Page 10

Aurora

I wake up to the sunlight pouring through my bedroom window. I have no memory of how I got here. My last conscious memory is of me laying in Lucien's arms on the rooftop while his fingers stroked my hair. I pull the sheets tighter around me to eliminate the phantom touch ghosting my skin, but it doesn't help. I can still feel him, his hands on my skin, the smell of him on my palm, and his breath against my neck.It lingered on my skin, in my hair, and somehow got into my sheets, causing my stomach to churn. His voice whispered things I refuse to remember because why did I let that happen in the first place?

I squeeze my eyes shut, not allowing any of it to make sense to me. But the memories flash through my mind, his hands on my body, his mouth claiming my lips, the way he worships me…the way I let him have me as he pleases.

My nails dig into my palms. It is all a mistake, one I should've stopped but let happen.

My eyes lock on the ceiling above me as I try to ignore the itch in my fingers urging me to reach for my phone. But I know that doing so will only pull me back into his world, the world where I don't want to belong anymore.

Even after everything that happened last night, I know one thing for sure, and it is that I can't forgive him…Never.

I shove the sheets off me and stand, wrapping my robe tight around my body. My legs feel weak. My skin is too sensitive. My thoughts are too loud, and every move I make reminds me of how he stretched me out.My doorbell rings, and I clasp my hand over my chest, steadying my erratic heartbeat. I am not expecting anyone, but something tells me I know exactly what I'll find behind the door.

Curiosity and its distant cousin, foolishness, take my hand once again and lead me to the door, forcing my fingers on the doorknob and pulling it open despite confirming the face behind it and having all the reasons not to let him in.

Lucien leans against the door frame, his hands in his pockets, his eyes locked onto mine. My heart slams against my ribs at the sight of him.

He looks like he hasn't slept because his tie is loose and his hair is a little messy as if he has spent the night restless or in a club. I wonder if last night broke him just as much as it broke me.

"Aurora," his voice rough.

I grip the knob tighter. "You need to leave."

His jaw tightens, staring at me like he really needs to have a conversation with me, but I am done with him. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about." I steal a glance over my shoulders. In no time, Ronan will be up and skipping around the house. Every moment he spends here spells extra problems for me.

"After what happened last night?" His gaze darkens. "I do not believe that."

I push the door trying to shut him out because I wasn't ready to exchange words with him. But he catches the door with his hand and stops me.

"You can't just pretend last night didn't happen," he insists.

I let out a sharp and bitter laugh. "Watch me act like it never happened."

Lucien steps closer, his presence too consuming. "It wasn't just sex, Aurora. We made love."

I feel the heat rise to my cheeks, causing it to blush and my breath turn shallow.

I shake my head. "I'm sorry, but that's all it was to me. A one-night stand. You should know how this world works. Good music, nice food, great alcohol, and you have the perfect recipe for sex. Don't be naive."

The lie burns as it slips from my tongue, but I'd rather be a liar than let him see how much he's affecting me.

His hand tightens on the door frame. "Then look me in the eye and say you felt nothing. How can you call the love we shared a one-night stand, Aurora?"

I open my mouth, but no words come out.

Lucien exhales, his voice softening. "I don't care about what you think because I love you."

My stomach knots at his words. I keep telling him that he has no right to say that word to me. "You don't love me, Lucien," I whisper. "You love the idea of me—the die-hard lover you let go of."

His expression hardens. "I won't let that happen again."

I swallow. This isn't what I want to hear. Shaking my head, I take a step back. "You already lost me, Lucien." Then I slam the door in his face.

I walk straight into the shower and have the longest bath I have ever had in my entire life. Scrubbing my skin hard in hopes of washing off every mark from him and every smell. I don't belong to him, and I never will.

Immediately after I put on my dress, a knock on the door grabs my attention. Feeling more confident than I did earlier, I walk over and open it to give Lucien a piece of my mind, but I find Damon instead.I've been buried deep in a Lucien Ravenclaw-sized pit. I totally forgot about Damon and how I left things between us.I swallow the disappointment clogging my throat and force a polite smile.

"Hey, I was worried I might wake you up." His voice is gentle, the kind that always makes me feel safe.

"It's alright. I've been up for a while." Sitting up and rubbing my face, I slump onto the couch, trying to shake off the memories and emotions that still swirl inside me.

Damon hands over a cup of coffee to me. "I thought you might need this."

I nod, reaching for the mug. "Thanks," I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper.I want to tell him everything about last night, about Lucien and how I feel, but somehow I feel like I shouldn't. Damon doesn't know the full story, and I'm not sure I'm ready to settle down to tell him all of that.

"How are you holding up?" Damon asks, sitting down next to me."I'm fine." I force a smile that barely reaches my eyes. "I'm just very tired."

He gives me a knowing look. "You don't have to hide it from me. Aurora, I know you're still struggling with Lucien."

I freeze at the mention of his name. Lucien. My mind reels, and I feel that old anger that I lock up stir inside me."I'm not hiding anything," I reply quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "I'm just... trying to move on from him. I just need to focus on me right now and not allow anything that will make me remember what happened between us."

Damon watches me for a long moment, his brow furrowed. He knows I'm lying, but there is nothing he can do about it.

"I understand. You're letting him get to you." His voice is soft. "But if you need someone to talk to, or if you want a distraction, I'm here. You know that, right?"

