Chapter 14
I followed Tori into her house, my ankle absolutely screaming in protest. I could in the short time I’d
been hanging out with Tori, my ankle had swelled up considerably.
I tried to cover my horrendous limp, but the sharp pain shooting up my leg made it difficult.
“Are you limping?” Tori frowned, her eyes locked on my injured ankle.
“It’s nothing.” I shrugged, “I fell earlier and must’ve twisted it.”
I hadn’t much experience with lying, but I hoped I had enough skill to fool Tori. My heart was thundering
in my chest from the simple lie and Tori stood quietly for a few moments. The more seconds that
passed in silence, the faster my heart began to beat.
“You should let me wrap it.” Tori pursed her lips, she didn’t look fooled, “It’ll hurt less to walk on.”
I contemted that for a few moments and nodded in defeat. I could easily cover up a twisted ankle. A
simple fall would be the perfect excuse. She knew how clumbsy I was, so it was no wonder I somehow
managed to fall.
“Wait here.” Tori called out over her shoulder as she walked down the hall on the first floor.
Tori came back a few momentster with a first aid kit in hand.
“I’m gonna help you up the stairs to my bedroom.” Tori nodded, her lips still pursed.
“It’s alright, I can get up the stairs.” I mumbled, sulking past her.
I gritted my teeth and held in a hiss of pain as I pulled myself up each step. Tori waspletely silent
behind me. It was clear she wasn’t buying my story about falling. My heart hammered in response. The
Tori pointed at a door down the hall, and I let her take the lead.
Her room was huge, full of fuzzy pillows and plush carpets. I plopped down on a couch she had in her
room, pushed up against the wall.
I looked around in amazement as Tori pulled out a thick looking wrap. I had never seen a room so
huge, or so decorated. Her room looked more like a suite. A four poster bed sat across the room, a
whiteforter sat on top with tons of fuzzy white and purple pillows. It looked like one of those
bedrooms you see in an interior design magazine.
“Your room is amazing.” I gaped, hoping to change the subject.
“Mom’s an interior designer.” Tori grinned. “She went crazy with the entire house.”
“Well that exins it.” I chuckled, “Send her over to my house sometime.”
I mped my lips shut hastily, hoping I hadn’t implied anything strange. If I had, Tori didn’t seem to
notice.
“How’s renovations going over at your ce?” Tori looked up and smiled.
“Their going- good, great really.” I shrugged, “Just fixing up the bathrooms and kitchen.”
“Maybe you could stay the night sometime.” Tori smiled, something shed across her eyes but was
gone before I could identify it.
“Maybe!” I grinned back. “Any night is fine with me.”
“Your parents don’t care if you stay over on a school night?” Tori inquired, her eyebrow raised curiously.
“Not really.” I shook my head, “Melissa kinda let’s me do my own thing.”
The voice in my head groaned. By trying to remain rxed, I was simply attracting more unwanted
attention. I was truly horrible at keeping anything a secret.
“Take your shoe off.” Tori poked at my shoe.
I could feel my jaw clench as I untied my shoces. Every little movement made my ankle throb, and I
was beginning to worry something was actually wrong with it.
I averted my eyes once I peeled my sock off. Tori’s startled gasp had me gnawing on the inside of my
cheek. I let my eyes flicker down warily, and they nearly bulged out of my head as I took in the state of
my ankle.
It wasn’t simply swollen, it looked like a d**n balloon. Splotches of ck and purple intertwined and
mixed on my foot like an art palette. This was definitely more than a twisted ankle.
“Oh my g*d, Aurora.” Tori ced her hand over her mouth, “And this happened when you fell?”
I gritted my teeth together and let out a hiss of pain when Tori gently lifted my foot.
“Yeah.” I nodded, “I tripped over something and fell down the stairs. I didn’t think it was this bad.”
“You need to go to a hospital.” Tori gave me a hard stare, ncing down at my purple foot.
