Page 139 of The Temptation of Truth

“You deserve happiness, Aurora. Whatever that looks like.”

“Thank you. I love you, too.”

Red parks the car and leads us into the dark house, and after a quick good night to both him and my uncle, I make my way upstairs to my bedroom. I change out of my clothes quickly, check myself in the mirror, and moments later, I let my feet carry me out onto the terrace.

I need to talk to Mabel, to tell her how I feel before it’s too late, because our last conversation has been weighing heavily on my mind.

She’s considering going back to Kat. I can’t let that happen. I lied to her. I told her it was fine. I said we wouldn’t work out. That I couldn’t make her happy. I didn’t mean it. I just needed to get my own problems under control, and now that I have, I need to set things right with Mabel.

It’s dark in her room, and I debate knocking, but she makes the decision for me when she opens the door and gives me a tired smile.

“Hey. When did you get back?”

She takes a seat at the little patio table, so I follow her lead.

“Just a couple of minutes ago. Were you sleeping?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, I’m glad I didn’t wake you, then.”

She nods, casting her eyes out toward the ocean, and I can’t tell if the cool chill is from her or the night air. I fist my hands in my lap and shift in my seat.

“I told him I want a divorce,” I say, and she turns back to face me.

“How did that go?”

“Not good at first.” I wince when I replay it in my head. “Thankfully Red and Uncle Wade were there. Brady got manipulative, pretended to be sad, he even cried a little. When that didn’t work, he started making threats.I’ll be destitute. My brother would hate it. I’ll never find a man who will want me.That sort of thing. Which honestly is a little funny because I know the first two are lies, and I don’t particularly care about that last one.”

I laugh awkwardly, and her lips curve into a small smile that heightens my nerves. It doesn’t reach her eyes. She’s closed off and distant. This isn’t how I saw this going.

“Anyway, Uncle Wade and Red were more intimidating, so Brady backed down pretty quick. Uncle Wade said he would sue him and file a restraining order, then threatened his job, which is probably the only thing Brady cares about. After that, he agreed to leave Australia immediately and accept my divorce filing uncontested.”

“You think he will keep his word?”

I frown, then shake my head. I’ve thought about this a lot since Brady left for the airport.

“No, not right away. I think he’ll go back to California and change his mind, and then Uncle Wade will have to make the threats all over again. Might even have to follow through on some of them, but...” I shrug. “In the end, he’ll do it. And then I’ll be free.”

I feel Mabel’s eyes on me, and I turn toward her. “I’m happy for you, Aurora. You deserve that freedom.”

Her tone of voice makes me wary, but I tell myself she’s just tired. That’s it. Things couldn’t have changed between us so drastically so quickly, right? But then I think of the card from Kat, and I start to doubt everything.

“Mabel, can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“Are you going to choose Kat?”

Her brow creases, and she shakes her head.

“No, Aurora. I called her yesterday and told her that it was really over, and that I had no interest in going public with her.”

“Oh, good.”

I release a sigh of relief, my tense shoulders drooping slightly with the exhale, then I reach across the table and take her hand.

“I was so worried I’d be too late. I was worried you’d choose her, but now we can be together. We don’t have to hide or sneak around. I’m getting a divorce, and Kat knows you’re not interested, and we can be together for real. Right?”