The woman who had been my not-mother-in-law.
Glancing up, I noticed Clara and Jackie were talking about something, and my finger hesitated over the screen. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was ever talk to this woman again. It was half her fault that Kaden and I had split up. The rest of it was all on him. He didn’t have to break things off or want more fame or money. I had never cared about that. I would’ve been happy—
No. I wouldn’t have been happy. And none of that mattered anymore and never would again.
And as much as I would have loved to ignore The Mark of the Beast, if I didn’t answer, it would just make her think that I was hiding. That I was weak. Worse, she would just keep on calling.
She had run me out, and here she was now. Calling me. A year later.
I snickered and tapped the screen before putting the cell to my face and saying, “Hello?”
She wasn’t trying to video-call at least.
“Aurora,” the woman whose voice I could have recognized in a packed concert said, sounding just about as stuffy as she had for the last ten years. “It’s Henrietta.”
Was it petty of me to say “Who?”
It was, but I did it anyway. Because fuck this lady who had canceled my cell phone the day after her son quit on our relationship. Who had told her employees—people who I’d assumed were my friends—she would fire them if she found out they were communicating with me.
“Henrietta, Aurora. Jones.” She paused. “Kaden’s mother—oh you’re just being a pain, aren’t you?” she snapped about halfway through, realizing I was fucking with her. “Where are you?”
Where was I?
I snorted again and kept watching Jackie and Clara talk. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but whatever it was, it had to be good from the way their hands were moving. They were cracking up over something.
“In the United States, ma’am. I’m pretty busy and can’t stay on the phone long, is this an emergency?”
I knew what she needed. Of course I did. Aunt Carolina had sent me a screenshot this morning of another bad review that Kaden’s latest album had gotten. Rolling Stone had used the word “atrocious.”
“This isn’t an emergency, but Kaden needs to speak with you. Or I can speak with you as well. He’s tried emailing you and hasn’t gotten a response.” There was a pause, and she cleared her throat. “We’ve been worried.”
I couldn’t hold back my snort then either. It had been a year since the last time I’d communicated with either one of them. One whole year since I’d been cut cold turkey out of their lives. Out of their family.
And now they were worried? Ha. Ha. Ha.
Jackie burst out laughing from the front seat, and Clara gasped, “You’re nasty!”
“Aurora? Are you listening?” Mrs. Jones griped.
I rolled my eyes at the same time I caught a whiff of fart and started laughing too. “Damn, Jackie, what did you eat? Demons for breakfast?”
“I’m sorry!” she cried, turning around in the seat with an embarrassed expression.
“She’s not sorry,” Clara shot back with a shake of her head before rolling the window down.
“Aurora?” Mrs. Jones’s voice came over the line again, sharper that time, irritated, I was sure, at not putting my life on hold to speak with her. She was just that kind of person.
And you know what? I had this one life left, and I wasn’t going to waste it on this lady. At least not more than I already had. “Mrs. Jones, I’m really busy. I’d tell you to tell Kaden I said hi, but I don’t really care—”
She gasped. “You don’t mean that.”
“I’m pretty sure I do. I don’t know what he wants to talk about, but I have no interest in having any more conversations with him. Much less with you.”
“You haven’t even heard what he wants to talk to you about.”
“Because I don’t care. Look, I really do have to go. I’m sure he can talk to Tammy Lynn.” I didn’t need to go there, but it was worth it.
“Aurora! You don’t understand. I’m sure, I know, you’d like to hear what he has to say.”
I rolled down my window too when the smell of Jackie’s fart didn’t go away fast enough. “No, I don’t. I’d say good luck, but you’re all going to keep making money off what I did anyway, so I don’t need to wish it on you. Please don’t bother calling me again.” I ended the call and sat there and stared down at the darkened screen, surprised and yet not surprised at all at the same time.