Chapter 4

4

Aurora – Twenty Years Old

I freeze in shock, my laughter truly gone, as I crane my neck and lock eyes with the dark chocolate brown ones before me.

My stomach flips, my heart racing.

He's, oh wow…he's gorgeous, even with milkshake on the side of his face, stuck on his stubble-covered, chiseled jaw….

I'm not sure how she managed it, but one moment, Autumn was swinging her legs in the highchair, drinking out of her straw, and the next, she was throwing it across the table, hitting the face of some guy wearing a wife beater with overalls tied at his hips.

A really hot guy….

I felt bad, I did, but I couldn't help but laugh; he just stood there in shock while the barista nearly fell to the floor laughing. But when he spoke to the woman behind the counter, his voice went through me, rumbling, making me feel things I've never felt before.

I've never had this feeling with someone, God, even with Marcus Allen. He was a crush, but just two minutes in this guy's orbit…the way my body is suddenly reacting to him. This moment is momentous—I can feel it.

Crap.

Fear instantly takes hold; how much I'm drawn to him is shocking.

I'm dirty, broken…. I can't be feeling this, not now, not ever.

Trying to calm my nerves, I clear my throat and step back.

"I, uh, I am sorry, sir…" I mutter before giving him a small, trembling smile, and turning away from his intense gaze.

Swallowing hard, I turn to my daughter, who instantly grins at me. My heart melts as I sit next to her, pushing her red hair out of her face. I feel his eyes on me, but I ignore him.

This little girl is my everything; I don't need anything or anyone else, including him.

I have been on the move for nearly two years, ensuring he doesn't find us—county after county, motel after motel…until six months ago.

I spent the first year staying in motels, cleaning for a free room. We moved at least nine times, before we finally settled here in Huntersville.

I did what I normally did on the road and stayed at the motel, cleaning it for board while slowly saving up and barely feeding myself. I had used all the money Hannah managed to grab me, roughly $1000, on diapers, clothes, and formula, and when we moved here, I knew we couldn't stay in the motel for long.

I wanted her to have her own home, even if it's small.

I managed to save up enough for a small one-bed apartment, giving Autumn the bedroom while I stayed on the second-hand pull-out couch.

Things are going well now. I still clean the motels, bringing Autumn with me, while also going to school online part-time using government funding. I hope to become a veterinary nurse, and I'm hoping to get a job in a vet practice in a few months.

I can't afford any distractions, including a very hot guy, who looks like he should be on the cover of a magazine, with his piercing, dark brown eyes, chiseled jaw, tattoos, muscles, and shaggy black hair.

My stomach tightens again, and I will that feeling away. I can't want him, I just can't….

Autumn giggles, grabbing my finger, and I blink, trying to get out of my lust-fogged head.

I don't think I've ever felt lust before…. It's weird.

I smile at Autumn. "Okay, sweetheart, let's clean you up before we go to the playground."

She grins and repeats, "Playground," making me smile as I wipe down her hands and face, then clean up her mess on the table and highchair.

I know I should discipline her for throwing the milkshake, but honestly, she didn't really mean it. She thought she was sharing; I have to teach her that's not how we share, is all.

Right?

Dammit, I'm a bad mom, aren't I?

Tears want to build, my thoughts bringing me down as usual. I always second-guess myself, wondering if I'm doing right by her.

Some days, I wonder how to protect her when I couldn't even protect myself.

Shaking my head, I smile at Autumn again, and stand. She instantly lifts her arms for me, making me smile. I lift her out of the chair, place her on my hip, and grab Mr. Bunny, handing it to her. She takes it happily, and I grab her bag.

I look around the table to make sure I haven't forgotten anything while trying to ignore the guy's eyes on me.

I'm pretty sure he'll run a mile when he realizes I'm not up for games, and it's for the best.

It has to be….

Ten minutes later, I sit Autumn in the sand box at the playground, and she instantly squeals. I left the bakery without making eye contact with the man, and walked to the playground.

My beat-up car, which I got for a steal last year, decided to break on me again, and right now, I just can't afford to get it fixed. I also don't have a stroller for Autumn, which means I have to carry her.

Damn, I'm tired now….

Autumn squeals as she knocks over her sandpile, and I smile and watch her and the delight that overtakes her chubby features.

It's amazing how the little things make her happy.

I grin, leaning against the bench seat just before a throat clears. I look to my right to see the guy from the bakery, and my stomach flips as we make eye contact again, my mouth parting a little.

I can't help it, he's just…wow…. Damn.

He smirks, clearly seeing my awe-struck face and rasps, "You dropped this on your way out of the bakery."

He holds up Mr. Bunny, a stuffie that Hannah gave Autumn before helping us onto the bus out of New York. I sigh in relief, whispering, "Thank you," just as Autumn squeals, "Mr. Bunny!"

The man chuckles, looking her way to see her trying to climb out of the sandbox to get her light blue stuffed bunny.

I go to stand and grab her, but the man beats me, shocking me as he kneels before her and shakes the stuffie, cooing, "Is this yours, princess?"

Autumn grins, nodding so quickly that I'm surprised she's not given herself whiplash, and the guy chuckles, handing it to her.