Fear knotted itself in my stomach, and I turned my head away from her intense stare.
“What happened to your face, Aurora?” Tori’s tone was nk, guarded.
Tentatively, I lifted a hand to my cheek. It was definitely sore, painful even when I touched it. I couldn’t
tell if it had swelled up or not.
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
Tori huffed and got up from the floor, cing apact mirror in my hands.
I pursed my lips as my eyes trailed over the side of my face.
My cheekbone was swollen, not horribly but enough to draw plenty of unwanted attention. The skin
around it was turning a deep shade of blue.
“I must’ve hit my face when I fell.” I shrugged, my eyes flickering from Tori’s to my throbbing foot.
‘Lie better’, my conscience was telling me.
“Yeah, we need to get you to a hospital.” Tori nodded with finality and I sputtered for a reasonable
response.
“I can’t-” I shook my head, reaching down to pull my sock back on, “I don’t have insurance and Mel- my
family doesn’t have the money.”
Tori’s eyes flickered rapidly from my purple foot, to my swollen cheek, and back to my eyes. I could
practically see the gears in her head turning. Any second now, I expected steam to erupt from her ears.
Her hair was such a bright red, it already looked like her head was on fire.
“My Dad’s a doctor.” Tori crossed her arms, “He has an office here in town. Were going, Aurora.”
“Tori, I can’t afford that.” I shook my head. I slipped my shoe back on through clenched teeth and went
to stand.
Tori met me half way and wrapped an arm around my waist.
“You don’t need to pay for anything.” Tori sighed impatiently, helping me down the stairs.
“Look, I’m kind of afraid of doctors and hospitals.” I hissed through clenched teeth.
While this wasn’t aplete lie, I was basically grasping at straws. Some primitive part of my brain
even contemted just running away from Tori. Even if I somehow managed to get far on my busted
ankle, I didn’t know my way around.
I understand, Tori’s just trying to be a good friend but the truth could ruin everything for me. Child abuse
would get reported to Social Services, and another agent woulde out and “investigate”. Melissa
would clean up her act and pretend to be the caring and dutiful mother. Once the Social Worker found
no proof, they’d leave me with an extremely pissed off Melissa and Frank. See? No happy ending in
sight. My happy ending was graduating Highschool and getting out of this town.
“Aurora, you’re my friend and I care about you.” Tori grimaced, “You’re going to the d**n Doctor’s. I’ll
carry you if I have to.”
“You might need to.” I hissed, my strength was quickly waning. I was practically panting as we made it
to the bot5tom of the stairs.
“Here, shift your weight.” Tori nudged my side, and I grimaced. She hit the exact spot I mmed
against the tub, but there was no way I’d make that known.
“Oh gosh, what happened to Aurora?” Tori’s Mom poked her head from the kitchen, her concerned
eyes locked on Tori and I.
I swallowed and gave her a weary smile. The concern in her voice hit me hard, something I had never
heard in Melissa’s words.
“She hurt her ankle earlier.” Tori gave me a pointed look before she turned her gaze back to her Mom.
“I’m taking her to Dad’s office.”
“Good thinking.” Tori’s Mom nodded, a frown formed on her face. “Do you girls need any help?”
“Nah, I got her.” Tori shook her head, practically propping me against her as she opened the front door.
“Thank’s Tori’s Mom.” I gave her a small smile, ignoring the thundering pain in my heart.
“Call me Olivia, dear.” Tori’s Mom smiled softly as we walked out onto the porch.
I wasn’t sure how she managed it, but Tori supported most of my weight on her own. she didn’t even
seem to be struggling.
My blood ran cold when a familiar voice called out.
“S**t, what happened?” Kade’s rough voice called out from the blue house next door.
I mped my jaw shut as Kade strolled up to Tori and I. Alec followed behind his brother. The two guys
they had driven home with stood off to the side awkwardly.
“Is she alright?” Alec frowned, ncing at his brother.
