Chapter 20


    I finally woke up around one in the afternoon.


    My sleep had been the most pleasant part of this entire weekend. The twin’s had vanished from my


    mind and dreams. I forced any and all thoughts of them from my head. I was left with a dull and


    sometimes excruciatingly sharp pain in my chest. It honestly felt like a chunk of my soul was missing,


    but it doesn’t help to dwell on what could’ve been.


    My n to leave was officially set into motion. I would leave Friday night. That gave me an entire week


    to work, and pick up my check Friday morning. I had a little over twenty five grand in my bank ount.


    While it wouldn’t sustain me forever, it would be plenty until I found myself a job.


    I had everything nned out. Friday night I would catch a bus to Anta, Georgia. From there I’d get


    the soonest ne ticket. My destination didn’t matter. I wanted to be far away from Georgia,


    somewhere no one would look. Once the nended, I’d find myself a job and somewhere cheap to


    live.


    I had no intention of going to school at all this week. It simply didn’t matter anymore. Once I was


    established in a new state, I’d work on getting my GED. For the first time in years, I was truly excited.


    I trudged into the bathroom, no longer caring whether Frank was awake or not. Melissa was home from


    work for the day, which would hopefully prove a worthy distraction.


    My face looked awful. My eye was swollen, only showing the smallest sliver of my chocte brown iris.


    The skin around it was a sickly shade of purple. My lip had seen better days, but the bleeding had


    stopped. Any other bruises would be sessfully covered by my work uniform.


    I pulled the concealer Tori had given me out of the bathroom drawer and applied some to my face. I


    blended it into my cheek and eye area as best as I could.


    While it did nothing to help the swelling, the bruises werepletely covered on my skin.


    I slipped my work uniform on and inhaled a couple gran bars while sitting on my bed. Tori would be


    here within the next five minutes, forcing me to retreat downstairs.


    Melissa was in the kitchen cooking, and my stomach rumbled at the thought of eating some hot home


    cooked food. It grew tiring living off of restaurant leftovers and gran bars, but I refused to cook in the


    kitchen. It would only give Frank more time to torment me.


    Melissa stiffened as she heard meing downstairs. I kept my eyes away from her and walked over


    to the window. The window was directly by the front door, giving me a clear view of the empty driveway.


    “Aurora.” Melissa called my name, snapping me from my thoughts with a hard flinch.


    I turned my head and looked at the woman who carried me for nine months. She had a small white


    bottle in her left hand, two round pills in her right.


    “Take some aspirin.” Melissa mumbled awkwardly, “It’ll help the swelling.”


    I took the pills from her, ignoring the shaking of my own hand. For the first time I felt absolutely nothing


    towards Melissa. Not hate, not the sharp pangs that wracked my body whenever she did something the


    least bit motherly. It was truly nice feeling nothing for a change.


    “Thanks.” I mumbled, swallowing the pills and taking a long drink of water.


    I turned my attention back to the window and the empty driveway. For the second time, Melissa pulled


    me from my thoughts.


    I nearly wanted tough at the irony. This was the most she’s spoken to me in months. If only I knew it


    would take getting my face fucked up for her to show the tiniest shred of concern.


    “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me what happened to you.” Melissa’s voice was low, yet even.


    Her voice held a tone I had never heard before, her words churning with concern. The emotion nearly


    made me sick. It was too much to process after what happened. I already had too many thoughts and


    emotions bubbling within me, this threatened to send them over the edge.


    “Why do you care?” I murmured, my eyes never once straying from the empty driveway.


    “You leftst night with some girl ande running home looking like this.” I could hear the frown in


    her words, the concern hidden underneath. I couldn’t help but notice she hadn’t answered my question.


    “Who did this, Aurora?” Her voice was strong and stern. She had that tone that only a mother could pull


    off.


    “What will it change, Melissa?” I sneered as her name fell from my lips, turning to see the hurt in her


    eyes. “We both know nothing will change.”


    The hurt lingered in her eyes for a few moments, but I felt nothing. Her dismissal of me had caused


    years of hurt. She could handle a few seconds.


    “They wouldn’t be able to hurt you again.” Melissa murmured, her blue eyes burning into my own.


    “You say that, but you don’t mean it.” I scoffed, “We both know nothing will change until I leave. Until


    then, quit with the fake f*****g concern.”


    Tori picked the perfect moment to pull into the driveway. I hesitated for a moment, wondering which


    option would be worse. Melissa or Tori?


    Tori would without a doubt be worse. Her eyes would flood with suspicion and concern as she hounded


    me with endless questions. But I needed the money. I needed all the money I could manage before I


    left Friday.


    I turned my back on Melissa, as she had done to me for years, and left the house.


    Tori’s eyes were locked on me the moment I closed the front door, and I ignored her burning gaze.


    Even walking down the driveway, her gaze set my teeth on edge.


    The minute I opened the car door and sat down, rushed and slightly hostile words left her mouth.


