Chapter 24
I was torn between my miraculously appearing sperm-donor and the twins stationed at the front door.
Each looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to make the first move.
“This is too much.” I snapped under my breath, feeling much too exhausted for just waking up.
There was no way I nned on letting the twins inside, or entertaining my sperm donor for any longer.
I’d simply retreat back into my bedroom and pretend this entire day never happened. Garrett and the
twins would hopefully be long gone.
‘Let them in.’ The voice in my head rang out clear as day. The voice was so close, I looked around the
room wondering if someone else had came into the house.
‘I know you can here me.’ The voice called out again, sounding exasperated.
“I’m going crazy.” I mumbled under my breath, turning my back on Garrett and the twins as I bounded
up the stairs.
It was all too easy to listen in on their conversation. The house was old and the walls thin. All I had to
do was peak my head from my bedroom to hear whispers of what they were saying.
“You left—Can’t take her now.” Melissa’s voice sounded angry, that same whining tone present in her
words.
“My firstborn—just like me.” Garrett replied in his annoyingly calm voice.
I flopped down on my bed, pulling the covers tight around me. I squeezed my eyes close and prayed
for sleep, prayed for all of this to be a horrible dream. My world had been flipped upside down in a
matter of one day.
‘Aurora.’ The voice in my head was soft and teasing, ‘You can talk to me, y’know.’
‘No, I can’t.’ I shook my head, ‘Because that would mean I’m actually crazy.’
‘You’re not crazy.’ The voice in my head chuckled, ‘I could exin but I don’t know if it’s my ce to do
that or not.’
‘The exnation is that I’m clearly bing mentally unhinged.’ I snapped back, ‘Only crazy people
hear voices in their head.’
‘Well, crazy people and werewolves.’ The voice responded in a calm tone, as if this were simple fact.
‘Yep. I’m going crazy.’ I nodded, ‘Goodbye now.’
Sleep had finally managed to take me. I knew it was well into the evening when I finally woke up. The
bright sunlight was much more dim, the sky darkening in deep hues of blue and orange. A light knock
sounded on my door, and a strange smell flooded into my nose.
The smell was of stale perfume and something dull and spicy. I couldn’t ce my finger on it, and I
couldn’t remember ever smelling something like it before.
“Come in.” I grunted, sitting up from the bed with sleep crusted eyes.
Melissa came into my room timidly, and I realized this was the first time she hade into my room in
three years. She had never bothereding to get me for anything. Today was a day of firsts, and
hopefullysts.
“Your Father left awhile ago.” Melissa murmured, “He’s going to being back soon.”
“Garrett.” I grimaced, “His name is Garrett. Why is heing back?”
Melissa sat on the end of my bed and sighed, looking truly defeated. Yet another first today, Melissa
was sitting on the end of my bed. She nced at my face warily, and I noticed I was looking at her
through two clear eyes. Slowly, my hand reached up to my face. I let my fingers graze over my swollen
eye, surprised to find no pain. I couldn’t feel the puffy skin that was once there. Everything felt smooth
and t. I reminded myself to look in the mirror as soon as I could.
“It’s not my ce to say, Aurora.” Melissa frowned, “There’s just some stuff he needs to talk to you
about.”
“I have no interest in talking to him.” I snapped, “Or you.”
Melissa flinched at my words, but I felt no guilt. Guilt couldn’t touch me when I nned to run away in
just a few short days. I nned on working a double shift tomorrow, giving me the entire day away from
Melissa, Frank, and now Garrett. This would be thest bit of money I needed for me tofortably
leave this town behind. Friday was so close, and I was counting down the seconds.
Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.
“I know.” Melissa nodded, not meeting my eyes. “You’ll find it hard to say no to him. He can be very
persuasive.”
“Maybe for you.” I scoffed, “I on the other hand have no problem saying no.”
“You’ve always had his strength.” Melissa nodded to herself, “Certainly not mine.”
“I have my own strength.” I growled, the sound was odd in my ears. Apparently Melissa thought the
same. “I got my own strength from dealing with you and Frank for years. Not from Garrett.”
Melissa sighed, “You’re right. Either way, he’s going to want to speak with you. You don’t have to give
him a chance or let him into your heart, but try and listen to what he has to say.”
“I’m not making any promises.” I shrugged, looking away.
Melissa left silently and I trudged to the bathroom a few minutester. My jaw dropped as I looked into
the bathroom mirror.
My swollen eye waspletely healed, my busted lip absent from my face. It was as though the event
with Grace had never happened. All physical wounds were gone from my body, only the mental ones
remained.
‘You’re wee.’ The voice in my head chimed out smugly.
‘Quiet.’ I growled, ‘You’re just a voice in my head. You didn’t do this.’
‘Then what did, Aurora?’ The voice teased, ‘Enlighten me.’
I paused for a moment, thinking over the possibilities. Realistically, there were none. Things like this
didn’t happen to normal people, then again normal people didn’t hear voices in their head either.
‘Shut up.’ I mumbled, trudging back into my room.
I sat in the silence and nibbled on a gran bar, thankful the voice in my head remained quiet.
It was strange. The voice didn’t sound like my own, a little deeper and rougher around the edges. Yet I
felt like I knew the person who was speaking in my head, as if they were a close friend. That didn’t
change my feelings on the situation. Only crazy people heard voices. Once I left this town and finally
got established in another, I’d have to look into a psychologist.
