If I weren’t physically holding my mouth in place, a scream might’ve broken loose.
Amelia’s eyes round out like an anime character, and she tugs on her mom’s arm gently. “No, Mom,” she whispers, trying to keep it from getting awkward about ten seconds too fucking late.
“Our mother passed a couple years ago,” Rory says softly, like it doesn’t break her to speak aloud.
“I’m so sorry,” Billie says, eyes traveling to mine, with more meaning behind them than I’m used to seeing.
I realize she’s also experienced immense loss, and there are some things worse than getting a lifetime with someone you love before saying bye to them.
“We’re glad to see you two getting to be together again,” Rory tells the women.
“Enjoy every minute you get together,” I manage to say, a sad smile on my face.
Amelia looks up at her mom, and her mom presses her forehead against her daughter’s.
“Definitely plan on it,” Amelia says, smiling back at us.
Rory links her arm that isn’t holding a baby through mine and she pulls me to the bucket of drinks on ice, and I grab one without noticing what it is and down it.
Gross.
It isn’t a Diet Coke.
“You okay?” Rory asks, eyes just like mine, just like Mom’s, boring into me.
“Are you?” I retort, tossing my head to get my curls off my neck.
“Getting there,” she says, head tilting to one side.
“Must be nice to be you,” I spit out.
“Is it seeing her with her mom?” she presses.
“You know we still have a parent who’s alive. Just because we lost Mom doesn’t mean we’re orphans.”
Rory’s face darkens, and her hold on her child tightens.
“Don’t, Alexis.”
“You’re really good at forgetting people exist, I know. You forgot about me and Mom for all those years.”
Rory’s eyes flinch, and her face pinches. “Stop that.”
“You going to keep pretending like we don’t have a father until he’s six feet under too?”
“He is dead to me, Alexis, you know that.” She starts rocking the baby in her arms, almost a frantic pace. “Where is this coming from?”
“No, Mom is dead. Dad’s still alive. I just think it’s really fucking rich that every single person in town forgave you for what you did, even Mom. Even Wyatt. But you can’t forgive Dad? Can’t eventryto talk to him or consider a relationship with him.”
“Fuck you,” she seethes.
“No, fuck you, Aurora.” I spit out the name she went by in New York like it’s an insult.
The identity she chose that had nothing to do with the Heights.
“It’s always what you want, that’s all that matters. You didn’t want to be here, so you left. You wanted to come back, so you did. The rest of us are just pawns in your world.”
“He cheated on Mom!” The words are almost a holler, one hand against the baby’s ear so she doesn’t shout into it, butWyatt comes out of nowhere and scoops her out of Rory’s arms, leaving us alone.
