Page 29 of Kiss Me Forever

“Darling, I’ve got news,” she said the second we connected.

Aunt Dana and Mom were originally from the South. She’d lost her accent a long time ago but never her style. She was always put together. She had platinum blonde hair and currently had on bright red lipstick. I missed her so much.

She and Mom were twin sisters, but they looked nothing alike. Mom had brown eyes, not green, and thicker lips, like me. Aunt Dana and Mom both moved to Maine for college. Aunt Dana had been the one pushing Mom to come to Maine, because she had a boyfriend there. They got married, but he left her a couple years before my parents passed away. She’d been single ever since and always mistrusted men.

I missed hanging out with Aunt Dana and her friends. As a kid, she told me I was an “old soul.” I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d lost my parents or not, but she was right. I’d always been more mature than everyone at my school. Hell, I’d been ready to start a family with my ex—right until the moment he’d shattered my dreams.

I was determined not to make that last mistake again. I wasn’t going to jump into a serious relationship anytime soon. I couldn’t—even if I wanted to.

“Let’s hear it.”

“I’ve got three students. All seniors about to take their SATs.”

“Congrats! That’s amazing. Do you still want me to sign you up on the other platforms?”

“I think I’ll stick to the ones we already have. They’re all different, and I have a hard time remembering which are the steps for each.”

“You can always call me if you get confused.”

“Nonsense, I wouldn’t want to bother you at work. I’m so proud of you, darling. I’m happy you’re focusing on your career. It’s a blessing that good-for-nothing Carson isn’t in your life anymore.”

Aunt Dana had never been a fan of Carson. She’d actively discouraged me from putting his company first and my career in second place. I’d always told her things weren’t like that and that we were working for our dream. I’d been so naive.

“I’m glad I found this internship.”

I ignored the jab about Carson, or she wouldn’t stop talking about him, and I didn’t want that. Being told after six years together that he needed more excitement in his life had been not only heart-crushing but also a blow to my self-esteem. I wasn’t sure I’d recovered yet. How could someone’s feelings change so much after six years?

“Men are fickle. You can’t count on them,” Aunt Dana had said when I’d asked her that. I didn’t bring up the subject again. I figured it might trigger unpleasant memories. She never spoke of her ex-husband.

“Tell me everything about your team.”

I spoke about Donna, Klaus, and everyone in my room. I avoided mentioning Luke because sometimes Aunt Dana could tell when I was hiding something, and if she ever found out about Luke and me, she’d have my ass for sure.

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