him for it, but it created a weird tension between them.

One thing they did agree on now though, was that Liv would call the police as it seemed like the safest option right now.

Well Dom thought they agreed on it, but Liv shook her head to his question when he asked her about it.

"I called my dad instead," she told him, making his frown deeper. She saw how he was ready to argue with her again, but she quickly spoke before he could.

"One of his best friends works for the police. He brought me in contact with her."

"He..." Dom got interrupted by Boots who tried to touch his face again, which made Dom push his little hand away this time and hold it. He even tried to sit Boots down on his lap so he'd be a little calmer while Dom was talking to Liv, but the toddler refused so instead Dom just decided to hold both of his hands while Boots was jumping on the bed.

"So you called with her? What did she say?"

"She said there's no active report of a missing kid right now so we'll have to keep him here for another night and she'll be here first thing tomorrow morning to pick him up."

"No one called to say they're missing their child?" Dom asked sadly, talking quietly as if the boy would understand what he was talking about even though they both knew he probably wouldn't.

Liv shook her head, pouting. The fact that there was no report made her even more worried about Boots going home eventually because so far she had seen many signs of him not having a safe home. Or maybe she was just seeing things.

"So he has to sleep at your house tonight?" Dom asked, the sad look on his face disappearing just a little bit as he was biting his lip to hide his smile. It made Liv smile fondly and slowly walk over to the bed to sit on the edge of it.

"You're happy with that, aren't you?" she asked him, slowly brushing his dark hair back with her hand, trailing her fingers over the top of his ear. Dom had let go of Boots for a moment as the boy got too impatient and just wanted to jump around the bed, so he took the opportunity to place his now free hand on Liv's thigh and nod. The fact that he was touching her again made Liv smile even wider than she already did.

"I mean he- Of course I'd want him to go home but-"

Dom turned his head back to look at Boots who was rambling to himself now as he had plopped down on the bed and played with the sheets.

"He's so cute," Dom said, Liv nodding in agreement.

When Dom turned his head back to look at her and Liv was already looking at him so they made instant eye contact, Liv felt her stomach turning. She didn't really know why, and she wanted to quickly look down thinking Dom was still mad at her and didn't even want this tension, but before she could look away Dom reached out to stroke her cheek softly and smile.