Secret Smiles and Three Little Words Pt. 36

She watched from the corner of her eye. She saw it building on his face and she reveled in it.

"Yes," she said in between grunts of her thrusts. "Give it to me Sir! Please! Give it to me! Fill me with your cum!"

With a growl and a plant of his mouth over hers he spilled into her, his body flooding hers with hot shots of passion. His cock bucking against her soft folds of her sex, while her sex greedily gripped and milked every drop of him. He laid his body across hers, their breathing sharp and rapid. Matching their lovemaking.

He released her very reluctantly, and she laid there while he gently rubbed her body. Her muscles loosening as he gently massaged away her fatigue brought on by her mind numbing orgasms. It didn't matter that she was working out daily now. Trying to lose that last ten pounds before the wedding. Ten pounds he argued she didn't need to lose. Her body still felt completely exhausted after each and every one of their sessions. He just completely wore her out!

Now she laid there as he gently kneaded the stiffness away. His lips still hovering on her skin from time to time as he couldn't stop tasting her it seemed. She let him. Without a complaint or care in the world.

***

Chapter 48

"Hey Dad," Livy smiled as she opened the door fully to let him in.

"Hey baby," he smiled kissing his daughter on the cheek. "There she is!" Al called out as Nora came to him in a dead sprint then leapt into his arms.

"Grandpa!" she screeched through the air.

"How's my girl?" he asked hugging her.

"Great!" Nora exclaimed as she bounced in his arms.

"Poker again tonight?" Al asked looking at Livy. She nodded. "I can't believe you are shearing the shepherds!" He mocked about her constant victories on Thursday night against the religious leaders of the town.

"Hey, I'm on a mission from God!" Livy teased.

"Or Satan," Al joked.

"Now you sound like Mom!" Livy warned with a playful smile.

"Ouch!"

"How's everything going there?" Livy asked carefully trying to mask the adult question from her daughter.

"The same," Al frowned. This made Livy shake her head. Her parent's marriage was still on the rocks then. "Don't you worry about it!" Al demanded, lifting her chin with his finger.

"How could I possibly not worry about it?" Livy gasped. "Everything I touch if falling to pieces! I'm worse than Schleprock!"

"This is not about you," Al said firmly. "This is all about her."

"Dad!" Livy shook her head.

"This is not your doing," Al said again. Livy wiped her tear away before Nora saw it. She shook her head to disagree with him.

She closed the door after they left and rested her forehead on the wood. She had ended her marriage, because of it, her parents were now in constant fight mode. Her older sisters were shunning her. They had not spoken to her in weeks, they were not returning her phone calls or her invitations for dinner or lunch. Neither of them had even come to see her apartment.

Her mother hadn't spoken to her since the night she kicked her out of the apartment. And if that wasn't enough, her feelings for her priest were not waning as she hoped. If anything they were growing. He knew it too, she could tell by the guilt on his face as he tried to just be her spiritual advisor. Each and every innocent touch had them both thinking thoughts they shouldn't be having.

She thought about just leaving the poker games, limiting her interactions with Father Jack with just Mass on Sunday, but each time she would spend the first part of the week convincing herself to stay away, only to go to Wednesday night Catechism classes and see him there, which blew her plans to stay away to smithereens.

If there could be anything that could possibly put more stress on her she couldn't think of it! Her world was a façade! She smiled and assured Jack she was fine, when she wasn't. She smiled when her father would ask if she was ok about her sisters, she wasn't. Then when Jack asked about her parents she smiled the lie to him as well. When Alex would ask about her new life in the Catholic Church, she would lie there as well.

Her life was one big mess, and she had no idea on how to clean it up. She had no idea how move amongst the problems of her life. It was bearing down on her like an avalanche of regret. One decision seemed to wreck her entire life. Maybe this was actually a punishment from God for breaking her vow. Perhaps Jack had it wrong. Father Jack she reminded herself. She sat in front of the door and cried.

She picked up her phone and called Alex. She needed a pick me up, and Alex seemed the only one who could provide it.

"Hello?" Gavin's voice came over the line.

"Hey Gavin," Livy smiled at his deep voice. A man who made her sister smile.

"Hey Liv, what's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" Livy asked.

"Your voice," he said firmly.

"You can tell something is wrong by two words?" Livy asked, astonished.

"Yes," he said simply.

"How is Alex doing with the wedding stuff?" Livy asked trying to dodge his concern.

