Dangerous Obsession

chapter thirty five

Maven's Pov
"Mommy are you okay? You look sad,"

"yes honey I'm fine,"I say cuddling her because she's already taken the empty space on my lap. Why did I say that to her? My phone lights up and I'm determined to ignore it but reconsider when I see the name on the screen.

"Is there anything that can be done?"

"Yes, you could sue her and the doctor but she'd still get full custody because of your medical condition,"

"Thank you,"I say before hanging up. I don't have the energy to for court battle with her, I just want to be around my baby for as long as I can. I hear her snoring softly and I can't help but smile to myself. She's such an easy sleeper. I decide to go through my gallery to help remember what being happy felt like before everything. There's so many pictures of her and me, and the kids. I want to call her but she's probably better of without me in her life. I just bring chaos and ex drama into her life.

I'm not even sure whether I meant what I said to her that night or not. I decide to take her to her bed despite spending so little time with her because she has school in the morning. All I do is meet her home or drive with her to her school. Frankie hired a new driver insisting that she wanted her daughter with a professional worker. Her words not mine. If I knew better I'd say she just wanted to spy on me. "Ma'am there's someone here to see you,"she says making me arch my brows. "Mark?"I say confused about why my dad's driver is here. "It's your father Miss, he's gone,"he says confusing me. If he's gone then we can find him.

"We'll find him Mark,"

"No Miss, not this time, he's dead,"he says confirming my worst fear since I saw him. How? He's been perfectly healthy since I can remember. "What? where is he? What happened?"I ask trying to hold back my tears but my voice isn't helping. Why didn't mom call?

"He was shot at his golf practice,"

"you were with him,Why didn't you protect him?"I ask feeling my rage and he just lowers his head. I don't believe him. "I want to see him,"I say and he hesitates but I'm not taking no for answer. "No, I don't trust you so I'll drive myself,"I say and he just backs away. He's my daughter's driver not mine. I let Mark drive because I'm still trying to process what he just told me.  I try my mom's phone but it sends me straight to voicemail. We stop at a hospital I know all too well. I find mom seated by his side despite all the monitors turned off.

"Mom?"

"Sweetie,"she says walking towards me with her eyes red and puffier than ever.

"He's gone,"she says sniffling before the door opens abruptly. "Mrs Barnes we need you to sign some forms,"he says and she just kisses my forehead before following the man in a white coat outside. I walk cautiously towards his motionless body letting my tears fall freely. I reach for his hand feeling how cold it is which lets me know that he's really gone. He's the only person that doesn't hate me and actually heard me out. What do I tell Arlo? How do I even tell her? She just started adjusting to Frankie and I. What am I going to do? I let my head be filled with all the questions I've had. I kept postponing my seeing him because of how unbearable mom is and now I'll never get the chance to say I'll come see him.

I grab a few tissues from the tissue box blowing my nose because of how moist my face feels. I sit there in silence letting the childhood memories of him fill my head. "I love you dad,"I say before the door opens again with nurses walking in to probably take him away. Mom just stands outside the room with her face buried in her hands. She might be unbearable to me but dad was her love for all those years. I watch them drag him on his bed before turning to face my mom.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Don't you use that tone with me. My husband was on his deathbed and all I could think about was being by his side,"she says making my hatred for her guts burn within me. He's my dad. I walk away from them with one clear thought in mind. I need to be out of here. I hesitate before dialing but I'm gonna die anyway and she doesn't own me. "Maven? Are you okay?"she asks as if she already knows I'm not.