CHAPTER 35AureliaLeviAurelia
Aurelia
“We’re the last ones to arrive,” Levi noted as he pulled into the long driveway, parking next to Owen’s car.
Aurelia unbuckled her seatbelt, cheeks blazing as she definitely remembered why they were the last ones there.
She tried not to meet Levi’s eyes, knowing full well that self-satisfied smirk was spreading across his face.
Willing her nerves into submission, she grabbed the rice pudding and her purse before following him to the door.
What she didn’t expect was for Levi to simply walk in without knocking.
The gesture spoke volumes about the comfort and trust between him and his friends. It struck her, a little painfully, that even after all these years, she never had that kind of easy familiarity with Selene, let alone anyone else.
Before she could dwell on it, voices drifted in from somewhere beyond the foyer.
“Grace, I forbid you from ever making flan again,” came an indignant, unmistakable voice. Owen.
“Don’t listen to him. Just because he’s being a baby doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t appreciate it,” responded a second voice—deeper, calm. Isaac, she assumed.
“I’m not being a baby! I’m rational. Flan is an abomination and shouldn’t be classified as dessert—or even as food.”
Aurelia glanced at Levi, who had stopped dead in his tracks, pinching the bridge of his nose with a weary shake of his head.
She cast an inquisitive glance, silently asking: Seriously?
He sighed. I warned you , that sigh seemed to say, before motioning for her to keep walking.
“What exactly is your issue with it?” a teasing female voice chimed in—undoubtedly Ivy, tossing more fuel on the fire.
“It can’t be both pudding and Jell-O! That level of culinary arrogance is offensive. The texture is wrong, the taste is bizarre, and you don’t toss eggs into a pudding and call it a day! The taste and how it feels in my mouth is weird,” Owen declared with dramatic flair.
“Pretty sure that’s not the first time you’ve ever said that,” Ivy shot back dryly, laughter immediately following.
Despite her nerves, Aurelia smiled as they entered the living room.
As soon as they stepped inside, all eyes turned toward them.
Without thinking, she blurted out, “If you think flan’s an abomination, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the rice pudding I brought.”
Silence.
Panic set in. Why can’t I stop making awkward jokes?
And then laughter erupted.
Owen looked vaguely horrified, clearly remembering their…shared history, while the others practically howled. Levi laughed too, his eyes warm as he shot her a look of pure admiration.
The laughter barely subsided before she was swept into a flurry of hugs and congratulations. It was overwhelming and entirely too much physical affection for someone who had carefully built walls for most of her life.
Sensing her discomfort, Levi cut through the crowd, creating space with a commanding but kind, “Alright, alright. Let her breathe.”
Aurelia threw him a grateful glance as a beautiful auburn-haired woman stepped forward, her hazel eyes warm and welcoming.
“I’m Grace,” she said brightly, taking the rice pudding from Aurelia’s hands without hesitation.
“And this troublemaker over here—” she gestured toward a caramel-skinned woman perched at the kitchen island, fingers wiggling in greeting, “—is Ivy. That handsome man in red is my husband, Isaac, and I’m sure you remember Owen. ”
Isaac offered a warm smile from the couch, his deep blue eyes crinkling against his mocha skin and neatly trimmed beard.
“Oh, I’m sure Aurelia remembers me,” Owen chirped with far too much confidence.
“No matter how hard we try to forget,” Levi muttered.
Unfazed, Owen turned back to Aurelia. “Now, the real question—where do you stand on the hotly debated topic of flan? Choose your words carefully. This is a defining moment.”
“Except it’s not,” Isaac interjected with a roll of his eyes.
“I caught some of the debate on the way in,” Aurelia said, feeling bolder now. “And while flan is technically a custard, I wouldn’t call it a personal favorite. I did bring rice pudding, so that probably answers your question.”
Owen’s face twisted in horror. “Why—why would you do that?”
She shrugged, eyes twinkling with mischief. “I don’t know…maybe next time you can sneak over and watch through my kitchen window to find out.”
