Hard Boy ✔️

23

- I Would; One Direction - 
- Just Friends; Why Don't We -
- Personal; The Vamps ft. Maggie Lindemann - 
- Happily; One Direction -

Aurora Holland

"What's going on?" I asked, my face flushing as the entire Jackson family stared at me.

"Oh, Rora, did you already forget?" My father laughed lightly. "We agreed to have the Jacksons over today for dinner."

"I never knew that," I mumbled.

I hadn't heard anything about it. It must've been decided sometime after the event Friday night when they said goodbye to us before we went home. Not to mention I've barely seen any of my family members except for Paige, and even then Paige wouldn't have known anything about it because she and her parents aren't in attendance.

"Well, either way, it's all good!" Lainie exclaimed happily.

"I'm sorry about Aurora," My mother apologized, her eyes looking at my simple outfit multiple times.

"It's no big deal, honestly." Cyrus cut in, "We didn't plan on it being anything extravagant, and family dinners are always so much more meaningful when we don't have to put on the type of front we usually do at the business events."

"Well, come sit down honey." My father motioned to me.

I went to twirl the ring I usually keep on my index finger but forgot I never put it back on after my bath. This resorted in me rubbing at the skin on my palm, trying my best to not scratch at it.

Walking the short walk over to the table, I took a seat to the left of Jason. Our dining room table was one of those tables that can extend to a bigger size when needed, so I noticed that my parents had pulled it out to allow enough room for everyone to sit.

My parents sat on each end of the table, and on the long side across from me were Logan, Lainie, and Cyrus. Jason was to my right, leaving one person to my left.

Carter.

I tugged my seat in once I sat down, my hands feeling restless now that my ring was gone and I was trying to let the scratches heal up. I hadn't scratched on them since the night of the event, meaning they were almost healed to a point where they weren't welted up anymore. I wanted to keep it this way because it usually isn't this bad. Usually, it's a couple of red marks, and the moment my mother and I's argument is over they go away.

But since we've moved to Riverway, I've found myself doing it more and more. It's better than tugging at my hair -- which was a habit I used to do when I was younger, but I'm well aware it's still a bad habit.

"So, Aurora, what movie were you watching?" Lainie asked, starting a conversation. "Your mother says you weren't able to hear her calling 'cause you were watching a movie."

My eyes danced around the table, seeing my mother begin to hand out the dishes. She didn't look happy, but I didn't let it bother me. She wouldn't say anything with the Jackson family here, and that made me feel somewhat better.

Plus, she seems to keep her mouth shut whenever Carter's around, to which I find myself thankful.

"Uh, Sleepless in Seattle," I answered, not wanting to be rude.

"Oh, you're a romance lover?" She asked, her eyes lighting up. "Thank you, Vivienne." She then thanked my mother as she took her plate.

"Yeah," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up. I could see Carter in the corner of my eye, and he was glancing down at his full plate with a smirk. I suddenly remembered he'd been the first person to figure out how much I loved romance movies, the night of Logan's party.