18. Aurora
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Aurora
I needed air. This was too much.
I stood from the couch, my pulse thudding in my ears. The room felt smaller than it had a moment ago, like the walls were closing in.
I barely knew my uncle. I had no idea he’d had a falling out with the Grady family.
And now, somehow, I was right in the middle of whatever mess he’d left behind.
Why did he do this to me?
The key sat cold and heavy in my palm, but my mind was still tangled up in everything else. Last night, the way I felt, the way they felt.
Ethan. Owen. Mason.
I’d never imagined something like this was possible.
But last night had been perfect. Terrifyingly perfect.
And now, in the harsh light of morning, I didn’t know what to do with any of it.
I needed space.
I set the key down carefully on the coffee table. “I should go back to the inn.” My voice was steadier than I felt. “I need a little time to clear my head.”
Owen straightened from where he was leaning against the table. “I'll drive you.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the look in his eyes told me there was no point. Stubborn as ever.
Ethan’s jaw tensed, but he didn’t argue. Mason just rubbed at his neck like he was working through his own frustration.
I grabbed my bag and followed Owen outside, the cool morning air hitting me like a reset button.
I climbed into the truck, staring out the window as we pulled onto the road. Silence stretched between us.
Owen was the first to break it. “Are you okay?”
I turned toward him, my fingers twisting in my lap. “I don’t know.”
“I get it.” His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
I let out a breath. “Do you?”
His eyes flicked toward me before returning to the road.
“Yeah.” He was quiet for a beat. “Last night was different. I don’t think any of us expected it, but it was real.”
Something in my chest clenched. “That's what scares me.”
Owen nodded, like he understood. Maybe he did.
The Medford Inn came into view, its old brick exterior solid and familiar. He pulled into the parking lot, putting the truck in park but making no move to shut it off.
When I reached for the door handle, he caught my wrist, his touch firm but gentle. “Aurora.”
I turned to face him, my pulse skipping.
“You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” he said. “But don’t shut us out.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I’m not.”
He held my gaze like he was trying to read between the lines.
Then, slowly, he let go.
I stepped out of the truck, closing the door softly behind me.
As I walked toward the entrance, I felt his eyes on me. And I knew, no matter how much space I thought I needed, this wasn’t over.
Not even close.
I sighed, flopping back onto the bed in my room at the Medford Inn.
The ceiling fan spun in lazy circles above me, and for the past hour, I’d done nothing but stare at it, trying to untangle my thoughts.
Last night had been incredible .
The kind of thing I didn’t even know I wanted until it happened. The kind of thing that left my body humming and my mind reeling.
And now?
Now I was a mess.
Part of me was exhilarated—because it had felt right —but another part was insecure, anxious.
I’d never done anything like this before. What if I couldn’t handle it?
What if I ended up getting in too deep and ruining everything? What would happen when I left Medford behind and went back to my real life?
If?
I groaned and pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes. I needed a distraction before I drove myself completely crazy.
Which was why, twenty minutes later, I was knocking on Lila’s door.
Thank God I had someone I could call a friend here. That was such a novelty to me.
I knocked twice, shifting on my heels, but before I could knock a third time, the door swung open.
And instead of Lila, I was met with a pair of amused blue eyes and a slow, easy smirk.
Jaxon. Tall, broad-shouldered, and way too charming for his own good.
“Well, well,” he drawled, leaning lazily against the doorframe. “Look who we have here. Medford’s newest heartbreaker.”
I groaned, my shoulders slumping. “Please tell me people aren’t calling me that.”
He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Not yet, but give it a day. This town loves a good scandal.”
I rolled my eyes, though a tiny smile tugged at my lips despite myself. “Is Lila here?”
He tilted his head, pretending to think. “Mmm. Maybe. Maybe not.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Jaxon.”
He grinned. “Relax. She's in the back somewhere. But lucky you, now you get the grand tour.”
