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The desire to become stronger flares inside me. I want to protect my mates and make sure they never fall prey to ruthless assholes like Jake Hudson.
36
Aurora
The weather grows warmer as the days go by.
June arrives with a burst of sunshine and bright blue skies. The branches of the apricot tree in the front yard are heavy with pink and white blossoms. Most of Burton Estate is now filled with acres of green grass and leafy, blossoming trees.
Spring is finally here.
Sitting up in bed, I extend my arms over my head. The blanket shifts as I move, making the man on my right groan loudly.
Pulling my legs out, I cover Simon again and watch him snore gently. On my other side, Oliver snoozes, making the same soft sounds as his twin. They’re both eerily in synch even when they’re asleep.
Even the rhythm of their soft snores matches!
A smile curves my lips as I reach out and gently caress Simon’s dark strands. Leaning into my touch, he lets out a contented sigh and continues to sleep.
Taking care not to disturb my sleeping mates, I slowly climb out of bed.
I head into the bathroom and take care of my business before sleepily moving to the sink to wash my face. The splashes of cold water are refreshing, helping me feel more awake.
Glancing at the mirror, I see that spring has brought some new changes in my appearance.
The sunken shadows under my eyes are gone. My arms and legs don’t look so skeletal anymore. Even without makeup, I look like a healthy person.
Patting my face dry, I keep staring at my reflection, wondering if it’d be okay to go see Heather and Dad now. I’ve stayed in constant touch with them through video calls during my days here, so they’re no longer worried about me.
My relationship with both of them has improved over the past several weeks.
Jake used to constantly manipulate me into thinking that Dad’s a villain, that he only wants me around to control me. Any time Dad would warn me against him, I’d get mad and leave the house, eventually moving out to live with Jake.
Without Jake’s constant instigations, I’m able to see the love and affection Dad has for me. No matter how busy he is, he always checks on me, making sure I’m happy and safe with Seth, Oliver, and Simon.
A sudden urge to see him erupts within me.
Making up my mind, I walk out of the bathroom and head inside my room.
Oliver and Simon continue to sleep. Without waking them up, I open the door and walk out into the corridor.
On my way downstairs, I peek into Seth’s room.
A smile comes onto my lips as I watch him sleeping with the covers pulled over his head.
I guess they’re all taking a day off today.
Closing the door, I walk along the hallway and down the stairs of the quiet house. It’s one of those rare days when I’ve woken up before them, so I plan to make breakfast for everyone.
To be honest, I suck at cooking but if I concentrate hard enough, I can make us some scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon. Taking a deep breath, I enter the clean kitchen and directly head toward the fridge.
Among the shelves, I see a large bag of bagels.
Grabbing them, I look for avocados and tubs of cream cheese. It’ll be great to spread them on toasted bagels along with eggs and bacon.
I’m almost done cooking breakfast when I hear the faint murmuring of voices coming from upstairs.
“Rory?” I hear Seth’s muffled voice calling from upstairs. “Where are you?”
