Forever August ✔️

chapter twenty-eight

"i made my peace with sorrow,
and kept it all inside."
- nothing but thieves
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GUS WAS LEANING against a wall to an alleyway when Aurora found him. His head was buried in his hands, and she could see his chest heaving as he cried; could hear his sobs from far down the street.

When she walked around the corner and he spotted her, Gus quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and gave her a smile, the kind that reminded her of the sad boy that sat on a cliff, fascinated by lethal waves.

"Sorry," he said when she stood in front of him.

Aurora lightly jabbed her crutch into his hip. "Next time you run away from me, at least give me a head start, jerk."

Some of the heaviness faded from his eyes as he managed a small laugh, which Aurora knew was only for her benefit.

She closed the distance between them until her toes were touching his, Gus' hands instantly resting on her waist for balance. Aurora held his face, gazed into his eyes: the brown like sand and the blue like the ocean; as if his very eyes were created to reflect his future and the home he'd once find.

"What happened?" she said softly, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Talk to me, Gussy."

"I don't know. . ." he trailed off, eyes focused somewhere above her head. "What if it's better not to know, Rory? What if it's better for me to live and imagine my birth mom as this woman who has always loved me, and always wanted to meet me, instead of knocking on that door and realizing that it all may be a lie?"

"That's possible," Aurora said, gently grabbing his chin until his eyes met hers. She felt like she could drown in them, in the waves hiding behind his irises. "But I don't think you want to do that. Do you really want to live with unanswered questions, Gus? Always looking back and wondering what if?"

He closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall. "I don't know," Gus said at last.

"Whatever you want." Aurora pressed herself to his chest, marvelled at the way his hands held her tighter, supporting her when her body failed to support itself. "If you want to go back and meet her, let's go. If you want to get in the car and drive right home to Maine, let's go. Whatever you want, Gus." She lifted her eyes to his. "Whatever you want, just tell me."

"The only thing I know for certain that I want, Rory, is you."

She smiled as he kissed her forehead, poking his chest. "This isn't about me. And you already have me, Gus. So what's it going to be? What do you want to do now?"

Aurora watched him debate with himself. His eyes flickered up to the sky as he chewed on his lip, brows furrowed in the middle.

She waited, until he said, "I want to meet her." Aurora was already stepping away, heading back to the street when Gus tugged her back against his chest. "But," he continued, "I'm scared."

She tucked her head under his chin when he rested his head atop hers. "Do you want me to go knock?" she asked. "You can wait here, if you want. I'll tell her about you, that you want to meet her, and see what she says."

Gus grabbed her face, and the disbelief in his eyes made her heart ache. "You'd really do that for me?" he whispered.

It was all she could do not to laugh. "I'd do anything for you, Gus."

He nodded, then she nodded. And when his lips met hers, she wished the world could melt away like a warm summer day until the two of them were left, standing in the aftermath, hand-in-hand, alone at last.