Forever Glamorous

Chapter 41

THE MORNING AIR GREETED her as Aura slipped out of the house. The faint chirps of birds calmed her down from her growing nerves as her feet led her to Mrs. Smith's front porch. Her breathing labored as she raised her fist up to knock on the door.

She hesitated for a second before breaking down her walls and knocking. She heard scrambling inside, and was sure it was Mrs. Smith waddling her way to the front door. However, as the door opened, it was Tyson who answered.

When his eyes met hers, his posture slouched as his body leaned on the door.

"What is it, Aura?" He asked.

Aura pursed her lips, shuffling her feet. She had no idea how to start, but she knew she had to spit it out. She couldn't sweep it under the rug and pretend like it wasn't there. She had lied to him. She couldn't move on without talking it out with him.

"We need to talk," she said.

Tyson nodded and let her inside the house. Mrs. Smith was nowhere to be seen, probably busy in her room or doing whatever it was she did all day. The living room was bright with all the sunrays of the morning bathing it. Everything seemed untouched and perfectly placed. She wasn't sure if anyone had even gotten out of bed to do anything.

"Tyson, I'm sorry about... everything." Aura spread the palms of her hands to him. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaning against one of the sofas. "I should have told you what happened with Zachary. I was just so wrapped up in you that I didn't want to bring him into this, but that clearly didn't come out very well."

"Why did you say you were just friends with him if you had done that?" Tyson asked. He didn't accept her apology or even acknowledge it. Aura snapped her mouth shut. "That's clearly not just a friend."

Aura scratched the side of her head, staring at the beat up flip flops she had on. Her bright pink nail polish was starting to chip on the sides.

"Aura?"

She gazed up at him not knowing how to respond. How could she tell him that she was used to playing with guys the same way Zachary played with girls? She was never one to feel anything for anyone, so she had her fun and left.

"I was bored and upset, and he was there. I never felt anything for him. He was cute, but that's it."

Tyson sat on the edge of the sofa, staring over at the wall. He clenched his jaw, shaking his head.

"So you played him?" Finally, he gazed at her. His expression was unreadable. Aura sighed and nodded.

"Some guys are... easy," she confessed.

He nodded, pursing his lips as he turned away.

"Was I easy then?" He cleared his throat. "Was I easy to play with?"

"What?" Aura took a step back. "No, no, Tyson, I was not playing with you. I promise, okay, I haven't felt like this ever. I was not pretending here."

"How am I supposed to know that you're telling the truth?" He rubbed at his temples with the palm of his hands. "How do I know that you're not saying the same things to Zachary, hm?"

Aura trembled under his stare. His brown eyes that used to be soft and gentle flashed, showing hurt and anger. She hadn't seen that side of him before, and they've had plenty of arguments during the summer.

"I was only agreeing to go out with Zachary because I knew he was rich. I kept thinking I would maybe meet someone influential that could help me with my career or something. I didn't care about him, I cared about what he had to offer."

Tyson let out a snarky laugh. "Is that what people are to you? Tools?"

"Not you!" Aura cried. "I have never used you."

He didn't seem to buy it. He sat there without saying a word, staring at the wall like it had some hidden clue she couldn't see. Bile threatened to rise up her throat, but she willed it down. She played with the hem of her oversized shirt, trying to find something to do with her hands.

The silence almost choked her and gave her a throbbing headache.

"Tyson, you have to believe me," she whispered. "Once I knew I had feelings for you, I didn't even entertain Zachary. I was always with you. I just went to that party because I had nothing else to do. And if I'm being honest, most of my time was spent with Millie and Iris. Zachary then took me to his room, but I was trying hard to get out of there."

"Why did you even go if you didn't like him in the first place?"

Aura threw her hands to the side. "Because I was desperate. I had been cooped up at Grandma Ruby's for too long and the opportunity came up. Besides, I just wanted to be among those people. I screwed up a big gig, Tyson. A gig with Lacey Redd, and here was this rich guy inviting me out to places with other rich people, who might need a makeup artist in the near future. I didn't care about him, I cared about my career. I was just doing everything I could not to end up like —"

"Like who?" Tyson whispered, pursing his lips. She teared up and rammed her fingers into her hair, pulling at the roots. She said nothing, not daring to look at him.

She felt him stand up from his place on the sofa. His body towered over her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and bit down on her lip hard.

"Aura, you are the biggest gold digger I have ever met. You are money hungry, selfish, and self-absorbed. You really don't care about anyone else's feelings but your own. Now, get out of my home."

She blinked back tears and gazed up at him. His eyes gave away the real anger coursing through his veins, but his voice was calm and collected. His posture was stiff as he pointed over to the door.

"Fine. I'm selfish, I'm self-absorbed, and I love money." She rolled her eyes, wiping at her eyes messily. "But at least I'm not a coward and actually work to achieve my goals. Face it, Tyson, you stay comfortable. You're so afraid of branching out, you prefer to stay in this little bubble of yours when you can have more. I don't like being in a bubble. I explode my bubble and get what I want."

Tyson inhaled sharply, and then stormed out of the house.

Aura stared at the opened door in disbelief of her own words. Tears streamed down her face like the night prior, but not a sound came out of her lips. She was frozen in time, looking over at the front porch. The breeze entered the living room, cooling her body from the burst of emotion it went through.

"Sweetheart?"

She unfroze to find Mrs. Smith standing in the hallway, eyes soft but tentative.

"Give him time, sweetheart. He'll come around."

Aura wiped her cheeks, hoping that Tyson would walk through that door again. All she saw was the empty street and front porch.

"You think?" Aura asked.

"I know my grandson," she reassured her. "Let him blow some steam and all will be fine. Trust me."

Aura nodded, and said her goodbyes before exiting, all the while wondering if he would ever come back after everything happened.