EIGHTTEEN

I WAS ABOUT TO UNLOCK the door when my phone rang. I pulled my phone out of my bag and looked down at the caller ID. Aubrey Vincent. It was Tyler’s mom.

Should I answer it?

My finger moved on its own and before I knew it, I had my phone pressed on my ear. “Hi, Aubrey.”

“How are you, Autumn?”

“I-I’m good.” I cleared my throat in the hope that it would shake off this nervous feeling I suddenly had in the pit of my stomach. Previously I had never felt nervous talking to Audrey yet now, I could hardly keep my fingers from fiddling. “How are you? How’s everyone back in D.C.?” I started pacing in the hallway, glancing at the door every now and then.

“We’re all good.” There were a few seconds of silence before she heavily sighed. “Look, I know you have a lot going on right now and I’m probably the last person you’d like to talk to but I really have to talk to you.”

Now I felt bad for making her feel this way. I couldn’t help it. Talking to my ex’s mom whom I used to be very close was