4. Aurora
Chapter four
Aurora
I never thought I’d be here, managing social media for a professional hockey team. It’s not the career I always dreamed of as a little girl, but life has a funny way of redirecting our paths.
Not even six months ago, I was planning a wedding. Now, I’m planning Twitter campaigns.
Talk about a plot twist.
Jax going pro has definitely given me more of an appreciation for the sport. And although It’s not where I expected to be, as I fiddle with my camera strap and make my way to the rink, I feel a little flutter of excitement. Who knows? Maybe this whole unexpected hockey adventure is exactly the curve ball I needed.
Working for the same team Jax plays on isn’t my first choice, but I have to admit it comes with some nice perks. Everyone in the office knows we’re related, but thankfully, for the most part, they’re all professional.
I haven’t had anyone coming up asking for his number, which is a pleasant surprise. At my last job, I kept it quiet about him until someone dug far enough back in Jax’s social media and found a picture of me. You would have thought I was public enemy number one when they thought I was a girlfriend. When people realized I was his sister it became another type of annoyance, something I thoroughly enjoy on days when I don’t need to capture live footage of the team.
The workdays can be long and stressful. I’ve finished two weeks of postings in order to get them submitted for review. I enjoy watching hockey as much as the next girl, but it’s annoying having to go from summer dress and flip-flops to sweaters and jeans every time I enter the building.
But my job does have perks, one of which I’m enjoying now as I take my work home with me to do from the comfort of my bed instead of crammed in my little cubicle.
Just as I’m walking through the front door, my cell rings, and I hurry in.
“Hi Mom,” I say as I drop my keys in the dish. “You’re early today. I just got home.”
“Oh good, I caught you before you saw it.”
I frown as I walk through the living room and turn down the hallway to my room. “Saw what?”
She hesitates, and I try not to let the tendrils of concern wrap around me. Mom is just as dramatic as Katarina sometimes, and she likes to deliver news, no matter how mundane, as if it were the most intense piece of information she’s ever come across.
“So, you haven’t gone on social media today? Not at all?”
“Mom, I’ve been working all day until now. I’ve spent most of my time hidden behind a camera, not scouring the internet. Just tell me what’s going on.”
I hear her sigh over the line, and I prepare myself to have to feign interest until she gets out whatever new morsel of gossip has her in a tizzy.
“Turner is engaged.”
I pause, half bent over, poised to kick off my shoes. Turner is engaged. No parts of that sentence make sense to me. How the hell can he be engaged? We broke up barely four months ago.
“Sweetie, did you hear me? Are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” I say, not sure what else to say about the bomb she just dropped on me with no warning. Then again, I suppose that’s why she’s asking if I’ve been on social media. Turner always likes to post damn near religiously when something comes up. It’s one of the things we used to argue about the most. I guess now it doesn’t matter. He can post about anything and everything now with no one to ask him to stop. “That’s great for him.”
“Oh, honey.” Mom’s voice is thick with pity, and in that moment, I hate it. I hate him and everyone associated with him. “I hadn’t wanted you to find out on your own. Is Jax there? I can be on the first flight-”
“Mom, no. It’s fine,” I say, cutting her off. The last thing I need is her flying in to hold a pity party for me. I’d done that enough when the breakup just happened. This is supposed to be a fresh start, a time for me to really think about what I want for my life going forward. “I’m fine. Really. You don’t need to come.”
“But sweetheart…” She trails off, and I can hear some shuffling over the line. When my dad’s voice comes through, I sigh softly, wondering if I’m about to get a one-two parental punch.
“Hey there, bean. You hangin’ alright?”
“Same as ever, Dad,” I reply, trying to push some enthusiasm into my voice. “Tell Mom she doesn’t need to get on a plane. I really am okay.”
He chuckles. “I know you are, kid. You always were tough as nails when you wanted to be. I’ll handle your mother. Now, how’s work going?”
I feel more comfortable talking about things that aren’t related to Turner and am happy enough to finish the conversation and move on. But once the knowledge is there, I can’t escape it. With a put-upon sigh, I pull out my laptop and power it up.
I’ll just take a quick peek and be done with it. The little pep talk only helps so much. I’ve been frugal about logging into my social media for the past few months. But now that I know this, muscle memory has me clicking to his page.
Turner looks the same as always. I don’t know why I’m thinking he would have drastically changed in the four months we’ve been separated. Maybe it’s wishful thinking that he’s now some grotesque shell of the man he used to be, but no. He is still the specimen of blond male perfection. Only now, he has a matching golden girl on his arm. They look like a couple that just stepped out of a Home & Gardens magazine. Not a hair is out of place, and she is dolled up in that way he always tried to convince me to be.
I look down at my t-shirt and shorts, feeling somehow less than, just based on clothing alone. Growing up being on the curvier side has been rough, but college was an awakening of sorts when it came to appreciating the hips and dips I’m blessed with.
