Never Not You

The call

A/N: im not too happy with how this call turned out but I don't think I can make it better rn so I'm gonna give it to you like this hope it isn't too bad

A few days had slipped by since Aurora had arrived at Alexia's. Time felt blurred, marked only by the rhythms of Mateo's feedings and Alba's constant attempts to get him to crawl. The house was warm, filled with laughter and care, but Aurora felt disconnected, like she was watching her life happen through a fog. She'd smile faintly when Alexia or Mapi tried to cheer her up, but it never really reached her eyes.

Her phone had been mostly off, a way to shield herself from the outside world. But today, she knew she couldn't avoid it any longer. With trembling fingers, she turned it back on.

It buzzed almost instantly—two new messages. One from her lawyer, the other from her manager.

Aurora's stomach dropped as she opened them, her breath catching in her throat. The words felt heavy, the reality crashing down all over again. The lawyer had filed for restraining orders, and they were planning to sue for character defamation. She felt numb reading the messages, but then the final line pierced through her—due to her profile, this was likely to hit the media soon.

Her heart raced. Leah. The thought of Leah finding out like this, through some article or headline, made her chest tighten painfully. She couldn't let that happen.

Her hands shook as she scrolled through her contacts, finding Leah's name.

My Le <3.

She hesitated for a moment, staring at the screen, trying to push down the wave of anxiety flooding her mind. Leah deserved to know. She had to tell her, even if it meant facing her own fear and shame.

With a deep breath, Aurora tapped the call button, her pulse quickening as the phone began to ring in her ear.

Leah answered almost immediately, her voice filled with a familiar warmth that sent a pang through Aurora's chest. "Hey."

Aurora held her breath for a second, gathering the courage to speak. "Hi."

There was a pause, and Aurora could almost picture Leah on the other end, brows furrowed with worry. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" Leah asked, her tone soft but edged with concern.

Aurora swallowed hard, the lump in her throat making it difficult to speak. "I... I need to tell you something."

Leah's silence urged her to continue, though the weight of what she was about to say pressed down on her like a heavy stone. "Okay, what is it?" Leah asked, her voice steady but expectant.

Aurora's hand trembled as she held the phone closer to her ear, her mind racing. The words felt too big, too raw. "You remember how I said I wouldn't survive if I stayed there?"

Leah's voice came back softer this time, her concern more palpable. "Yeah, I remember."

Aurora's heart pounded painfully against her ribs. The truth she'd kept hidden for days clawed at her, begging to be let out, but it terrified her to admit. "Well... there's a reason I said that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

There was a long pause, the silence between them thickening with the unspoken fear. Leah's voice broke through gently, urging her on. "Okay... do you want to tell me that reason?"

Aurora's grip tightened around the phone, her breath shaky. Leah always made her feel safe, always made the darkness seem less suffocating, but this... this was different. "Yeah," she whispered, voice trembling as she tried to find the right words.

Leah's response was soothing, almost a promise. "Take your time, Rory. I'm here for you, always, okay?"

Aurora blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that stung at her eyes. She took a deep breath, her chest tight as the truth finally began to spill out. "Leah... I meant it quite literally."