Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Ican’t sleep. I’ve been lying in this bed for hours.
The lights are on, because I don’t want to be in the dark.
I used to love the dark. Now I can’t stand it.
I’m doing everything I can think of to take my mind off the nightmares.
To not think up every possible scenario that could be playing out with Connor right now. None of them good.
I should have insisted I stayed with him. Why would he want us to be apart? Is he actually coming back?
We’re at his cousin’s house. That little bit of knowledge is somewhat comforting. My Uncle Theo arrived about an hour ago. He gave me a disapproving look before he said something to my father.
A knock at the door has me jumping out of my skin and my fingers clenching around the knife in my hand. “Yeah?” I call out and my father walks in.
“Can’t sleep?” he asks.
I shake my head and release the knife, pushing it under the blanket as he approaches the bed. He sits down. His glare lands on my face, and I curse myself for washing off my makeup.
“What the fuck happened?” he growls, taking my jaw between his fingers. He turns my head from side to side, inspecting every inch of my skin. The bruises have faded, but they’re still there.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” I tell him.
“Did he do this?”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Connor would never hurt me.” I roll my eyes. The idea of Connor being responsible for this is almost laughable. I’ve literally stabbed the guy and he didn’t react, didn’t try to get back at me.
“You better start talking, Aurora, or I’m going to assume the worst,” my dad presses.
“Papa, I’m fine. They found us. On the island,” I tell him.
“That’s why you left?” He really has no idea that I was taken. I didn’t think anything got past my family.
“How did you find me here?” I ask, instead of admitting I didn’t leave the island by choice. My family doesn’t need another reason to hate Connor. Especially when it wasn’t his fault.
“I tracked your calls. Then we ran into Levi, and he knew you’d be at that event tonight,” Dad says before pointing to my cheek again. “Who did this?”
“Papa, I really need you to drop it. Besides, Connor already killed the guy who did this.” I wave a hand around my face.
“His father?” Dad questions. And I nod in response. “You know, taking over a family at eighteen isn’t ideal and usually never ends well, Aurora.”
“It’s not like he has a choice, Papa. Connor never wanted to take over.” I know that as much as he might embrace the leadership that’s fallen onto his shoulders, it’s not the life he wants.
My dad picks up my hand, and then his expression turns to stone. “Tell me you didn’t,” he says, staring at the shiny ring on my finger. “This better be a fucking purity ring or something, Aurora.”
“It’s not, but I also didn’t marry him. Well, not legally… yet,” I say. “I promised Mom I wouldn’t run off and get married without you guys. I don’t break my promises, Papa.”
“You want to marry him?” My dad’s face screws up in disgust.
“I don’t want to spend a lifetime without him,” I say. “I love him, Papa.”
“You need to call your mother.” My father hands me a phone. “Make it a video call. She’s going to want to see that.” He points at my finger. “I don’t approve, because he’s not good enough for you. But, as long as you’re happy, I will find a way to live with the fact that you’re grown up.”
“Thanks, Papa,” I tell him and press the video button on the phone to call my mother.
“Aurora, oh my god, how are you? I’ve been so worried,” she says as soon as she sees me.
“I’m good, Mom. Papa is here too.” I turn the camera towards my dad.
“Matteo, get her on a plane and bring her home,” Mom says.
“I can’t come home yet, Mom. Soon, I promise,” I tell her. “But look what Connor gave me.” I hold up my hand to the screen and show her my ring.
“Holy shit, it’s beautiful. Wait, no. You’re eighteen, Aurora. That cannot be an engagement ring.” Mom shakes her head.
“I love him, Mama, and he loves me,” I tell her.
“You haven’t even finished high school.”
“We’re not married yet. We’re going to wait, until we can get married with you and Papa there,” I explain.
“Good. But we can also wait another ten years,” she says. “Matteo, tell her she’s not getting married at eighteen.”
“We’ll talk about it later, Savvy.” Papa sighs.
“I love you, Mom. I miss you,” I say. “I have to go, though. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I cut the call before she can see how upset I am. I don’t want her to know I’m struggling. I don’t want anyone to know how much I’m struggling, and hiding my feelings from my family isn’t easy.
I hand the phone back to my dad and wrap my arms around his neck. “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For being the best papa a girl could ask for,” I say.
My dad holds me tighter. “You have no idea how much I want to throw you on a plane and take you home right now.”
“I think I do.” I laugh. I know this is hard for him.
“Get some rest,” he says, kissing the top of my head.
“You too.” I smile at him, even though I’m being torn apart on the inside. I don’t want him to leave. When he goes to turn out the lights, my heart speeds up. “Leave them on,” I blurt.
My dad looks at my face. Then he nods. “I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.”
“Thank you.” I relax a bit when his hand moves away from the switch.
Where are you, Connor?
There’s a sound coming from outside. My heart races as I get out of bed and walk over to the window. Fear courses through me but I’m not going to let it win. I will not cower. Whoever is trying to get in here is going to meet the real me. The fighter, the girl who isn’t scared of anything.
I pull the window up and then I see a hand. A hand I know all too well. “Connor?” I ask.
“Shhh,” he says, pulling himself up and over the sill.
“Why are you climbing through the window?” I whisper.
Connor presses a finger to his lips. He then walks over to the door and closes it as quietly as he can. What the hell is going on?
“We need to go.”
“Go where?” I ask, already looking around for my shoes. I was wearing heels when we got here. I really don’t want to put them back on, but I’m also not going out that window without something on my feet.
“Do you trust me?” Connor says.
“Of course I do,” I tell him.
“I can’t tell you where we’re going, Aurora. I don’t know who is listening.”
I look around the room. This is his cousin’s house. Does he really think someone is listening to us? Watching us? I didn’t spot any cameras when I came in, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.
“Okay.” I nod. “Can I tell my dad?”
“You can’t tell anyone,” Connor says.
I look to the door. “I can’t just disappear. I can’t do that to them.”
“We don’t have a choice. We need to go.”
“Okay,” I repeat, already looking around for something to write on. “Can I leave a note?”
Connor walks over to the chest of drawers and opens it, pulling out a notebook and a pen.
“How did you know that was there?” I ask him.
“I put them there, last time I was in this room,” he says.
“Which was when?” I start writing my dad a note. Connor doesn’t answer me.
Papa,
Don’t worry about me. I’m with Connor. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. I love you.
Aurora
Simple and to the point. I just need him to know I left because I wanted to. That I wasn’t kidnapped. Again.
I set the piece of paper on the bed and hand the notebook and pen back to Connor. “Okay, let’s go.” I smile.
Ever since I laid eyes on him, my body has relaxed. My heart is beating at a normal rate, and I feel like I can breathe a hell of a lot easier.