Broken

• Chapter 70 •

My face deflates slightly in disappointment, "Come on. We'll go watch TV while they finish up."

I lead him down the stairs, and my knees can't help but buckle when I glance at the other kitchen. I make my way to the couch and turn the TV on. Ashton sits beside me but maintains a good amount of space between us.

"Favorite show?" I ask, trying to break this strange new tension between us.

"Suits," he shrugs.

My heart melts.

"ISN'T HARVEY SUCH A BABE?" Oops.

Cool it on the enthusiasm, Clem?

My sudden outburst has his eyebrows flying to his hairline, his eyes glint with amusement.

"Um. I wouldn't exactly say he's a babe. But he's really smart," he shrugs.

Now I'm interested, "What else do you watch?"

"Vikings, Game of Thrones, Prison Break, Arrow, even though it got shitty after season two," he continues to name TV shows, and I want to bake him cookies for having such great taste.

"Please welcome, Brandon and Aurora Charmant!"

Our heads snap towards the TV. I want to ignore it, but Ashton is interested to watch. He snatches the remote and turns the volume up, shooting me a smirk. I purse my lips and turn my attention to the TV. Mom and dad walk in with the same clothes they're wearing now.

Oh. This is the interview they had today.

"Aurora, congratulations on getting out of the hospital!" the woman tells her.

Mom laughs, "Thanks, Jana."

"So, we're all dying to know how this tragic accident happened!" Jana pushes with an obnoxious smile plastered on her face.

I don't get these people. It's like she just asked her what her favorite joke was with the expression on her face.

Mom lets out an obligatory laugh and shrugs, "Well, I was out driving. A lot of things were on my mind with memorizing my lines, all the events I have to go to, premiers, and such. Mind you, it was three in the morning, and I hadn't gotten any sleep. So let's just say I was tired. Embarrassingly enough, I drove myself right into a tree while I was asleep!" mom tells her.

Everyone laughs, including the woman. Mom smiles brightly and continues, "And so. Here I am, a week later. In crutches."

She's a good actress. I'll give her that.

"Well, we are all so happy that you're okay!" the lady tells my mom, "We have a few questions from the audience if that's alright?"

Mom and dad nod, standard protocol.

"You there!"

"Hi! I would just like to say that I'm a huge fan of yours, Aurora!" someone gushes.

Mom chuckles and gives him a sweet smile, "Thank you!"

"I'd just like to ask. How do you manage to keep a balance between your personal and professional life? How have you managed to stay strong as a couple? Do you even have time outside of your job?"

"That's actually a great question," mom nods. "It's hard, I'm not going to lie. Once your entire life is on display for the public to see, it's quite difficult to keep your private life... Well, private. I know that a lot of people will be able to relate when I say that time is crucial," she says. The woman nods and the audience claps for some reason.

"The time we have with loved ones, or to just hang around and do nothing, is rare. We're always busy with one thing or another. Spare time isn't exactly in our dictionary," Brandon nods in agreeance, and she continues.

"Sometimes relationships are broken because of lack of time. But people who love you—I mean who truly love you—try to put up with it. Of course, you have to put in the effort and do whatever you can. Because relationships do require work, no matter how much you love one another," she glances at Brandon.

"But if you're putting in all the effort you can and your partner sees that, and you're both secure in your feelings and your relationship, you can make it through anything. Brandon and I love and respect each other, we're best friends. We both put in the work and effort when we can, and it is hard, sometimes. But I would rather have a hard life with him than an easy one with anyone else," she smiles up at him.

And unlike the old interviews I've seen with her and Derek, anyone can tell her words are sincere and truthful. Dad smiles down at her with admiration and the audience aww's.

I smile. They truly are the perfect couple.

"Another question over here! Hi, I just want to know what happened to your daughter?"

I freeze, I can feel Ashton's eyes boring into the side of my face. The audience is quiet, and mom and dad's faces are frozen as well.

"She's home-schooled," mom finally says dryly.

"Why? Why are you hiding her from the public?" the person pries.

Brandon rolls his eyes, "Don't over-step your boundaries, buddy. Our daughter chose to be home-schooled and live a life free from the press back in New York, and we've given her just that."

"Well she's not really your daughter, is she Brandon? So the question was really just for Aurora—"

My heart falls so far down my stomach I'm sure it's going to fall out of my asshole. Brandon's face contorts into a frown.

"All right that's enough. First of all, fuck you. She is my daughter. And second, we actually don't have to be dealing with any of this shit. Thanks for the interview, but we'll be leaving now," dad huffs and picks up mom, walking off the stage.

I turn off the TV.

You go, dad.