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“I am not going to the hole-in-the-wall bar in town, Ava.”
“Why not? We spent most of our college days in that hole-in-the-wall bar, and… it got bought out by a new investor, and tonight’s the grand opening, so it’s actually the perfect time to go.”
“Ava…”
“Please…” she begged, bouncing. “Pretty please… I have a baby on my boob twenty-four seven. You have to do this for me…”
I sighed, reluctantly giving in. “Now, how can I say no to that argument?”
“Yay! Okay, I’m going to go home and get this one down and give James a blow job to avoid getting shit when I tell him he’s on kid duty tonight.”
Before I could change my mind, Ava hauled ass like a bat out of hell.
I didn’t move from the lounge chair, enjoying the sunset for as long as I could. The sky made a scenic panoramic view over the thousands of acres of pristine land where I grew up.
All the colors of the evening blended with the full moon peeking through the horizon, forming a hint of light among the darkness I felt deep in my heart…
And soul.
CHAPTER THREE
CAPRI
“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.”—Maya Angelou
“Capri, sweetheart, are you alright?”
My eyes shifted to my mom, and it was only then I realized I had tears streaming down my face. She instantly sat by my side, pulling the hair away from my face.
“My sweet baby girl,” she empathized.
For the first nine years of my life, it was only the two of us. She never made me feel like I was second place in anything when it came to raising me. It didn’t matter how many clients she had. She was always able to balance it all. Autumn Locke was the definition of a successful working mother, and the world knew that about her.
Growing up in the limelight was hard. I never knew if people wanted to be friends with me because they genuinely wanted to or if there was a motive. I guess you can say I was a socialite, but when I met Elias, it only became him and me, and I loved it that way.
“Mom…” I whispered, feeling the weight on my shoulders. “I don’t know if I can get through this.”
“Of course, you can. We’re here to help you.”
With tears in my eyes, I muttered, “Dad is so disappointed with me. It’s written all over his face every time he looks at me.”
“That’s not true.”
My parents had quite a history together, and I didn’t meet my father until I was almost ten years old. But from the moment I met him, I was his little girl and the apple in his eyes. I was his firstborn, and a part of me knew I was secretly his favorite among my two younger siblings. Liam was twenty-one and away at college, while Oliver was only eighteen and still lived at home since he was a high school senior.
“Your father is just worried about you. You’ll always be his little girl with pigtails working on his classic car engines with him.”
Knowing I didn’t have to hide from her, I openly admitted, “I feel so lost, Mom. I don’t know which way is up or down right now, and that’s what scares me the most. How could I have been so blind?”
“Love makes you do crazy things, and we’re all guilty of that.”
“I can’t help thinking this is my fault.”
“It’s far from your fault, Capri. You can’t be held responsible for someone else’s decisions. That’s not the way the world works. You’ve always been such a strong-willed girl with the determination to do whatever you set your mind to. I know it feels like you’ve lost that part of you, but I promise, it’s still there. You’ll find it again.” She lovingly smiled. “And just remember, nobody dies from a broken heart.”
I smirked, feeling more at ease. “Thanks, Mom.”
We always had the best relationship. I never hid anything from her. She was my best friend and treated me like her equal. It was what made our relationship so strong. She wasn’t like other moms in the sense of ever making me feel like my emotions weren’t valid or minimizing them. She was amazing, and I was lucky to have her.
