“Cole?” He hears her again.
“Liv?” he asks out loud, feeling a bit ridiculous.
“Hey, baby,” she says.
“Hi. How are you doing this?” Cole asks in wonder.
“Just a little trick I picked up. Close your eyes,” she says.
He closes them and he can see her smiling at him. “I have been trying to reach you for ages. Where have you been?” she asks.
He sighs. “I will tell you, but first, are you okay? Are you still locked up?”
“No, I’m out. I’m fine.”
“I wish you had told me about your father,” he says petulantly.
“I wanted to be sure before I mentioned it. It is a pretty big deal. I’ll tell you all the details later,” she says, ignoring his tone.
“Okay, but you are sure everything is fine?”
“Yes. Drake seems to be quite the tyrant. Everyone is shit scared of him, but I think I amuse him,” she says with a small chuckle.
“He is treating you well?”
“As well as I would expect, I suppose. It’s all very weird here. I’m going to stay until the day after tomorrow. There is this Coronation thing he wants me to stay for. I’ll come back after that. This morning there is this naming thing I have to go to. I’m waiting for him to come and get me,” she says.
“I need you,” he says softly.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry I’m not there. I must do this to keep you safe, but I want to as well. Tell me you understand,” she says just as softly.
It’s a demand, not a question. He wants to tell her that he doesn’t understand, that he wants her to come home right away, but instead he says, “Yeah, of course. Don’t let him treat you badly.”
“Thank you, my love. I won’t. He finds my attitude towards him a change from the norm, I think.”
“Well, give him Hell.”
“I will. I have had plenty of practice at defying authority,” she says and laughs her sweet laugh. “Are you getting on all right with…everyone?”
The pause speaks volumes. What she means is, is he getting on all right with Constantine without her there as a buffer. Every fiber of his being is screaming to tell her about the incident on the stairs, but she will only fuss and worry. “Yes. Don’t worry about us, just take care of yourself.”
“Always,” she says with a hint of arrogance that makes him smile. “Now, you had something to tell me about where you were?”
“Err, yeah. Fuck, Liv. I’m so sorry, just please know that before I tell you where I was. I miss you so much, I was going crazy. I went to see another woman,” he says in a rush and there is silence, and he can see her in his head narrowing her eyes at him.
“Okaaay,” she draws it out as she crosses her arms. “I assume you did more than just see her?”
“Yes. I fucked her, but that’s all it was. I have no feelings for her at all. I just needed a release. I’m sorry,” He bites his lip waiting for her response.
“It’s okay, b
aby. I get it. Really, I do. I know it’s difficult for you when I’m not there. Especially as you are still so new,” she says.
“You’re not mad?” he asks her, wishing just a little bit, that she was so he would know she is jealous.
“No, of course not. How can I be mad at you for doing something I have asked you to do? I’d rather you spoke to me about it first, but I know that wasn’t possible. I know you need a human you feel you have control over,” she says.
“She’s a Vampire,” he admits, the feeling of dread welling up as she isn’t going to understand, after all.