Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)- Melissa Foster Page 0,74
Aurelia’s car, and said, “When I heard you bought this place, I was jealous.”
“Why? You have everything. You’re an A-list actress, everyone loves you—”
“Even my creepy stalker,” Remi said in a singsong voice.
“Stop smiling. That’s creepy.”
“Sorry. But you’re right. The media is misleading. You think I have it all.” Remi sauntered over to the refrigerator and said, “But I wasn’t kidding. I’m sick of living under a microscope. I want a simpler life with friends like you and the Daltons who love me for me and not because I’m an actress. I want Aiden to stop feeling like he has to protect me all the time.” She grabbed an apple from the fridge and said, “But I want to keep acting, so we both know my life will continue to be what it is until I make a change.”
“Oh, Remi. I wish I had the answers for you. I wish I had the answers for me.”
“Your answers seem simple,” Remi said. “Ben has obviously loved you for a long time. I remember when I first met him, he gave off this vibe like he was comparing everyone to someone else. I even asked Aiden about it.”
“Really? What did Aiden say?”
“That Ben could have any woman he wanted and to stay away from him.” She laughed and bit into her apple. “Are you going to shower before we see Flossie, or what?”
“Yeah. Let me just send Ben a quick text and make sure he and Bea are okay.” She grabbed her phone from the coffee table, where she’d left it last night, and when she turned it on, three text messages appeared. The first was from Willow. Are you okay? Sorry I was busy yesterday. Call me. Love you. The next two were from Ben. One was the picture of her and Ben kissing Bea on the cheeks that he’d taken yesterday, but it was one of the ones where she was cut off. The next message read, We left our hearts in Harmony Pointe. Love and miss you. B&B.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Uh-oh.” Remi peered over her shoulder at the messages. “Aw, Aurelia! That’s what I want. That’s everything right there . . .”
“That’s my Ben,” she whispered as she thumbed out a response. Thank you for knowing what I needed when I was too exhausted to think straight. I miss you guys so much. We’re going to my grandma’s. I’ll call you when I get back. Love you both. Xox.
Flossie McBride was a sprite of a woman at four ten, with long silver hair and a penchant for fashion that Aurelia had always admired but definitely had not inherited. The few times she’d tried to find a style she felt comfortable in other than jeans, comfy tees, and sneakers, she’d felt like an impostor. It was her grandmother who had helped her accept and embrace her own style with three simple words—You are perfect. She’d spoken those words just about every time Aurelia complained about not being enough in any aspect of her life. Her grandmother’s loving compliment sank bone deep over the years, giving Aurelia more confidence than any style ever could have. Although Flossie had always been a leader in the confidence department. She’d kept her maiden name as a way to honor her father at a time when it hadn’t been typical to do so.
As Aurelia knocked on her grandmother’s door, she realized that in her love for Bea and Ben, she finally knew the unconditional love it took to say words and truly mean them.
The door opened, and her grandmother’s crimson lips stretched wide into the closed-mouth smile Aurelia loved. She was dressed in black slacks and a long-sleeve black shirt, with a double strand of faux pearls hanging to her navel and a lemon-yellow shawl that draped to her knees. Her long silver hair was swept up in a braided updo that always looked to Aurelia like her grandmother had spent hours in a salon. But Flossie rarely spent hours doing anything, except maybe cooking. She was energy in motion most of the time, though these days, during visits with Aurelia, she liked to stay in and talk, rather than race around to see gardens, museums, or a show, as they used to.
“My sweet bubbelah,” her grandmother said. “And Remi, my faraway girl. What a lovely surprise to see you again. Come here, my sweethearts.” She waved her open arms and hugged them both at the same time.