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“I guess.”
“I know this is messed up, but what if Kalum told you he loved you before his parents did what they did? Would you have been with Lane and married him?”
Deep down, I’m scared to admit it, but I know the answer.
“No. I would have chosen Kalum. I would have never been able to fall for Lane because I would have never left Kalum’s side, but if Lane was alive now and Kalum told me he loved me after all this time, I would choose Lane and my son because I wouldn’t abandon my family. Deep down, I love them both, but I would do right by them.”
“I don’t know, but all I know is there is something hidden about the whole thing. Love is a big emotion and is the centerof all things we do in life. It is what we take with us in the end, Aura.”
“My mom used to say that. She used to say without love, nothing matters. It is all we have in the end. Love or hate.” I take a sip of soda and clear my throat. “How about you and Bradley’s friend?”
“Who? Nick. He wasn’t in love with me. He lied to me when he said it, and he used me. I’m a girl with no money. My parents are divorced, and my mother is a manager at a restaurant in town. We barely make rent. The second month I started working at the diner, Nick came in with Bradley. He was a sweet talker. We went out for six months before his family found out, then his childhood sweetheart moved back. It went all downhill from there.”
“What an ass. What happened?”
She laughs sarcastically and flicks a thread off her jeans. Judy is pretty with brown hair and brown eyes with two tiny dimples on her cheeks. She is twenty-four and going to college online for her hospitality degree. She wants to land a good job and help her mother out. I admire her for her hard work and passion, but a sadness lingers behind her eyes.
“He would make excuses when I asked why he hadn’t called. Then I saw him with her one day. I was walking home on my way to pick up my mother from her shift at the restaurant, and I saw them together heading inside. They were out on a date. I was heartbroken. When I confronted him, he denied it at first. I kept pushing when I asked why I couldn’t meet his parents or why I wasn’t invited to his birthday party. He was annoyed, but I wanted the truth. I think I needed to hear it from him, and he snapped.” Her voice shakes with sadness. “He said I wasn’t the type of girl he could bring home. I was just a girl he was dating, and he liked me a lot, but he wasn’t serious about me. I was a server at a diner, and his parents would not approve. When Iasked him why he told me he loved me, he said he didn’t know and that it was a mistake. He said he loved Elizabeth. ”
“What a complete asshole. It makes sense to think Bradley is the same way even if he swears he isn’t.”
“He is friends with the guy, and they hang out, so he knew. He comes to the diner all the time, and he never gave me the heads-up. He could have at least said, ‘Hey, don’t take dating my friend seriously. His family has a big influence on who he dates, and he will break your heart,’” she mocks.
I place my hand on hers. “You know what? He doesn’t deserve you, and it’s better to know now than battle a rich family. They can make your life hell. Trust me, I know.”
“They all suck.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Some people just suck. Rich and poor.”
52
KALUM
Cason walks into my office as I make my way out. “Hey, I got your text. Where did she go?”
He means Aura. I was losing my shit a while ago when I got an update from the security detail at the house that Aura was out to the movies with a friend. A friend I have not heard about. Jealousy filtered into the pit of my stomach for the first time in a while. I have never felt jealousy like this since… I found out Aura married Lane and then when she fell pregnant with his child.
I wanted to ask her who she was with, but I wanted to see for myself. They said she left for the movie theater. I called Cason to let him know that his security detail did not go with Aura, and they reported that she had requested to go alone. Apparently, they have become fond of Aura. Who knows what else they have let her get away with.
“I’m sorry, brother. You know how Aura has that effect on people. I’m sure it’s just a friend.”
He must see the scowl on my face because he is trying to calm me down from going over there and kidnapping her. I wouldn’t kidnap her, but she needs a reminder that safety is a majorconcern. She is by herself, and what if something happened to her? What would happen to LJ?
“The chopper is standing by,” I tell Cason.
“I’m coming with you. Who knows what you’ll do when you get there? I can see that look on your face.”
“You know me well,” I mutter.
“When it comes to Aura. There is no telling what you will do.”
The helicopter touches the helipad, and we wait until it is safe to exit. The driver is waiting with the driver’s side door open to the blacked-out Rolls.
When we arrive, I park the car in the front. I look at the time, and the movie is about to end. Camila told me it was some chick flick. If she wanted to go to the movies. I would have taken her.
53
AURA
