⸻ ❛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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THE SUNSET FILTERED THROUGH THE CRACKS IN THE CURTAINS, casting a burnt-orange glow over the messy interior of the moving RV—rocking the passengers' bodies as if lulling them to sleep.
Silence hung in the air, but not a single face was free from thought. If their thoughts could be heard, it would be a deafening, chaotic hum.
When the sublime Creel Mansion appeared to her right, decayed and horrifying like her current state of mind, Aurora felt her stomach twist. Her entire body trembled with nerves. Her heart, once merely tense, now raced uncontrollably in her chest, threatening to tear her ribs apart with its force.
A heart screaming something she had no choice but to hear.
Rory's urgent gaze startled Steve, who immediately placed his hand on her shoulder, returning a look that said, what's wrong?
"Steve..." she gasped, as if something were stealing her breath. "I'm so sorry. I know the idea was implied, but I don't think the wisest decision is to go with you."
Disappointment fell across her boyfriend's face, who had been doing everything to stay close, side by side. "This isn't a choice between you and Max, but you're strong, capable, and I trust you to fight that bastard with your abilities, just like you've done before. And I trust Nancy's aim and Robin's brains." She adjusted in her seat and held his hands, fingers intertwined tightly. "But I feel like only I can help Max... the way no one else can. And I'm scared of where her sacrifice could lead her."
Steve nodded, understanding, though the arch of his brows betrayed his sorrow, after parking the RV in front of the house for Max, Lucas, and Erica to get out, just as planned.
"But, Aura, please, know your limits. I can't afford to lose you." He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, stretching his arm to grasp her sweaty, trembling hand. "But if you feel this is the best thing to do, I trust you. You're strong. You can do more than you believe. Focus on the energy. you're a memory sailor, navigating the minds of people." He filled his chest with air, pride and wonder written across his gentle face. "You can do wonders. You're an Echodiver."
Aurora smiled radiantly, filled with a sense of purpose.
"And you're my Golden Boy, fighting to the end for those you love." She whispered, tracing little circles on his face, feeling the roughness of his short beard against the softness of her skin.
Tears pricked his hazel eyes, carrying longing, fear, anxiety, and love.
She leaned in, ran her hand through his hair, and pulled him into a simple yet deeply emotional kiss. It was one of the best they'd ever shared—refreshing as water in a desert, like a sunbeam breaking through a storm.
