[COMPLETED BUT WONT LET ME PRESS THE COMPLETED BUTTON AHAHHA]
Aurora Lockheart was once the sunshine girl-bright, kind, and full of life. But one night changed everything, leaving her a shadow of who she used to be.
A year later, just as she's be...
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Whoever's bed this was—Jesus Christ—it was the comfiest thing I'd ever slept on. I rolled over, my phone charging on the nightstand next to a glass of water. I blinked a few times, piecing together where I was. Judging by the familiar surroundings, I was still in Johnny's house.
I grabbed my phone, and the first notification was a message from Gibsie:
"Had to leave early, sorry princess x."
Bless his cotton socks. Jesus, I sounded like a 59-year-old woman.
With a sigh, I swung my legs out of bed, still in my bra and the joggers I had on yesterday, and headed for the bathroom. I fumbled around for a toothbrush but came up empty-handed. That's when I decided to venture downstairs, where I could hear voices coming from the living room.
As I stepped into the room, I was greeted by Johnny's mam, Edel, standing by the kitchen island. She glanced over at me with a kind smile.
"Thanks for letting me stay, but do you have a toothbrush?" I asked, feeling slightly awkward.
Edel raised an eyebrow at Johnny. "Are there any more lynch children in my house, Jonathan?"
Johnny, leaning against the counter, muttered, "No, I only took two." He paused before adding, "She's a Lockheart, not a Lynch."
Edel put her hands on her hips, sighing dramatically. "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the donkey—what am I going to do with you?" She turned toward me, her expression softening. "Hello, Aurora love."
I gave her a shy smile. "Hello, Mrs. Kavanagh—"
"Edel, love. Just Edel," she corrected, waving me off with a grin. "Are you hungry?"
I shook my head. "Ah... no."
She gave me a knowing look, her eyes twinkling. "No? Are you lying to me, love?"
I chuckled, feeling more at ease. "No, really. I just need to go. I would've left last night, but I fell asleep... sorry about that."
"Don't apologize, love. You can sleep here anytime. Now, come on, let's sit down and have a cup of tea first," she said, already pulling out a chair for me at the marble island.
I hesitated for a second, feeling a bit out of place. I wasn't used to this kind of warmth from adults. Edel was always so... loving, in a way I hadn't experienced often. It made me feel strangely safe.
"Alright," I finally relented, "I'll have a cup of tea then, please."
Her face lit up, and as she set the kettle on, she asked, "Have you anything for pain?"
I blinked. "For my face, love?"
No and yes. My entire body ached, and I'd take anything I could get my hands on.
"Yeah," I said.
"I'll see what I've got. You're not allergic to anything, are you?"