"I'm not." I meet his gaze, "Thank you, Damon. I'll keep that in mind." I run a finger along the rim of my cup, staring down at the swirling liquid, sipping from the mug.

"You don't have to let him control you," he insists. "You have a life outside of him. Focus on that."

I take a slow breath as Damon watches me for a moment, then leans back."Come with me and Ronan today. Let's clear up your head."

I hesitate. Lucien's presence still lingers like a shadow in my mind. Damon is right. I need to take in fresh air.

"Alright."

Later that day, the park is bright and full of children's laughter. Ronan runs ahead, his small legs moving fast and his laughter carefree, like this world is an easy place to live in.

Damon and I walk behind him as we enter a little café. It is usually crowded with people, and today isn't an exception.

We settle at a table in the corner. Our conversation merges with the chatter and laughter from other customers, with the soft clink of cutlery against their plates.

But as we talk, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of something nagging at me. It is this same feeling of being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and my body reaction is always right about it. I push the thought aside, telling myself that I am being paranoid and there's no way he'd show up here.Just when I wave it off and stare at Damon, the door to the cafe shoots open.

I have no idea why my eyes dart to the entrance of the cafe, my pulse quickens and my stomach churns as soon as my eyes land on him.

What is Lucien doing here?

I quickly look away so he doesn't get to see me here. My eyes meet with Damon's, and I force a smile, hoping he doesn't look back in the direction where Lucien is.Damon must have noticed my sudden stillness because he looked over and then back at me with a confused expression. "Aurora? You okay?" he asks, and I nod.

"Aurora." Lucien's voice is fierce, his hands in his pockets as he walks up to me. His gaze is locked on me.

Right now, I don't want to pretend anymore, as sudden anger flares through me.Damon gazes at me. "Did you tell him where we are?" Resting his arm on the table, he glares at Lucien.

"No, I didn't," I say almost immediately because there's no reason for me to do that, especially now. I didn't want to set my eyes on him.

I couldn't take my eyes off Lucien. My breath hitches in my chest as he stands there, right in front of us, as if he'd been aware of where I'd be. I feel more like he'd been watching me.

And I know, deep down, that he had been following me. I just turned him down, yet he still didn't want to give up. It felt infuriating. Like how dare he do that?After everything, after how he walked away without a second thought, after how he treated me like I was a piece of garbage, how dare he just show up like this in front of our son?I have no idea why he feels like everything that occurs between us could just be swept under the rug like he could walk back into my life without any consequence.

Lucien has been following me, and I hate it.

Before I could stop myself, my voice was sharp, cutting through the air. "What are you doing here, Lucien?" I hissed.

He didn't flinch, his gaze steady, slipping his hand inside his pocket. "I'm trying to see you," his tone was too calm like he hadn't just shown up uninvited.I stand up, making my way toward him. My movement might look like I am going to confront him, but in truth, I am only using my body as a shield to keep him away from spotting Ronan.More than his appearance rattled me. Ronan's presence unsettles me more. The both of them in the space spells disaster, and if I play my cards right, maybe I can distract him from noticing the boy or at least take this confrontation outside.

Lucien tilts his head. "Nice day for a walk, isn't it?"

I clench my fists, feeling disgust. "You're following me."

Lucien shrugs, resting his weight on the pillar beside him. "You're hard to stay away from."

Lucien stepped closer. His presence has crazy powers over me, and my heart skips a beat. I hate that I still felt this pull to him, even after everything he had put me through and after all I did to forget him."Lucien," I snapped, "What part of 'let me be' don't you understand?"

"You think I'm just going to let you walk away, Aurora?" His voice was dangerous, and it sent a chill down my spine. "You think I need that excuse to leave you alone?"

"You don't get to decide that," Damon shot back. "You don't get to follow her around, showing up whenever you feel like it. You don't get to come into her life like you did nothing to her in the past. Grow up, Lucien."

I stare at Damon as the words feel like knives leaving his mouth, but they are true. Lucien has no rights whatsoever.

"This is none of your business," Lucien clenches his fist. "If you're going to stick around, then do it quietly and never try to interfere in our affairs."

"I never wanted to hurt—""Stop it," I interrupt, holding my hand up to stop him. "Just stop. I don't want to hear it."

I didn't want to hear it again. I couldn't count how many times he had said that to me.

He turns to Damon, his gaze sharp as he tries to mask the fury still swirling inside him. "You ended things with me," his voice tight. "To be with him."

"That's none of your business, Lucien!" I warn.

"It is! You are mine, and you can't be seen with another dickhead like him!"

"And you're not a dickhead? I'm guessing somewhere in this self-righteous quest of yours, you see yourself as some prince charming. News flash, Lucien. You're the villain, and no one wants you here. Leave now."

"Mama," Ronan's voice cuts through the tension, and both my head and Lucien's snap to him at the same time. Lucien's eyes widen while mine fills with fear. I should've left him at home with his nanny or left him to play with kids his age. Fuck.Panic sucks the air out of my lungs as Lucien's eyes move from Ronan to me. He doesn't look surprised, but I can spot the question lurking behind them."We have the same eyes," Ronan exclaims with so much excitement, pointing at Lucien. In that single moment, I watch as the very fabric that holds my life together snaps, and my world comes crashing down.