⸻ ❛𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒!❜
Rory Hargrove is obsessed to uncover the truth behind Barbara Holland's disappearance, while facing her brother's enemy and buried secrets from...
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NO MATTER HOW MANY DUST MITES MIGHT have been lurking in that basement, Rory still fell asleep there, lying on the rug, carefully wrapped in a blanket by Steve's gentle hands. The soft morning light filtered through the cracks of the door at the top of the stairs, casting pale stripes across the dusty floor. That door soon opened, allowing in a mix of scents — aged wood and warm honey.
Rory stirred slightly, first wiggling only her toes, then shifting her shoulders beneath the blanket. A sigh slipped from her lips before her eyes even opened. The faint clinking of cutlery against glass gave Steve away as he descended the stairs, carrying a plate in his hands.
"Good morning, sleepyhead. Room service has arrived," he announced in a pompous tone, mimicking an exaggerated butler. Aurora rolled onto her side, cracking open one eye and rubbing it.
She wrinkled her nose. Steve already knew she wasn't a fan of eating right after waking up, but still... "Rory, you need to eat."
"I know, I'm starving, but my stomach hurts..." Even though she still felt queasy, she knew Steve was right — she had to do it for Max.
"But you need energy." With the plate in hand, he crouched down, sitting cross-legged in front of her. He offered her a forkful of waffle, patiently waiting until she sat up enough to accept it. She took bite after bite of waffles he had carefully drowned in honey, just the way she liked them.
"How are you feeling? No more headaches?" He pressed his hand against her forehead. "No more nosebleeds? No more hunger, 'cause I'll kill it with this delicious waffle. " He squeezed her cheeks while she chewed, making her laugh, until she brushed his hand away.
Steve took a playful bite of one of the soft waffles.
"I'm better now. Were you up all night?" she asked, running a finger under his tired eyes. "I took shifts with Dustin, keeping Max under our eye."
But the faint, crumb-dotted smile on his lips faded, and he looked down at the plate, lost in thought. "Aura, I'm sorry about that..." His voice softened, almost a whisper in the silence of the basement.
She stopped chewing, eyes locking on his — still hazy with sleep, but sharp enough to catch the weight in his tone. His sincerity wrapped around her like a heavy but comforting blanket.
"Sorry about what?" Rory was genuinely confused, but Steve looked back at her as if the answer should've been obvious.
"About Max... she almost died. I felt useless, like I couldn't save her. She just floated up in the air and—" He broke off, fiddling with a loose thread on the blanket around her.
