Novels by Barbara Rose

The morning had come to a rather slow end, her conversation with Blaze dying out and seemingly taking all that strange tension with it as it went. They hated to admit it, but as much as they could have liked to worry and set things right before they had a chance to go wrong, they couldn't. It was simply out of their control. Yes, it may have felt like there was some sort of threat looming around them with trouble hidden around every corner of this house - because, in a way, there was. With all their surprise house guests around, sometimes it almost felt as if they were sleeping in enemy territory.It was a feeling Blaze hated, but just as Liviana had said, what could he do about it? They hadn't done anything wrong, and if they hadn't done anything wrong, then how could he justify punishing them? He couldn't. And so, he was forced to wait and dread the day that everything about this would change. Until then, they were forced to ignore the problem and move on with their lives.It was

The conversation went as well as either could've hoped, as pointless as the pair expected it to be. At least, as pointless as she thought it'd be. Blaze, on the other hand, couldn't have been more disappointed. "Nothing?" he asks, voice straining with the tell of his exhausted frustration. "All this time, and that's what we've come up with? Nothing?"At her all too telling silence, the man scoffs a rather bitter breath, head shaking as he casts his sight away. Ouch. Liviana couldn't help but to flinch at the action. It was exactly the reaction she feared and what she spent the morning - not to mention the entire night before - trying to avoid... Blaze couldn't even look at her."You've got to be fucking kidding me-""I'm sorry," she cuts him off with a murmured apology, head sinking with her shoulders, hanging low in her shame. This is what she feared would happen, what she had been trying to avoid all along, prolonging this first step in which she loses him for good. Sure, he was

Before she knew it, and much faster than either cared to acknowledge, two hours had flown by and the two were soon forced to sit and face the intimidating discussion that, in all honesty, they couldn’t have dreaded more.Their morning had come to an end and there was no more running from it, no more avoiding their responsibility. They had matters to attend to, people to see and to discuss - people to punish.In order to place blame and punish anyone, there was a conversation to be had, precautions they needed to take. And so, for better or for worse, Liviana and Blaze sat down and got to work.At least, they tried to. But it turned out to be something much easier said than done, and even Blaze found himself struggling to strike up the conversation.The two sat quietly, the surrounding air packed with the tension of all those things that have gone unsaid. Questions, answers, accusations, and everything in between.Yet, despite the lingering words lost between them, neither could seem t

The night that started off as slow was anything but the moment her emotions started to roll. What started off as questionary, awkward, soon turned into something worse, something vulnerable. And that was her undoing.Livi hated it. Hated the feeling, the way it all unraveled, how she let it. She hated it so much that she began to feel as though she preferred the tension to the sensitivity, almost wanting to cling to it like some sort of shield, as if that could protect her from what was coming, what needed to be said, done.Of course, it couldn't. It all came crumpling down before she had so much as a chance to harvest it, use it. And then, just like that, she found herself back in his arms, the one place she shouldn't be, exactly where she didn't deserve to be.Being held by him was a luxury she almost couldn't afford. The safety he offered her, the comfort and the understanding, the pure kindness that came with the action of being wrapped up in his essence, was nearly too much. Much

One night.It was a deal Liviana made with herself, intending to enjoy the last bit of her husbands whiskey before climbing into the bed she prayed she would never have to leave - the outside world was just too dreadful and she couldn't handle the thought of having to face it again. So, for as long as she was allowed to, she was going to avoid it. She was going to crawl into bed and hide under the covers, and wait for the moment she could retreat into the world of her dreams.Fortunately, that moment was forced to wait when her husband decided to join her. He had strutted into the room with that sour question, "are you okay?" And in all honesty, she wasn't. She knew it, and he knew it too. He knew because he was just as exhausted as she was, just as miserable. And nothing sounded better than to drown in it with her by his side, washing down the bitter taste with a glass of whiskey and letting the sound of her voice drown out his woes. It was the perfect ending to a perfectly awful day

"You owe me."The words ring loudly in her head like some kind of siren, a warning and a reminder of her worst mistakes. And it was all because of one stupid party.Little Livi's heart drops and she's leaping toward her sister once again at the feeling, latching onto the older girl who offers a sense of safety despite her earlier harshness.Emilia is quick to return the sentiment, her free hand coming to rest over Liviana's that holds tightly onto her arm. She pulls her closer, the two taking a swift step back as she does so."Oh, my God- Dad!" Emilia gasps, wide eyes locking onto her dad's dark ones. She could already see it in there. The way the cogs spun in his brain, the anger that lurked beneath the green, something that she was sure was doing nothing more than fueling on some ridiculous plan, some way to spin this in his favor.Of course, she was right."What's going on here?" Alonzo questions, eyes bouncing between the two teenaged girls with a cold, calculating gaze. It was sh