Chapter 23 #2
There was a bench off to the side, tucked just enough away from the main path to feel private without being isolated. She walked over and sat down, letting Chewy wander in a small circle at the end of the leash before settling near her feet.
I stayed standing for a second before sitting at the far end of the bench, leaving space between us.
I didn’t want to crowd her or try to close that gap she clearly wanted.
The silence stretched again. I leaned back slightly, resting my forearms on my thighs, eyes forward instead of on her.
“You good?” I asked instead.
She didn’t look at me when she answered it. “I’ve been throwing up all morning. I can’t keep shit down.”
That made my chest tighten. “I’m sorry, Bunny.”
She nodded once, like she expected that answer. “Just…tell me the story.”
“Huh?”
She looked at me then, “You know what I mean.Tell me everything. Don’t leave nothing out.”
I sat back slightly on the bench, running my hand over my jaw before letting it rest on my thigh.
“Aight. Well, Alice… Dillon… and me—we were close,” I started. “Before all of this. Before the business really took off. Dillon always had his head in the business side. He saw the long game before anybody else did.”
I let out a quiet breath.
“Alice wasn’t like that.”
That got a small shift out of her.
“She loved this place,” I continued, nodding toward the direction of the vineyard even though we weren’t on it. “The land. The freedom of it. She didn’t care about scaling it or turning it into something bigger. She just… liked being in it. And me and her… we connected over that.”
Rory’s grip on the leash tightened slightly.
I noticed but kept going anyway.
“When the original owner passed, we stayed in Napa for a while to figure things out,” I said. “That’s when things started shifting.”
I looked down for a second before continuing.
“Dillon proposed to her and she said yes. But about a week later, she showed up at my door saying she needed one more night. A break from everything before she stepped into that life. So we did what we always do. We went down to the cellar, broke in like we used to and drank wine we weren’t supposed to touch. ”
That made Rory turn her head slightly. “The same cellar you fucked me in?”
I exhaled. “You sure you wanna hear this?”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
I gave her a look. “Fine. We talked about everything. Her. Dillon. The vineyard. What life was about to look like. And then… it crossed a line.”
I didn’t get into details, but I did gesture vaguely.
“And when she said she loved me, I-I stopped it and I left.”
She studied my face like she was trying to catch something I wasn’t saying.
“I avoided both of them after that,” I continued. “I even left their wedding early.”
Her brows pulled together slightly.
“After they got married and moved to New York not just for the business… but because Alice was already sick, they wanted me to come with… but, I couldn’t. Then she died, and I didn’t go to the funeral either. I never got closure with her.”
Aurora’s lips pressed together.
“So when I found out you were hers,” I continued, voice lower now, “It messed with me. And you telling me you love me like that, it really fucked me up.”
Rory didn’t respond right away. She just sat there processing it. Until—
“You and your mama gotta stop sleeping with people’s spouses.”
I froze. Did she just—
My eyes closed and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yeah,” I chuckled, nodding. “I guess you’re right.”
I glanced over at her.
“I’m sorry, Bunny. I really am.”
She sighed, leaning back against the bench, one hand coming up to rub her temple like this whole situation was giving her a headache.
“I’d be lying if I said I cared about you and my mother in the past,” she said. “I said it time and time again—I don’t know that lady. And it’s not like I have some loyalty to her just ‘cause we was blood.”
I nodded slowly. “I hear you.”
“I am however mad you played in my face,” she continued. “And you played in my daddy’s face.”
“I know.”
“That part don’t sit right with me.”
“I know,” I repeated.
She held my gaze for a second, making sure I meant that.
“If you’re only with me ‘cause you see a ghost of her in me, it’s never gonna work,” she said. “I’m not her.”
“I know that,” I said immediately. “I know you’re your own person, Bunny.”
She studied me, still not fully convinced.
“You think she loved you for real?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Nah. I think she loved your dad and was just saying shit in the moment.”
Rory nodded slowly, like that answer made sense to her. “Did you really love her?”
I took a second before answering that.
“Not like that,” I said. “Alice wasn’t something I could allow myself to be in love with.”
