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Laney
The moment his rearview lights are out of view, I exhale and lean back against my headrest.
Being that close to Ayden brings back too many memories of when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. He used any excuse to touch me, and I’d let him.
A part of me wanted him to kiss me, but the other part knew I couldn’t handle it.
I’m not staying, and he can’t leave his safe place.
We’d be two ships in the night passing each other, but neither willing to stick around.
He’ll visit his daughter but never plant roots in Texas again, not as long as his father’s alive.
My mom and job keep me there. It’s where Serena grew up and all she knows, plus all her friends.
And now, it’s where Howie’s buried.
Uprooting our lives would be a risk.
But why do I want to risk it all for a second chance at a life we were supposed to have together?
Once I return to my hotel room, I shower and change into clean, comfy clothes. Then I FaceTime Serena and my mom to tell them good night.
“Did you find him, Mommy?” Serena asks.
“Yeah, sweetie. I did.”
Her face lights up, filled with hope and excitement. “Did you tell him about me?”
My mom’s expression behind her stays impassive. She’s worried we’ll get hurt again.
“Sure did. Showed him lots of photos, too.”
“Is he gonna visit?”
“Yes, in a few weeks.”
“Not for the funeral?” my mom asks.
I shake my head. “He has to work,” I tell her, but she can read between the lines.
“I’m so excited!” Serena squeals.
When I explained that I’d be leaving for a couple of days, she wanted to know why. She knew Ayden’s name and overheard me talking about him to my mom, so when she asked if I was going to find her daddy, I couldn’t lie. She’s old enough to understand some of it, but I kept the details of her paternal grandparents out of the story.
Although Bryant Carson isn’t the mayor anymore, he’s still a powerful figure in Beaumont. Everyone knows the Carsons and that Serena is Ayden’s, but no one dared to ask why he left or why I married Howie. Rumor mills spread like wildfire, but we pretended they didn’t exist. It was no one’s business, but people had their theories.
“You be good for Nana, okay? I’ll be home tomorrow for supper.”
“Okay, Mommy. Love you!”
“I love you, too.”
We blow kisses until my mom ends the call. If it were up to Serena, we’d say good night for hours.
After my divorce, I was ready for a fresh start, and even though dating afterward didn’t work out, I never had the urge to get close to another man. However, it took one touch from Ayden for goose bumps to cover my skin and heat to build between my legs.
A part of me was relieved I wasn’t broken.
