Live In Position (16 page)

Victoria and I were in the middle of scooping chocolate chip cookies onto a tray when Dr. Bishop walked into the kitchen. He stopped, glanced around the room, and then focused on Victoria.

"What’s on her face?"

I cleared my throat.

"I, uh, think its fake tanning spray." I bit my lip.

"Why the hell is she wearing that?" His icy green emeralds focused on me.

"Grace did it." Victoria spoke up and shifted her body closer to mine. I snapped my eyes to her and then back to Dr. Bishop.

"You mean your mother." Dr. Bishop's brow furrowed.

Victoria rolled her eyes and picked the spoon back up to scoop cookie dough.

"Miss Ashwood?"

I knew what he was asking.

"Um…it seems Victoria doesn't want…isn't co
mfortable calling Grace, mom."

"Victoria, is this true?" His eyes darted
to her and he stepped closer.

She nodded.

"Why is that?"

She shrugged.

"That's not a proper answer."

Victoria dropped the spoon into the bowl of cookie dough and slapped her hands to the marble counter top.

"I didn't want her." She growled out. "I didn't ask her to come back."

Dr. Bishop's eyes widened and then shifted to my face. I only hoped he could
I was as shocked as he.

"Well
," he cleared his throat, "She’s your mother and she is back."

"And what if I don't want her to be?" Victoria shot back. I could see the tears
swelling in her eyes. "She doesn't care about me." Instinctively I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me.

"Do
not
talk about your mother that way!" He scolded and stepped even closer. "She cares about you very much. She came back for you."

"G-r-a-c-e did not come back for me." Victoria growled back.

"What's going on?" Grace stepped into the kitchen. She’d obviously the yelling.

"Nothing." Dr. Bishop straightened up and glared from Victoria to me.

"It doesn't sound like nothing. I demand to know –"

"We wer
e trying to figure out why you’re back, Grace." Victoria sounded so much like Allison it made me nervous.

"I’
m your mother. You will
not
talk to me in that manner." She huffed.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Right." She picked the spoon back up and turned her attention to me. "Can I put more on or is the tray full?"

I looked down at her still in shock.

"Collin, I believe we need to discuss some sort of punishment. Don't you?"

Dr. Bishop didn't speak, he just stared at Victoria and then at me when I answered her.

"This one's full, why don't you grab another tray out of the drawer." I pointed behind us and turned my attention and eyes down to the counter.

"Collin!" Grace yelled.

He snapped his attention away from me to her. She huffed.

"Perhaps we should think about letting Sophia go."

I looked up at her,
confusion and astonishment racing through my incoherent thoughts. What had I done?

"What are you talking about?" Dr. Bishop furrowed his brow.

"Well, I’m home mostly all day now, so she’s unnecessary." She shrugged with a look of disgust.

"Daddy?"
Tears threatened to spill over Victoria’s round, flushed cheeks.

"Victoria, this isn't your concern." Grace spat.

I pulled Victoria into my arms to comfort her.

"Grace, I think you’
re overreacting." Dr. Bishop said coolly.

"Why can't you get rid of her Collin? Is there something going on?" She started yelling.

Dr. Bishop's face filled with fury. He pointed his long pale finger and she flinched away.

"I've been putting up with a lot since you left and e
ven more since you’ve returned. Don't make accusation of my behavior when yours is still in question."

I squeezed Victoria tighter and lifted her into my arms. Turning off the oven I moved quickly to get her out of the kitchen and away from their argument.

Victoria let me place her on her bed and then leave to clean up the cookies before they went bad. Reaching the doorway to the kitchen I realized they were still in the there.

"Grace, this
–"

"Don't you dare
, Collin! Don't!" Grace was slowly unraveling. "I came back for you, because I love you. I will not let some little tramp –"

I
spun around trying to get away, but the timer on the oven started beeping, effectively cutting off Grace. Cursing under my breath, I moved to hit the off switch.

"Is this about her?" I snapped my head around and was thankful she wasn't talking about me. I breathed in relief and headed
for the closest exit.

"Of course it is! She’s
our daughter and you don't seem to care much about that fact. Ms. Ashwood is closer to her than you!" He spat, grabbed my arm, and pointed at me.

"Oh and you’
re so close to her, Collin?" She snorted. "How dare you condemn me for something you’re the master? Do you know how cold you are toward her? To me?"

"
You left," He shouted, not letting go of me. I flinched.

"I came back!"

"This isn't working Grace." He said in defeat.

His hand was still on my arm and holding tightly. The heat and pulsating flowing at our point of contact seemed to int
ensify with each passing moment. Right now each moment felt like an hour.

"I said I would try, but you haven't been very forthcoming
on why you left and where you’ve been. I don't see the point in –"

"Don't you dare end this
, Collin Bishop! You’ll regret it if you do!" She took multiple steps toward him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"There isn't anything more you could do to me. You've been pretty thorough." He snarled through clenched teeth. His grip tightened on my arm.

I finally got bold enough to try pulling his fingers from around my arm. I was prying at his fingers when Grace dropped the bomb.

"She may not even be your daughter," She snorted.

I froze and Dr. Bishop's hand gripped even harder.

