Broken Obsession - Part Two (16 page)

Leticia hated Eduardo with a passion now…no, that
wasn’t entirely true, she still loved him and it hurt her to see
him so happy living without her. “Come to see our child? Now that
your prized son has passed?” Leticia spitefully voiced, rapidly
becoming ugly. “Finally realized you had another one?”

“Can I come in?” He asked, rolling his eyes away from
hers.

“What makes you think I would let you in?” She
remarked with a sneer.

“Because as much as you hate to admit it Leticia, I
still fathered Kyra and I still have rights.”

“Rights? Huh, that’s a laugh, where were mine when
that woman stole you away from me?” Leticia maliciously expressed,
posing and arching her back.

Eduardo started to laugh at her obvious
demonstration, “Now is not the time Leticia, now can I come
in?”

“You’re never allowed back into this house!” She
snarled at him.

Eduardo was livid and was not in the mood. “Then send
my daughter outside or I will drag your ass back into court.”

Leticia hesitated; the last time Eduardo had taken
her to court, she lost full physical custody and a reduction in
alimony. She wanted no chance of that, in fact, she never could win
against a great legal mind like Eduardo’s—it was a losing game.
“You can see her on one condition.”

“You don’t hold authority to option out any
conditions Leticia, so if you and your silicone friends would just
let me pass, I would like to see my daughter.”

“You think I did this for you?” Leticia hooted,
sticking out her new breasts for him to get a better look. “How
conceited you are Eduardo! You really think you still maintain that
much persuasion?”

Eduardo let go a devastating cocky grin and brought
his eyes up and down her body, practically making love to her with
his measured erotic scrutiny. “I do.”

Leticia was breathless and signed heavily. He did,
damn him. She kicked the door open with the back of her foot then
watched as her ex-husband entered her home as if he still owned the
place.

“Where is she?”

“She’s upstairs doing her homework, I’ll call her.”
Leticia suddenly felt incredibly sorry for her nastiness a little
bit earlier and decided to rectify an out of control situation.
“...Eduardo,” she let go, feeling moisture at the back of her
throat, “I’m so sorry to hear about Peyton.”

Eduardo bent his head down and choked back his tears.
He wasn’t about to cry in front of
her
. “Thank you.”

Just then, Leticia went for him, intending on
embracing him, but Eduardo backed away from her approach.

“Don’t touch me,” he snapped back at her.

“I’m sorry, I just,” she remarked, “...I just wanted
to give you a hug.”

Eduardo stared at his ex-wife. She was a stranger to
him now. He never did love her. Leticia had gotten pregnant on
their first night together. She was a virgin at the time, and he
had no other choice but to marry her when she cried that he had
compromised her. She was just a mistake, a costly mistake, but he’s
always loved his daughter. “I’m OK Leticia.”

“No, you’re not,” she said convincingly, watching his
shoulders slump. He was about to give into her comfort when Kyra,
age ten, came skipping down the staircase.

“Daddy!” She screamed, running into his wide
arms.

Eduardo hugged his daughter with a thunderous
greeting and kissed Kyra on her forehead. She looked identical to
him with the same color hair and green eyes. She was turning out to
be such a sweet kid too. “How about spending some time with your
dad?”

“Can I mom?” Kyra asked, her green eyes widening with
anxiousness.

Leticia gazed over at Eduardo’s quizzical face.
“Sure,” she let go, feeling resentful for not being invited.

Eduardo took Kyra to the Santa Monica pier where he
knew she would enjoy herself on the Ferris wheel and carnival
rides. Later, he was over-whelmed with how mature she seemed to him
now, no longer the little girl when he last lived with her, but a
pre-teen who was into Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, text
messaging, roller blades, water slides, school, video games and, of
course, boys. And Eduardo sat there tongue-tied through most of it
while she rambled on and on about almost anything and everything
and was so amazed at how much he truly missed and how much he truly
missed being
someone’s
parent.

