On the other end of the line, my mother went quiet. I could hear the faint clink of her bracelet, the rustle of her silk robe — it all felt so far away, like another world.
“What do you mean, Nadine? You chased Scott Jones for ten years,” she hissed, disbelief cracking through her calm tone. “You begged me to stop that arrangement back then because you said you loved him. And now what? You want me to fix this marriage you rejected so stubbornly?”
“I was mistaken,” I said, my throat raw. I sank onto the edge of my bed, knees shaking. “I want to leave, Mom. Please. Have that man you wanted me to marry come pick me up. One week. That’s all I’m asking for.”
“That’s so fast, darling.” Her voice softened, like I was fifteen again, crying into her lap after Scott ignored me at prom. “What happened? Did you two fight? What about the divorce? Did he sign the papers?”
I laughed, a dry, empty sound. “No need for that. I was never married.”
Before she could say anything else, I hung up. I didn’t want to hear her pity or her scolding. I just wanted it to be done.
When I turned around, my blood froze in my veins. Scott stood at the door, his arms crossed, eyes dark and narrowed.
His shadow fell across the carpet like a stormcloud. “What the hell was that, Jasmine?”
My stomach twisted. Jasmine. He couldn’t even get my name right sometimes. “Who were you talking to? What do you mean you were never married? Huh?” He took a step forward, voice rising. “What’s this now? Are you being dramatic again? Is this because I didn’t agree to that stupid anniversary trip you kept begging about?”
I opened my mouth but nothing came out. He stalked closer, his tone softening just enough to make my skin crawl. “Didn’t I say we can’t go right now? Your best friend is in a coma. Her brother is still paralyzed. You have to take care of them, we have to. Once Jasmine wakes up, we’ll go. I promise, baby. We’ll go see the aurora borealis together. Wouldn’t you love that?”