**PREPARE YOURSELVES BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT TO FUCKIN GO DOWN! So sorry this update is so late. Even though I am currently on spring break, I had to work eight hours today and then I napped and now I'm with a friend I haven't seen in a really long time. Sorry guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know!
UPDATE: I have change Greg and Chad's last name to Moretti, sorry for any confusion!**
Troy's POV
My eyes followed Aurora's every move after taking my seat once again. I just couldn't keep from watching how naturally she interacted with everyone around her. From the ritzy upper-class families that came here for the traditional home cooked meals, to those living paycheck to paycheck who just needed a break from their hectic lives, she talked to them all.
The edges of my lips twitched upwards every time she laughed at something a customer said, or when she smiled and rushed off to get whatever someone had asked her for. Watching her, I knew that she was, without a doubt, the most selfless person I'd ever met. No matter what someone asked of her, there was never a terse response or sneaky eye roll when she turned away from them. She would be an incredible mother.
With that thought, my eyes wandered down to her flat tummy as the awkwardly shaped box became more apparent in my back pocket. I bit my lip as I thought about Aurora chasing around a chubby-faced little girl with the same bouncy blonde curls as her mother. Suddenly, the thought didn't sound all that bad...
"What's got you thinking so hard man?" Chad asked, hitting the back of his hand against my bicep in order to get my attention. I rubbed at the back of my neck before resting my chin in my palm and muttering a few words of dismissal. I could tell the boys had caught on to my weird mood as I saw them exchanging puzzled glances amongst the four of them within my peripheral.
My gaze snapped back to Aurora as I watched her retreating form disappear back into the kitchen of the restaurant. Deciding better now than later, I rose from my chair and mumbled a quick I'll be right back to the guys before making a beeline for the exact same door. I received some questioning glances from the few younger waitresses that had gathered in the back while waiting for their orders to be made, but there was one older lady fumbling around with a newspaper while leaning up against a prep counter that gave me a knowing smile.
"Hi, Ma'am. Is there any chance you've seen Aurora...uh?" I trailed off, only then realizing I'd never once learned Aurora's last name. Come to think of it, every time the subject had been brought up, she'd immediately change it.
"Oh! Sure, sugar! She just stepped into the walk in to grab another can of whipped cream. She'll be out in a jiffy." She replied before going back to what I'd gathered was a game of Sudoku. I said my thanks before copying her and leaning against the opposite counter. I ignored the confused gaze of the greasy cook as well as the flirtatious giggles of the other waitresses while tapping my foot impatiently.
"What are you doing here?" Aurora asked abruptly, tearing me from my consuming thoughts. Instead of answering her, I just raised my eyebrow. I didn't want to blast her and I's private business in front of all her coworkers. If she wanted to tell them, that was up to her.
"Shit. Right, um...we have an employee bathroom back here, follow me." She said as an anxious expression took over her confused one. My eyes were glued to her hips as they swung back and forth while she walked – I think she did it on purpose. Following her into the dank room, she turned to face me expectantly. She held her hand out to me, waiting for me to hand over the pills. I hesitated for a few seconds before she cleared her throat.
"What are you waiting for? Give it to me!" She demanded in a hushed whisper.
I laughed. "You know, I think I'd really like what you just said if we were in a different situation." I said huskily. She swatted at my chest while scolding me for my 'crass suggestion' – her words, not mine.
"Troy. Seriously. This isn't funny." She stated, glaring at me with her arms crossed over her chest. Snapping out of whatever funk I was in, I reached into my back pocket before pulling out the crushed box and handing it over. Her on-edge posture melted away as she dunked her head down into the sink and slurped up some water from the tap before taking the pill. I couldn't help the little niggling of disappointment that settled in the pit of my stomach at the swift action.
"Why do you look so...distraught?" She queried with a worried look, wiping away the water from face with the back of her hand.
"I don't know. It's just, something inside of me was kind of hoping you'd be pregnant and we could...I don't know. It was stupid forget it." I mumbled. She gasped at me words as her hand flew up to her chest. She stumbled back a step, looking at me with an unreadable expression.
"You're right. That is stupid, Troy! God, how could you even think about that?" She asked, clearly spooked by what I'd said. I couldn't help the fury that spread through my body.
"Oh, like having my fucking kid would be the worst thing in the entire fucking world?" I challenged before throwing the bathroom door open.
"God dammit Troy, that's not what I fucking meant-" She yelled, yanking me back into the small, shoebox bathroom and slamming the door shut behind us. "- And you fucking know it!" She finished her rant. I copied her stance as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"No, I don't. You clearly think having my child is repulsive and-" I was cut off by her sudden laughter.
"Are you crazy? Do you even hear yourself right now?" She chuckled in amusement. "Baby, it's not that I don't want to have your kids. It's the matter of the fact that I'm - we're - eighteen troy. We're eighteen. Yeah, maybe it worked out for your parents, but from what your mother told me, your dad was graduated and running a stable business with a steady income. We don't have that, okay? Maybe a few years down the road we can think about having kids, but why can't we just focus on having fun and making memories with just the two of us? Yeah?" She cooed while rubbing her small hands up and down my forearms that were now wrapped around her delicate frame.
