𝐴𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑎

Chapter 26 ~ Sickening

Ryder

I look down and play with my phone, waiting for a text from Aurora telling her to get home safely. I look back up to see my sister looking at me with a confused look as she plays with Laklyn.

"What's got you so down?" She places Laklyn next to her. I sigh and shake my head, to which she gives me a knowing look. "Is it a girl?" I look up at her and just stare, I think that's all she needs to know it is.

"You finally found someone huh?" My face softens at Aurora, I finally nod and Melissa smiles at me. "I'm glad you have someone to keep you in place." I roll my eyes as I stand up to answer the door that just rang.

My hopes are high, hoping it's Aurora even though I told her Melissa was here. I open the door with a sigh as my face lifts in terror. Fiona stands at my door once again with an evil smile.

I look back at Melissa and tell her with my eyes to take Laklyn up stairs. She does with a frown. I look back to Fiona and glare. Shutting the door behind me, I step outside and cross my arms. "What do you want?" I spit out.

Her smirk widens. "Oh nothing, just here to tell you that I'm not going anywhere, and that nothing is in our way Ryder. I took care of everything and now we can be together."

My face hardens. "Like hell that's happening." I say and she bites her lip. "Ryder, did you not hear me? I said nothing and I mean nothing is in our way, if you give your heart a chance- you can find yourself falling for me..."

Nothing? There are a lot of things! One of the most important being Aurora. "Yeah no there is something and even if there wasn't I won't allow myself to ever be involved with you again." I turn on my heel to walk back inside. "Oh you mean Aurora?"

I freeze at her words, I turn around slowly to look at her. "What?" I look her dead in the eyes, her smirk never faltering. "Aurora, that's her name."

"How do you know about her?" I ball my fist up, I would never hit her, but I'm ready to punch something. "Oh it's nothing, I just asked the private investigator I hired to find the name of the woman who has been seen with my man and my child." Her face is now hardened.

"My child." I state. "Laklyn is my child. And Aurora is my woman. I don't want to ever hear that name come from you again unless you're begging for her forgiveness." I take a step closer.

"Laklyn belongs to me, I have raised him since the moment you left us, he has nothing to do with you and as for Aurora, you will not speak to or of her."

"Well it's too late for that." My face falls. "What do you mean it's too late?" I find myself almost yelling. "I talked to her, she's no longer in the picture."

"You better say you're joking right now." She shakes her head. "Leave!" I yell now, pointing to nowhere. She listens and turns on her heel and gets in her car. Once she drives off I punch the brick wall behind me. I grunt as I lean my head on the wall.

Blood trickling down my fist. The door opens and Melissa comes out and sees me. She wraps an arm around my back as she tries to lead me inside. I don't let her, I turn and start to sprint towards Aurora's apartment.

I knock on the door, not caring if Greyson is home, I just need to talk to her because if Fiona is telling me she actually told Aurora to stay away, then I'm in huge trouble.

No one answers the door after my fifth knock. I sigh as I lean my back against the door and slide down.

My heart drops as I imagine Aurora's face when she was bombarded with Fiona. I screwed up, I wasn't careful enough and now, Aurora is hurting. I allowed her, I- she trusted me. And I screwed it up.

I feel tears prick at my eyes as I put my head in my hands. I pray that she is okay, and that she is safe. I let out a long deep sigh. I don't deserve her. She doesn't deserve to be burdened with my stuff.

I look at the dry blood on my knuckles and I cry. I cry for me, who is having major flashbacks of Fiona, how she took advantage of me, got herself pregnant, and left me, never even loving me.

I cry for Laklyn, who grew up without a mother, who was conceived in an evil way, but nonetheless I'll love him forever. I cry that I messed up his only chance of having a mother figure.

I cry for Aurora, who was my best friend, and the only woman I can ever see myself loving. I cry that she will never trust me again, that if I want to gain her trust, I have to work even harder for it. I cry that I broke such a precious and fragile person.

I stand up from my spot and I walk home. I open the door, ignoring my sister's cries to help me clean up my wound so it doesn't get infected. I head to my room and lay down on my bed. I sob more and more.

I feel my eyes shutting but I don't want to sleep because I don't know where she is and if she is safe.

I hear my door opening, I don't open my eyes until I feel my bed dip. Melissa places Laklyn down at my side. I look at his sleeping face, then back to Melissa, she gives me a sad smile as she walks out. Leaving me with Laklyn.

I wrap my arms around him and hug him close whispering over and over again, how sorry I am that he is hurting even if he doesn't know it. I know that Aurora not being here will affect him.