"I figure Maddy will have her in an asylum before it is all said and done," Gavin told her with a chuckle. "Now, stop changing the subject...what's wrong?"

"Impossible men," Livy smiled.

"We are," Gavin agreed. "How can I help?"

"I don't think there is anything you can help with," Livy said with a sigh, wiping the tear away.

"Livy," Gavin began slowly. "I know you still think the problems you have are your doing, but they are not! You deserve happiness. One day you are going to find a man that makes you smile with the mere mention of his name. That's what you deserve."

"What if I find this illusion of a man you speak of and he's taken?" Livy asked as she let her head drop back with a thud to the door.

"You mean Jack?" Gavin asked carefully.

"What did my sister tell you?" Livy asked her face draining.

"Nothing," Gavin smiled. "I have talked to you enough to know you have feelings for him. It is obvious to me, because I see your sister talk about me the same way. The same tone of voice."

"What kind of horrible person am I that I have eyes for the town priest?" Livy asked him in disbelief.

"It makes you human," Gavin corrected. "Not horrible. You can't stop love, it's an emotion beyond control."

"So I'm damned?"

"Not at all," Gavin disagreed. "I'm just afraid you might get hurt again if he chooses his service to God over you. Is that what you want?"

"No. What I really want, is to become numb, to stop thinking, to stop caring," Livy told him. "Most of all I want to stop crying! I want to become the lie I have painted for my daughter! To stop crying in front of her!"

"Don't you do that!" Gavin growled. "This world has enough monsters, enough anger, enough racism, enough hatred and enough apathy! What it doesn't have enough of is humanity! Don't stop being human! Crying means you are human, that you need help, that you have a heart!"

"Thanks Gavin," Livy smiled. "I'm so glad my sister found a good man!"

"Who is this man you speak of?" Gavin mocked angrily. "I shall have his head on a platter!"

"You goof," Livy laughed. "If you weren't so perfect for each other I would feel sorry for you having to marry my sister!"

"See, just like a man," Gavin teased. "I'm lying and cheating to steal the perfect woman from mankind!"

"Speak of the Devil," Gavin chuckled. "Here is Faust." There was a shuffling as he handed the phone to Alex.

"Hey!" Alex greeted happily

"Faust?" Livy laughed.

"Don't ask!" Alex growled.

"Oh no! That has to be explained!" Livy demanded. Her heart lightening with the story Alex spun and the words Gavin said to her. A temporary reprieve from the avalanche of guilt she was buried in almost constantly now.

***

"Hey Dad!" Livy smiled as she watched her father and Nora come up the sidewalk. "Hey Baby!" Livy said squatting down to take her daughter in for a hug. But this hug was different. Nora didn't wrap her arms around her mother like she normally did. She didn't squeeze her.

"You ok?" Livy asked, her face showing her concern. Nora didn't answer except with a single nod. Livy looked up to her father who shrugged as he watched the scene.

"Well, guess what? I won you some more money for you college fund!" Livy said excitedly as she gently shook her daughter's hips.

"Thanks Mom," Nora said with little emotion.

Livy felt her daughter's forehead, checking for a fever, because this was not the normal Nora behavior. She hoped she wasn't coming down with some sort of bug.

"You feeling ok?" Livy asked her daughter again.

"Yes Mother, I'm fine," Nora said staring at the ground.

"Ok baby," Livy choked out. The robotic name 'mother' caused her skin to crawl. She had never heard Nora call her that. "Why don't you go inside and brush your teeth and get ready for bed."

Livy watched over her shoulder as her daughter maneuvered around her and went inside. She looked up at her father and stood.

"I don't know," Al said, answering Livy's questioning eyes. "She was fine all night!"

"Then what's up?" Livy asked him. Al shrugged. "Something happened! That's not Nora's normal behavior!"

"I agree," Al nodded. "She was that way when she came home from getting ice cream with Marylyn."

"Did Mom say something happened?" Livy asked holding her stomach.

"No," Al said softly. "I just..."

"What?" Livy questioned when he stopped talking.

"Nora was fine, her normal rambunctious self...then she goes for ice cream and comes back...well that!" Al said pointing to the open door that Nora disappeared through.

"But Mom didn't say anything?"

"No, she didn't," Al affirmed. "Look it's probably nothing." Al said knowing they both knew that was a lie. The energetic girl could not be calmed down without an animal tranquilizer. She ran constantly. She talked constantly. She was always 100 miles an hour until sleep hit her.

