My Enigma

Chapter Twenty-Two

Auroras POV

The following day came with a brutal hangover. My head pounded, and my mouth felt like sandpaper as I dragged myself out of the couch. It was a really comfortable one.

The sunlight streaming through the window was too bright, and I winced, pulling my hands to cover my eyes so that it didn't burn my eyes any further .

"Good morning, sunshine," Hanna's voice came from the kitchen doorway, way too cheerful for how I was feeling. She leaned against the frame, a cup of coffee in hand.

I groaned in response, my head throbbing with every movement. "How are you alive right now?"

"I have an iron liver," she joked, walking into the living room and handing me the coffee. "And I didn't drink nearly as much as you did last night."

I took the coffee gratefully, sipping it slowly as I tried to shake off the remnants of my hangover. The memories of the night before were fuzzy, but Luke's face lingered in my mind. His cold, indifferent expression as he shrugged off everything Gabe and I had said.

"I have to go to therapy today," I mumbled, running a hand through my tangled hair. "I can't believe I'm going to show up like this."

"You'll be fine," Hanna said, sitting down on the couch beside me. "You've been through worse. A hangover won't kill you."

I smiled weakly, appreciating her attempt to cheer me up. Hanna had always been the optimistic one, the person who could find a silver lining in anything. But today, her positivity felt like a lifeline. I needed it.

---

Later that afternoon, I found myself back in Dr. Roxanne's office. The hangover was still lingering, but the coffee and a long shower had helped. I sat in my usual chair, staring at the floor as Dr. Roxanne patiently waited for me to start.

"I got drunk last night," I said finally, my voice flat.

Dr. Roxanne nodded, her expression calm. "And how are you feeling today?"

"Like crap," I admitted with a small laugh. "Physically and emotionally."

She smiled softly. "It sounds like last night was rough for you."

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "It was. I was with Hanna and Gabe, and Gabe and I tried to talk to Luke. But Luke was... cold. He didn't care. He just shrugged everything off like it was nothing. I thought maybe could get through to him but he was just as dismissive of him as he was with me."

"How did that make you feel?"

The question hung in the air, and I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "I felt... angry. Hurt. I don't know. I knew he didn't care, but seeing it—seeing how indifferent he was—it just... hit harder."

Dr. Roxanne nodded. "It sounds like Luke's indifference has been a recurring theme for you. How does that connect to the other things you've been going through?"

I knew what she was getting at. Levi. My grief over my brother's death, the weight of everything I'd been carrying. It was all tied together, tangled up in the mess of emotions I hadn't fully processed.

"I guess I've been feeling abandoned," I said slowly, the words coming out before I even fully realized what I was saying. "First, I lost my brother. Then Luke... it felt like I was losing everything, like everyone I cared about was slipping away."

Dr. Roxanne's' gaze softened, and she leaned forward slightly. "It's understandable to feel that way, Aurora. Grief often brings up feelings of abandonment, especially when someone you care about isn't there in the way you need them to be."