Before I could protest, he stepped aside, waving me in.
I hesitated for only a second before moving past him, and as soon as I did, my jaw nearly dropped.
The house was massive .
From the outside, Lila’s place looked like your standard, charming Medford home, but inside? It was all high ceilings, polished wood floors, and big, airy windows that let in the late afternoon light.
The whole space had a warm, lived-in feel, but with just enough elegance to make me think this house had a history .
Jaxon shut the door behind me, his voice full of teasing amusement. “What's the verdict?”
I shook my head, still taking it all in. “I thought I was just coming to see Lila, not stepping into some grand estate.”
He laughed, leading me through the hallway. “Yeah, we bought this place for Lila, because you know our girl deserves it.”
So sweet. His kindness actually made my heart hurt.
The men in Medford were definitely different from the commitment-phobe ghosters in the city.
I smirked. “You're all good to her.”
He led me through a sprawling living room, past an old brick fireplace that took up nearly an entire wall.
I spotted a well-worn leather couch, stacks of books piled high on a coffee table, and a guitar propped in the corner.
“Here’s the living room,” he said, gesturing around. “Where Lila forces me to watch her favorite rom-coms and pretend I don’t like them.”
I raised a brow. “Oh, so you do like them.”
Jaxon put a hand over his heart. “That's slander, Aurora.”
I laughed as we continued through the house, Jaxon pointing out random things with dramatic flair.
“The kitchen, where Lila burns toast.”
“The library, where I pretend to be sophisticated.”
“The dining room, where absolutely no one dines.”
I couldn’t stop smiling.
Jaxon was effortless, easygoing, and funny in a way that made me feel lighter, less tangled up in my own thoughts.
I could see why Lila had fallen for him. For all of them, actually.
By the time we reached a hallway at the back of the house, I was almost sad the tour was over.
Jaxon stopped in front of a partially open door, then turned to me, lowering his voice like he was sharing a deep secret.
“This,” he whispered, “is where the magic happens.”
I blinked. “What…”
Before I could finish, he pushed the door open.
And there was Lila, standing in front of a massive vanity mirror, curling her hair. A satisfied smile stretched across her lips when she saw me.
“Aurora!” she exclaimed, setting the curling iron down. “You're here!”
Jaxon leaned against the doorframe, smirking. “I had to take her on a tour before bringing her to you.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you did.”
Jaxon winked at me. “I'll leave you ladies to it.”
With that, he pushed off the frame and strolled away, disappearing down the hall.
I exhaled, shaking my head as I turned back to Lila.
“He's a lot,” I said, my lips twitching.
Lila laughed. “Oh, Aurora. You have no idea. So, what's going on?”
Her gaze was steady, patient, the way only a good friend's could be.
It was almost unsettling how easy she made it seem, like I could just say the things I was thinking without worrying about how they sounded.
I chewed my bottom lip. “It’s complicated.”
Lila smirked. “Oh, honey. That much I already guessed.” She grabbed a stool and patted the seat next to her vanity. “Sit. Spill. Whatever it is, you'll feel better once you say it out loud.”
I let out a breath and sank onto the stool, twisting my hands together.
She watched me in the mirror, waiting.
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
Opened it again.
And then, before I could second-guess myself, I blurted out, “I spent the night with the Grady brothers.”
Lila froze mid-reach for her hairbrush. Slowly, she turned to face me, eyes wide, lips parted.
I groaned, covering my face. “Oh my God. Say something.”
Her silence stretched for another few seconds before she finally breathed, “Holy shit.”
I peeked at her between my fingers. “Not helping.”
Lila blinked, like she was still processing.
Then, suddenly, a huge grin spread across her face. “Aurora. Oh my God.”
I groaned again, dropping my hands. “I know.”
She practically vibrated with excitement. “Okay, first of all, all three of them?”
Cheeks burning, I nodded.
Lila let out a delighted squeal. “Girl, you have got to start leading with this kind of information!”