"There you go, Princess," he murmurs, looking at her with adoration that makes my heart skip a beat.

No, no, no! Bad heart!

I swallow hard, wishing for these butterflies to disappear. "Thank you so much for bringing it. She would have screamed the place down if she noticed it gone."

He looks my way, his face softening. "It was my pleasure…. I uh, I noticed you walked over here…."

My hackles rise.

What? Can a woman not walk ten minutes down the road?

I raise a brow and state defensively, "And?"

He smirks. "Down, Firecracker," he says, the nickname hitting me right in the chest.

Damn….

"Liv mentioned you have a car, but it's broken down at the motel just on the edge of town."

I clear my throat, hating that she saw me kicking the wheel last week, and admit, "It died…."

His smirk deepens. "When you say it died, explain." I raise another brow at him, and he grins, admitting, "I'm a mechanic." Well, that explains the overalls and wife beater, which…yeah. I blink, trying to get out of my lust-fogged head, and he continues, "When you tried to turn it over, what noise did it make?"

I think momentarily, and then intimidate the clicking noise without thinking, making him chuckle. I groan out of embarrassment and say, "It sounded like really loud clicking…."

He nods. "Your starter is f—" He looks Autumn's way, making me smile, and he amends, "Is done. It needs replacing."

I bite my bottom lip, trying not to curse in front of my girl, before asking, "How much does something like that cost?"

I'm mentally doing the math in my head, which, yes, I still suck at, but I have roughly $236.89 in my savings account. I'm trying to save for a new bed and couch, but I need four wheels. These five months without a car is hard.

The guy shrugs, sitting beside me, making my palms sweat, and states, "One date." My eyes widen at his bluntness, and he grins. "That's the payment to fix your car so you can drive little miss there about, and not have to carry her, because I can bet she isn't light…. One date."

I look at Autumn, happily playing with her bunny in the sand.

Why would he want to date me?

I'm a single mother, broke, living in a one-bedroom apartment…and I'm-I'm dirty, I'm filth. Even with six months of counseling, I can't get rid of that feeling or the thoughts.

The feeling of him inside me hits, and vomit wants to build.

Swallowing it down, I whisper, "Why?"

I'm nothing special. I spent a year being abused, mistreated, and dragged around before escaping. Why would anyone want me?

Christ, if my counselor, Emily, could hear my thoughts right now….

"Because the thought of never getting to see you again physically hurts," he rasps, and I still. "Because as soon as we locked eyes, I knew you were supposed to be mine." My eyes tear up at the confessions of this stranger, who I only just met because my daughter threw a milkshake in his face.

"I know what I'm saying is scary—" I snort, because…yeah. He chuckles, and I look his way, our eyes connecting. "I'm scared too, but I just…I've learned if you find someone who takes your breath away so hard that it feels like your lungs are robbed of air, then grab hold of them and never let them go. You gave me that feeling, and I don't even know your name, so believe me, I know this is scary, but all I'm asking for is one chance, one date…."

I look back at Autumn. I can feel my heart race as I whisper, "I'm a single mom…."

He hums and states, "I'm fully aware. I got covered in milkshake, yet here I am, still wanting you…."

I snort because, yeah, it was still funny.

"I don't even know your name," I rasp as Autumn throws Mr. Bunny in the air, giggling.

"Theodore, my name is Theodore Taylor."

I nod, replying, "Aurora Foster, and she is Autumn." I look his way, and his eyes are on my daughter. A part of me wants to see what's between us, which I know Emily would encourage, but I'm scared.

I still feel dirty; I still have nightmares, which are more memories than anything.

I'm broken, yet I still want him.

My body gravitates toward him like it's more than lust at first sight. I've never believed in love at first sight, but if I did…. Could this be it?

Could he be my one….

Swallowing hard, I whisper, "My daughter always comes first…."

He looks my way and smiles slightly. "I wouldn't expect it any other way." Slowly he moves his arm to the back of the bench, his fingers going to the few pieces of hair that have fallen out of my messy bun. "All I'm asking for is one date. I'm not going to sit here and say I've been an angel, because I haven't, and I never thought I'd settle down; I've never wanted to, and yet you crash into my life, with a little princess to boot, and suddenly…I want that. With you."

My breath stutters. "I-I…I don't think it's?—"

He cuts me off, "It's only one date. If you still feel like you don't want me that way, that you don't want to grow a relationship, a word, by the way, I never thought I'd use…." I grin at his confession, making him chuckle. "…then we'll be friends, because everyone needs a friend."

My eyes race between his just as Autumn giggles again, and I look at her to see she's buried half of her stuffie.

"Just one date, Rory…" he whispers.

Rory…. No one had ever called me that before. I like it.

Can I do it?

It's only one date, right?

But you've never been on a date , a voice whispers in my head, and my stomach tightens at the reminder. I had everything taken from me. I've never dated, never loved, never did the normal things young adults got to do….

"What do you say, Firecracker? Are you going to give me the date?" he asks, and I look at him.

I get sucked into his eyes again, the butterflies swarming my stomach.

It's just one date, right? If I don't like it, we can be friends, just like he says, because everyone needs a friend….

Right?