"Are you sure?" Aurora asks but I nod resolutely. My mind made up.

"I'm sure. If you don't want to come though, that's an entirely different matter." I say, packing clothes into an overnight bag while Aurora watches from her spot on my bed.

"It's not that, I want to be there for you. I'm just...worried." She says warily, walking on eggshells around me. I sigh and turn around to face her.

"That's why I want you there. You calm me down. But Penny won't be there." I tell her, knowing that she loves my little sister, even only after meeting her the once. I'm glad I woke up before them in order to take the picture that decorates the lock screen of my phone, the two of them snuggled up in my bed, content with sleep.

"Well, why else would I go?" She jokes and I crack a smile. I zip up my bag and walk with Aurora to her room next door. Aurora goes into her closet and emerges a few minutes later with an overnight bag of her own which I take from her. I load the bags in the car and check the gas, noting that we'll need to stop soon. I walk inside to see Aurora back in the kitchen, preparing snacks or something.

"This way, we won't need to buy food on the way." She smiles and continues packing lunches like a mother for her children. I shake my head and laugh at her antics. "Baby, the city is a few hours away, not a few days," I smirk and she scowls.

"More for me then." She says snarkily as she finishes up and walks past me, climbing into the car. This girl will be the death of me. I slide into the driver's seat of my dad's car, checking my mirrors before pulling out of the driveway of the soccer house.

Aurora and I pass the time by listening to music and talking. This girl is the only person that makes me want to talk, and we can talk about anything and everything so easily.

"Why do you have so many tattoos?" She asks curiously as she traces a finger over my knuckles.

"My mom. You know how she loved ink. Plus I had the money to get this many, which most people don't." I tell her.

"Do you think it might have something to do with the fact that you want to hide?" She asks me and I shrug.

"Maybe. I like being intimidating. Even before, I didn't like being surrounded by a ton of people. I felt like maybe the people that were worth letting in were the ones that were willing to look past them," I tell her softly.

"I love them," She tells me with a cute smile and I squeeze her thigh.

"You know my mom had a full sleeve," I share and her eyes widen.

"No way. That's bloody awesome! I can't believe they don't teach that." She exclaims and I smile, happy to share something about her that Aurora doesn't already know.

In no time, I'm entering the prestigious gated community that my father lives in. The security guard checks my license plate and ID before letting us in, as if he doesn't recognize me, and Aurora gapes out the open window at the beautiful buildings before us. At the very end, with the largest property surrounding it, we pull up to the gate of my childhood house. Because of the long, winding driveway leading up to it, the house isn't visible from the gate. I press the intercom button and wait for a response.

"Kingsley residence." A voice speaks up from the speaker.

"It's Maddox." I say and the giant black gate with golden accents and a giant golden "K" buzzes, opening automatically and allowing the car to drive through. Aurora's wide eyes give away her shock and I smile uncomfortably. She had to know I was wealthy, it's not like I hide it much with her.

I pull up the stone driveway slowly, gazing at the familiar scenery that makes up my father's driveway. I watch Aurora gape at the extravagant mansion in front of us that was once filled with warm smiles, hugs, and lasting memories but is now nothing but a cold shell without my mother.

"Wow." Is all Aurora is able to get out of her wide open mouth and I nod, unable to refute the startling beauty of the architecture. I climb out of the car and retrieve our bags as Aurora does the same, waiting for me to walk ahead and bring us to the massive front door.

I don't bother knocking as we are right on time and I'd lived in this house for most of my life. Aurora stays silent but grips onto my arm, probably out of anxiety from being in an unfamiliar place for the first time, not to mention that she's going to meet my father who I have expressed nothing but distaste for in front of her.

"Maddox, mi hijo!" I hear and a smile lifts up the side of my mouth. Aurora looks to me confusedly and I just nod my head towards the direction that the voice came from, where a small Mexican woman can be seen standing in front of us with arms outstretched.

I'm embraced quickly before Mrs. Perez pulls back to look over me, but her gaze is immediately caught by the sight of Aurora. At first, she looks scared but quickly replaces that emotion with excitement before I can read too much into it.

"Ella es muy hermosa Maddox! What is her name?" She tells me and directs the second part towards Aurora, the topic of the conversation.

"I'm Aurora. Maddox's―"

"Maddox's what?" I hear my father's voice boom from the left corridor, projecting loudly as always and I feel Aurora tense. What a warm welcome.

"Maddox's girlfriend, Aurora would have been able to say if you hadn't interrupted her, Peter," I bite back at him and place my hand on the small of Aurora's back and immediately feel her relax slightly into my hand, leaning in closer to my body and I pull her in the rest of the way to press her side against mine in a side-hug.

"I apologize, Aurora. I wasn't aware that Maddox would be bringing a guest. Especially not a girlfriend." He says, glaring at me and I scoff at the nerve, rolling my eyes.

"Mr. Kingsley, what―" I hear Mrs. Perez say to my father before a familiar voice joins us from the direction of the stairs and I take a deep calming breath, trying to prepare myself while slightly panicking at my inability to warn Aurora of the threat that is about to appear.

"Maddox! Did you miss me?"