I want this to work, as does Santi, but Liam is the one I’m worried about most. He’s been enamored with Aurora for so long that if it doesn’t work out, I’m scared it will cause even more scars to form inside of him. How many will it take before he no longer is the man I know and love?
The door opens, but then silence. Liam jumps up, unable to hold in his excitement at seeing her again.
“Out here, Rora,” he calls through the door.
I glance over to see her pause on her way toward the hall leading to our rooms. Through the screen, I can’t really tell, but she doesn’t look right.
She thinks a moment before heading toward us. I watch as Ezra follows behind her.
When she makes it outside, I see what’s wrong.
She’s been crying.
“What happened?” Santi is up and in her face within seconds.
“Nothing. I’m fine. I think I just need to sleep some,” she deflects.
I look at Ezra, seeing the guilt written all over his face. He did this to her.
“Come sit.” Liam moves her to sit, but Santi pulls her from him before sitting and placing her in his lap.
“What happened, Ror? You can tell me,” he whispers.
I turn back to Ezra, asking him with my eyes.
He looks sullen.
It didn’t go well.
Looking back at Aurora, Liam kneels in front of her. “It’s okay. I get sad sometimes too. This will cheer you up though. You’re coming to our party in Sydney. Won’t that be fun? All of us together?”
If anything, Aurora looks even sadder.
“I can’t. I won’t. Thank you, guys, but the party, all of this, it isn’t for me. You have been great, but I can’t.” She struggles to stand from Santi, but he finally lets her go.
Then she takes off into the house. Not a word is spoken until we hear her bedroom door close.
“What the fuck did you do?” Santi growls.
Liam moves to sit next to me, looking like a kicked puppy.
“She doesn’t want us?” he whispers.
“Shhh. It’s okay, baby.” I lean his head on my shoulder, kissing his head.
“It’s not okay. This dickhead did something to her. She was so nervous to go out with you, but she wanted it. I saw it in her eyes. It’s the only reason I let her go. So what did you do to her, E?” Santi moves to stand in front of Ezra until they are nose to nose.
“I only expressed my concern about the danger she poses to a group like ours. I did not mean to make her sad. I only wanted to protect us.” Ezra doesn’t even have his normal cockiness about him.
Whatever happened, it didn’t just shake her up. It shook him up too.
“You had no right. That should have been a group discussion. This dinner was for you to get to know her. To see if you wanted her the way you so desperately try to hide. If you fucked this up for the rest of us, I’ll never forgive you.” Santi is seething.
“You’re only saying that because you haven’t fucked her yet. If you get in there now, you may get a chance before she leaves tomorrow.”
The words are barely out of Ezra’s mouth when Santi strikes, his fist landing on Ezra’s cheekbone.
Ezra curses but takes the punch like a man. He’s probably going to have a black eye tomorrow, but the look on his face says he doesn’t even care.