At the same time, Amber had the urge to visit Victor
again, and as soon as he sees her, he tells her he won’t watch her
destroy herself. Victor explained to her that she needed to go seek
medical treatment and that he wasn’t going to allow the children to
continue to see her unless she sought help.

Amber was turning into a “drunk”, a person who
required alcohol other than when socially.

Victor shook his head as he sat down. He couldn’t
believe she was still drinking.

“You need to stop,” he told her, smoothing down an
area next to him so that his pregnant wife could take a seat. Josie
was pregnant again with their second child. “Sit here baby.”

Amber eyed his wife as she hobbled on over and sat
close to him. Lowering her eyes, she looked down at the ground
before eyeing the television set. Could she do it? Stop the numbing
process that seemed to help in the beginning, but no longer did.
What else could she do or take to help cope with the throbbing?
Vodka was easy and it helped satisfy her quench to be constantly
medicated…would pills do the trick?

Amber blinked out of her daze for a moment and eyed
the television set once again. Focusing on a newsbreak, her eyes
widened on the face of her now ex-husband. It was Eduardo at a news
conference; he was being interviewed as part of a celebrity case
involving Yazmine whose trial finally began.

Victor noted Amber’s reaction to the update, “Do you
want me to change the channel?” He asked her with the remote
control already in position to do so.

Amber reached out her hand for him to stop, “No,
don’t change it. I’m over him; it doesn’t hurt so much
anymore.”

Victor let go a chuckle,
yah right
.

Amber scanned over Eduardo like just another viewer
watching a commercial...and then she sees her. The blond in the
back of him…to the right of him, actually, standing vigil, standing
proud…and clearly, the winner; Barbie and Ken come to mind, as
Amber silently watched the two on them on the television
screen.

Victor kept eyeing his ex-wife as she stared blankly
at the box.

Amber simply stared at the screen. Simply staring at
him and her…him
with
her and her heart began to pound a
little faster. Several inches shorter than Eduardo, Stacey was the
epitome of blond supremacy. Long flaxen hair, bright sky blue eyes,
tan supple skin, a voluptuous physique. She was even an
attorney—that meant she possessed a brain and simultaneously, Amber
envisioned the two of them kissing. Good Lord, the image wouldn’t
blink away! “Victor, you have something to drink?”

Victor stared at her in awe, “Beer, but you can’t
have it.”

Amber stood up then stared down at him and
contemplated raiding his refrigerator, “Why not?”

Victor stood up with her, intending on beating her to
the kitchen if she even tried, “Because Amber, look at you, you’re
a mess. You need help.”

Amber darted toward the kitchen but Victor beat her
to the frig. He hovered over the refrigerator like a pirate over
his gold. “Don’t you dare.”

Amber reached for the handle, “I need a drink! Let me
have at least one beer, please Victor, it’s only one beer!”

Victor stayed his ground, “No Amber, you need help,
I’m calling your mother.”

Amber wasn’t scared, “I don’t care, go and call
her—I’ll even give you the number! Now move away, I need a
drink.”

Victor pushed toward her and then grabbed at her
waist to drag her out of the kitchen and back into the living room.
Josie was in awe of the two of them making a spectacle of the
situation and then eyed Valentina coming in through the front of
their doorway.

“Mom!” Valentina cried, running towards her parents
and grabbing at her father’s hands to release her mom.

Victor let go of Amber instantly and Amber nearly
toppled over, but grabbed her purse before setting eyes on her
daughter. Not feeling any shame, she began her ascent toward the
front door. “If you don’t offer me a beer, then I’m leaving to the
nearest bar.”

Victor’s mouth dropped open wide. “Then go,” he ended
up saying, feeling remorseful. “But Amber, I don’t want my kids
near you if you continue to drink,” he relayed, grabbing Valentina
to his chest and giving her fatherly squeeze. “Unless you get help,
you’re no longer welcome here.”

