66. Aurora
M y legs dangle through the spindles of the staircase, watching as the front door opens and all three of them run inside.
David yells at them for running in the house, but they ignore him, instantly heading out back.
All I see is a flash of my new stepbrother, a boy with blond hair and another one with brown, quickly following after him.
I heard Everest ask his dad earlier if his best friends could come over and play, and I’ve been curious ever since.
I wait until David slips into the kitchen to go and find my mom, before I pull back and make my way downstairs. By the time I make it outside, all three of them are trying to climb the big tree at the bottom of our yard, and I cringe a little.
“You know my brother broke his arm falling out of that tree,” I call out, making all three of their heads snap in my direction.
Everest’s blue eyes meet mine, so intense and focused that I can’t help but shift a little where I stand.
“This is your sister?” The one with the brown hair asks, and I flick my stare to find bright amber eyes smirking at me.
“Stepsister,” Everest corrects, making me smile. “Aurora, this is Griffin and Harden, my best friends.” He nods to the boy with the brown hair first, Griffin, then the blond, Harden, and I greet them both with a smile.
Griffin returns it, his smile lighting up his whole face, as if he is the happiest boy alive, but when I look at Harden he is the complete opposite. He looks sad, so sad that I can’t help but frown in confusion.
“Are you okay? You look sad,” I say to him, his eyes widening a little as he looks at me, before he nods slowly. “Do you want to watch a movie with me? That always makes me smile.”
I feel Everest watching us interact, before he jumps down from his spot on the tree and moves toward me. “We’re busy, Rora,” he snaps moodily, and I roll my eyes.
“What? I’m just seeing if your friends want to be my friends.” There are only a few things I have learned about my stepbrother since he moved in, and one of them is that he’s super grumpy.
“They don’t, now go away.” He turns away from me instantly, and I roll my eyes, making the other two smirk.
“Don’t worry, big brother, I’ll get you to like me soon enough.” I spin on my heel, ignoring his huff, as his two friends laugh.
“Your sister is really cute.” One of them muses, before I hear him grunt in pain.
“Say that again, Griffin, and I’ll shove your face in the dirt,” Everest snaps, and I laugh as I make my way back into the house, with his name still ringing in my ear.
Griffin.
Griffin.
I startle awake, my eyes snapping open as they track around the blurry room.
I blink a few times, trying to clear my vision, until everything comes into view.
Everest and Harden are both sleeping in the chairs at my bedside, the former with his hands closed around mine, and the latter sleeping with his head against Ever’s shoulder.
The sun is coming up outside, and I find my dad staring out of the window with a grave look on his face, looking as if he has aged ten years in the last, however long, I’ve been here.
I open my mouth to try and speak, but my throat constricts in agony.
It feels raw and dry, like there is glass stuck inside of it, and panic swirls inside of me.
I flex my arms and legs, both of them moving easily, but when I try to shift my head, the throbbing pain is instant.
What the hell happened?
I try to recall the last thing I remember, but it’s all fuzzy in my mind.
My hands tighten into fists, the movement startling Everest awake, as if he was barely sleeping, his eyes instantly snapping to mine and relief flooding them.
“Aurora.” My name leaves his lips with so much emotion, that it feels as though his love for me is summed up into that one word.
My dad turns instantly, his stare washing over me, and then he’s at my bedside in the next second, relief and fury staining his features so fiercely, as he takes me in.
Pulling my other hand into his, he grips it tightly, as if he can’t quite believe I’m awake, and when I open my mouth to try and say something, he shakes his head.
“Don’t try to speak, angel, the doctors said your throat is too swollen,” he says softly, but still I feel the anger there, as Everest nudges Harden awake.
His words have images flashing to the forefront of my mind.
Of Bishop and his cold smile, of his hands around my throat, his mouth in my ear, and all the blood.
So much blood. It’s only then I see a flash of Griffin.
Tears blur my vision, as I try desperately to say something, but the pain is too extreme, even as I just choke out gasps of air.
I can’t talk.
It takes every bit of effort I have to pull my hands up to sign only one word. Griffin.
My father’s eyes snap to Everest and Harden, as Ever clears his throat. “She’s asking about Griffin,” he confirms, and dad meets my stare in understanding, but there is something else there too.
“He’s alive,” dad says coldly, as if he wishes he weren’t.
“He was in surgery for a long time, they managed to repair the damage, but he hasn’t woken up yet.
His parents are with him.” I can feel the hostility rolling off of him, and I can only presume this whole situation hasn’t won the guys any points with him.
“I sent your mom and David to get some sleep, they were here pretty late, and Katrina is at the hotel, she sends her love,” he sighs, looking exhausted himself.
“Your brother is asleep in the waiting room, with Daemon watching over him. None of us are supposed to be here right now, but some people refused to leave.” He aims the words at Everest and Harden, who remain silent at my side.
I need to see him. I sign with shaking hands, but my father is already shaking his head, as if he knows exactly what I am saying.
