Page 7 of Audra: The Prequel

She closed the door and took the stairs up to her room. It was only a little after nine, so she was surprised by the quiet of the house.

Her bedroom was filled with candles and decorated in soft neutrals like ivory and camel. She was kicking off her shoes when the door behind her opened, and her free-spirited sister, Monica, walked in. Monica, tall and thin as a supermodel, had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and tucked under into a sleek bun.

Audra gasped when she saw her. “What the heck are you doing here?” she asked, pulling her sister into a hug.

Monica laughed and squeezed her back. “Can’t I come home to see my family?” She grinned and plopped onto Audra’s bed. She was in her last year of college at the University of Georgia in Athens.

“I didn’t expect you, that’s all.” Audra walked into her closet. “What’s been up?”

“Nothing much. Classes kicking my butt, but I’ll handle it. Where were you tonight?”

“One second.” Audra changed into her navy pajama shorts set. Returning to the bedroom, she pulled her thick hair into a ponytail and sat cross-legged on the bed to face her sister. “I was at a party.”

Monica arched an eyebrow. “A party? Since when do you party—although…” She checked her watch. “It’s still pretty early.”

“Well, it wasn’t a party-party. More like a get-together. I went with Claudia, and people were still hanging out when we left.Honestly, I didn’t want to go, but I’m glad I went. It was good to go out.”

“Why didn’t you want to go?” Monica asked.

“Because I knew there’d be a bunch of celebrities there. Not my scene.”

“Papa Ben and Ignacio are celebrities,” Monica pointed out, referring to their stepfather and stepbrother.

Benicio Santana had worked for years in the entertainment industry in Mexico, first as an actor and then as a director and producer. Ignacio was the only one of his sons to follow in his footsteps.

“That’s different, and you know what I mean. Anyway, I had a good time. I should definitely go out more.”

“Good for you.”

Audra plucked at the sheet, toying with the idea of telling Monica about Damon. “I also kinda sorta met a guy.”

“Kinda? Do tell.” Monica leaned closer.

Audra lifted her hands. “Wait, nothing happened. We didn’t exchange numbers or anything, but he was definitely… interesting.”

“Why didn’t you exchange numbers?”

“I didn’t want to give him my number.” Audra shrugged.

“The fact that you’re mentioning him means you were feeling him, so what happened?”

“I don’t know, Monica. I didn’t go there to meet a man, and besides, I have Kerilyn,” Audra said, referring to her daughter. “This guy I met, Damon, reminds me too much of—Kerry.” She wrinkled her nose, hating to say her ex’s name.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

She hadn’t dated anyone seriously since she broke up with her daughter’s father, and looking back, they had been in a one-sided relationship. She had been all in, while he had one foot out the entire time.

They had met when she was a senior in high school, and he’d dropped out of college to pursue his dream of making a living as a drummer in his Afropunk band. His wildness had matched hers. They were both young and a bit rebellious, but that changed when she became pregnant. She became more serious and wanted to be a good mother. Her daughter grounded her. Kerry, not so much.

He became scarce, barely a father or a boyfriend. While she dreamed of them living together as a family, he made it clear that touring and putting all his energy into the band was his priority.

They were off and on for a couple of years for Kerilyn’s sake, but Audra became tired of his excuses and lack of interest in both of them. The photos he shared online didn’t help. He was always hugged up with some woman, or a ‘fan’ was always draped over him like a human blanket while he grinned from ear to ear.

They never actually broke up, just drifted apart when she finally stopped trying to make something happen that was never going to happen. Her battered heart couldn’t take any more pummeling.

“Damon, huh?” Monica said.

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