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I don’t even need to ask to know that Mrs. Wilde has had her way with her as well. She attempts a smile, but her lips don’t quite make it. She takes my hand, presses a kiss to the back of it and says, “Yes, sweetheart. I’ve had enough. Let’s go.”
This time, when we leave the Wilde house, we walk out of the door we walked in through.
This time, I don’t look back to see who’s watching.
This time, it doesn’t matter.
KAL
“Lee, wake up.”
My eyes pop open at the sound of my mother’s hushed voice. She’s standing next to my bed, a sad smile on her face.
“You always were such a light sleeper. That’s probably my fault, too.”
She sits down next to me, her eyes roaming my face as she reaches up to brush a lock of hair off my forehead.
“Mama, what’s wrong?”
“You’re everything you shouldn’t be. Everything, I’m not,” she says absently. Her face is pale, her eyes red like she’s been crying. I’ve been in my own fog of heartbreak for two days. I feel like someone put me through a meat grinder. I haven’t left my bed, and I’ve put my phone in the drawer to keep myself from checking it for a missed call from Remi.
I haven’t heard from him since that night. And the replay of that night is practically eating me alive. I feel a pang of guilt as I sit up and look at my mother. Something went down with her and Remi’s mom, but I’ve been so caught up in my own upset that I’ve barely said two words to her.
“What happened?” I ask through a huge yawn.
“We’re moving,” she says in a monotone voice.
That clears the tiny vestiges of sleep from my brain and I come fully awake. “Moving where? Back to Third Ward?”
“No. To New York City. I got a job.”
“Are you crazy? Why?” Alarm rings through me.
“It’s a really good job. And I have family up there. I think we need that.”
“What about the bookstore? What about our fresh start, here? This was supposed to be home.”
She looks like she’s in pain.
“Lister bought it back. He’s sorry to see us go, but he gave me a great price for—”
“You sold the bookstore? In one day? How could you do that?” I look around my bedroom in bewilderment. Panic and confusion whirl around in my chest.
“It’s a chance to make a clean break.”
Her eyes dart to my window. “But Remi—”
“Kal, you’ve been crying over that boy for two whole days. Where’s he been? He hasn’t been by once. He hasn’t called. Nothing. That says everything, don’t you think?” Her voice is angry. She sounds defeated.
I feel defeated. Remi didn’t come by. None of the names on my missed calls or texts, when I chanced a glance, were from him.
She comes to sit beside me in bed and takes a hold of the hands I’ve been resting in my lap. I can’t look at her, though. I think I might cry if I do. And it’s the very last thing I want to do right now. It’s enough.
“I need to tell you something. I promised never to tell you, but I think it’s time because I want you to understand.”
My eyes are no longer reluctant and fly up to her face. She’s staring distantly and looks like she’s seen a ghost.
Dread pools in my gut. “Go ahead, Mama.”
