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I manage a small, shaky smile. “Hey, Aurora.”
She glances back at Ethan, clearly sensing that something’s off. “What’s going on? Dad, tell me right now!”
Ethan continues walking until he’s right beside me. I instinctively reach for his hand, needing the comfort. His fingers close around mine, warm and reassuring. But it’s clear from our movement what we’re about to say to Aurora.
She’s staring at us with shock, but it’s like she can’t even find any words to speak. Good, I want Ethan to say it first.
“Aurora, there’s something we need to talk to you about. Madison and I… We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. We both talked about your feelings on the matter but decided that ultimately, we make each other happy. And we have to make decisions about what makes us happy, not what makes you happy.”
I watch Aurora’s face closely, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes flicker between the two of us. Then, it’s like reality sets in. Her eyes narrow, and her hands go to her hips.
“You’redating?”
Ethan nods. “Yes. We’ve been spending time together, and we both care about each other a lot.”
Aurora’s mouth opens, but no words come out. I can see the wheels turning in her head, the realization slowly sinking in. Even though she forbade us from doing this, we are doing it. We’ve made a decision she doesn’t like.
“How long? Why did you keep it a secret? Madison, youpromisedyou wouldn’t sleep with my dad again. That’s disgusting! You two are disgusting!”
I flinch at the accusation in her tone. Ethan steps forward, his hand still holding mine, as he tries to explain.
“We didn’t want to overwhelm you. It’s a lot to take in, and we wanted to make sure it was the right time. We really talked about if we should continue the relationship or not, because it won’t be easy for us. We?—”
“The right time?” Aurora scoffs, her arms dropping to her sides, her fists clenching. “This is—this is crazy! You’re dating Madison? My dad and my best friend?”
“Aurora, I know it’s not what you—” I try to explain.
“No! You don’t get to talk to me right now!” Her voice is trembling with anger. I feel my heart breaking, and I try to hold back the tears. I don’t want her to see how weak I am.
I bite my lip, the sting of her rejection hitting hard. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but hearing the venom in her voice makes me feel like the dirtiest person in the world.
Ethan’s grip tightens on my hand, and he steps forward, his voice firm but calm. “Aurora, I know this is hard, but we have made our own decisions.”
“No, I don’t want to hear about this. Why the hell did you invite me here to pretend like I should be happy for both of you?”
“Hold on, Aurora. We need to tell you something else.”
Aurora’s eyes narrow, her expression turning cold. “What else could there possibly be?”
I feel my heart racing in my chest, my stomach twisting into knots as I try to steady myself. This is it. The moment of truth.
I glance at Ethan. I can’t say the words, and I think he senses that. He’s taking the reins on this.
“Aurora…Madison is pregnant.”
The room goes silent. Deathly silent. I can see the shock ripple through Aurora. For a few seconds, she just stares at me, frozen in place, as if she’s waiting for me to tell her it’s some kind of joke.
But it’s not. It’s very real.
“Madison, tell me this is a joke.”
I shake my head.
“You’re… You’re pregnant?”
I nod, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “Yes.”
The silence that follows is suffocating, and then explosive.