Page 116 of His Son's Brid
I do. I tell them about leaving with Axel, about the fight with my father, about living here for the past two weeks, and trying to make the best of everything.
"This is insane," Tiana breathes when I finish. "Aurora, this is actually insane."
"I know."
"Your dad disowned you?"
"Basically."
"And you're living with the mafia boss who got you pregnant?"
"When you say it like that, it sounds worse than it is." I groan.
"How could it possibly sound worse?" Chloe's pacing. "You're in danger. Actual danger. Someone burned down a warehouse. Someone's watching you."
"I'm handling it."
"Are you though?" Tiana's voice is gentle. "Because you look exhausted. And scared. And like you're one bad day away from falling apart."
She's not wrong. I've been holding it together through sheer force of will, but I'm barely sleeping. Barely eating. The stress is crushing me.
"I'm fine," I lie.
"Liar." Chloe sits beside me on the bed. "You're not fine. But that's okay. That's why we're here."
"To do what?"
“To save you, of course.”
“I do not need saving.”
"Okay then, how about to remind you that you're Aurora. Not just some pregnant girl hiding in a mansion. You're our friend. Our friend who had a life outside all this drama."
"That feels like a lifetime ago."
"It was three months ago." She grabs my hands. "And you're still that person. You're just temporarily buried under all this chaos."
"So what do we do about it?"
Chloe grins. "We go out."
"Out?" My veins are already pumping with adrenaline.
"Yes, out drinking.” Her eyes sparkle. “Well, you can't drink because of the baby, but Tiana and I can drink for all three of us. We find a quiet bar, and remind you what fun feels like."
"I can't just leave. Axel would..."
"Axel's not your keeper," Tiana says firmly. "You're a grown woman. If you want to go out with your friends, you go out."
I think about it. About the constant tension in this house. About feeling trapped and controlled, and like I'm losing myself.
"When?" I ask.
"Tonight."
"Tonight?"
"Why wait?" Chloe's already pulling out her phone. "I'll find us a club. Something fun. We'll sneak out after dinner, dance for a few hours, and be back before anyone notices."