Still, there’s something insidious about seeing what is probably a picture filtered to hell and back that makes you doubt your worth. It’s a hard feeling to shake, and by the time Jax and Aiden make it home, I’ve nearly worked myself up in a tizzy. Ever the observant one, Jax gets straight to the point.
As he settles beside me on the couch, I feel a rush of gratitude. He’s always been my rock, even when we were kids bickering over the last cookie. Now, as adults, that bond has only grown stronger. I lean into him, drawing comfort from his solid presence.
“Mom said she called you today.”
I sigh at his knowing tone. “I’m fine.”
“Not what I asked,” Jax says before turning to the television. I’m not sure what I’m watching. I turned it on just to have background noise.
“So, you know too. You found out about Turner.”
He nods, not even trying to deny it. “Didn’t think you’d wanted to know, otherwise I would have told you as soon as I saw it. She’s pretty, I guess, in that artificially made up kind of way.”
My lips quirk up. “If this is you trying to make me smile, you can stop. I’m not upset.”
“Not upset about what?” Aiden asks as he comes to sit down on my other side. The warmth from his body seeps into me, and I unconsciously lean his way before catching myself and straightening back up.
“Nothing.”
“Seriously, sis. It’s fine if you’re upset. And you know Mom just wants to help. It’s just that her form of helping is hovering,” Jax says. I nod in reluctant agreement.
I know our mom means well, but sometimes it’s all a bit too much. When I want to sink into my hurt and just let it carry me for a moment, she is always there to pull me out. It’s helpful in the end but also overbearing.
“I know, but you know how she can be. I really don’t think I can handle a repeat of her last attempts to help right now.” I can feel Aiden’s gaze on the side of my face, and when I glance over, I confirm he is looking steadily at me.
“What the fuck are you guys talking about? None of this shit is making sense.”
I blink slowly before turning to look at Jax. Has he not told Aiden why I moved in with him? Regardless, despite my reluctance to post on social media, I have somewhat kept up with it over the years. I don’t post as regularly as some, but the evolution and eventual end of my relationship with Turner wouldn’t have been hard to spot for anyone paying even the slightest attention.
I know Aiden has a profile. I’ve looked over it now and then in the past. It just further reinforces that even though I have at least tried to keep up with his life, he hasn’t paid the slightest bit of attention to me after that one night. Something inside of me clenches, but I push it aside. I can only handle emotions when dealing with one guy. Plus, it doesn’t matter that Aiden doesn’t pay any attention to me after that night. It’s what I wanted.
“We’re talking about her dumbass ex-fiancé, Turner. I always hated that name. Turner. It’s so fucking pretentious,” He turns to me, “And after that shit he pulled at your prom, I don’t even know how you ever forgave him,” Jax grouches. Familiar grumbling does help bring a smile to my face. Even before the implosion of my relationship, Jax always mentioned how much he disliked Turner. I never understood it, but I figured it was a brother thing and just let it go.
Aiden’s expression doesn’t change, but I feel the muscles in his arm stiffen.
“I guess I have to agree with you on that because forgiving him was probably one of the worst mistakes I’ve made in my entire life, but I don’t know what you mean about his name. I guess given the circumstances, you probably weren’t wrong though,” I concede. It hurts to do that.
Six years of my life gone down the toilet in such a short amount of time. “I just can’t believe he’s already engaged to someone else. It makes me wonder, you know?”
“There’s no way that he wasn’t fu—“
“He’s an idiot,” Aiden chimes in, cutting off whatever Jax is about to say. It’s a blessing in disguise given I’m pretty sure what Jax is about to say is something I’m not going to like.
Aiden’s voice is gruff in a way that I can almost feel. The look in his eyes is fierce, and I feel a shiver go through me. “He did you a favor by getting out of your life so that you can find someone who is actually fucking worth it.”
I raise my eyebrows at that. It isn’t that Aiden never says nice things to me and about me over the years. When I was in high school and still trying to figure out how to be comfortable in my own body, Aiden was one of the few who helped with that in his own slightly annoying way. It’s why I know he isn’t the complete asshole that he always seems to want to portray.
I catch myself stealing glances at Aiden as he and Jax continue their Turner-bashing session. There’s something different about him tonight, a softness in his eyes that I’m not used to seeing. It reminds me of that night years ago, a night we both agreed to forget. But in moments like these, I can’t help but wonder what might have been if things had gone differently.
Jax raises his beer in a salute. “Agreed. Thank fuck that guy is not my brother-in-law.”
“Yeah, I can’t imagine you being able to stomach that,” Aiden says, his gaze losing a bit of that previous intensity.
I shake off the thought. Aiden is Jax’s best friend, nothing more. Yet, as I sip my wine and listen to their banter, I can’t ignore the warmth percolating through me.
For the first time in a while, I feel like I might just come out the other side of this mess happier and stronger than before. And you know what? It’s not just about closing the Turner chapter. It’s like I’ve finally wiped the fog off my mirror, and I’m seeing myself—and the people who actually give a damn about me—in high definition for the first time in forever. Funny how clear things become when you’re not trying to squeeze into someone else’s picture frame.