I smiled mischievously at her. "I've got a memory I'd really like to make right here, right now." I growled into her ear before squatting down and pushing away the taffeta of her underskirt to grasp her panties.
"Troy! No! I mean it! Seriously!" She squealed between giggles as I yanked the delicate material down her legs. Grasping her lower leg, I lifted it up to rest her thigh against my shoulder – giving me better access to her already slick core. Leaning forward, I licked a slow strip up her center, reveling in the way she tangled her fingers in my hair. I was just about to pull her clit into my mouth when three loud bangs against the door caused my body to freeze.
"Hurry up in there you two! Your tables are wondering where you went, Aurora!" Someone hollered through the cheap wood.
"Fucking A." Aurora groaned out before pushing me away and pulling her panties back up her legs.
"I'm coming, Margie!" She hollered back.
"No you're not." I teased before bursting into laughter at her malice-filled look.
"Well then I guess that makes two of us for tonight." She spat back, causing my laughter to cease almost immediately. "Now come on before you get me in more trouble." She muttered before exiting the bathroom. Making my way back to my seat, I could tell all the guys were dying to know what took me so long. I'd probably been gone about twenty or so minutes. Chad shot me his signature we'll-speak-about-this-later-shit-dick look that I nodded to. I knew for a fact he wasn't going to let this go until I told him every last detail. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the shrill beeping of his phone. I knew for a fact who it was texting him because of the distinct ringtone.
I watched as his eyes scanned the screen frantically, getting wider and wider as he read. His head shot up from the phone and his gaze locked with mine. I could see the panic underlying his worried expression.
"Dude." He rasped out, voice thick with emotion. The other guys looked even more confused than they had before as we had a silent conversation between the two of us. No words needed to be spoken for me to know what was going on.
"Go, I'll talk to coach about you missing practices and explain what's going on. Greg needs you." I stated, knowing I needed to be strong for him in this moment. Chad left the table so quickly his chair flew back and banged against the ground.
"What the fuck just happened? And who's Greg?" One of the guys, James, asked while staring off in the direction that Chad had just disappeared.
"It's a long story. He can tell you all about it when he gets back if he chooses to." I muttered distractedly while I furiously typed away on my phone. I waited anxiously for a response while chewing at my thumbnail. Nerves ate up my stomach when I heard my phone beep.
We're already at the hospital awaiting Chad's arrival. He's stable, but I'm not sure how much longer that will last. I'll keep you posted. Love you kid. My dad's text read.
I typed back a quick reply before cradling my head in my hands. This was the absolute last thing that Chad needed. I know for a fact that his grades and school work has been weighing down on him a little extra lately. Not to mention the extra football practices they've piled on us in preparing for the bowl game to come. Now, add his dad's condition getting worse on top of all that, and it's just all too much to handle. I know my best friend and how strong he is, but I don't know how he's going to handle this too.
"Hi boys. You ready to go home, Troy?" Aurora's sweet voice spoke. I looked at her in confusion. Didn't she just start her shift an hour ago? Having seen how lost I was, she smiled knowingly before explaining. "I have eyes and ears in the back of my head. C'mon. You need me more than work does right now." She crooned before cradling my cheek in the palm of her hand and giving it a light pat.
"I'll see you guys later." I murmured to the guys before getting up and following Aurora out. Directing her towards my car with my hand on her lower back, she slowed to a stop in the middle of the parking lot.
"I can't leave my car here, I'll just have to follow you back." She reasoned. An abrupt feeling of panic flourished in my chest as I shook my head back and forth rapidly. I needed her right now. There's was no way I was making the car ride all the way back to campus without her.
"Shh, honey. It's going to be okay, I promise. It'll be okay. You can follow behind me if that'll make you feel better." She insisted, knowing exactly what I was feeling in that moment. She understood me better than I understood myself and for that, I was thankful.
"Okay." I sighed out, exhausted from the extreme turn of events within the last fifteen minutes or so. I just wanted to lay down and nap for the next thirty hours with her in my arms. I'm almost positive that would solve all of my problems.
My body was tense the whole way back. I couldn't get the image of Greg hooked up to hundreds of different machines from the last time he relapsed out of my mind no matter how hard I tried. It wasn't fair. I couldn't understand how God could do something so shitty to someone as amazing as Greg Moretti. My mom always told me that everything happens for a reason while I was growing up, but what fucked up reasoning was there for this? All of a sudden, I blinked and was back at my building, parked in my usual spot. I had totally zoned out the rest of the way back. Not only that, but I soon became aware of the deep sense of anguish that I felt.
My truck door was thrown open at the same time I rested my forehead against my steering wheel. Deep heaving breaths wracked my body as I said a silent prayer for what I believed to be my second father. If anything happened to him, Chad wouldn't be the only one that'd be absolutely crushed. I can remember all the times I would ride my bike over to Chad's house - before I was old enough to drive - when my parents would be having a bad fight during my sisters' teenage years.
