Rory didn’t respond right away. She just sat there processing it. Until?—
“You and your mama gotta stop sleeping with people’s spouses.”
I froze.Did she just?—
My eyes closed and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yeah,” I chuckled, nodding. “I guess you’re right.”
I glanced over at her.
“I’m sorry, Bunny. I really am.”
She sighed, leaning back against the bench, one hand coming up to rub her temple like this whole situation was giving her a headache.
“I’d be lying if I said I cared about you and my mother in the past,” she said. “I said it time and time again—I don’t know that lady. And it’s not like I have some loyalty to her just ‘cause we was blood.”
I nodded slowly. “I hear you.”
“I am however mad you played in my face,” she continued. “And you played in my daddy’s face.”
“I know.”
“That part don’t sit right with me.”
“I know,” I repeated.
She held my gaze for a second, making sure I meant that.
“If you’re only with me ‘cause you see a ghost of her in me, it’s never gonna work,” she said. “I’m not her.”
“I know that,” I said immediately. “I know you’re your own person, Bunny.”
She studied me, still not fully convinced.
“You think she loved you for real?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Nah. I think she loved your dad and was just saying shit in the moment.”
Rory nodded slowly, like that answer made sense to her. “Did you really love her?”
I took a second before answering that.
“Not like that,” I said. “Alice wasn’t something I could allow myself to be in love with.”
Not gonna lie, it felt good to finally talk about this.
“But I can’t help but loveyou,” I added. “I’m in love withyou. I can’t stay away fromyou. I need you, Aurora.”
Her expression shifted slightly at that.
“I love you,” I said again. “And I’m sorry, I hurt you.”
The words hung out in the open and for a second, it felt like we might actually be getting somewhere.
Then—
