"I put on makeup to express myself. I could care less about my so-called insecurities."
Aura Chandler was so sure she had her life figured out. After securing a photoshoot gig with up-and-coming musician Lacey Redd, she was convinced she would get d...
THE FUNERAL WAS DONE beautifully. A few people she didn't recognize attended, and spoke incredible words about the beloved Mrs. Smith. She may not have had much family, but she had a handful of friends whom she touched so dearly.
Tyson stood at the front, receiving condolences left and right. Even Grandma Ruby sat by him for a bit. Aura was sure she would be talking about how Mrs. Smith was her best friend and all the trouble they got into together.
Her parents went ahead and said a few words of encouragement to Tyson, but she stayed behind. She knew that if he saw her face, it would make things worse. She didn't want to do that to him after everything he'd been through. It was bad enough seeing him cry as they lowered Mrs. Smith's coffin into the ground.
The people dispersed afterwards, speaking about how utterly sad it was to lose such a wonderful person. Grandma Ruby rubbed at her eyes with a napkin, sniffling as she held onto her son for stability.
The occasion was so sad, Aura didn't have the heart to eat. She picked at her food at home, feeling her insides twist and turn. Her family decided it was best to spend the day together, not being in the mood for anything else.
Her mother pestered Aura to make sure she was done packing, which she wasn't, but the day didn't help her do anything. In the end, she decided to skip on the packing and the moping around, switched her black heels for sandals, and left for the beach.
HER BODY CARRIED HER to the last place she wanted to be: where she had her last fight with Tyson. She stared at the familiar curves of the trees and stepped onto the sand. The closer she got to the ocean, the more her mind replayed the argument. The moment in which Tyson's eyes broke her down, filled with betrayal and hurt beyond repair.
She wrapped her arms around herself as a cold breeze blew, rippling the water in front of her. She bit down on her lip, wondering what it would be like to sail into the sea and never come back. The idea seemed tempting. But what was the point of running away from your problems when they always had a knack of following you everywhere? Was there such a thing as truly escaping?
Aura wasn't so sure. She always thought of herself as a person who liked to confront her problems. She wasn't one to shy away when someone wrongs her, nor was she the person to stay silent on certain issues. But the truth was she ran away from a lot. It was the reason why she never had a real relationship. It was the reason why she blamed others for mishaps in her life. It was why she lied.
And when tragedy struck, she couldn't help but see things through different lenses and be hit by waves upon waves of guilt. Reality wasn't often glamorous. But she had a choice to make: would she let the tragedy control her or would she control the tragedy? Maybe she screwed things over with Tyson big time, but she also had a job offer, friends, and family. She couldn't let one tragedy taint the rest of her victories.
If she wanted her life to be glamorous, she needed to choose that life and move on.
After staring at the ocean like she was posing for a postcard, she thought it would be wise to go back home and pack. She was leaving for California the next day, and her things still lied around her room.
She turned to leave when a hunched figure caught her eye. They were sitting where the fire pit used to be, staring at the beach. Their back faced her, so she couldn't see what they were doing.
Without thinking it through, she marched to them. It wasn't until she was a few feet away that she noticed the suit they wore.
A suit she had seen earlier in the day.
Wordlessly, she sat beside him, not caring that her fancy black dress would get dirty with sand. She didn't dare face him, and joined him by staring at what seemed like a never ending shore. A few people went by, getting ready to leave as the sun disappeared into the horizon.
Tyson leaned his head on her shoulder. She froze not knowing if she should wrap her arms around him, stay unmoving, or say something. In the end, she stayed unmoving, watching seagulls dive for scraps of food that remained from people.
Long minutes piled over the other. None of them made a move, taking in the other's presence. Finally, Aura had enough and broke the silence.
"Tyson, I'm so sorry for everything," she said. "I'm sorry about Mrs. Smith. I'm sorry you had to live through that. I wish I could've been there for you."
When he didn't say anything, she kept talking.
"I'm also very sorry about lying and what I said at your house. I didn't mean to insult you that way. It was uncalled for and stupid. I also should've told you what happened between me and Zachary from the beginning. It was a dick move, and I'm sorry."
"I... I spoke with Zachary."
Aura frowned, and turned her body towards him.
"He told me that you guys did kiss a lot, which was hard to hear, but he confessed that he was the one forcing it. He hadn't noticed he was being so pushy until you completely called him out in front of everyone, or so he said."
Aura shook her head. So now Zachary wanted to appear like the bigger person after spreading big lies on the internet.
She would forever be confused about his intentions.
"I'm sorry I overreacted."
"You didn't overreact, Tyson." She leaned her head on top of his, closing her eyes and basking in his presence. "I... I have news though. I'm leaving tomorrow. Summer is over and I need to head back home. I also got a job offer as a makeup artist for a new fantasy movie. They start filming next week, which is another reason why I need to leave."
Tyson wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her closer to his body. He buried his face into her neck, crying.
"Please don't leave," he begged.
His words burned a hole into her heart. She wrapped his arms around him, rubbing circles on his back with her hands.
"I have to," she whispered. "I have obligations over there. My entire life is there. I need to go back."
He said nothing as tears soaked her sleeve.
"Maybe... I don't know. Maybe one day you can pack up your bags and find a good architecture program in California."
Her suggestion hung in the air. He didn't make a point to respond to it, so she stayed there rubbing his back. He hugged her close, squeezing her hard. She didn't mind. She finally had him there, even if they only had a few hours before she left.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
