Page 69 of Beautiful Noise
I lifted from my seat and walked back in the suite until I was standing in front of Kori. Her face was angled to the floor, body stiff and tone elevated.
She had gone viral twice since being here. First at SipLicity and last night at Leijah’s VIP meet and greet. Whoever was on her line could have easily seen either of those clips to know she was in town. My issue was, who the fuck was on her line. If it was an ex, then she needed to shut that shit down but I got my answer before my mind could begin plotting on who I was going to step to.
“So I’m your daughter now…”
One of her parents.
“I’m not coming to see you. We’re leaving in a few hours.” She went quiet and her expression tensed more. “Why would I? Again, you pretty much said fuck you, Kori, or did you forget?”
She snorted through a laugh of irritation. “Yeah, you did, but if you want to place the burden on my shoulders, then do whatever makes you happy. Add this to the ongoing list of things I do that disappoint you.”
She ended the call and slowly lifted her eyes, but she didn’t say a word, just forced a smile, walked back to the balcony, and returned to her seat. I followed, settling into mine.
“Your parents?”
“Mmhm. My mom.”
“You didn’t tell them you were in town?”
Her eyes narrowed and her hand paused briefly before her fingers gripped the handle of her coffee mug. “We don’t talk. Why would I tell them I was here?”
I nodded and kept my eyes on hers. “What did she want?”
“Dinner.”
“Would you like to go?”
“Absolutely not.”
After a long pause, she exhaled a sigh. “One of her friends sent the clips of you performing my poem with a message asking if that was her daughter you were singing to. I’ve already embarrassed them with the Cleaning Lady Kori thing and now this. She’s pissed because I didn’t reach out to let her know I was here so she could lecture me on what a total clusterfuck my life currently is. She demanded that I come to dinner because my father needs to talk to me, and bytalking to me, he wants to remind me that I’m their biggest disappointment. I have no interest in seeing either of them.”
“Do you love your parents?” I asked calmly, with a stoic expression.
“Of course I do but I can’t say they feel the same.”
“You honestly believe they don’t love you, Ri?”
She gently shook her head. “No, but regardless of whether or not they love me, they don’t accept me. I don’t owe them anything. They feel like I do.”
“Dinner won’t work. Call your mom back to see if they can make lunch happen instead.”
She frowned but I ignored the argument surely brewing in her head and lifted my phone, dialing Stew who handled my travel arrangements. As soon as he was on the line I let him know what I needed.
“I have to push my flight back a few hours.”
“What are you doing?” Her eyes flared with panic, but I ignored the reaction and finished my call, giving Stew the necessary details.
“I can make it work no later than four if you can move things around.”
Once he agreed, I let him know I appreciated his efforts, apologized for the last minute change, and ended the call, placing my phone on the table. She opened her mouth to object but I cut her off.
“We’re here. You might as well see them and I’d like to meet your parents.”
Her brows pinched as she silently stared at me for a minute like she was confused ,which made sense when she spoke. “You want to meet my parents?”
I smiled, sinfully slow. “You’ve had the luxury of meeting my mother. Shouldn’t I have the same privilege?”
“I…she…that wasn’t intentional and meeting your mother wasn’t at my request. We just kinda happened.”