The color drained from Owen’s face as everyone burst into another round of laughter. He clapped a hand over his heart. “Touché, Aurelia. Touché.”
Before anyone could recover, Owen stood dramatically. “I, uh…need to find that champagne bottle I bought. Probably rolled under the car seat. Be right back!”
As Owen disappeared, Levi shot her a proud, knowing smile.
Ivy patted the stool beside her, an open invitation. “Come sit. And tell us everything about your hair. It’s amazing . I could never pull that off,” she gushed.
Aurelia found herself sliding into the seat, feeling more relaxed by the second.
“Would you like some wine?” Ivy asked, lifting an empty bottle with a playful grin.
Aurelia winced apologetically. “Not really a drinker. I’ve never developed a taste for it.”
“Oh, me neither,” Grace chimed in. “Unless it’s something sweet that barely tastes like alcohol, I’m out. Although, dealing with Owen may drive you to it.”
Relief flooded through her. Maybe this wouldn’t be as intimidating as she thought.
“Your home is gorgeous,” Aurelia added sincerely. “Thank you for having us. Can I help with anything before dinner?”
Grace smiled, her warmth palpable. “Everything’s handled. Shepherd’s pie is in the oven, salad’s in the fridge, and you brought dessert. All that’s left is relaxing—and trying not to kill Owen when he starts in again.”
“It’s inevitable,” Ivy sighed.
Before Aurelia could respond, Owen returned triumphantly holding up a bottle of champagne.
“Found it! Also found someone’s phone out there between our cars. Either of you missing one?”
Aurelia patted her purse with a sinking feeling and realized it was hers.
“Mine! Thank you,” she called, accepting the phone with an embarrassed smile. It must have fallen from her purse as she exited the car.
“Is it finally time to eat?” Owen groaned as he collapsed dramatically onto the couch.
And right on cue, the oven timer chimed.
Grace shot a knowing look at Ivy and Aurelia. “Showtime,” she whispered, before heading toward the kitchen.
Levi
Levi sat back on the couch, his attention fully captured by the sight of Aurelia laughing with Grace and Ivy.
She belonged there, seamlessly folding into their little circle like she had always been part of it.
The sight stirred something deep inside him, a comforting warmth that felt a lot like hope.
He took a slow sip of his beer, letting the hum of conversation swirl around him.
Then Owen’s voice shattered the moment.
“So, are you still mad at me for the ceremony and my investigation? Aurelia sure hasn’t forgotten.” Owen dropped onto the couch beside him, clearly aiming for lighthearted…but the guilt in his eyes betrayed him.
Levi gave him a long, pointed look, his brow arching in disbelief.
“Would you expect either of us to be over it already? The ceremony was already nerve-wracking, and you somehow found a way to make it weirder—and as if that weren’t enough chaos, you had to add your special brand of insanity afterward. ”
He turned toward Isaac, leveling him with a look. “Did he tell you what he did?”
Isaac held his hands up in mock surrender, barely suppressing a knowing smirk.
Before Owen could defend himself, Levi cut in.
“He filmed the whole disaster and sent the video to all of you—which, by the way, I’m still trying to wrap my head around—and then, when I didn’t answer his calls, he took it upon himself to investigate by driving to Aurelia’s house, sneaking onto her property, and peeking through the windows like some deranged stalker.
And that’s how he got a front-row seat to… well, you know.”
Levi’s ears burned as the memory flashed through his mind, and Isaac let out a low whistle, grinning widely.
Before anyone could respond, the unmistakable sound of shattering glass cut through the air.
Levi shot to his feet, his heart in his throat as he turned toward the kitchen.
Aurelia was crouched on the floor, frantically gathering the shards of a broken glass, her long hair veiling her face. Her hands trembled as she tried to sweep the pieces into her palm. Her phone had fallen too, lying a short distance away like a silent witness to whatever had unraveled her.
Grace and Ivy were immediately at her side, murmuring soft reassurances as they carefully helped her clean up. But when Ivy lifted her gaze toward the living room, her eyes were sharp, her mouth set in a tight, grim line.
