Tied To Me

18 - Family time

Friday, 17th February 2017

All the students, including me, are piling out of the last lecture of the day. I wrap my arms around my freezing body and walk towards the subway station, so I can get home and then leave with Dean towards Baltimore.

I am very excited to get away for a while, so it's obvious that the day dragged on forever. When I phoned my mom and told her I'm coming, she got so excited. And when I called my brothers, damn, they were over the moon. My family's reaction of me visiting was so overwhelming. Veronica, Callum's fiancée, even snatched the phone from my brother and expressed her happiness that I'm coming. We're having a family dinner once I get there and I can't wait to taste mom's cooking, again.

And I'm happy today, because yesterday I went to a job interview which Ezra arranged. Well, it was really Keith who suggested I apply. Ezra was just the messenger. Keith's sister was the one who was looking for another employee.

I went yesterday and met Keith's sister, Alison, who interviewed me. She was very nice and acted casual with me the entire interview. Her friendliness really calmed down my nerves.

I got a call from her this morning while I was on the subway towards college. She said I got the job, which lit up my day even more. The pay is almost as good as it was at the club, but still a lot more than any other job offers. So now I work at a little book store not that far away from my apartment. I start next weekend.

My little bubble of happiness got interrupted when someone taps on my shoulder from behind. I turn around and immediately take a step back from the person.

"Get away from me, Sid. I mean it." I say and turn around, so I can walk away.

"I wouldn't go just yet if I were you, Aurora." I stop at his words and look back at him.

"I know you won't do anything to me. There're too many people around." I point out we're in the middle of the street. "What do you want from me?" My voice isn't very confident right now, so he can clearly hear my fear.

"I wanted to ask how your boyfriend is doing. He sure seemed pretty ecstatic when he found you in that warehouse." He's smirking, but my blood ran cold at the mention of said memory. He takes a step closer to me. When I was about to take a step back from him, he grabs my wrist, making sure I don't go anywhere. His lips come near my ear. "I know you know the gang's information." He whispers into my ear. My breath got caught in my throat. That is all he wants from me – information, which I don't have. "You are part of the gang after all."

I yank my hand from his grasp and make space between our bodies. "You seem pretty sure that they let me in." I smirk at him. My voice got more confident, too.

Sid laughs a dry laugh. "You became part of the gang the second my men took you." His smirk stretches further, knowing he's right. "And you know stuff," He takes a step back. "Stuff you're going to tell me one way or another, sooner or later." With that, he turns around and disappears into the crowd of people.

After a few seconds, I compose myself and begin to walk towards the subway station. Sid's threats run through my mind the entire way home, to the point when I close the front door behind myself.

"You're finally home." Ezra comes around the corner, making the thoughts escape.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you're leaving in half an hour and you haven't even fully packed." Ezra's right. I have packed clothes and some toiletries into the small duffle bag, but not everything. "Go do that now." He sends me into my room, so I can finish packing.

I do that while listening to music the entire time. I love to have music whenever I'm doing something, whether it's cooking, cleaning or even packing. It makes time go by faster.