    “What the f**k happened to your face?” She hissed, not even bothering to put the car in reverse.


    “We’re going to bete.” I pointed out, but I knew the effort to change the subject was futile.


    Tori scoffed, “F**k work. What happened to you?”


    “I really don’t want to talk about it.” I pursed my lips and stared into her hazel eyes.


    “Something happened at the party didn’t it?” Tori snapped, “Alec and Kade said you flipped out on


    them, but I didn’t believe it.”


    “All that matters is it’ll never happen again.” My voice wascking emotion. I sounded cold and


    detached, but I didn’t mind. Maybe it would cate Tori.


    “Who?” Tori growled like a d**n animal, earning a wide eyed look from me.


    “Who?” I repeated, my face nk.


    “Don’t y stupid.” Tori growled, again. The sound was funnying from her mouth. A petite red


    head growling like an animal. “Who hurt you?”


    I shook my head, “Doesn’t matter. It wont happen again.”


    “Dammit, Aurora.” Tori hissed, mming her fist against the steering wheel.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I never knew Tori had anger issues like this, but I didn’t find her reaction surprising. I had known she’d


    react this way.


    Obviously the defensive route wasn’t working. What would another lie hurt? I had been telling so many


    of themtely.


    “Look.” I sighed, forcing emotion into my words. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I just need time


    to process everything, but I’ll tell you exactly what happened Saturday.”


    Tori looked at me nkly for a few minutes, her hazel eyes were much darker now. I shifted


    ufortably under her gaze. Just when I was about to look away, she opened her mouth.


    “Fine.” Tori pursed her lips, “One week. But I swear if you don’t tell me I will hunt you down.”


    I nodded, feeling her threat churn in my stomach. Tori wasn’t one to talk idle, she meant every word


    she said. Hopefully I’d get far enough to be way outside her reach.


    The car ride was silent, and for once I appreciated it. Awkward silence or not, it kept me from giving


    any details of my weekend.


    We got to the restaurant and walked inside. I got a few strange looks from the other employee’s but I


    didn’t care. I ignored the ones who asked what happened, and praised the ones who kept quiet.


    The only one to snicker and make rude remarks was Cameron. Obviously still jealous the twins wanted


    me to be their server, but that also didn’t matter any more.


    Three quarters of my shift had gone off without a hitch. I made good money in tips, my busted face


    earning the sympathy of many customers. Pair my swollen eye and busted lip with the giant boot on my


    foot and I was a walking charity case.


    My booted foot was throbbing with pain, as was my swollen eye but I was managing just fine. Another


    employee had a few Advil in their bag which I took greedily.


    Two hours before the end of my shift, my heart nearly stopped.


    Kade and Alec walked in, no doubt looking for me. I hid in the kitchen, not daring to peak out the


    window at them.


    “Alec and Kade are asking for you.” Cameron spat, her shoulder banging into mine as she stormed


    past me.


    “I’m not waiting on them.” My words came out in a frantic rush.


    “Excuse me?” Cameron froze in her ce, turning to look at me incredulously.


    “I’m not doing it.” I shook my head furiously. Tears were prickling at the backs of my eyes, but I


    absolutely refused to cry at work.


    Cameron paused and looked at me, something lingering in her gaze.


    “Come here.” Cameron’s voice was harsh and impatient.


    I felt rooted into ce. I trusted Cameron as much as I trusted Grace. It would be my luck to follow


    Cameron and get my a*s kicked yet again. I wasn’t falling for it this time.


    “Ohe on, Aurora.” Cameron hissed, but there was no menace in her words.


    Her hand wrapped around my forearm as she pulled me towards the employee bathroom. She grabbed


    her purse from a coat hanger on the way and mmed the bathroom door behind us.


    The employee bathroom was basically one room with a toilet, sink and urinal inside. It wasn’t for any


    specific gender, but it wasn’t essible by the customers.


    “Pull yourself together.” Cameron mumbled to herself, grabbing a wad of paper towels and cing


    them in my hand.


    “What?” My voice was broken, and confused.


    “You’re crying.” Cameron mumbled, looking somewhat ufortable. “And your concealer is fading.”


    Cameron pulled a little tan bottle from her purse and dabbed some of the concealer on her finger,


    blotting it gently against my cheek.


    “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you and I’m not gonna ask.” Cameron mumbled as she


    blended the makeup into my skin, “But your face is fucked up and you’re obviously upset. Don’t worry


    about the twins, alright? I’ll get them or make someone else do it.”


    “Thanks.” I nodded.


    “Just stay in here until you’re ready toe out. I’ll cover for you.” Cameron nodded, giving my face


    and boot onest nce before she closed the bathroom door behind her.


    I let out a sharp breath that I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.


    Cameron was blunt, and didn’t have a filter but shecked the d**d cruelty in her eyes that Grace


    clearly had. Maybe Cameron wasn’t so bad.