"What?" He hissed. I began prying at his fingers once I unfroze, desperate to get the hell out of the kitchen.

"You heard me. There was someone else in college." She shrugged. "It was one night, but I shortly found out I was pregnant. She could be yours, but honestly, she doesn't look much like you, does she?" She smirked and turned.

"Don't walk away from me,
" He shouted.

She laughed, she
freaking laughed. The woman was a crazy harpy from hell. I pried at his fingers more, finally getting him to release my arm. I took one step back.

"Get out of my house! Now!"

"Fine! I'll collect my things and my daughter!" She turned around to walk out of the kitchen.

Dr. Bishop didn't say anything, nothing
at all. I wanted to smack him in the head and tell him to stop her. But he didn't move, he didn't speak, and his face was sullen. He was lost. I groaned and took a deep breath, trying to build up my courage. I took two steps toward Grace.

"Don't you go near her," I snarled.

Grace spun on her heels with fury in her eyes.

"Say something. Do something. Don't let her
take your daughter." I shouted at a still frozen Dr. Bishop.

"She's not mine." He growled and glared.

"Bullshit! That little girl," I pointed up, "only knows
you
as her father. You’re the only parent she’s ever had. You can't take that away from her! You, Collin,
are
her father! Regardless of genetics or what a blood test says."

His glared intensified.

"You need to stay out things that don't concern you." Grace shouted and I turned back to her.

"Well, if he won't say anything, I sure as hell
won’t stand by and let you destroy that little girl!" I stepped up, face to face. "You’re a selfish bitch. You left her behind, didn't care enough to take care of your daughter and watch what an amazing little girl she grew to be."

She opened her mouth,
fury in her eyes.

"Shut up! You've said enough." I growled and took another step
forward. She backed.

The
wrath boiling inside of me was a new feeling. My protective nature intensified to protect the little girl upstairs.

"You waltz back in here to play dress up and live the life, but you just leave that poor little girl in the background unless you need an ornament!"

I rubbed my hands over my face angrily before I continued. Another step toward Grace and she took another step back.

"You can leave anytime you want, but you will not touch her!"

"She’s my daught –"

"You may be
her biological incubator, but you’re nowhere near worthy of calling yourself a mother, let alone
her
mother," I screeched.

"Agghhh!"
I screamed, chest heaving, nostrils flared.

"Why is Victoria
treated like an exotic plant around here? You show her when the appearance is necessary, you dress her up, and you push her away until she’s needed or
has
to be dealt with. It's ridiculous!"

My rage found
Dr. Bishop again.

"Are you going to say anything, do anything?"

It was a new experience to see widened eyes and shock on his face, but when he didn't respond all I could do was sigh heavily and roll my eyes.

"Like I should really expect
you
to do anything where Victoria is concerned." Disgust dripped from my words.

I pushed
by Grace harshly and headed up the stairs. Shortly after I climbed the stairs, Grace appeared at the top of the steps and looked at me. Standing in front of Victoria's door, I leaned against the doorway with my arms crossed.

"Keep walking." I growled.

She blinked at me and then narrowed her eyes, but she didn't say another word.

Entering Victoria's room I saw the
look on her face and knew she’d heard the yelling. I grabbed her into my arms and held her. She didn't cry or say anything. I only hoped she didn’t hear the words spoken in the kitchen. Eventually we both fell asleep on her bed.

I woke up to a pitch black room. After tucking her
in with her rag doll, I kissed her head and whispered an apology.

Pulling
out my suitcases, I was pretty sure my outburst would also be my termination. Knowing there would be a knock coming on my door, I lay on the couch unable to sleep.

Not knowing when I’
d finally drifted off to sleep, I was roused by a loud knock on my door. I sat up groggily and rubbing my eyes. The knocking came again. I sighed and gave a quick look at the clock on the opposite wall, four twenty-three in the morning. Well, I guess if I'm going to have to pack up and leave I might as well do it before Victoria wakes up.

Squaring my shoulders, I turned the knob
and took a deep breath. In front of me stood the sight of a broken man, a sight I’d never imagined seeing – a disheveled Dr. Bishop. I furrowed my brow, swallowed hard, and licked my dry lips to speak.

"I apologize for my
–" before I could finish the first sentence, his hand flew forward toward me. I flinched and closed my eyes tight. He grabbed the back of my head.

My eyes snapped open as he stumbled into my room and pulled my face to his.
Swallowing hard he leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine. My hands reflexively shot out in front of me, but they now pressed against his chest, pushing him back.

"D...Dr. Bishop?" I whispered.

"Shhh," I could smell liquor on his breath.

"Dr. Bishop
–" His lips crashed to mine forcefully and pushed us into the room.

I froze for a moment, until the slamming of my door snapped me out of it.

His mouth was pressed against mine. His other hand pressed against my lower back, pressing my body against his.

The feel of his body
caused me to gasp. He took the opportunity to slip his whiskey flavored tongue into my mouth. My eyes widened, but at the same time my body screamed out in want. I shook it off and pulled my face away.

"Dr. Bishop, you shouldn’t –
"

Without a word
he pulled my mouth back to his, licking and sucking on my bottom lip. I struggled with the unwanted and inappropriate lust for this extremely attractive man. My struggle distracted me from our destination.