Becoming My Ex’s Mother in Law by Aurora Starling

Chapter 20 

I had prepared for bed and was almost asleep when my phone rang. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the 

sound. 

“Hello?” I answered groggily. 

“Hello, Crystal? It’s Noah. Did I wake you?” 

“Only a little.” 

“I’m so sorry, I can call back later-” 

I chuckled. 

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just tell me why you called.” 

“I just wanted to let you know that I found the former accountant of your previous company. We’re about to obtain some crucial evidence to pin on Bob.” 

I 

I bolted up in bed. Now, I was wide awake. 

“What?” I asked in disbelief. 

“I said-” 

“No, I heard what you said. I just….I can’t believe it. You really think that this will prove that Bob stole the company?” 

“I can say that, without a doubt, this evidence will prove that Bob stole your company.” 

“Thank you, Noah! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

I was so elated that I could have jumped on the bed like a little girl. I held myself back, of course. I just wasn’t sure how this day could get any better. 

I expected Noah to speak again, but instead, there was a pause so long that I thought the line had cut out. 

“Noah? Are you still there?” 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m still here.” 

I waited patiently for him to say more, but he didn’t. 

“Is there something else you wanted to talk about?” I asked. 

“Well, yes, actually.” 

Noah cleared his throat. 

“Crystal, I really like you,” he continued, “and I was 

ing that you would agree to go out date with me. 

on a 

Despite my feelings for Andrew, I did not say no immediately. In fact, I did not say no at all. 

After a minute of thought, I replied, “Sure, Noah. That sounds like fun.” 

“Yes, yes, yes!” I feard him exclaim over the phone. 

Noah cleared his throat again. 

“I mean, thank you, Crystal. I’ll text you the time and place. Is that okay?” 

“Sounds great. I look forward to it.” 

“Great. I’ll also call you with any further updates on the investigation.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Well, I better let you get to sleep. Goodnight, Crystal.” 

“Goodnight, Noah.” 

As I hung up, I thought over my decision to say yes. Noah was a good, very reliable person, and he might even 

be knarriage material. I could see us having a nice, stable future together. 

Yet I could not ignore my feelings for Andrew. He was kind, mysterious, and attractive. I wanted to know everything about him, and I wanted to spend every minute of my time with him. 

I knew now that I was in love with Andrew; there was no denying that anymore. Yet as I kept telling myself, there was no way for me to be in a romantic relationship with him, not any way that I could find. But was that fair to myself or to Andrew? 

And what about Noah? Could I truly be in a relationship with him when my heart belonged to someone else? 

Stop it, I told myself. It’s just one date. I’m not getting married. 

The next day, I left for home. Everything seemed to be going fine until I was several miles outside of Mr. Vanderbilt’s town. Then my stupid Civic broke down. 

I could hear the engine splutter and die from inside the car. I cursed the car, the universe, and myself. 

“No, no, no,” I muttered as I tried, unsuccessfully, to get the engine to turn over. I slammed my hands on the wheel. “Damn!” 

I reached for my phone to call a tow truck, only to find that it dead as well. Dammit. I forgot to plug it in after my conversation with Noah the night before. 

I had very few choices now. I popped the hood and rushed out into the freezing cold. Despite not knowing anything about engines or cars in general, I decided I had to take a look. 

After a few minutes of staring at something that made as much sense to me as a scrambled Rubik’s Cube, I slammed the hood shut. I wished now that I had taken auto shop in high school instead of art or had at least asked my mother to teach me something about cars before she died, but there was no turning back the clock. Stewing on what I should have done would only put me in a worse mood than I already was. 

I sat on the hood of my car, hoping that some kind–hearted soul would come by and help me. Flashes of Bob attacking me when I was alone at the bridal shop entered my mind, and I shuddered, suddenly feeling all too alone and vulnerable. I tried to suppress these thoughts, but they flooded my mind like a river after a flash 

storm. 

What if someone stopped and tried to mug me, or worse? There would be no one to help me this time. There was barely someone around to help me the last time, and that was in a crowded city. 

I shivered, and not from the cold. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I would give anything for Andrew’s warm, muscular arms to wrap around me at that moment. 

I took myself by surprise with that thought. What was I doing thinking about him? should be trying to think of a way to get out of this situation, not fixating on Andrew’s embrace or his radiating presence… 

I shook my head. 

Stop it, I commanded myself. Focus. 

I looked up and down the road. There was nothing for miles. My only options were to either wait here for someone to pick me up–an option that gave me the creeps–or hike it back to town and hope that there was a tow truck. 

I groaned as I remembered that there was no car repair shop in the town. So, even if there were, by some small chance, a tow truck, there wouldn’t be anyone to help me with the car once I got it back there. My luck was just getting better and better. 

No car, no phone, trapped out in the middle of nowhere. I had never felt so alone before, and I had not felt so helpless since Bob attacked me. I would not let myself cry, but I was hardly keeping myself together. 

“Goddess,” I prayed, staring up at the cloudy sky, “can you please help me?” 

Just then, a gold Aston Martin rolled up heading toward the town. The driver lowered their window, and Andrew’s face greeted me. His brilliant smile nearly blinded me. 

“Hey, Crystal, what a coincidence!” he said with almost a laugh to his voice. His eyes roved over my Civic. “Having car trouble?” 

I snorted. 

“You can say that again. What are you doing here?” 

“I came here to survey and plan the construction of a werewolf retirement home.” 

I arched a brow at him. 

“Here?” 

I gestured at the nothingness all around me.. 

This time, Andrew snorted. 

“I mean in the town.” 

I smirked. 

“I know.” 

Andrew smiled back. 

“So, do you want some help?”