Page 71 of Until

Her voice has a tinge of snark, and I wonder if I’m hearing things. Why is she talking to me like this? I thought she wanted to be a family again. Her smirk shifts into a sweet smile, and I decide it’s just me being sensitive.

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him since that day.” My gut is telling me not to trust her even though I want to. “What were you doing there anyway?”

“Where? Oh, at your other boyfriend’s? Alex’s?”

“He’s not my boyfriend, we’re just friends.”

“You’re so predictable it’s pathetic, Carina. How can you even think of him as your friend? He used you, sweetheart.”

“No, he didn’t. I got something important out of it, and we became friends. This is none of your business anyway.”

Her hand sweeps fast and hot across my cheek. My eyes widen as I unfold my arms, my balled-up fists now at my side.

“Show some respect,” she says.

“Act with some,” I say.

Her hand flies up again, but I move, and she slips down a couple of steps from her momentum, landing on her butt.

“We could’ve made a great team, you know,” she says, brushing herself off as she stands. “With your gullible naiveté and whatever cute thing you have that attracts the men, and me with my brains, we could’ve convinced a lot of men out of a lot of money.”

I stare at her in disbelief.

“That’s the last thing I want to do. That’s not right,” I say.

“Whatever. What’s done is done, and now there are two heartbroken billionaires just waiting for some attention.”

“So you knew?”

“What? About Ryan? I can’t believe you didn’t. Maybe you should pull your head out of the sand every once in a while, kid.”

I stay standing at the bottom of the porch steps, not wanting her near the front door. She glares at me before shrugging then forces a smile.

“Well, to each their own,” she says.

Her eyes have that evil, dead look I remember from Alex’s, and I realize she is why I have such a hard time trusting people.

She reaches into her purse and pulls out a pack of cigarettes, taps one out, places it between her fingers, and lights it as it reaches her lips.

She inhales deeply, then blows her smoke at me, making me cough.

“I’ll see ya around, kid.”

I watch as she walks up the street. Odessa rounds the corner, and my mother bumps her shoulder into Odessa before she continues walking.

“Well, excuse me,” Odessa says, her voice all sass.

Odessa motions to me, and I know it’s her way of saying that woman is a bitch. Then, her jaw drops open as recognition crosses her face.

She mouths the words, ‘Was that your mom?’ then holds her hand over her mouth in shock.

I’m laughing as she reaches me.

“I’m so sorry, sis! I didn’t recognize your mom.”

“Yeah, well, she deserved it. She’s something alright,” I say.

“Oh my goodness, did she slap you?” She moves her hand to my cheek. “It’s bright red. Did it hurt?”

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