Pretty Rich Dreams

Chapter Six

AALIYAH KALI
____________________________

I have a problem. I can't say no to Livia Martinez. No matter how hard I try, it's impossible.

That's why i'm driving to her house at six o'clock on the evening on a Friday night. I was getting ready to have a Disney movie night with Theo but I got a text asking me to come round ASAP.

She left no room for argument and sent me a second text, ten minutes later telling me that if I was not pulling into her driveway in thirty-two minutes she'd be calling the police and reporting me missing. I'm assuming she used google maps to deduce how long my drive would take.

I shook my head laughing as I pulled into her driveway. She was standing, in her doorway, phone in hand, smiling at me.

"Thirty-one minutes and forty-three seconds. I'll keep that in mind for next time you're driving here." I smiled and shook my head, unimpressed by her weirdly controlling, obsessive behaviour.

I watched as she marched down her driveway, dressed in only her silk robe, towards the back door of my car. She then proceeded to open the door and take out Theo before walking straight back inside.

I stood there, stumped for a minute before moving to grab my things and joining them inside.

As I shut the door behind me, all i could hear was Livia's voice and Theo's childish babbling. "¿Como estas princesa? ¿Estas bien? Te ves bien. Eres tan bonita. Sí es usted. Te amo."

"Stop speaking Spanish to my baby." I said, swiping my daughter out of my friends arms.

"Why?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"Because, she'll be able to speak more Spanish than me and then you'll all be able to have secret conversations without me." I said, looking around the room and the entirety of Livia's family.

"Oh, Chica. You're Spanish is amazing. You'll be able to keep up." Lottie chimed in from where she was cooking i front of the stove.

"And we'd never have a secret conversation without you, mija." Lynx - Livia's father - assured me with a bright smile.

"Promise." I said.

"We promise." They all replied in sync.

"Right, now you two." Lottie pointed between Livia and I. "Go upstairs and get ready."

"Ready for what?" I asked, genuine confusion lacing my tone. None of them answered my question as Lynx lifted Theo out of my arms and Livia dragged me upstairs to her room.

"Livi, are you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked.

"Nope." She said, sitting me down on a chair in her bathroom and pulling out her makeup bag.

"Why?" I pleaded. My voice sounded whiny but I was impatient and itching to know what was happening.

"Just sit back and let me do your hair and makeup." Her voice was slightly snappish but I ignored her tone and let her get to work.

"I'm amazing." She said to herself after applying a layer of moisturiser to me face.

"Why?" I asked causing her to hit me as a scowl paved it's way onto her face. "I didn't mean it like that." I said, rubbing my arm where she whacked me.