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“It’s fine,” she muttered with disappointment. “A good editor will airbrush those right out.”
I was so upset I binge-ate an entire box of Reese’s peanut butter cups and spent the night vomiting. Austin had briefly checked in on me, but he had an important game to prepare for, and I didn’t want to ruin his mindset, so I’d lied and told him I ate some bad chicken.
I always did that—protected him from the truth. It was bad enough that Mom hated him because he looked so much like our father. A permanent reminder of the man she’d loved and lost.
They couldn’t stand to be around each other, and I was caught in the middle. Except, Austin didn’t realize that she made my life hell too.
He thought she was just hard on me. Overcritical.
Because you never told him.
But how could I? How could I look him in the eye and tell him that Mom—the woman who was supposed to love me unconditionally—had broken me?
Grabbing the nearest thing, I hauled it at the mirror and flinched as it cracked, a few pieces clattering onto the vanity. Oddly, I felt better because it was broken now.
Just like me.
CHAPTER 18
NOAH
I heard something smash inside Aurora’s room, and before I could stop myself, I shouldered the door open and barged inside.
Right as Aurora appeared out of the bathroom.
“What was that?” I asked, casting a gaze over her, relief sinking into me that she seemed to be in one piece.
“Nothing.”
“Shortcake, what—”
Fuck.
It hit me then; she was half-naked. Her delicious curves were on full display as she stood in nothing but her plain black cotton bra and panties. There wasn’t an ounce of lace or silk in sight, and yet, she was quite possibly the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Oh my God, Noah,” she shrieked, “turn around, please.”
“Why? You’re beautiful, Aurora.”
“Stop.” Her expression didn’t just fall; it shattered. “Please, don’t say that. It isn’t fair.”
She hurried over to her desk chair and snatched a t-shirt off the back of it, yanking it over her head. It swamped her, but she still stretched it down over her legs as if she couldn’t bear me looking at her.
Disappointment curled in my stomach as I asked, “Fair?”
“You know what I mean. This, us, you’ve made it pretty clear that kissing me was a mistake. I don’t need you rubbing salt in the wound.”
“Let me be real fucking clear, shortcake.” I strode toward her until we were almost chest-to-chest. Her breath caught at my proximity, a shudder rolling through her as I reached for her cheek, cupping her face.
“It was a mistake when I kissed you.”
“Noah, please just—”
“Because all I’ve thought about since is doing it again. But you’re Austin’s sister, Aurora, and the team has strict rules about that kind of thing.”
“And you. You have your own rules.” There was that flicker of defiance in her eyes again. “You don’t date.”
“No,” I swallowed over the lump in my throat, my heart doing little flips in my chest. “I don’t.” I moved closer, dipping my head, forcing her to crane her neck a little.
