Chapter 9 - Aurora

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You can read all of Forgetting Arlo and Liberty. You can also read ahead of my new stories Destined and The King's Lost Queen plus many more stories. You will always be supporting me. To find out more, please click on this link: patreon.com/littletroublemaker_

"I love you as much as a human heart can love."  — This is Us, 2016-2022

Word count: 2287

MITCH'S pub was packed. It was only lunchtime and I was already feeling exhausted.

I had to fake a smile on my face and make it appear that I was enjoying my time here. Like I enjoyed being hit on by people.

Mitch acted as he usually did and left me to manage the bar. I was grateful for the work but pissed that I was the only one working at the bar.

As I was giving a regular punter his drink, I lifted my eyes up and locked eyes with gorgeous and alluring brown eyes. King Elon's eyes.

What was he doing here? Oh god, Harriet was right. He really was searching for me! How did he know where I was?

I immediately went into flight mode, doing what I always did best.

I ran.

Rushing past Mitch, I scurried out the back where the alleyway was, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

Yells sounded from behind me, yells from him.

That was all the confirmation I needed — he was after me. But why? God, why? Why was I special? What was there about me?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing about me. I was plain old Jane.

I wasn't spectacularly pretty, smart, or funny. I had trust issues and I couldn't stay in one place for too long.

As soon as he saw that about me, he would ditch me. Or kill me.

I rushed through the streets, this time glad I knew where I was. I could ditch him easily.

There was more than one set of footsteps behind me. He had employed some other people to chase after me.

I rounded a corner and collided with a taller body. Their strong pale arms wrapped around me, keeping me upright.

"Sorry," I apologized, flickering my orbs up.

"Oh, thank god, Aurora," Harriet sighed in relief. Her sapphire eyes examined my distressed face and she frowned. "What's wrong?"

"He found me. He's not far behind," The words poured out of me, my brain and mouth barely cooperating.

"What?" Harriet queried, perplexed.

Nervously, I glanced over my shoulder and located him barging through the crowds toward me.

Harriet saw where I was looking and gasped. "Oh, shit. Um, you keep running. I'll get you some time."

My eyes widened; I prepared myself to protest with her but she sent me a look that could bury me six feet under if I tried to fight her. Begrudgingly, I obeyed and raced past her.

I desperately wanted to turn back around but that would mean I'd be caught.

With my belongings left behind at Mitch's pub, I only had my body and mind. Right now, I needed somebody to reassure me. Jared, Harriet's long-time boyfriend would do. He had always been kind to me. Always willing to help.

I could vaguely recall where he stayed. It wasn't anything extravagant or presentable but it was his own home. He prided himself on it greatly.

Pushing my way through the crowds whilst earning many angry comments, I found Jared's place. It was a tall building full of many one-bedroom apartments. Harriet practically lived here and had once brought me here when I was ill.

It was exactly how I recalled. The walls were mucky and had cases of mold in the corners. The people I passed eyed me with interest, some even having the audacity to wink at me.

Scurrying up the stairs, I stalked down the long and windy hallways, hearing shouts and clutter from the rooms as I passed them.

The stairs creaked under my feet, threatening to cave in under me.

I released an exhale when I made it to Jared's floor. He worked unusual hours, most of the time working at night. This worked in my favor and I felt relieved he'd be home. He would be my source of protection right now.

546.

His room.

Inhaling sharply, I lifted my shaky arm up and knocked on his door three times.

The door swung open, revealing the tall and handsome Jared. His dark skin was tainted with scars from his past jobs and there was a scowl on his face. When his alluring eyes settled on me, they softened.

"What are you doing here, Aurora?" He asked, taking in my tormented state.

I scanned the empty hallways; afraid the King would pop around the corner and drag me away.

"I —" I stuttered, trembling. "C—Can I come in?"

I didn't need to ask twice. He opened the door wider for me and moved to the side, enabling me to enter.

Once the door was shut and bolted, my tense shoulders eased.

"What's going on Aurora? Why are you here?" He queried, sauntering over to the kitchen. The entire flat was one room, save a tiny bathroom. He had a bed to the left, a kitchen to the right, and a living space toward the back of the room. It was tiny with barely enough room to move.

Following after him nervously, I watched him pour water into a saucepan.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked, realizing I wasn't going to answer straight away.

I nodded my head and watched him make a cup of tea. When was the last time I had a cup of tea? Too long ago.

After making two hot drinks, he guided me to the patched-up couch.

"So, tell me what has you rattled." He said, leaving no room for me to back down. I wondered how much Harriet told him — if she told him anything. I imagined she did. They didn't keep secrets from each other.

Sucking in a breath, I blurted out everything that happened, finding it nice to talk to someone new.

Jared and I had a complex friendship. He had been dating Harriet for a long time and he loved her dearly. We had met at one of her underground events and my first impressions were that he was dangerous. But, the more time I spent with him, the more relaxed I became. I found myself enjoying his presence.

He didn't often talk — he didn't need to. His silence spoke volumes.

Usually, I went to Harriet or Ash with my problems. But they were both elsewhere. So, I told Jared everything.

And surprisingly, it felt great. It was like a huge boulder had been lifted off my shoulders.

