Page 114 of Forever Yours

April may have been tiny, but her appetite was enormous. She had ordered a stacked burger, basket of fries, chocolate cake, potato skins, and mozzarella sticks—and ate every bit of it.

“You’re welcome. Thanks for the lift.”

She unlocked the car and looked up at me. “Anytime.” Popping up on her toes, she kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you around, Elijah Barnes.”

I waited until she pulled out of the parking lot. Just as I turned around, a car door opened on a silver Porsche a few spaces down.

I froze mid-step when Mom got out.

“Can we talk?”

Fuck, no. I said what I needed to at Brad’s house.

“Please,” she entreated when I started walking toward the hotel main entrance doors.

I turned around, more curious than angry. “How did you know I was here?”

I didn’t want her there. What I wanted to do was go back to my room, call Julien, and fall asleep to the sound of his voice.

“Brad’s Find My app on his phone.”

I wondered if April knew Brad could track her location. Technology was great, but sometimes it sucked.

I thumbed over my shoulder. “April just left to go back home, so if that’s why you’re here…”

Mom picked at the hem of her dress sleeve. “I assured Brad she was safe with you. That’s not why I came. I wanted to tell you something.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it. There was only so much heartbreak one person could handle in a day.

“Whatever you need to say, you can do it here.”

The tired mother with the sleeping children took out a suitcase from the back of the SUV and loaded it onto a trolley. But the way she kept glancing over at us made it obvious she was listening.

Mom sighed but said, “Fine.”

A gust of wind blew up and whipped her hair around her face. She raked the red strands back. It was still weird seeing her with that color of hair.

She looked like crap. Her makeup was smudged, and she had faded black mascara tracks down her cheeks.

A pang of guilt ate at me.

“I’ll make this brief.”

I stuck my hands in my back pockets. “Good,” I snapped, wishing she’d just say whatever the hell she drove all the way there to say and then leave.

I’d had enough of the roller coaster ride that was tonight. I didn’t want to get back on.

She breathed in, deep and regretful. “I don’t agree with your life choices.”

No shit.

I opened my mouth to make a retort and tell her where she could shove that admission, but she held up her hand.

“With that being said, I wanted to apologize. You deserve a mother who can accept every part of you. Unfortunately, I’m not her. I do hope that you find your happiness. I want you to have a good life. I don’t hate you, Elijah. I never did.”

She looked at me, a mother gazing upon her son for the last time. Then she got back in her car and drove away.

Air shuddered into my lungs when I tried to breathe. She came to say goodbye. For good this time. I knew I’d never hear from my mother again.

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