Chapter 83: Moving Forward.
Aurora’s POV
After I walked away from Leonardo, I couldn’t help but feel even more angry at him. “Who the hell does he think he is? Telling me I was a mistake, and that everything we had was a mistake, and now he’s trying to claim me? What a jerk!”
I quickly covered my mouth with my hand when I realized I was outside, and people were staring at me awkwardly.
Just then, Alessandro walked over to me. “There you are. I thought maybe you left.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I was waiting for you.”
“You were waiting… for me?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. I need you to take me back to my friend’s place. I don’t think I want to stay here right now. With everything with Leonardo and now my mom... it’s just too much for me.”
He nodded in understanding. “I get it.”
I smiled a little. “But I have to say, Aurora... you did really well in there. Standing up to your mom like that... I was impressed. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
I chuckled lightly. “Well, Alessandro, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
He moved a little closer, his eyes locking with mine. “Well, I’m open, if you are.”
I didn’t fully understand what I was feeling, but there was something in the way he said that that made me feel something.
I stood there for a moment, not sure how to respond. His words hung in the air, and I could feel a strange warmth in my chest.
Part of me wanted to pull away, to keep my distance, but another part of me… a part I wasn’t sure I wanted to acknowledge, wanted to lean in.
“Well…” I started, my voice quieter than I intended, “I’ve been through a lot lately, and I don’t know if I’m ready for anything more.”
He nodded, his expression softening. “I understand. You don’t have to rush into anything. I’m just here for you, whenever you're ready.”
The way he said it made me feel safe, like I could trust him. It was strange because I hadn’t known him for long, but there was something about Alessandro that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I could lean on him.
I took a deep breath. “I think I’m ready to go now. Let’s get out of here.”
He smiled and gently placed his hand on my back, guiding me toward the car.
For the first time in a while, I felt like I was making a decision for myself, and maybe that was a step in the right direction.
******
The drive to Annie’s place was quiet as I thought about how Alessandro had leaned in and spoken.
“Um…so, I have to ask,” Alessandro started, breaking the silence. His voice had a playful tone, which made me turn to him, curious.
“What is it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He grinned, clearly holding back laughter. “Do you always give your mother that much of a hard time, or is today a special occasion?”
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “You have no idea,” I replied, shaking my head. “My mom and I have never really seen eye to eye. She’s always been... well, herself. And I guess I’ve always been the one to take the fall for everything.”
Alessandro chuckled along with me. “I can tell. You were pretty fierce in there. I’m not sure I could’ve handled her the way you did.”
I laughed harder, leaning back in my seat. “You should’ve seen me when I was younger. I was like a ticking time bomb—always ready to explode.”
He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “I can't imagine that. You seem like you have everything under control now.”
I smiled, but the thought of my past brought a bittersweet feeling. “I guess I’ve learned how to keep it together, even if it’s not always easy.”
Alessandro nodded, his eyes warm with understanding. Then, with a sly grin, he added, “Well, at least you’re not as scary as you make yourself out to be.”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. We both burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the car. It felt good, like the weight of everything had lifted for a moment.
The laughter slowly died down as we reached the stop in front of Annie’s apartment. Alessandro turned the car off, but we both stayed there for a few more seconds, still chuckling to ourselves.
“Thanks for today,” I said, wiping a tear from my eye. “I needed that.”
Alessandro smiled, his eyes gentle. “Anytime, Aurora. Anytime.”
I opened the door and stepped out, feeling lighter than I had in a long time. As I walked toward Annie’s door, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, I was starting to let myself heal.
Knock
Knock
Knock
“Who is it?” Annie’s voice called out from inside.
“It’s me, silly. Open up.”
She opened the door and grinned at me. “Oh… if it isn’t the girl who went on a date with the mean-ass brother of her ex-boyfriend.”
I shook my head, stepping inside quickly to avoid any neighbors overhearing our conversation. She closed the door and rushed toward me as I made my way to the couch, dropping my bag, clearly exhausted.
But Annie was always eager for gossip. “So... how did it go?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
I let out a long sigh, sinking into the cushions. "It was... a lot. Alessandro's not as bad as I thought, but things are still complicated, you know?"
Annie raised an eyebrow, sitting down beside me. "Complicated? Girl, you’re over here acting like you didn’t just get close with the hottest guy in your life—well, other than your ex, of course."
I chuckled lightly, but the truth was, I wasn’t sure what to feel. "Yeah, I guess. It was nice, though. It wasn’t like how I thought it would be. He... helped me with some stuff. But there's still a lot going on."
Annie nodded, clearly reading the tension in my voice. “It sounds like you’re in the middle of something big. But hey, don’t let it stress you too much. You deserve to have fun and not carry everyone else’s mess."
I smiled weakly. "I know. I just... don’t want to make the same mistakes again."
Annie reached over and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
"You won’t. Just take it one step at a time. You’re stronger than you think."
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