Page 33

Story: Kiss of Death

Wren’s eyes flash with anger, her mouth opening—to argue with me, I’m sure—but Mom cuts her off.

“Enough, girls.” She doesn’t yell, speaking in her normal tone, but it’s enough to shut both of us up. “Wren, Audrey is right. You’re not entitled to know what happened to Brenden. Audrey, maybe try not snapping at your sister when you want her to back off. You’d think you’d know one another well enough by now to know what will set the other off. Or maybe you did it on purpose. Either way, that’s enough.”

Fuck. What is it about my mom that makes it so easy for her to make me feel guilty? She’s right though. Iwasbaiting Wren, and we all know it.

“I’m sorry, Wren. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,” I tell her with a forced smile. The smile might be forced, but my words are truthful. I’m sorry for talking to her like that. I just didn’t want her to probe too deeply into the Brenden of it all because I know she won’tapprove of the choices I made. I can already see the judgment in her eyes for what I’ve done.

Wren gives me a sharp nod. “I’m sorry, too. You’re right. As much as I’d like to know everything going on in your life, when it comes to your mates, I shouldn’t expect to know everything.”

“Thank you, girls.” Mom pauses. “Are you sure this was the best idea, Audrey?”

“Honestly?” I shake my head. “No, I’m not sure, but all the options were shitty, and this seemed like the least shitty.”

Mom considers me for a moment before nodding. “You know you’re tied to him for life, even if you never forgive him?”

“I am, and I don’t regret my decision.”

Wren tugs a hand through her red curls. “I just don’t understand how you can bond with someone you don’t love, let alone someone who betrayed you like he did.”

“And you don’t have to, Wren. All you need to know is I made the right decision for me and my situation. Maybe we’ll eventually be able to work everything out with Nex, but even if we don’t, I’ll never regret this decision.”

“And that’s all that matters,” Mom says as she smiles. “All we want is for you to be happy, and if this works for you, then I’m happy for you.”

Wren scoffs. “I’m sorry, Ree, but I just don’t understand how you could do this to yourself.”

It hurts to hear her words, but they’re better than I expected from her. “You don’t have to understand. My decisions don’t affect you or your life in any way. You don’t have to understand it, but you have to accept it. Mainly because it’s already done, but also because you’re my sister, and I want you in my life. But that’s exactly what this is—my life.”

Tears fill her eyes as she forces a smile, giving me a small nod. “Using my own words against me, Audrey? Dirty pool.”

“What are you talking about?” Mom frowns as she glances between the two of us.

“I never wanted her to marry Michael,” I admit. “I kept quiet about it for a long time, but when I finally brought it up with her, Wren told me I didn’t need to understand it, that I just needed to accept it. Because I’m her sister, and she wants me in her life, but that she’s the one who makes the decisions about her life. She always wanted me to tell her what I thought,but I needed to understand that it didn’t mean she’d make the decision I wanted her to.”

“Neither of you mentioned that.”

Moving to sit on one side of Mom, Wren scoots over until she can lean against her other side. Mom sighs as she wraps her arms around both of us, holding us close.

“That’s because you didn’t need to know. We’re grown-ass women who should be able to handle our shit without needing our mom’s help,” I tell her with a laugh. “We were trying, anyway.”

That sends us into peals of laughter as we cling to our mom, and that’s how Lucifer finds us a few minutes later when he pops into the room.

“Oh, I guess you are doing as well as your mates said you were.” Lucifer winces. “I’m sorry. I just needed to see it with my own eyes. Enjoy your girl time.”

Then, he’s just gone again.

“Fates, he’s so weird and nothing like I thought he would be,” I say with a laugh, and Wren nods.

“The stories make him sound all scary and shit.” Wren shakes her head. “He’s squishy, not scary.”

Mom laughs. “I never would’ve thought he was Lucifer that night, but I guess the stories have it all wrong. I guess I didn’t do too bad when choosing your father, did I?”

I roll my eyes. “As if you had anything to do with choosing him as our dad. You got drunk and slept together, then whoops, you’re having twins.”

“Yeah, Mom. Don’t try to play it off like you planned it.” Wren grins, and I know we’ll be okay.

Neither of them may agree with or understand why I decided to bond with Nex, but they still love and support me, and what more can I ask for?

Chapter Fourteen