The two of them looked absolutely g*d-like, but that wasn’t a surprise.
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Alec wore his typical ck t-shirt and a leather jacket, his chocte hair a tousled mess on his head.
Kade wore a ck button down shirt which was rolled up to his elbows. My eyes couldn’t help but
flicker over his muscr vein filled forearms. The two of them were devastatingly handsome, and my
heart reacted to that fact.
My heart thundered and pleaded to seek outfort from the twins, and I had nearly given in. A clear
image of Grace in Kade’s arms sent jealousy flooding through me, and allowed me to take control of
my hectic emotions. And to think I was going to give into their confusing advances.
“I’m fine.” I snapped, taking the two of them by surprise. Their widened eyes made me feel smug, and I
tried not to let that show.
“She hurt her ankle.” Tori shrugged, giving me an apologetic look, “I’m taking her to my Dad’s office.”
Kade nodded and gave Alec a hard look before turning back to Tori.
“We’ll take her.” Kade nodded to Tori, and I watched the muscle in his jaw work. His voice was rough
and demanding, sending a weird shiver down my spine.
“Not a chance.” I shook my head furiously.
“Alright.” Tori nodded, and I gaped at her incredulously, “But I’ming with.”
“That’s fine.” Alec nodded at Tori and nced at Kade.
“No.” I pursed my lips, but none of them were listening to me.
“What the h**l, Tori.” I growled under my breath at her.
“I’m sorry, Aurora.” Tori frowned, but her gaze continued to flicker to the twins.
I wasn’t sure what pissed me off more. Tori blinding listening to the twin’s even though she knew I
wanted to avoid them, or the fact that she acted like she had no choice in the matter. As though Kade’s
word wasw.
“Come here, doll.” Alec murmured, knocking my legs out from under me and pulling me into his arms.
“I can walk.” I snapped, squirming as I tried to force myself from his grip.
“Someone’s feisty today.” Kade’s full lips turned up in a smirk as he opened the door of the Jeep.
“Shouldn’t you be worrying about someone else.” I snapped at Kade, watching his eyebrows lift in
surprise.
“And who do you suppose I should be worrying about, sweetheart?” Kade murmured, getting much too
close to me.
My heart pounded erratically and my brain became cloudy as the husky smell of Kade’s cologne filled
my nose.
“Grace would be a good start.” I snapped, and mped my lips shut once I realized what I had said.
Much to my dismay, amusement shed over Kade’s features and he looked over at Alec with a deep
smirk.
Alec set me down in the passenger seat of the Jeep, and I tried to ignore the fact that the entire vehicle
smelled just like the twins.
Alec had his own identical smirk on his face, which only pissed me off more. They continued to toy with
me, and now it was funny Kade had taken back his girlfriend.
“She’s practically shaking with jealousy.” Alec murmured to his brother with a low chuckle.
I ground my teeth together in a poor attempt to keep my mouth shut.
“You wish I was jealous.” I snapped to the two of them, keeping my gaze on the window.
We drove back through the small towns square and stopped at one of the small buildings in the center.
I hadn’t even noticed a Doctor’s office sat in the middle of town.
“My turn.” Kade smirked at his brother, and I rolled my eyes. I’d much rather have Tori carry me.
Speaking of which, Tori had beenpletely silent the entire ride.
“Careful, brother.” Alec chuckled lowly, “She’s seething.”
A frustrated growl left my lips. If they weren’t trying to sexually harass me, they were trying to provoke
me with words. It felt good giving them a reaction though. They obviously didn’t expect it, and it helped
me let off some steam.
Kade lifted me off the seat as though I weighed less than a feather. I refused to melt into his arms,
despite how much I desperately wanted to.
“You are too small to hold this much anger, sweetheart.” Kade murmured in amusement and I scoffed.
“You haven’t seen angry yet.” I mumbled, equally disgruntled and ecstatic to be nestled in Kade’s arms.