When I finished, he grabbed my small hand and engulfed his with mine. His warm skin felt comforting and I managed to smile.

"You can stay here as long as you like, Aurora. I'm sure Harriet will be round soon." He told me, gently.

"Thanks, that means a lot," I replied, sincerely.

We sat in comfortable silence until Harriet came barging into the room, breathless. Her wild, wide eyes darted around and landed on me. She stomped over to me as I slowly rose to my feet. Her thin arms wrapped around my body tightly.

"Thank god, I hoped you'd be here." She murmured into my hair. Pulling away from me, she examined my body from head to toe. "How are you doing?"

I glanced at Jared and smiled, "Better now."

She followed my line of sight and I swear her heart rate spiked. Their love was endless.

"How did you stop them?" I queried, realizing I had no idea how she managed to stall them.

She mashed her lips together and walked over to her boyfriend. "I pretended to have a heart attack."

My jaw unhinged, stunned.

"And it worked?" Jared managed to speak before me, his eyes shining with amusement.

She rolled her shoulders back proudly, "Of course it did. I'm actually a pretty good actress."

"And you managed to slip away without them following you?" I added, hoping to god she checked.

Harriet nodded her head, "Yeah. They stopped to help me for about a minute and then they left when more people arrived. Plenty of time for you to get away and me to recover."

I sat back down, feeling my racing heart start to relax. I should have known Harriet wouldn't be so reckless.

She cared about me deeply and she wouldn't lead the King to Jared's apartment.

Loosening my shoulders, I relaxed in my seat, letting gratitude replace my initial fear.

Harriet sat next to Jared, wrapping her arm around his broad shoulders. They snuggled together, fitting against each other perfectly.

Sometimes I longed for what they had. But then fear would seize my heart — I couldn't imagine being that close to someone. Letting them know each part of my soul, to see the deepest and darkest parts of me was terrifying. I was better off alone.

I was safer alone.

***

That night, I stayed with Harriet and Jared, too afraid to leave. Every once in a while, I'd sneak over to the window and peek outside. The streets below were filled with unfamiliar people — the King was nowhere in sight.

However, I had now learned my lesson. He was disguised as a commoner, allowing him to mingle with us.

The following morning, I washed my body and stared at my reflection in the dirty mirror.

My slightly tanned skin seemed to have lost its glow. My hair was just as messy as ever. I had lost so much weight, more than I should have. Food had always been a struggle but now, it seemed I couldn't recall when I ate. My main focus was getting money to leave Sadorna. I was so scared, I was putting my health at risk.

"What are you doing?" Harriet's concerned voice startled me out of my thoughts. Glancing at her through the mirror, I smiled.

"Nothing."

She furrowed her brows at me as I twirled around, placing the towel on the rack.

As I tried to pass her, Harriet latched onto my arm.

"Aurora, what happened yesterda —"

I immediately closed in on myself, refusing to talk to her about it. What happened yesterday was another reminder of why I had to leave the city.

"I'll be fine. I'm a strong girl," I replied, forcing a convincing expression on my face.

She stared at me, seeming to read into my soul.

"No, I don't think you are. You have some sort of plan, don't you?" She claimed, practically reading my mind.

Alarmed by how well she could guess that, I went on the defensive.

"Harriet, you can't talk about me hiding things. Have you told Jared that you owe money?" I reminded her, kicking myself for being so cruel. She didn't want Jared worrying.

For a few months, her debts to dealers had been piling up.

And now, she was so stuck, she was clueless about how to get out of it. Jared barely had any money but he'd willingly do anything to help her.

If it came down to it, Jared would join either the West or East gang just to help pay off her debts. She refused to let that happen.

And so, she was trying to find a way to get the money.

Hurt, Harriet faltered backward as if I had physically burned her.

"Have you told Jared?" She asked me, panicked.

"No, I would never," I responded, instantly. That did nothing to ease her worries.

I had touched a bad spot and nothing I said would help her.

She left me without another word, searching for her boyfriend in his small apartment.

I held back, letting her have her moment with him. Guilt gnawed inside of me. I was a bad friend. She had just risked her life for me, which was how I repaid her.

Perhaps leaving would actually benefit my friends.

After fifteen minutes, I ventured back inside the main room and saw the two of them cuddled on the couch.

"I should go. Thanks for letting me stay Jared," I said, shuffling to the door.

Harriet perked up, her sapphire orbs landing on me quickly. She had forgiven me already — she could never hold grudges for long.

"Aurora, I don't think you should go yet," She advised, anxiously.

My lips twitched, relieved she still cared about my well-being. I knew I had hurt her deeply and I'd have to redeem myself.

"I'll stick to the side alleyways. They probably don't know about them." I declared, my eyes promising to be cautious.

Harriet was about to argue but Jared held back, whispering in her ear. No doubt he was advocating for me. Silently, I sent him thanks.

"I'll see you soon, I promise," I said, honestly. I'd make an effort to see her in the next few days.

First, I'd have to get my shit sorted. And that meant I'd have to return to Mitch's and demand the money I had earned.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets, hoping to find the golden pocket watch I had stolen—the watch that was my ticket to freedom—but it was gone.

Shit.

I must have dropped it when I was running away. 

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