I buried my face in my hands again, but this time I was laughing. “You're ridiculous.”
“Spill the beans. You have to.”
I sighed, shaking my head, but I knew she wasn’t going to let this go. So I told her about Lucky’s, the way the air between me and the Grady brothers had practically crackled all night, the way one thing had led to another until I’d found myself tangled up with all of them.
The way it had felt right. Too right.
And the way, now that I had space from it, I was completely freaking out.
Lila listened intently, her expression shifting from excitement to understanding as I finished.
When I finally stopped talking, she nodded, like she’d already made up her mind. “Okay. First of all, that sounds incredible. Second of all, why the hell are you freaking out?”
“Because I don’t do things like this.”
She threw her hands up. “Nor did I. Now look at me. It’s a great life, and surprisingly, Medford is a great place to have this kind of fun before you leave.”
If I leave.
I still couldn’t say that bit out loud.
“You need to have some fun with me.” Lila’s eyes lit up. “The Starry Night Theater is doing a movie night tonight. Classic Hollywood theme. You have to come. It'll be a great distraction.”
I hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“You do know,” she corrected, pointing a finger at me. “You need to get out of your head for a bit. Plus, it'll be fun! People dress up, there’s popcorn, fancy cocktails. It'll be so much fun.”
“Uh. Maybe.”
But before I could fully agree, she grabbed my hands, her eyes gleaming. “Ooooh, wait. You know what this calls for?”
I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
“A makeover.” She was already hopping up.
I groaned. “That is not necessary.”
She shot me a please look. “Are you kidding me? Aurora, this is your moment! You're going through a transformation! New town, new experiences, new romances.”
I gave her a look. “That's debatable.”
She waved me off. “Point is, you need to embrace it. And that starts with looking hot as hell tonight.”
I sighed but couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped. “Fine. Do your worst.”
Lila clapped her hands. “You will not regret this.”
A few hours later, I was staring at my reflection in stunned silence.
Lila had outdone herself.
Gone was the slightly frazzled, overthinking woman who had walked in earlier.
In her place was someone breathtaking.
My hair, which I usually just let fall in soft waves, had been styled into a cascade of glossy, old Hollywood curls, each strand perfectly framing my face.
It felt luxurious, elegant—like I belonged on the silver screen.
And my makeup. Holy cow, the makeup.
Lila had given me a flawless, velvety complexion, subtly sculpting my cheekbones and dusting a soft shimmer onto my skin.
My eyes, normally just there , now looked huge, framed by bold black liner that flicked out into a sharp, graceful wing. A soft wash of gold shimmer on my lids caught the light just right, making my green eyes gleam.
And then there were my lips, painted the perfect shade of red. A red that made me feel powerful, confident, like I could walk into any room and turn heads.
But the dress—that was the real showstopper. It was deep navy, almost black, and hugged my curves in all the right ways.
The neckline was sweetheart cut, exposing just enough collarbone and décolletage to make me feel a little daring, a little bold. The fabric was soft, smooth against my skin, and when I moved, the skirt flared in a way that felt playful, elegant, like I belonged in a dance sequence from an old movie.
I turned slightly, the light catching the shimmer of the dress’s subtle embellishments.
It was classic and timeless, but with just the right amount of wow .
I felt beautiful.
Not just pretty. Not just presentable.
Beautiful .
Lila stood behind me in the mirror, hands on her hips, grinning like she had just performed magic.
“Well?” she prompted.
I swallowed, my heart thudding. “I don’t even look like me.”
She met my eyes in the reflection, her expression softening. “Oh, but you do. Just the you that finally realizes how drop-dead stunning she is.”
I bit my lip, staring at myself. I did look stunning. It wasn’t just the makeup or the dress. It was something deeper.
I felt lovely. Strong.
Like I could handle whatever came next.
“Okay,” I said, meeting Lila’s eyes. “I guess to the theater it is.”