***

Livy hardly slept, the concern for Nora kept her walking in and checking on her in the night. When the alarm went off the next morning, Livy drug herself out of bed and into Nora's room only to find the girl already up and dressed.

"You're up!" Livy tried to smile to keep things normal. Nora nodded. Dammit, Livy snarled to herself when her normal chatter box daughter didn't talk. "Have you bathed?" Livy asked her. Nora shook her head.

"Baby you can't go all day without bathing, back to the bathroom and let's take a quick bath," Nora nodded and pushed away from the table.

Running the bathwater Livy checked the temperature of the water. When she turned she gasped. On Nora's tiny arm were distinct bruises, just above the elbow.

"Nora!" Livy barked. "What happened to your arm?" Livy was on her in a flash as Nora tried to cover up the purple bruises with her small hand.

"Nothing," Nora lied.

"Absolutely not!" Livy told her pulling her hand away. "Where did you get these?"

Nora shook her head and shrugged.

"Nora!" Livy said exasperatingly.

"It's ok Mommy, she didn't mean to!" Nora tried to defend.

"Someone did this to you?" Livy asked, the air leaving her lungs with the statement from her daughter. Livy's lip trembled and her stomach twisted. Nora nodded. "Who?"

"Daddy's girlfriend," Nora whispered.

"What?" Livy was beside herself now.

"Are you mad at me Mommy?" Nora asked her with tears filling her eyes.

Livy took her shaking daughter in her arms and held her tightly. The tears running down her face, the fear being replaced with anger, then remorse.

"No, absolutely not!" Livy assured her. "You have done nothing wrong!" She kissed her daughter multiple times and found Nora crying too. The two just sat on the floor of the bathroom holding each other, sharing their tears and their comfort with one another.

"I need you to tell me the truth, I want to know what happened," Livy said after a good cry.

Nora explained what had happened, Livy seethed with every word her daughter said. She hoped that the anger that was coursing through her was not coming out and worrying her daughter but there was no way to keep the anger back. No way, no how!

***

Livy nearly blasted through her parent's front door. Her anger boiling over and spilling out, destroying everything she touched.

"Where is she?" Livy growled at her father who could only look to his daughter stunned and confused at the anger exploding from her.

"Your mother is in the kitchen," Al said looking upon Livy as if she would attack him at any moment. Livy blew by him headed for the kitchen and Al hurried to catch up with her. Slamming through the swinging door causing it to hammer the counter behind it causing Marylyn to jump at the sudden explosive sound.

"What did I say?" Livy yelled, her face red with anger.

"What?" Marylyn mumbled as she saw the rage in her daughter's eyes.

"What did I say?" Livy repeated her voice cracking with tears and anger. "I said my daughter was not to be taken over to Don's house! I can't believe you directly disrespected my wishes!"

"I...I...," Marylyn began to stutter, shocked at the rage.

"That cunt hurt my NORA!" Livy raged vehemently. Stalking her mother around the table which her mother was trying to keep between them. "I fucking said not to take her there, but you let her get hurt! You did this to her!" Livy tossed her phone to the table with a clatter as Al took his daughter in his arms to keep her from attacking her mother.

Marylyn carefully picked up the phone and saw the picture on it, the distinct bruises easily seen.

"No," Marylyn tried to say in defense. "This must have happened sometime when she was playing!"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Livy screamed as she struggled against her father's hold. The defense her mother tried to come up enraging her, an attempt to blame Nora. Marylyn looked to Al who was doing all he could to keep Livy at bay. Suddenly Livy collapsed to the floor sobbing as Al fell to the floor with her.

"How could you?" Livy kept repeating as Al held her tightly. "You let my Nora get hurt! You fucking bitch! You fucking bitch! You hurt my Nora!"

"I didn't, I didn't!" Marylyn defended looking at the picture as it blurred in her tears.

The scream filled the kitchen and Livy was gone from Al's grip as she suddenly changed direction and ran from the house. Al tried to go after her, but Livy was gone with a bark of the tires.

Al came back in and glared at his wife as she stared at the phone while she sat at the table.

"What did Livy tell you to do?" Al asked her. His arm screaming in pain. His chest crushing in on itself.

"She said Nora wasn't to see her father," Marylyn whispered. Al clutched his chest as he struggled with his breath.