“You might want to check the tabloids, Levi,” she said coldly. “Looks like you’re tonight’s headliner.”
Levi’s stomach dropped.
He and Owen fumbled for their phones, while Isaac grabbed the TV remote and flipped to the local news station.
The headline blazed across the screen like a slap to the face: LOCKWOOD LOCKED DOWN: Trouble in Paradise Already?
Levi’s chest tightened painfully as the photos flashed across the screen…crystal clear shots taken with a long-range lens.
Of Aurelia turning her cheek at the courthouse, refusing his kiss.
Another of her running for her car.
And the worst—him gripping her waist in the parking lot, his face a mix of desperation and regret.
Every humiliating second of that day was now immortalized for public consumption.
His mind raced. Who tipped them off?
Aside from the court clerk, no one should have known about the ceremony. And now…now it was everywhere.
He raked trembling hands through his hair, his thoughts moving at a thousand miles an hour. Even through the swirl of panic, one realization cut through all the noise.
He turned back to the kitchen. Aurelia was gone.
And Levi had no idea where she would run this time.
Aurelia
To be alone from prying eyes.
That’s all Aurelia wanted— needed —as she burst through the sliding doors and into the quiet of Grace and Isaac’s backyard, her vision blurring with unshed tears.
Everything had been going fine. Better than fine. Conversation had flowed so easily with Grace and Ivy that, for the first time in what felt like forever, she believed she could belong somewhere. Maybe she had a shot at this life she stumbled into.
And then her phone chimed.
One message. From Selene.
Wow, glad to find out my best friend got married a few days ago from the NEWS…Nothing screams desperate gold digger like an arranged marriage!!! Super rich though, huh? That’s probably why you picked him. SO PISSED AT YOU RIGHT NOW!!!
The text was a punch to the gut, but it wasn’t the worst of it. The link Selene had included was though.
It was all right there.
Her shame, her humiliation, her entire life , wide open for the world to mock.
Someone—God, who? —had leaked their marriage details. And someone else had waited, hidden outside the courthouse like a vulture, a camera ready to capture every raw, unguarded moment.
The photos. They were everywhere .
Her refusing Levi’s kiss.
Her running to her car.
Him holding her back, his arms wrapped around her waist as she thrashed against him.
Each image was a perfectly framed disaster. The headlines were unequivocally brutal. But the comments were unforgivable.
Mail-order bride.
Gold digger.
Desperate nobody.
The words blurred together as her phone wobbled. The glass of water slipped from her grip, shattering on the tile. She didn’t even feel it. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.
Body failing, her senses completely shut down .
Her mind spiraled, shame pulling her under like a rip tide she couldn’t escape.
Selene was angry—furious that she had kept this secret. And she couldn’t blame her only friend for such betrayal. Eleanor…what would she have thought if she were still alive to see this spectacle? Would she be ashamed too?
Unbidden, the worst thought of all pushed forward, taking center stage— what will Levi think of me now?
She hadn’t considered that marrying him would entail a public profile. One she was woefully unprepared for.
The backyard spun around her as anxiety took hold. Her airways constricted, forcing her to gulp down air with deep swallows. Her heart pounded against her ribs like it was trying to escape the same way she just escaped the interior of the house, the urge overpowering.
She needed out and away from their knowing looks, away from the pity, away from the judgment that was crawling across her skin.
Before she could act, strong, familiar arms wrapped around her from behind.
Levi.
His touch was warm, steady, and without a single ounce of hesitation. Gently, he came around to face her, his worried green eyes scanning every inch of tear-streaked skin.
And then he did the one thing she didn’t know she needed…he held her.
Simply held her.
Without demands. Without questions.
He stood there, unmoving, becoming her anchor in the middle of the storm she couldn’t fight off. He held her while she trembled against him, her sobs breaking free, silent, and desperate.
And he didn’t let go.
Not when her tears soaked his shirt.
Not when her knees nearly gave out.
Not even when his own heart broke for her right there in his arms.
Levi simply became her strength when she had none left of her own.