Chapter 115: Complicated Love.

Aurora’s POV
I entered the pack house and walked straight to my room. Everything that had happened today was too much to process.
Leonardo’s words. Alessandro’s presence. The way my heart felt torn in two.
I closed the door behind me, leaning against it as I let out a slow breath.
My chest felt heavy, my emotions tangled in a way that made it hard to think straight.
I had told Leonardo the truth I couldn’t do this anymore. But why did it still hurt so much?
With a sigh, I moved to sit on my bed, running my fingers through my hair.
My mind kept replaying the way Alessandro had looked at me tonight.
The way he had made me feel free, even if it was just for a little while.
And Leonardo… his pain had been clear in his eyes, but I couldn’t keep pretending.
I closed my eyes, whispering to myself.
“What am I going to do?”
I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts were a mess, colliding into one another with no clear answer.
Leonardo was my past my first love, my heartbreak, my what-could-have-been.
But Alessandro… Alessandro had become something else entirely. Something I wasn’t ready to name yet.
I turned to my side, hugging a pillow close as I sighed.
Just then, my phone buzzed.
I reached for it hesitantly, my heart skipping when I saw Alessandro’s name on the screen.
“Are you okay?”
I hesitated before typing back.
“I don’t know.”
A few seconds later, another message came through.
“Do you want to talk?”
Did I?
I wasn’t sure. But the one thing I did know was that talking to him didn’t feel suffocating like it did with Leonardo.
“Maybe… not tonight. But soon.”
I stared at my message for a second before hitting send.
I wasn’t ready to face everything just yet. But I also couldn’t keep running from it forever.
Just then, I heard a knock on my door.
“Who is it?” I asked as I got up from my bed.
“Who else? Open up, Aurora.”
I smiled, already recognizing the voice. Rafael.
Shaking my head, I walked over and pulled the door open. He stood there with his usual cocky grin, leaning against the doorframe like he had all the time in the world.
“You look like hell,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
I rolled my eyes and shut the door behind him. “Gee, thanks. Exactly what I needed to hear.”
He flopped onto my bed, making himself comfortable. “I’m just saying.
You’ve got that ‘I’ve had an emotionally exhausting day’ look. Let me guess Leonardo drama?”
I sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Something like that.”
Rafael folded his arms behind his head. “You know, you don’t have to figure everything out tonight.
But whatever decision you make, make sure it’s what you want not what Leonardo, Alessandro, or anyone else wants.”
I glanced at him, my chest tightening. “And what if I don’t know what I want?”
He smirked. “Then that’s what I’m here for. To annoy you until you figure it out.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, even if just a little. Trust Rafael to show up when I needed a distraction the most.
Rafael grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “See? That’s the first real smile I’ve seen from you all day.”
I shook my head. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love me for it,” he shot back, winking.
I rolled my eyes but didn’t deny it. Rafael had always been one of the few people who could make me feel lighter, even when everything else in my life felt like a mess.
He sat up, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied me. “So, what now?
Are you gonna keep pretending everything’s fine, or are you actually going to do something about it?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t know, Raf. Everything just feels… complicated.”
He snorted. “That’s because it is complicated. But you’re making it worse by trying to please everyone but yourself.”
I frowned, staring at the floor. Was that what I’d been doing?
Trying to keep the peace, to not hurt Leonardo, to not overthink whatever was going on between Alessandro and me?
Rafael nudged my knee with his. “You’re thinking too hard again.”
I groaned. “I always think too hard.”
“Yeah, well, maybe for once, you should stop thinking and just listen to what your heart wants.”
I hesitated, chewing on my lip. “And what if my heart wants something that could hurt people?”
Rafael’s expression softened. “Then you decide if your happiness is worth the risk.”
His words settled over me like a weight. I didn’t answer, because deep down, I already knew.
I just wasn’t sure I was brave enough to face it yet.
Rafael sighed, leaning back against the bedframe. “Aurora, at some point, you have to stop running from the truth.”
I swallowed, gripping the edge of my blanket. “And what truth is that?”
“That you don’t love Leonardo the way you used to.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I opened my mouth to argue, to deny it, but nothing came out.
Because he was right.
I looked away, my hands tightening into fists. “It’s not that simple, Raf.”
He exhaled heavily. “It is, Aurora. You’re just scared to admit it. And honestly? I don’t blame you.”
I turned to him, my voice quieter now. “Then what do I do?”
He studied me for a moment before answering. “You stop pretending.
You stop letting guilt make your choices for you. And most importantly, you figure out what you really want without worrying about anyone else.”
I let his words settle in the air between us. The weight on my chest felt heavier now, but maybe that was because I was finally facing something I had been avoiding for too long.
“I need time,” I admitted.
Rafael nodded. “Then take it. But don’t waste it.”
I gave him a small, grateful smile. “Thanks, Raf.”
He smirked. “Anytime, princesa.”
With that, he stood up, stretching as he made his way to the door. Before leaving, he glanced back at me.
“Oh, and Aurora?”
“Yeah?”
He grinned. “No matter what you decide, I’ve got your back.”
The door closed behind him, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Leonardo had denied the feelings he had for me back then, and I still remembered how it shattered my heart into pieces.
Ever since that moment, I guess I just couldn’t trust my heart with anyone.
I had feelings for Alessandro, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.
Saying it out loud would make it real, and reality was far more complicated than my emotions.
It would cause problems between Alessandro and Leonardo.
It could cause problems within the pack.
And I didn’t want that.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I sat back down on the bed. My heart was a mess, my mind even more so.
Maybe Rafael was right. I needed time. But how much time did I really have before everything came crashing down?
I had broken up with Leonardo because I couldn’t keep pretending that my heart was still beating for him because it wasn’t anymore.
But I couldn’t tell him that my heart was beating for Alessandro.
Because if I did, it would cause issues.
Not just between the two of them, but within the pack.
I buried my face in my hands, frustration bubbling inside me. Why did love have to be so complicated?
Why couldn’t my heart just choose someone without consequences?
I decided to take a shower and clear my head with the warm water.
As the warm water cascaded down my body, I closed my eyes, hoping it would wash away the overwhelming thoughts clouding my mind.
Why did love have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t my heart just choose someone without consequences?
Leonardo was my past. A love that once burned bright but had long since faded.
Alessandro... he was something else entirely. Something unexpected. Something terrifying.
I sighed, leaning my head against the cool tiles. No matter how hard I tried to push the thoughts away, they always came back to him.
To Alessandro.
And deep down, I knew the truth.
I was already his.
But admitting it out loud? That was an entirely different battle.
I finished my shower and wrapped myself in a towel, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
My eyes looked lost, conflicted. A woman torn between duty and desire, between what was right and what her heart truly wanted.
A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Aurora?”
It was Alessandro again.
Ensnared by My Stepbrothers' Realm
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