Page 54 of Spreading Her Wings

After what was probably a bottle of gin before I’d lost track, my eyes would be droopy and bright red and there would be dark spots under them. She was right. I wasn’t in the condition to beg for her forgiveness, even if we’d been drunk like this when we got married. I sighed.

“Fine. I need to go home then.”

I tossed the keys to my truck at her and climbed into the front seat. Sky rolled her eyes, but she looked satisfied by my decision when she climbed into the driver’s seat. “I’m crashing on your couch tonight.”

“Again?”

“Yes. Don’t fight me on this, Auston. I’m not going to let you be alone right now.”

She was going to play gatekeeper. That was what Sky did. She was the friend who made sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to, even though she rarely did herself. If I fought her, she’d win, so I settled back into the seat and let her drive.

As she drove, I fumbled with my phone. I wanted to text her. Everything in me wanted to text her, and my fingers werevibrating with the need to click on her name on the screen and type just three words.

Another image of Katie alone on her couch with a pile of signed paperwork in front of her ripped my heart out and made it stop beating. I looked at Sky and debated telling her I wanted her to drive to Katie’s. I needed her to drive to Katie’s.

“I’m not going over there,” she said, reading my mind.

I sighed, dropping my phone into the center console and closing my eyes. “I know.”

“Okay, you’ve been stirring that cup of tea for five minutes, but you haven’t put a thing in it. What’s wrong?” My mom tilted her head and looked at me from across the table.

I shook my head. “Nothing. Aunt June seems to be doing better. I just wish she wasn’t so tired. I wish I could help her more.”

“Me too, sweetie, me too. I know that’s not it, though.” She looked at me, dipping her head to catch my stare and bringing it back to meet hers. “Something happened with Auston?”

When I sighed, it was all the answer she needed to prompt her to reach across the table and take my hand. “Mom, I made a lot of mistakes.”

I was always the good girl, the one who followed the rules. My parents never had to worry if I was doing something wrong as a kid because as soon as I did, I crumpled under nonexistent pressure to confess to it. It was never like me to make mistakes or bad choices. Was it a bad choice, though, or just impulsive? My heart squeezed.

“Like marrying your best friend’s brother in Vegas?” My mom laughed, but I shot my eyes up in horror to meet hers. She looked at me with the same look she’d given me when I tried to lie about stealing her makeup while rolling my lipstick-coated lips.

“How did you know?” There was frantic panic in my voice, and I could feel my blood pressure rising.I was in so much trouble.

She rolled her eyes at me. “You think we weren’t going to notice when you were wearing a wedding ring?” Mom giggled, a dreamy smile on her face that directly contradicted the terror I felt. “You weren’t as sneaky as you thought you were, Mrs. Johannson.”

“Why didn’t you say anything, then?”

Mom tilted her head. “Because we did a great job raising you. Katie, we trust you to make your own mistakes, and to learn from them.”

The blush that rose in my cheeks was warm, and I could almost smell the warm amber that usually meant Auston was close by. “Are you disappointed?” My stomach sank.

“That depends. Are you in love with him?”

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I nodded. “So in love with him, Mom. I don’t know what to do.” I dropped my face into my hands, causing my voice to sound muffled. “He brought me the annulment papers because I wouldn’t publicly call him mine, and he signed them.”

“That doesn’t mean a goddamn thing.” June’s voice from the kitchen entryway was quiet and weak, but it still held the same authority it always did.

I looked at the woman who looked so small. A week ago, she took up space in the room, but the lack of energy radiated off of her. I jumped up from the chair, grabbing her elbow and leading her to the table. “You don’t understand. I messed it all up.”

“The hell you did,” she said, accentuating her statement with a quiet, airy cough. “That boy doesn’t want those papers signed. He wants you to be happy. What would make you happy?”

What would make me happy?I thought about running into Auston’s arms and the way his muscles would ripple when he wrapped me in a hug and squeezed. I thought about the soft feel of his lips on mine and his hands in my hair. “Him.”

“Then why in the world are you still in my kitchen, sweet girl? Get out of here.”

I balanced the pizza box in my hand and shoved the bag of gummy worms in my purse, throwing it over my shoulder before walking to the door of Auston’s duplex. I had only been over here a couple of times since he was usually at my place, and I hovered in front of the door. Should I knock? Would he let me in if I did?

My hands shook when I reached for the door, and I closed my hand around the handle and twisted it. The latch made a small click that sounded like it could be heard for miles, along with my racing heart, and I pushed the door open with a creak.

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