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Aurora stayed in her room all day, she sat on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees as she tried to make sense of everything Tony had told her the night before. Jonah's betrayal, the lies, the manipulation. It all felt like a cruel twist in what she had believed to be a genuine relationship.
Outside her door, Tony paced back and forth, worry etched across his face. He had been trying to get her out for hours, gently knocking on the door every so often, hoping she would respond.
Anytime Aurora was upset, she would lock herself away from everyone.
"Rory, come on," Tony called softly, leaning against the doorframe. "You can't stay in there forever. I know this is hard, but shutting yourself away won't make it any better."
There was no response from the other side of the door, just the muffled quiet that signaled Aurora's stubborn refusal to engage. Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair, frustration mingling with his worry.
Inside, Aurora squeezed her eyes shut, her throat tight with unshed tears. She wanted to open the door, to let Tony in, but the hurt and betrayal were too raw. The thought of facing the reality of Jonah's actions, of admitting to herself that the person she had trusted was not who she thought he was, felt unbearable.
"I just need some time, Tony," she finally managed to say, her voice hoarse and strained through the closed door. "I can't- I can't deal with this right now."
Tony rested his forehead against the door, his heart aching at the pain in her voice. "Okay," he said quietly, trying to keep his own emotions in check. "Take all the time you need."
Aurora didn't respond, but Tony stayed outside her door for a while longer, not wanting to leave her completely alone. He knew how deeply she felt things, how much she cared, and seeing her retreat into herself like this was breaking his heart.
With that, he reluctantly stepped away, casting one last worried glance at the closed door before heading down the hall.
Aurora absently picked up her phone from the nightstand, screen lit up, and she noticed the flood of missed calls, voicemails, and texts from Jonah.
She hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over the screen. Part of her wanted to just turn the phone off and throw it aside, to avoid dealing with the storm of emotions brewing inside her. But the other part of her, the part that still wanted to understand, compelled her to open the messages.
Jonah's texts were frantic, a mix of confusion and frustration:
"Hey, why are you ignoring me?"
"Are you okay? What's going on?"
"I'm not angry about last night anymore. Let's talk."
"Can you please call me back? I'm worried about you."
