Page 154 of The Twisted Beats

I don’t choose the pain. I just keep letting it dress itself in love’s disguise.

“Daddy, it wasn’t like that. I swear Callum wasn’t there to cause trouble.” I lift my head from my lap while pressing an ice pack to my nose and mouth.

They made me go to the hospital, but after they ran a few tests, I was released. My parents were told to watch for more bleeding.

I’m sitting on the couch near my mom. She keeps wiping my hair away from my face as she stares down at me with concern surrounding her aura.

My dad paces before us. “Livianna, what he did could’ve gotten you killed. You’re like two semi-trucks going toward each other at a million miles an hour and hitting head-on. You’re a catastrophe waiting to happen.”

The doorbell rings and my dad stomps off to answer it.

My mom gazes down at me. “Darling, you need to see how destructive your relationship is. For Christ’s sake, he’sbeen arrested on assault charges. How much worse do you think things can get?”

“He didn’t mean to hit me.”

“But he did because he can’t control his temper. The studio said if he didn’t realize that you were hurt, they don’t think he would’ve stopped attacking that guy.”

“That idiot is a piece of shit and deserved it.”

Ms. Mayze and John appear in the living room with my dad. My heart rate spikes.

I push away from my mom and point to John. “What are you doing here?”

“Livianna, please hear me out.” He pumps his hands in a please relax gesture.

I want to scream and demand he leave, but Callum is in jail. John knows more about that situation than any of us and I want to know what’s going on. Begrudgingly, I sit next to my mom.

John motions to the other side of the couch. “Can we all gather and discuss the situation with Cash?”

My dad finds a seat next to me. “Please. We’d appreciate the details.”

Ms. Mayze and my mom have a pleasant hello, but it’s fake on my mom’s part. She’s still upset that Ms. Mayze helped get my painkiller prescription filled.

We told my parents I needed them because of the terrible cramps I was having, caused by a terrible fall I took in the mountains. I’m not sure they believe us, but they didn’t push the subject.

While Ms. Mayze was standing in the pharmacy, the tech asked her about me and my age and if she knew how powerful the medication was. Through this interaction, someone in line overheard and sold the information to the tabloids. It seems everyone wants a piece of me.

Once Ms. Mayze and John are seated across from us, John leads the conversation. “First off, Livianna, please understand I hired the man from New Year’s Eve based on your studio’s recommendation. I thought he could be trusted.”

My mom and dad exchange puzzled gazes while I remain stone-faced. I’m not going into the details of that night with anyone. It’s over and that means it’s done.

I hold the ice pack to the corner of my mouth. “Callum already explained that. What’s your point?”

“I reported what occurred to your producers. They promised they would look into it and that man would no longer be a concern to you.” John runs his palms down his pants like he’s wiping sweat off them.

“I didn’t know that part.” My defenses come down a little, but I’m still confused. “Why would he still be around the set if you did what you say?”

“When I spoke to them today, they said…” He glances at Ms. Mayze, who nods, then turns back to me. “They documented the concerns and removed him from the area when you’re there. But they had no recourse since you didn’t file a report with the hotel and there was no proof that anything happened.”

I straighten my back, bracing myself for the barrage of questioning that’s sure to follow.

My dad faces me. “What took place that night, Livianna?”

“Nothing. It was a misunderstanding.” I try to calm my breathing. “Callum and I were having a hard time communicating since he lost his phone. I went back to the hotel early. That’s it.”

Ms. Mayze gives me a sympathetic smile. “Honey, John told me and Bubba what he saw when he returned with your brother.”

I shake my head and shrug. “So?”