32. Aurora: The Re

Chapter thirty-two

Aurora – The Reunion

“Do you intend to freeze yourself to death as a form of explanation? Whatever the answer you seek, it’s not in the space you’re staring at, Jake.”

Jake whirls sharply at the sound of my voice. He must feel it’s a vivid imagination. But there I am, staring at him with an unreadable expression on my face.

Hopefully the two cups of hot coffee in my hands match the warmth in my eyes.

Jake startles at the sound of my voice. He jumps from the bench he’s been sitting on while blankly staring at nothing. The weather is below freezing, and he’s the only crazy idiot sitting out here in the park around the corner from my house. I’ve been standing for over two minutes, watching him, sort of like a creepy stalker .

We stare at each other, soaking in our appearances. Jake looks like he hasn’t slept in months. He has dark circles around his eyes, his beard looks scruffy, and his hair has lost its usual shine.

“You look terrible,” I voice my thoughts, and he barks out a laugh. I smile a little bit at that.

“You going to take this?” I ask him, stretching a cup of coffee towards him. He looks back at me with an uncertain expression in his eyes, still not saying a word.

“It’s not poisoned, I promise,” I say, trying to make a joke, but he is still hesitant to talk, although his eyes widen comically.

“No, I didn’t mean that, Aurora. I promise,” he says quickly, taking the coffee from my hand, almost snatching it.

I sigh and go back to sit from where he stood up. He sits beside me, almost on the edge of the park bench.

“Stop that,” I say softly.

“Stop what?” he asks with an expression of fear or panic on his face. It’s like I’m some sort of spooked puppy, and he’s afraid to make the wrong move, so I won’t run away.

“Stop being so extremely careful around me. You’re acting like a stranger, and it’s beginning to tick me off,” I tell him.

He looks down at the cup of coffee in his hand.

“I didn’t do it, I promise! It was all a misunderstanding!” he bursts out, and I turn to look at him.

He looks scared and he’s crying. I feel a twinge in my heart.

“I know you didn’t do it, Jake.” He jerks his head up to look at me, and I nod. “They all told me what had actually happened. Well, with embellishments and more curse words than needed from Ryan’s point of view, but yeah . . . I got the gist of the story.”

“I am so very sorry,” he whispers brokenly, and I shake my head.

“It was not your fault, Jake. I know that, and I believe that,” I try to reassure him.

There is a long pause, and he speaks up again.

“She’s gone. For good. Not from my end this time, but Bella sent her away,” he says softly, and I nod at the information.

“So I heard. And with a thunderous slap—Ryan’s words, not mine—that would have dragged it out to a knock down drag out girl fight if not for Ethan’s intervention,” I say, surprised at the fact that Bella slapped Sophia and sent her away.

“Alex is gone too. I came out of dad’s hospital room for mom to tell me he was gone. Probably ran to Sophia,” I say, willing to clarify the situation about Alex too.

I never thought I’d see the day Bella would get so mad, to the extent of slapping another person.

“She has regrets. Not about sending her away, or the slap. She told me she regrets taking Sophia’s side for so long and turning a blind eye to everything that now seems to be obvious right in front of her.” I relay what Bella told me, how she explained her own point of view of what had happened.

I shiver slightly, and Jake moves towards me. He silently asks for my permission, to which I nod my approval. He puts an arm around me and tucks my head into his shoulder, shielding me from the cold.

“Do you want to go somewhere warm?” he asks me, and I murmur a no, snuggling towards him. This is perfect - us right here, right now.

He laughs and kisses my forehead. I feel a tingle go down my spine, warming me all over. I miss this. I miss him.

“Jake, I’ve taken the last few weeks to contemplate what all…. This,” I say, stretching my arms fully.

“The whirlwind relationship we built started from such a very different place than usual, and it was difficult for me to fully understand. My emotions were on rapid fire changes. I was questioning almost every major decision I have made in the past year or two. I didn’t feel I could just jump back to you. I hope you understand that I was not avoiding you out of malice.”

“I want you to know that I have made a first appointment to talk with a professional therapist about my feelings of abandonment. I know I need this, but frankly, you being here is a major step in my healing. You’re not abandoning me, are you?”