"Oh, Troy." Aurora sighed, emotion thick in her voice. She maneuvered her way onto my lap before wrapping her arms around my shoulders. Closing the door to maintain our privacy, she guided my face into her neck. My hot breath fanned over her neck as she murmured soothing words over and over again. When my breathing finally returned to normal, we remained in the same position. I just needed her close. The skin on skin contact was calming me down as she rubbed her hands over my t-shirt clad back.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She spoke, voice barely above a whisper. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I couldn't stop myself. It was like word vomit. Spewing up every single last emotion I had. I told her the entire story of Greg's journey thus far with cancer and she listened to every word I spoke patiently, holding me just a little tighter when my voice would become choked up due to emotion. Finally leaning all the way back against my reclined seat, I sighed in content as she fell against my chest. Her soft body molded against my own harder one in the most perfect way possible. This girl was made for me, and me alone. She had a look of unease on her face as she bit her lip nervously. I raised my eyebrow at her. Clearly there was something she wanted to say, but either wasn't sure how or she wasn't sure she wanted to.
"Troy...there's something I need to tell you." She rasped out before swallowing audibly.
"Okay." I said, dragging out the word towards the end. She cleared her throat before sitting up, resting her palms against the planes of my chest. She looked anywhere but at my eyes.
"It's...it's about my brother." She hesitated. I nodded for her to go on.
"It's a painful story for me to tell, but it's something I'm finally ready to share with you." Now, I was intrigued. I swear, anyone that hurt her will fucking pay. I'd see to it personally.
"You can trust me with anything, Rora." I reassured her while giving her waist a small squeeze.
"I know, that's why I've decided it's finally time to tell you." She insisted. I watched her as she took a few moments to collect her thoughts. Finally opening her eyes once again, I could clearly see the pain they held.
"It all started when I was about to turn 16. My brother had just graduated college and had invited one of his best friends over for a celebratory dinner. I offered to cook because Lord knows my dad would have already be drunk or high on pills by suppertime. Anyway, six o'clock rolled around and my brother and his friend showed up a little drunk – my brother more so than his friend. I'd never met the guy he was with before, but he gave me the chills right off the bat." She said, taking a deep breath as tears accumulated in her eyes.
"After dinner was over, my dad was still nowhere to be found and my brother decided to do the dishes for once. It had been decided that his friend would spend the night because my brother didn't want him driving home after the few beers we'd all had with our meal."
"You drank?" I asked, interrupting her.
"My brother's friend convinced him to let me have a few since I wasn't going anywhere for the night..." She said with a gulp before continuing. "I was walking by the bathroom in order to get to my own room so I could finish up my homework before going to bed even though my head felt really fuzzy. S-seconds later I was pulled into the bathroom and forced up against the door. H-he had me in a choke hold so tight I could barely breath. He ripped my clothes off and forced me on my knees. I could barely make any noise, and what little noise I could make was drowned out by the sound of the shower he'd turned on. He forced his...his....in my mouth and told me if I bit him that he'd kill me. I-I was so scared!" She sobbed as snot dripped from her nose. I clutched her shaking body tightly against my own as I fought back my own tears. I couldn't even imagine the pain she'd been through. That fucking bastard.
"He told me he wasn't going to risk getting me pregnant and himself caught, so he would fuck me in my...other area." She ground out. Bile rose in my throat as I realized what she was getting at. No...please no.
"He pulled me off the ground and got about three pumps in, but had forgotten to keep my mouth covered. My brother heard my screams and kicked the door down. He didn't even think twice before shooting him right between the eyes." She hiccupped, digging her nails into my skin as I cradled her in my arms.
"Even though I had a rape kit done, and they found his DNA in my body as well as remnants of a date rape drug in my blood, the asshole was one of those rich boys whose daddy was a lawyer. My brother tried to plead second-degree self-defense, but we couldn't afford a good lawyer and they sent him away with a thirty-year sentencing and no possibility of parole until after half his sentence has been served." She cried against my chest. I buried my face in her hair as I let the rhythmic lull of her steady breathing calm me down enough to speak.
"Is that what you were talking about with my Ma on the phone this morning?" I questioned, almost certain that my guess was correct.
"Yes. Your dad and mom said they're going to try and help get my brother's case retried. I just didn't want to bring you into this shit mess that is my life." She said as her tears started back up again.
"Listen to me, Aurora, and listen good. I love you. I will only ever love you. I want to be there for you in every aspect of your life, no matter if it's good or bad. I care so incredibly much about you that sometimes, it scares the shit out of me. I will do my best to support you and your brother through every step of this process in whatever way that I possibly can because I. Love. You." I stated confidently. It felt so good to finally be able to tell her how I truly felt – even if the feelings weren't reciprocated just yet.
"I-I love you so much." She sobbed before squeezing me in a deathly tight embrace. I kissed her soundly as soon as she pulled away from me, my heart beating rapidly in my chest at the incredible things that this amazing, wonderful, fucking spectacular girl was able to make me feel.