Not gonna lie, it felt good to finally talk about this.
“But I can’t help but love you,” I added. “I’m in love with you. I can’t stay away from you. I need you, Aurora.”
Her expression shifted slightly at that.
“I love you,” I said again. “And I’m sorry, I hurt you.”
The words hung out in the open and for a second, it felt like we might actually be getting somewhere.
Then—
I felt something warm hit my shoe.
“…you gotta be kidding me.”
I looked down and Chewy stood there, right between my feet, calmly pissing all over my shoes.
I stared at him.
Then at my shoe.
Then back at him.
Aurora leaned forward, peeked down then laughed.
“Awww,” she said. “I think he forgives you.”
I shot her a look.
“Get this rodent before I turn him into a mink.”
“Minks ain’t rodents,” she said immediately.
“I don’t care what the hell they are!” I snapped. “Get the damn dog!”
She laughed again, reaching down to scoop him up.
Meanwhile, I stood there pissed.
Literally.
She was still laughing when she lifted Chewy into her arms, holding him like he hadn’t just disrespected me on a personal level.
I looked down at my shoes again, then back at her.
“You think this shit is funny?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “Extremely.”
I shook my head, stepping away from the mess, trying not to let it get to me more than it should.
“Unbelievable.”
She adjusted Chewy in her arms, still smiling.
The rat eased the tension. I should be grateful but I was still furious.
“Come here.”
I frowned. “For what?”
“Just come here,” she said, softer this time.
I hesitated then stepped closer.
She set Chewy back down and reached out, grabbing my hand.
That alone meant a lot actually.
Because earlier, she didn’t even want me near her. Now she was pulling me in.
“You’re stupid,” she muttered, looking down at our hands instead of me.
“I been called worse.”
“I mean it,” she said. “You really be making things harder than they gotta be.
“I know.”
“And I’m still mad at you,” she said.
“I figured.”
“Like… real mad.”
“I know, Bunny.”
“And I’m still trying to wrap my head around all that,” she added. “But I believe you about not seeing her in me like that.”
I nodded. “Because it’s true.”
“So,” she added quickly, tightening her grip on my hand just slightly, “we’re cool, but you on thin ice.”
That almost made me smile.
“Understood.”
“And I mean that,” she said. “Don’t play with me like that ever again or I’ll cut your dick off. Don’t leave shit out like that. Don’t have me out here looking crazy.”
“I won’t.”
“You better not.”
“I swear, I won’t,” I repeated.
She held my gaze for a second longer, making sure I meant it.
Then let go of my hand.
“For now,” she said, stepping back and grabbing Chewy’s leash again, “you can stay.”
That was the closest thing to forgiveness I was getting. And I knew better than to push it.
So I nodded.
“Appreciate it.”
She rolled her eyes lightly, turning to walk again.
“Don’t make me regret it, Marlon.”
“I won’t, Rabbit.” I followed behind her, watching her walk away in them lil’ ass shorts and wondering if it’s too soon to ask if I was still allowed in her bed. “Bunny? You not letting me off easy ‘cause you plan on getting even are you?”
“What would I even do to get even Marlon?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Kicking me out from your bed could be punishment.”
“Tuh!” She looked over her shoulder at me. “To you or to me?”
I smirked at that.
“Besides,” she continued. “I’d be way more creative than that.”
Now I was interested. “In what way?”
“I don’t know, I’d probably fuck your brother or something.”
I stopped, flenching my fist.
Calm down, she’s testing the fuck out of you. Don’t let it show it bothers you.
“Marcus is a married man,” I stated simply. “He ain’t gonna go for it.”
“Sure? Maybe he got y’all daddy’s cheating genes.”
My eye twitched.
“So what’cha saying? You’d fuck my brother to get back at me?”
“I’m saying,” she turned to me and smiled. “Don’t fuck me over.”
That smile told me everything. She meant that shit and I regretted even starting this conversation. Then, like nothing happened, she turned and walked away.
“I’m hungry. Let’s order take out.”
Yeah, it’s best not to play with her crazy ass.