You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 856

“Amazing. He actually took the bait.”

Alex flicked his lighter, the click echoing through the room. He was sprawled on the couch, cigarette hanging from his lips, not quite lit, not quite out. He smoked a lot and had no plans to quit. Still, with a pregnant woman around, he showed some restraint.

“I figured he’d at least think things through,” Alex said.

“Apparently someone called him. Any idea who got him riled up?”

Oliver picked an orange from the fruit bowl, rolling it in his hand. “His dad.” He didn’t even hesitate.

It wasn’t a hard guess. Grace and Aaron storming out of the house always meant a fight, and the reason was always Nick. When parents argued over their kid, they usually dragged him into it. Best case, he’d get a lecture. Worst, a beating.

“You figured that out already?” Alex asked.

Oliver grabbed a tissue, wrapped it around the orange, and started peeling it along the lines. It was the easy kind, the kind Patricia liked these days. She’d gone from craving spicy food to sour, so Oliver was basically a pro at peeling oranges and tangerines by now.

“Wasn’t hard,” he said, dropping the peel on the table. “Are the arrangements set? Don’t make it obvious.”

Derek grinned. “You ever seen me slip up? Relax.”

He held out his hand. “Share that orange, will you?”

Oliver shot him a dry look. “What’s up, you pregnant too?”

Cooper burst out laughing and Derek kicked him under the table.

Oliver took the peeled orange and walked out to the balcony, handing it to Patricia.

The racetrack was loud, people shouting, horses ready at the starting line. Patricia took the orange, but she didn’t look hungry at all. She gave Oliver a sad little look.

Mr. Padilla tried to coax her. “Just eat a little. It’s good for vitamin C.”

Jenny watched and clicked her tongue. “Oliver’s so thoughtful.”

“Was Derek any less caring when you were pregnant?” Oliver asked.

Jenny grinned, deliberately teasing. “Being a young dad and being an older dad are worlds apart.”

Patricia had just put an orange segment in her mouth when Jenny’s “older dad” line made her choke. She covered her mouth, coughing hard.

Oliver immediately wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her back to help.

Jenny ran inside and came back with a box of tissues, passing it to Oliver. After a minute, Patricia’s coughing finally eased.

Everyone stood at the railing, looking out over the track. Oliver squeezed her waist gently and pointed out, “Number three, that’s Uncle Emerson’s youngest, Nick.”

“Is that the one Mom…?” Patricia started. She remembered Lydia’s words about Nick — reckless, spoiled, always getting into trouble, maybe even something worse.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Oliver confirmed.

“What’s he doing out there?”

“Gamblers always believe they’ll win big. He’s no different.”

The racetrack was dangerous. Everyone had to sign a waiver before riding. If Nick wanted to play, he had to accept the risk.

Patricia had a bad feeling. “So the drama you mentioned today… it’s him?”

Oliver nodded, glancing down at her. He was about to say more when a gunshot fired from the track and Patricia jumped in surprise.

Without thinking, she pressed her hand to her belly.

Patricia quickly covered his mouth with her hand, mortified.

Was he crazy? Did he really just say that out loud?

She scolded him. “Keep your voice down. Don’t say anything weird out here.”

“If I can’t say weird things, at least let me get something in return. I’ve been starving lately, Pattie…”

Suddenly, someone yelled, “Nick!”

“Nick! My son, are you okay?”

The moment the stretcher was pulled from the ambulance, Grace ran over, panic written all over her face.

A nurse stopped her. “Family members, please wait over there. Let the doctors work.”

“Nick!” Grace’s cry was desperate, her voice breaking as she chased after the stretcher to the emergency room doors.

Not far away, in a quiet corner, Cooper pulled a mask over his face. “Of all the people to mess with, he went after Oliver. Serves him right.”

“He had it coming,” Alex agreed.

Cooper tugged at Alex’s arm. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”

“Oliver already went home. Why bother?”

“He’s got a wife waiting for him. We don’t. We can still go out for a drink.”

“Nick’s probably going to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair now…”