The Reverence of a Man on Fire (BOOK II)

Chapter 37- An Exciting Future

--Aurora POV--

"So, are you going to tell me what you were both talking about or do I have to keep guessing?" I curiously asked my precious lover once mama and papa had walked away with linked arms towards the dance floor.

"We talked about you." He put it simply.

"I guessed as much; Give me a better clue," I grumbled, sending him a warning glare which told him not to say anything smart.

"I promised to love you, and treat you well for the rest of our lives." He wasn't lying, but it was obvious that he was hiding a bigger part of the truth. Nevertheless, I didn't push it and simply hummed my answer, going to change the subject as my eyes scanned over the large room.

"Hey, Gio,"

"Yes, Aurora,"

"Have you seen Petra anywhere?" At my question, I felt his eyes copy mine in scanning over the room too, but just like me, he came up empty.

"No, but now that you mention it, where's Alex? I thought they were supposed to come together?" Pulling my phone out, I went to call Petra, dragging Gio with me as we went to stand at a quiet corner of the room.

But as I was waiting for her to pick up the call, her familiar figure stepped into view, and a large grin crawled onto my face which quickly fell short when I noticed she was alone.

"Hey, why are you here by yourself?" I rushed towards her, going to hug her tightly before stepping back. The sadness on her face didn't go unnoticed, and it wasn't hard to miss the fact that Alex was somehow related to this sadness.

"Men are pricks." She scoffed, going to hug me again as I hugged back, turning to look at Gio who shrugged his shoulders in similar confusion to me.

"I'll try calling him," He said, pulling his phone out and going to do just that while I continued to console my best friend.

"I was waiting for him, but he never showed up. I called him, and he didn't pick up. So, I ended up driving here alone," She explained with a depressed sigh as my brows furrowed in further confusion, trying to make sense of the odd situation. I didn't know Alex for long, but it was obvious that he wasn't the kind of person to ghost someone.

"I'm sure there's a valid reason for all of this, Petra." I reassuringly said with a small smile.

"Whatever the reason is, he couldn't have found it in him to call me once? Or even send a short message? This situation has only taught me one thing, and that's the fact that if soulmates are real, then mine has passed away," She sighed, eyes tearing up at the thought of her deceased husband.

"Hey, you can't think like that... Let's get out of here, I think some fresh air will help," I linked her arm through mine, going to lead us both out of the room, but before I did, I shared a short look with Gio as he nodded at me to continue doing as I did.

"You know Alex, Petra. Give him a chance to explain, and only then judge him. If you start breaking down now over your theories which could very much be incorrect then how do you plan to face him when you find out the truth which isn't nearly as bad as your imagination is saying it is?" I spoke as we walked down the garden.

"And what if it is? What if it's worse than I think?"

"Then he's not the one, and a better man will come for you in the future, the wait will be worth it then," I assured.

"There is no wait, Aurora," She sighed, letting go of my arm to go sit on the bench. "Truth is, I'm lonely. I have a beautiful daughter, a beautiful best friend, and my dream job of being a florist, but there's still an empty spot in my heart. There's only ever been one man in my life, and he's gone, I've never felt so alone,"