“His parents aren’t allowing any visitors right now, and when he wakes up the police will need to question him,” Everest responds, keeping his tone completely neutral, and my eyes widen at his words.
I instantly try to move, but dad rushes to grab me, gently keeping me in bed. “It’s for the best, Aurora, he needs to give his statement about what happened with that boy,” he snaps, not even willing to say Bishop’s name, as the whole situation really starts to take hold of me.
Bishop stabbed him, he tried to kill him, he tried to kill me.
Why? I sign, wondering how all of this even happened, and Everest sighs.
“The police traced all the letters back to him, the photographs, the flowers, it was all him, they already found a bunch of stuff on his laptop, apparently his obsession stems back years.” I can hear the anger in his voice, not just at what Bishop did, but how he missed it.
“He’s still unconscious from his injuries,” dad cuts in, his eyes trailing on Harden now, and it’s only then I notice his bruised and swollen knuckles, as the quiet boy offers me a flat smile.
“There are police officers stationed at his door, and the moment he wakes up he will be charged, David said they will push for attempted murder.”
I almost died.
The thought lands like a dead weight in the pit of my stomach, tears spilling down my face, and for the first time Everest moves closer to me, reaching out to wipe them away.
“It’s okay, princess, you’re safe now.” My eyes meet his, and I find a lifetime's worth of fear and regret in them, and more tears start to fall. I almost died, they almost lost me, and as if he is able to read my mind, he nods, his own tears tracking down his cheeks. “I know, baby, I know, but you’re okay now, it’s all going to be okay.
” His hand squeezes mine gently, and I let the weight of his touch keep me grounded.
Dad grunts in disapproval at the display, but to my surprise, it’s Harden who clears his throat and sits up, staring only at my father.
“Mr. Gray, I know this might be hard for you to accept, but we love your daughter, and we are part of your life whether you like it or not,” he tells him, his voice holding firm and steady, and pride and surprise swells inside of me.
“I thought you didn’t talk,” dad muses in response, looking between us all, and when his eyes settle on mine, he sighs deeply.
“I have worried about this moment from the day you were born,” he sighs, swiping his hands down his face.
“I’m sure every father panics about the day his little girl falls in love, but instead of bringing home one boyfriend, you chose fucking three.
” He huffs out a humorless laugh, shaking his head, as if he doesn’t know how we got here.
“Archer called me while I was away and told me what happened.” His eyes study Everest again now, the evidence of what my brother did to him still subtly staining his face.
“I thought about killing you, all three of you,” he states blandly, and I open my mouth to protest, but only a pained gasp falls out, pulling his stare back to mine.
“Then your mother called me yesterday and told me…” he trails off, trying to contain his emotions as he clears his throat.
“She told me what that boy did to you two, about your little boyfriend being hurt, and about the other one putting that prick into the hospital,” he grunts, finally a note of approval in his tone, and I reach out and slip my hand back into his, squeezing it tight.
“And then I found out that you would be dead if it weren’t for him,” he adds, lifting his eyes back to Everest, and I snap my own to him in confusion.
“He performed CPR on you, kept you alive and breathing until paramedics arrived.” My heart starts beating wildly in my chest at that information, as I try to remember anything other than the feeling of Bishop’s hands around my throat.
“And well, what father could deny a love like that for his little girl, no matter how unconventional it may be.” His other hand closes around mine now, as he looks at me with nothing but love.
“You’re an adult now, my love, you can make your own decisions, but you’ll always be my little girl.
” He leans down and kisses my head, before bringing his mouth to my ear.
“But if they hurt a single hair on your head, I will bury them at the bottom of the ocean.”
When he pulls back, he smiles at them with nothing but malice. “I’m gonna go and fetch the doctor and call your mother,” he tells us, squeezing my hand one more time, before excusing himself and leaving the room.
“I forgot how scary your dad is,” Everest grunts, pushing up and dropping down beside me, his hands coming up to cup my face. “I’m so fucking glad you’re alive, princess,” he breathes, leaning down and kissing me softly, before stepping aside and letting Harden do the same.
One of my hands rises up to sign. I love you.
Both of them smile. “We love you too, pretty girl.”
For the next hour I am poked and prodded by doctors and nurses, checking my injuries, which are mostly just to my neck, and giving me more meds for the pain. I fall in and out of sleep a few times, my head still feeling fuzzy with everything that happened, and honestly, I’m glad for the drugs.
We still aren’t allowed to see Griffin, he still hasn’t woken up from surgery, but everyone else comes to see me.
My mom, dad, David and Katrina all come first, forcing both Everest and Harden to leave, but they don’t go far.
My mom sent out to get some fresh clothes for them, so all they do is excuse themselves to get showered and changed, coming back as soon as they are allowed.
Archer and Daemon also stop by, my brother choking out multiple apologies while still glaring at Everest, while Daemon lingered in the corner to avoid the family dramatics.
By the time I drift off again for the night, there is only one person occupying my dreams.