Strangers in the Storm ✔

Chapter 25: Intervention

ROXANNE 

Two weeks have passed since Roxanne visited Damien's mother in the hospital and she hasn't heard from him since. She made a promise she wouldn't call him and a part of her rebelled against it.

It wasn't merely the fact she still wanted to know how he was doing, she also wanted to know how Dana was doing.

In a way, Roxanne regretted not having enough time to get to know the woman, regardless of her relationship with Damien.

But she also knew Damien was right about some things. She couldn't keep pushing it. If he wanted space, she had to give him space. Whether he wanted to see or not wasn't up to her to decide.

There were other things she needed to settle in her life, anyway. So, after living with her grandmother for three weeks, Roxanne finally decided it was time to come home.

The moment she put the key in the lock, the door opened, revealing her mother's enraged face. Roxanne closed her eyes for a moment and cursed inwardly. Her mother was supposed to be at work.

"Come in, Roxanne." Her mother moved to the side.

"Oh, my God." Roxanne rolled her eyes the moment she saw her disinterested father sitting on the couch, probably forced to be there because-

"This is an intervention." Roxanne's mother said. "Sit down."

Roxanne inhaled sharply and sat on the couch next to her father who offered a sympathetic glance, his wrinkles slightly deepening as his bald forehead jumped up, as if apologizing. Roxanne leaned against the backrest, soft pillows swallowing her figure.

"Your father and I are very concerned." Mary tapped her kitten heels against the carpet, glanced at Roxanne's father sternly and crossed her hands on her chest.

"Concerned." Roxanne's father murmured, staring into nothing.

"Where have you been, young lady?" Mary asked.

"Grandma's." Roxanne answered. "I texted you."

"I've received a very concerning phone call two weeks ago." Roxanne's mother finally sat in the armchair on the opposite side and crossed her legs in her black pencil skirt.

Roxanne frowned, "I don't recall doing anything illegal."

Mary scoffed, "God forbid. Mike called me."

As if slapped, Roxanne stood up, "What the fuck?"

"Language!"

"What. The. Fuck?" Roxanne repeated. "Mike called you? Why would Mike call you?"

"He said he talked to you." Mary lifted her chin up. "And he has the right to do so."

"In what universe?" Roxanne snapped. "Why would he call you?"

"He's concerned, too!"

Roxanne's eyes bulged and jumped back and forth between her mother and father, searching for an explanation, "Am I doing drugs that I don't know about?"

"He told me," Mary cleared her throat, "That you refused to get back together with him, to which I said you were dating Damien Douglas, but Mike didn't seem to be aware of that. Are you still dating Damien Douglas, Roxanne?"

Roxanne slumped back on the couch, "Is this really about my love life?"

"You can't keep jumping from man to man like that." Her mother shook her head. "If your relationship with Damien is over, maybe you should consider Mike-"

"Isn't that jumping from man to man?" Roxanne squinted.

"You need to think about your future, young lady." Mary kept going. "You're a waitress, for God's sake, how are you going to pay your bills?"