"Why did you take her then?" Al growled with raspy breath.

"We raised our daughter better than that!" Marylyn tried to defend her actions. "He loves his daughter, he wants to see her!"

"Fuck you," Al hissed. "Livy is in control of Nora's future! Don wanted nothing to do with her, he only wanted that little bitch of whore he knocked up!"

"I'm sorry!" Marylyn tried.

"You haven't even scratched the surface of being sorry!" Al threatened. His body becoming rigid as he grabbed his keys from the counter.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"After our daughter, where else would I go?" Al screamed at her suddenly causing her to jump. He turned and slammed his hand through the door. "That's it, you had better hope Livy forgives you! If not, this marriage is over! I can't believe your stupidity and pride allowed our little Nora to get hurt! I will never, ever, forgive you for that!"

Marylyn let her head fall to the table as she sobbed.

***

"Marylyn," Don's face was as surprised as his voice.

"Where is she?" Marylyn barked.

"She's gone," Don said dropping his head. "She told me today, the baby isn't mine, and she left me for the real father." Don dropped the bombshell.

"What?" Marylyn gasped.

"She lied to us," Don said as they stood there in the doorway. "It belongs to another man."

"Oh my heavens!" Marylyn said her tears falling from her eyes.

"My whole life, a shambles," Don cried. "I lost Livy, Nora and now her."

Marylyn looked up at him.

"Come with me," Marylyn demanded. "We need to see Rev. Sellers!"

Don nodded and followed Marylyn to her car. He couldn't think anymore. He couldn't believe he had destroyed everything for a woman who didn't love him and a child that wasn't his.

***

The social worker came out with the plain clothes police officer. Livy stood as did Al who finally caught up with Livy as she sobbed at a stop light with people blaring their horns at her as she cried while the light was green. She just couldn't go anymore.

"How is she?" Livy asked softly.

"She's fine, she told us everything," the social worker said sitting the mother back down. "She overheard a phone call between your ex-husband's fiancée and someone else. She didn't hear everything but it sounds like she heard that your ex isn't the father of her baby. She found Nora listening and took her by the arm and shook her telling her not to say anything."

"Oh my God!" Livy gasped. "How did I let that happen?"

"Livy!" Al scolded. "You did not do this!"

"I'm her mother! I supposed to protect her from the monsters!" Livy sobbed into her hands.

"Livy," Al said firmly pulling her face to his. "You did not do this! She did! He allowed it! But that little bitch did this! No one else!"

"I'm supposed to protect her!" Livy continued to cry. "If I can't protect her, I'm worthless! I don't deserve to be her mother!" Al pulled her in his arms and held her. He knew she would not listen to reason right now. Not with all that was swirling around her.

"What now?" Al asked.

"We will question the ex," the officer said. "And the fiancée. If we find this is true, then I'm suggesting an order of protection be sworn out."

"Ms. Lasko?" the officer said softly touching her hand. "You will need to file charges on your daughter's behalf for this to go any further."

"What will happen?" Livy asked.

"If we find out this is true?" the officer asked. Livy nodded.

"If that is the case, the fiancée will be charged with battery of a minor, and anyone that put her in that position may be liable as well," the officer said gently.

"My mother?" Livy asked.

"Possibly," the officer nodded. "If she knew this woman was a danger, yes, she will be liable."

Livy looked to her father who nodded at her.

"Do it," Al said for his daughter. "Nail anyone who hurt our Nora!" The officer nodded as Livy buried her face and howled tears as she agreed with a nod.

***

Livy opened her apartment door, she had spent the better part of the afternoon crying. Crying for allowing Nora to get hurt. Her father had tried to assure her that she was a good mother, but it had fallen on deaf ears. Livy was not about to absolve herself from her inability to protect Nora. It had destroyed her to her very core.

Seeing her mother standing outside of her apartment made her want to scream, the second thought was to punch her mother so hard that all her frustrations would relieve themselves.

"What do you want?" Livy scowled instead.

Her mother tilted her head sympathetically.

"I would have never allowed Nora to go over there if I felt she was in danger!" Marylyn tried to defend.

"I told you she wasn't to go over there at all!" Livy reminded.

"I have done a pretty good job at raising kids! I should know if someone is in danger!" Marylyn continued.

"Obviously you are wrong!"

"Are you going to make your mother stand outside?" Marylyn asked as Livy hadn't moved from the doorway.