Page 105 of Forever Yours

I put Julien on speaker. “April, say hi to my boyfriend, Julien.”

She glanced over, but it wasn’t shock I saw. Or disgust. It was acceptance.

“Hi, Julien.” She even did a finger wave, even though he couldn’t see it.

“Hey, April.”

She made an adorableOwith her lips and whispered, “He sounds sexy,” completely forgetting that he could hear her.

“Thank you.” He chuckled.

She literallyeeped.

“Fal has a car picking me up at the hotel at seven. Call me before you crash for the night.”

I took him off speaker. “Are you sure you’ll be up?”

I expected it would be another few hours before I turned in. He had already had a long, physically tiring day.

“Wake me if I’m not. I’ll put the phone under my pillow. Looks like you’re getting a sister. How does April seem? Nice? Bitchy?”

I glanced at her profile. “So far, so good.”

“I’ll be there soon. Love you.”

“Love you more.”

April took an exit off the interstate and once we got onto a regular road, I was able to see things better since they weren’t flying past my window at sixty-five miles per hour. I couldn’t make out details of much since it was dark out, but what I did see was beautiful. So different from the Coastal Plains of North Carolina. It was clear why South Carolina was called the Palmetto State.

A few side roads later, April pulled up the driveway to a three-story antebellum house, its white exterior lit by carriage lights.

“If Dad starts droning on about the historic heritage of the house—run. He loves to try and impress people.”

My heart beat faster with trepidation at the thought of seeing Mom. Too little, yet also too much, time had passed since I last saw her. The words she had said to Dad that I overheard before she walked out still fresh in my mind.

“Can I ask you a question?”

April shut the car off and turned in her seat. “Sure.”

She pushed her glasses up her nose with a finger.

“How is she?”

“You mean Beverly?”

I nodded as I picked at a frayed cuticle.

“I really don’t know her that well. After stepmom number two, I stopped caring. Why invest the time and emotion when they’re just going to leave because my dad doesn’t know how to keep it in his pants.” She cupped a hand to her mouth. “Sorry. That was insensitive toward your mother.”

I reached over and slid her hand away from her mouth.

“Trust me. I get it. Mom and I aren’t close. Just a head’s up—things are about to get real awkward as soon as I step through the front door.”

She smiled. “Good thing your almost-stepsister has your back.”

I think it was that moment when April dug herself into my heart. No matter what happened between Mom and Brad, I would make sure that she and I remained friends.

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

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