But tonight, we're okay.
And maybe that's enough.
24
AURORA
It's morning, and my friends are leaving. Part of me wants them to stay forever, to keep this buffer between me and the intensity of life with Axel. But another part knows they need to go. This is my life now. I need to figure it out.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Tiana asks for the hundredth time. "We can stay longer if you need us."
"I'm okay. Really."
"You almost died last night."
"But I didn't. Axel got there in time."
"Because he's obsessively protective," Chloe points out. "Which is hot but also concerning."
"I know. We talked about it. We're working on finding balance."
"Are you though?" Chloe stops packing, looks at me seriously. "Because from where I'm sitting, you're in deep with a man you barely know. Living in his house. Pregnant with his baby. Isolated from everyone who cares about you."
"I'm not isolated. You're here."
"We're leaving in an hour. Then what? You're alone with him again."
"I'm not alone. Viktor's here. The staff. And Axel and I are actually talking now. Really talking."
Tiana sits beside me on the bed. "Do you have feelings for him? Real feelings?"
The question makes my chest tight. "I don't know. Maybe. Probably. Yes."
"That's a lot of answers."
"Because I'm confused!" I drop the shirt I was folding. "I don't yet know what we are."
"What do you want to be?" Chloe asks.
"I want..." I stop, trying to put words to feelings I barely understand. "I want this to be real. Not just convenience or obligation because of the baby. I want him to choose me because he wants to, not because he has to."
"Has he given you any indication that he wants to?" Tiana's voice is gentle.
"Last night, he said he wants to try. That he wants us to build something together."
"That's something."
"It's not enough though, is it? Wanting to try isn't the same as actually caring. Actually..." I can't say the word love. It's too soon, too big, too terrifying.
"Aurora." Chloe takes my hand. "I know this is scary. But I saw the way he looked at you last night when he thought you were in danger. That man was terrified. Not because of some obligation. Because he cares about you."
"You think so?"
"I know so. The question is, do you care about him?"
Do I?
I think about Axel's hands on my face, checking for injuries. The fear in his voice when he asked if I was hurt. The way he held me last night, like I was something precious.