Amber’s mouth closed up and distress returned to her
eyes. Again, her child was being taken away? Why were children
always being used as a bargaining tool?! “Fine Eduardo,” she let go
realizing immediately what she just said.

Victor guffawed, “Its
Victor
.”

Amber gazed over at the set once again and realized
that her ex and his new someone were no longer part of the news.
She bent her head down and left the house without a further
word.

“Hi, this is Madge—I’m out of country searching for a
Latin husband and plan to return in two weeks, leave a message at
the tone…”

Amber hung up the receiver and continued to stare out
the window. She had been sitting alone in the dark until a twinkle
of light beamed through from the full moon outside her window. Two
bottles of SKYY and a nearby champagne glass occupy her dresser.
She was glaring out the window; out at nothing and out at nowhere.
She was dead inside. Love, life had escaped her and she hadn’t
eaten in almost a week. She was so distraught, so depressed,
so...
tired
. She wanted to die again. Let it go. Set the pain
free. She missed Peyton, missed her two other
kids...missed...something she used to have…with that man.

She’d do anything to feel his body next to hers. Why
couldn’t he sense that she was in pain? It was all so crazy—and
maybe she had been responsible. Eduardo had moved on and it had all
been her fault—he had someone else to comfort him—all she had was
heartache.

Good Lord, why couldn’t the throbbing subside? She
had been drinking non-stop for four consecutive days and nothing
was helping!

She brought the glass up to her lips and gulped the
remaining alcohol down. It spread throughout her veins and warmed
her heart, but didn’t take away the anguish.

She closed her eyes and instantly envisioned Eduardo
holding Stacey with his long arms around her petite body. She was
so beautiful...with her long blond platinum hair, those azure eyes
flickering at the sight of Eduardo smiling down at her.

Good Lord, why couldn’t she heal! It simply wasn’t
fair. He had someone to take away
his
pain, but she didn’t
have anyone! Her mother and sister were only temporary aids, with
their words of encouragement and their love and their strength.
Amber would feel good for a few short days until her mind would
wander to when she was able to wrap her arms around the man she
once loved and hold the little boy she once adored.

Eduardo lied to her again! He said he would always
love her no matter what and that they had this connection that
would never be broken...and where was that eternal bond now? Where
was that forever love? Where was it hiding? Why’d it go away? Why
couldn’t she find it?

Amber got up only to fall to the floor and started to
bawl from the continuous torment of Eduardo kissing Stacey inside
her mind. Eduardo was bringing his hands up around her face,
leaning into her and brushing her lips so tenderly. His touch, so
divine, passion was dispensed instantly through his fingers
alone.

Stacey was kissing him; she loved him through the
night with Eduardo naked...his muscled chest heated against hers.
She was tilting her head back in ecstasy, while Eduardo drove his
pinnacle home.

Amber got up on all fours and started to crawl toward
her bathroom. She was heaving from the consistent mental pictures
and was trying to catch her breath, and trying...ever so hard...to
just...be.

Amber reached her vanity at last and like a raving
lunatic, pulled herself up and began her endless search for
something sharp. Good Lord, where was that razor blade?!

Amber started hurling combs, brushes, tooth-paste,
mirrors, curlers, makeup across the area. Searching, searching for
a Goddamn razor blade! She wanted to end it, wanted to end it
now.

Amber ran to the medicine cabinet, then started to
heave all the prescription bottles onto the floor—nothing, zero,
zilch. Goddamn Eduardo! He wouldn’t get out of her head!

She then proceeded into the closet and eyed her belts
hanging on a hanger. A belt. She could hang herself. Where? Amber
emerged out of the closet looking up and around the bathroom. The
shower? She could hang herself up on the spout. Would it hold her
weight? No. She looked across and over above her bed. The ceiling
fan, it was secure, it could hold her weight. She slowly stalked it
and stood up on the bed then wrapped the belt around one edge and
pulled down on it with all her might. Yes, definitely. It would
hold her weight.