44. Madison
44
MADISON
I wave to Chico’s owner. She came back from her vacation two days early when she heard what happened. I’m just relieved to have Chico out of my house. He’s in the back of his owner’s car right now, and Samson is back home where he belongs.
I’m pretending to be cool, calm, and collected about what’s happening, but I don’t feel it. Chico’s owner said she was sorry about it, but she didn’t say anything about paying for Samson’s stitches and doctor’s visit. Ethan still hasn’t let me see the bill, so I don’t know how much it was. But I can only imagine.
I step back into my house, and my phone vibrates. It’s Ethan.
Aurora will be here in ten. Can you come on over?
As soon as I read that, my heart speeds up. And it’s not because I’m excited. No, I feel nervous. I don’t want to be here. In fact, I’d rather be anywhere but here. But I told Ethan I was on board with telling Aurora, even though I’m not.
But the truth is that our friendship has been in trouble since Ethan and I first slept together. It’s like something has been in between us. I don’t think anything can fix it. Except maybe the truth. Maybe if we tell Aurora, then she’ll know she just has to accept it.
“Samson, stay here. I’ll be back soon….I hope.”
I head across the backyards, entering Ethan’s house through the back instead of the front, just in case Aurora happens to be driving up.
Ethan hugs me as soon as he sees me, then kisses me on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“Like this is a giant mistake. Chico is gone, though. That’s good, but I feel like I can’t celebrate it because of this.”
Ethan kisses me again. “We’ll tell her. She’ll get upset, and she’ll need time to deal with it. But we can both be here to answer her questions and…then, it will be done. The news will be out there.”
“Are we telling her about the baby too or just that we’re… together?” Even the word makes me feel giddy.
“I think we should rip the band-aid off. Both at the same time.”
I nod, even though that sounds like the worst idea I’ve ever heard. I snuggle into Ethan’s chest and just let him be my safe person.
When I hear the sound of a car pulling into the driveway, my heart jumps into my throat. Ethan pulls back from me. “I’ll answer the door. Do you want to sit in the living room?”
I don’t, but I nod anyway. I head to the living room as Ethan heads to the front door.
This is it. Aurora’s here.
I glance at Ethan, standing by the window with his hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on the driveway. He’s calm—at least on the surface—but I know that he has to be feeling something– some sort of nerves.
He looks over at me, and for a second, his eyes soften. “You ready?”
I’m not. Not even close.
But I nod anyway because what else can I do? We’ve been putting this off for too long, and now, there’s no more time left. Aurora needs to know. She deserves to know. Putting it off will only make my continued times with her even more awkward because I’m hiding something.
“I’m ready.” But even my voice sounds shaky. I swallow the lump in my throat.
Ethan gives me a small nod, then pulls open the front door. There she is—Aurora. She steps inside, shaking dramatically as she takes off her coat and makes an attempt to hang it on the coat rack.
“Hey, Rory, how has work been?”
“Eh, it’s been. Why did you want me to come over? I do have things to do, you know.” I think about what Ethan is going to say. This isn’t just any conversation. This is a moment that could change everything.
“I know. You’re busy, busy. But I have something important I need to talk to you about. Let’s go into the living room.”
Ethan steps confidently into the living room. Aurora is a couple of steps behind him.
That’s when her gaze finally lands on me. Her cool, collected look falters just a little, and I know she’s wondering why I’m here. She looks between the two of us, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
“Hi, Madison. You’re in my dad’s house.”
I manage a small, shaky smile. “Hey, Aurora. ”
She glances back at Ethan, clearly sensing that something’s off. “What’s going on? Dad, tell me right now!”
Ethan continues walking until he’s right beside me. I instinctively reach for his hand, needing the comfort. His fingers close around mine, warm and reassuring. But it’s clear from our movement what we’re about to say to Aurora.
She’s staring at us with shock, but it’s like she can’t even find any words to speak. Good, I want Ethan to say it first.
“Aurora, there’s something we need to talk to you about. Madison and I… We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. We both talked about your feelings on the matter but decided that ultimately, we make each other happy. And we have to make decisions about what makes us happy, not what makes you happy.”
I watch Aurora’s face closely, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes flicker between the two of us. Then, it’s like reality sets in. Her eyes narrow, and her hands go to her hips.
“You’re dating ?”
Ethan nods. “Yes. We’ve been spending time together, and we both care about each other a lot.”
Aurora’s mouth opens, but no words come out. I can see the wheels turning in her head, the realization slowly sinking in. Even though she forbade us from doing this, we are doing it. We’ve made a decision she doesn’t like.
“How long? Why did you keep it a secret? Madison, you promised you wouldn’t sleep with my dad again. That’s disgusting! You two are disgusting!”
I flinch at the accusation in her tone. Ethan steps forward, his hand still holding mine, as he tries to explain.
“We didn’t want to overwhelm you. It’s a lot to take in, and we wanted to make sure it was the right time. We really talked about if we should continue the relationship or not, because it won’t be easy for us. We?— ”
“The right time?” Aurora scoffs, her arms dropping to her sides, her fists clenching. “This is—this is crazy! You’re dating Madison? My dad and my best friend?”
“Aurora, I know it’s not what you—” I try to explain.
“No! You don’t get to talk to me right now!” Her voice is trembling with anger. I feel my heart breaking, and I try to hold back the tears. I don’t want her to see how weak I am.
I bite my lip, the sting of her rejection hitting hard. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but hearing the venom in her voice makes me feel like the dirtiest person in the world.
Ethan’s grip tightens on my hand, and he steps forward, his voice firm but calm. “Aurora, I know this is hard, but we have made our own decisions.”
“No, I don’t want to hear about this. Why the hell did you invite me here to pretend like I should be happy for both of you?”
“Hold on, Aurora. We need to tell you something else.”
Aurora’s eyes narrow, her expression turning cold. “What else could there possibly be?”
I feel my heart racing in my chest, my stomach twisting into knots as I try to steady myself. This is it. The moment of truth.
I glance at Ethan. I can’t say the words, and I think he senses that. He’s taking the reins on this.
“Aurora…Madison is pregnant.”
The room goes silent. Deathly silent. I can see the shock ripple through Aurora. For a few seconds, she just stares at me, frozen in place, as if she’s waiting for me to tell her it’s some kind of joke.
But it’s not. It’s very real.
“Madison, tell me this is a joke.”
I shake my head.
“You’re… You’re pregnant? ”
I nod, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “Yes.”
The silence that follows is suffocating, and then explosive.
“No! No, no, no! This can’t be happening! What kind of madhouse are you running here, Dad? You came here to tell me my best friend is going to be my stepmom, and I get a half-sibling out of the mix? This is wrong!”
Ethan steps toward her, letting go of my hand. “Aurora, I know this is a lot?—”
“No! You don’t know anything!” she screams, backing away from him as if she can’t bear to be near us. “I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!”
I feel a tear slip down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away, trying to hold myself together. But the pain in Aurora’s voice cuts deep, and I can’t stop the flood of emotions that come with it.
“Aurora, please. This wasn’t on purpose. Things just?—”
Her eyes are burning into me like twin fires. “You ruined everything! I never want to see you again!”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I feel my chest tighten with the weight of her rejection. Tears spill freely down my face now, and I can’t stop them. It doesn’t matter anymore.
Aurora storms toward the door. Ethan moves after her, calling her name, but she’s already out the door before he can catch up to her.
The door slams shut, and the sound echoes through the now-silent house. I sit there with tears on my cheeks.
Aurora is gone. And she never wants to see me again.
I’m the one who has done this. I had to choose between her and Ethan, and I chose Ethan. What if that was the wrong choice?