Around two hourster, I had absolutely no insight on my situation. I would simply continue what I had
been doing. Ignoring the twins, making money, and pretending Garrett never existed.
A rougher knock sounded on my bedroom door, and Garrett peaked his head inside.
He was wearing a different suit, this one a dark Ash grey. What kind of man changed his suits more
than once in a day? His bright blue eye and rich brown eye stared at me past longshes.
“Aurora, could I talk to you for a minute?” Garrett asked, his face an emotionless mask. It seemed
Garrett was good at that particr expression.
“Okay.” Was all I responded with.
I watched at Garrett entered my room, his eyes flickering around at my minimal belongings. His eyes
flickered over the cracked and peeling paint, and the metal bed frame my d***y mattress sat on.
“Where are your belongings?” Garrett questioned.
His words had me clenching my teeth. There was interest and concern in his words, two emotions I
couldn’t stand to hearing from him.
“These are my belongings.” I snapped, “Mind your own business.”
Garrett paused and raised an eyebrow at me, “Your mother’s temper, I see.”
“Say what you want.” I growled lowly, “But I am nothing like Melissa.”
My chest continued to rumble, and I stopped the motion with a wary look. I was making all kinds of
strange sounds today. I passed it off on my failing mental health and the outburst of anger I had earlier.
“Melissa?” Garrett nodded to himself, “Noted.”
“What do you want, Garrett?” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You don’t have to call me Garrett, Aurora.” Garrett gave a small and gentle smile. “Call me whatever
you wish.”
I bit back the urge to call him my sperm-donor, feeling like that might be a little childish.
“Garrett is fine.” I snapped, “Quit changing the subject.”
Garrett looked truly ufortable in that moment, and I resisted the urge tough out loud. If only he
knew he wasn’t the only one extremely ufortable with this entire situation. He should’ve just
stayed where he was and minded his own business. He went seventeen years without thinking of me,
whats a few more?
“There is no way for me to break this easily.” Garrett sighed, running a hand through his chocte
colored hair. “I want you toe live with me, Aurora.”
Again, my jaw dropped. Dropped in surprise, dropped in offense, dropped in disbelief. My—Garrett
wanted me toe live with him? He missed seventeen years of my life and now he wanted me?
“No.” I replied deadpan, no lingering emotion on my face.
Garrett opened his mouth to continue.
“No.” I cut him off.
“Aurora, let me speak.” Garrett frowned, a stern looking over his face.
I paused, giving him this one moment.
“My—wife and I have just bought a house in town. You wouldn’t have to leave your friends, your
school. All I ask is for you toe live with us. There is much you do not understand about our family,
and I would like to exin it all.” Garrett sounded sincere, but that same strange aura of power
surrounded him. It made him seem bigger, more scary. I could feel it swirling around me, but for some
reason it couldn’t touch me. Garrett wasn’t big nor scary, simply a man who gave himself too much
importance.
“Let me make this crystal clear.” A snarl ripped through me, remnants of today’s intense anger flooded
through my veins.
“I am not your family.” I snapped, “I want nothing to do with you. All I want is for you to turn around and
leave my life the way you came. I would never live with you.”
Garrett seemed absolutely unfazed by the anger that wracked through me. The voice in the back of my
head was urging me to calm down.
‘Now’s not the time.’ The voice murmured, ‘We need Alec and Kade for your first time.’
“Aurora, I was not asking.” Garrett’s voice turned stern, making me wonder if he had any other children.
“You areing to live with me.”
“Why.” I grimaced, my anger seeping from my pores. “Why now.”
“Because you are almost eighteen.” Garrett turned, remorse burning in his eyes. “And I have spent far
too long absent from your life.”
I couldn’t find the words, couldn’t force my lips to form them. His eyes were burning with sincerity, his
voice held hidden longing and sorrow. I didn’t forgive him, not one bit. And yet I couldn’t figure out what
to say, nothing felt right. I wanted nothing to do with this man, and yet he regretted abandoning me. Did
his regret warrant my forgiveness? Absolutely not.
“I saw your—condition when you came downstairs.” Garrett grimaced, “The state of your room, and
yourck of belongings only solidifies my decision.”
I mped my lips shut. Garrett had that tone most adults had. The tone that made it clear there was no
room for argument. I would simply be wasting my breath. What infuriated me even more was how
Garrett made me out to be a child who couldn’t take care of herself. I had been caring for myself for
three years. Who cares if I didn’t have belongings? That didn’t matter to me.
“I would like to take you to dinner this afternoon.” Garrett paused, “Then I will leave you to pack your
things. I’ll return in the morning to pick you up.”
I pursed my lips, Garrett sure seemed to like things in order.
“Fine, Garrett.” My voice was void of any emotion.
The anger had fully left my system, leaving me with a blissful numb sensation.
“Onest thing.” I called out, making Garrett turn in the doorway.
“I will y it your way.” I nodded, my eyes locked on his own. Our eyes equally identical in every way.
“But do not forget that I’ve been taking care of myself all this time. I do not need you, and I do not want
you. Never forget that.”
“I won’t.” Garrett nodded, “Be ready in an hour.”
The door closed behind him, and for some reason I felt as though a lot of doors had been mmed
shut by his decision.