“No, Aurora, I am desperate for you to know that, from this day forward, I want to be at your side for everything, for every need, and to be the solid rock that you know will never move.” Aurora hears my deep sigh and soft thank you, which is way too little, but for now will do.

I think I mumble something about my cat being there for me too. I’m not sure but I hope it makes Jake grin.

“How’s your dad?” he asks, after a short pause.

“He’s fine. Recovering fast. It’s nothing serious, just some healing bruises and cuts, here and there. He has to take some meds for a while and use crutches until his leg heals, but other than that he got off pretty lucky. He went home two days after he was admitted and seems fine.”

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly, remorse coloring his voice. “I wasn’t there for you when you needed me the most. I should have been the one to drive you to the hospital. I should have held your hands as you entered his hospital room that night.”

He rubs a comforting circle on my back and places a kiss on my gloved hands.

“How’s your mom?” I ask, feeling bad about my abrupt departure. I hope she’s not thinking I left without telling her because of what transpired between Jake and me.

“She’s good. But she’s not talking to me. She says she’ll not utter another word to me until I bring you back to the family.”

I laugh at that, imagining Melissa’s stern face.

“So . . . your mom’s back?” he asks, dragging out his question as if he doesn’t want to offend me.

“I don’t think so. She was only contacted because she’s my dad’s emergency contact. I guess he never changed it, even after she left him. I’ve not talked to dad about it, though. I want him healed totally before I bring up such a conversation.

I have no idea where or how close she is living and, frankly, I really don’t care. Believe it or not, Jake, I had a wonderful childhood with my father alone, and I truly don’t feel any need to have her in my life. Honestly.”

He nods at that, squeezing my fingers in a comforting manner.

“How did you know where to find me today?” he asks, squinting his eyes.

Man, how I’ve missed those eyes!

“Ryan tells me you come here every day, scaring children away from the park.” I laugh, remembering the image I came to see of Jake glaring blindly into space .

“He was right though, seeing as how you were glaring at the world right before I came.”

Jake laughs out loud, and I smile widely. This is my Jake. Not the one who had been scared of sitting right beside me.

A comfortable silence settles between us, and I sigh contentedly. Jake shifts and turns to face me fully, nailing me with an intense look.

“Aurora,” he begins. “I’m sorry things turned out this way. I’m sorry about our first meeting, I’m sorry about all the times I offended you, and I’m sorry you had to see that."

“Even though I never saw it coming, you’re my peace. You bring fun, joy, and laughter to my life, and that is not something I ever want to lose."

“I don’t ever want to lose you, Aurora. I want to do right by you. I’m . . . I’m falling for you, Aurora. No, I’ve already fallen, and I’m totally in love with you. There’s nothing fake about it. I’m ready to wait for you as long as I have to if you will have me.”

I feel myself getting teary at his confession, and I throw my arms around him, short of words. I never knew I was such a crybaby, but I seem to be doing a lot of it recently.

“I feel the same, Jake. I feel the same. I love you, too,” I whisper into his neck, and feel him sag against me in relief, rubbing my back, comforting me . . . and I know he’s comforting himself too.

“My dad wants to meet you, though. He’s heard the whole thing,” I say, after a while, releasing him from the tight hug.

“Should I be scared?” he asks, with a raised brow, and I nod, a silly grin gracing my face.

“Yep, he already doesn’ t like you.”

“Ooh,” he says, in a mock-scared voice, making me laugh out loud.

“I could put in a good word for you though. With a bribe . . . yunno,” I say coyly, looking at him from underneath my lashes.

“And what would that be?” he asks, with a raised brow, his voice deepening considerably.

He leans towards me, and I bite my lips, stopping myself from laughing.

“You need to guess, Mr. City Hotshot,” I say, trying to make my voice as sultry as possible.

“I think I have an idea,” he murmurs, his lips capturing mine in a kiss, sweet and gentle to begin, deepening to show me that he is now and will forever be mine.

I swoon and sigh contentedly. The first snow is falling around us like white flower petals.

The moment just can’t get much more perfect than this.

But four months later, as I pick up my bouquet at the back of the church and look down the aisle to see Mr. Jacob L. Reynolds waiting for me at the altar, it does.