A Happy Family

Chapter 10

Staring at the page, Vox found himself hating this script more and more. He couldn't tell, though, if the hatred was a product of the script itself, or the blue balls he was suffering from. It had been two days since Elaine had made it very clear him feeling pleasure didn't please her, and he was ready to absolutely destroy all of Hell instead. The knock on the door was a welcomed relief to the piece and he threw the papers to the desk top. "Come in." The door opened and Velvet skipped in and kicked it closed behind her. Vox instantly smiled and pushed out of his chair. "Baby Doll." Spreading his arms for her, she ran over and jumped, wrapping herself around him like a baby koala. Hugging his daughter, he rocked back and forth gently, just enjoying being able to hold her again. "I missed you, Baby Doll." She unwrapped herself from him and smiled up at him.

"I miss you too, Daddy." After a moment of them just smiling at each other she turned and moved to the couch he had in his office. Throwing herself across it, she looked up at the ceiling. "I'm actually here for another reason, not just because I love you and want to see you sometimes." He didn't know it was possible for his blood to freeze anymore, until now at least. His smile disappeared and he leaned against his desk, crossing his arms.

"Is this about that message you sent me the other day?"

"You know it's about the message, why would you even ask for confirmation on that?" She sat up and shook her head at him like he was a child. "I don't understand you. You throw him away like trash and they you keep coming back for more. Last time I checked you were down here for a lot of things, but murder was your main sin, Vox, not greed." He sighed and hung his head.

"Firstly, Velvet, I'm a producer. I was always coming here for greed no matter what else I did. Secondly, you clearly don't understand what's going on, so just... Stay out of it." Pushing off the desk, he crossed the room to one of the many monitors that lined the walls and started watching the people on screen.

"You dumped Val because you're a coward who couldn't actually handle him. And now that you're gone and he's doing better than ever and you regret your decision. Problem is, you're too egotistical to admit that you fucked up so you're trying to sneak around and have both at the same time. The pretty girl to show off to the public who clearly does nothing for you, and the one person in all of Hell you actually love." Vox turned to look at her and found her lounging on the couch in a pose reminiscent of Val. Her legs were stretched out, crossed, foot tapping, while she leaned on the back and stared at him. And the smile was a small smirk now accompanied with a knowing stare. "How close am I?" Rolling his eyes he moved to sit opposite her.

"Not even. I didn't break up with Val because I couldn't handle him, Vel, I broke up with him because I was done handling him." She rolled her eyes at him.

"You fucking liar. You chickened out on him and ran away like a dog with his tail between your legs!"

"That's not what happened Velvet."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you really did just decide that you didn't love him anymore. He gave you all this time and so many chances to tell him that and you lied to him every fucking day, Vox!"

"That is not what-"

"Than what is it?!" She jumped off the couch now. "What, is your new girls pussy that good?! Or did you just change your mind?! How can you sit there and use him like this when you don't love him anymore?!" The rage built up as she screamed at him and he tried to interject but she wouldn't stop in her merciless assault. "So what?! Did you always just think of him as a whore?!"

"I still love him!" He screamed the words and she stopped. He was shaking, barely breathing, he didn't want to do this. He was so close to crying it made his whole screen hurt. Moving to the couch, he dropped himself on the cushions and hung his head. "You don't get it, Velvet. I love him more than anything." She sat back down beside him, but he never felt her eyes leave him. "But when you love someone that much, and you spend all your time telling them that they're gorgeous and that you love them, only to have it be met with doubt... it hurts." He felt the spark of the emotions roiling inside of him and he knew that if he looked up, every screen in his office would have changed. Changed to a memory he'd recorded over the last four decades of Val in all kinds of ways. Val happy, Val sad, angry, confused, eating, dancing, lost in the throughs of their love making. And there were a lot of screens in his office, and yet there still weren't enough. He felt her looking around the room at the screens before he felt her slide off the couch. He glanced up at her and saw her walking around the room with a look of awe.