Roommates

Chapter 46

Approaching the front door of the apartment, Aurora sighed at the sight before her. All of her clothes had been thrown outside the door. A familiar scene that cut deep into her heart like a dull, rusty knife. It made her chest hurt and her stomach plummet to the center of the earth seeing her things piled outside the door. They spilled into the hallway.

"Chloe!" Aurora yelled, throwing open the door to the house while tossing her things aimlessly back inside the apartment.

She looked toward the dining area, finding the lights turned off. The curtains in the living room were closed and the house was dark and chilled. The back bedroom door was open, but the other bedroom was shut up. The glow from the bathroom, however, dimly lit both rooms as far as Aurora could tell. Everything was silent and eerie until a mouse lost its footing.

From the front bedroom, the door opened a peek and then shut. Quickly, it opened again, revealing Chloe in a towel, still dripping from the shower. Her long brown hair created a puddle at her feet. "I thought I said you weren't welcome here anymore. What are you doing here? She doesn't want to see you."

Scanning her body, Aurora wasn't sure what she was looking for. A clue, maybe. An Achilles's heel, perhaps. However, her gaze was momentarily paused on the sight of an attractive woman in her towel. Her chest bubbled out from the fabric and her physique was apparent. The wet fabric clung to every inch of her.

Aurora scoffed, looking away from her. "Did you really think I'd listen to you?"

"You used to," Chloe reminded, gently.

"Ah, so you do remember?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Look, Aurora— is it?— I owe you an apology."

Aurora laughed. "An apology?"

"I'm trying to be sincere," her voice was firm, "but if you would rather hate me for the rest of your life, I can live with that, too."

Curious about her change of heart, Aurora sighed and took a step back, giving her the floor. "Go on."

"I remember you," Chloe continued with a delicate, careful reminiscence. "I remember you being my first kiss; I remember you being my first girlfriend."

She lowered her head, looking at her nude legs, causing Aurora's eyes to follow. As soon as she did, Aurora corrected herself. She blinked away the needles in her eyes. This is what she wanted to hear, so she couldn't figure out why it hurt so much. It felt disingenuous and like a set up. The hatred she harboured only grew, making it hard to breathe.

"What is your point, Chloe?"

Chloe bit her lip and broke a smile. "I remember how happy you made me."

"It made you happy to hurt me? Way to go, you sadistic bitch! Congratulations."

"If you would rather not hear what I have to say, then you can just walk your ass out of my house," Chloe defended. She adjusted the towel around her body, waiting for Aurora's decision. There was no skin off her teeth to never see Aurora again, in fact, she hoped Aurora would take the offer and leave. It would make all of this so much easier for her.

"Go on," Aurora muttered, protectively crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't want to let her guard down, but her soul needed to hear this closure.

"I was a hurt little girl," Chloe admitted with tense breaths between each of her intentional words, "I was... bullied. I was beaten by classmates, by my family. I was dragged through hell my entire life. Growing up poor, lonely, and having divorced parents made me angry. When I met you, I was only fifteen and I was stupid. I finally had a taste of what love and acceptance was like and it scared me."