âSure!â Sariah readily agreed.
Kalelâs smile widened. âYouâre way better than Molly. Sheâs got no sense of loyalty.â
Not far away, Molly was working on a banner with Lucas when she overheard everything. She glared at the two. âDonât believe a word he says, Sariah. Heâll just con you into oblivion!â
âWhat do you mean?â Sariah looked genuinely unsuspicious. âHeâs the best!â
Kalel slung an arm around Sariahâs shoulder triumphantly. Molly shook her head in exasperation and resumed helping Lucas.
Later that evening, after the kids had worn themselves out, Molly was passed out on the couch with the younger ones curled up around her. Noticing Mollyâs flushed cheeks from sneaking a couple of fruit wines earlier, Lucas quietly covered her and the kids with a blanket.
Aurora stood by the railing, sipping a light drink. She wasnât drunk, but her gaze was distant, lost in thought as she stared into the quiet night.
âSomething on your mind?â Lucas walked over and joined her.
Aurora sighed, staring down at her drink. âItâs Rickey. He used to message me every day, but now itâs been days, and I havenât heard a word. Iâm starting to worry.â
Lucas pursed his lips, thinking for a moment. He didnât know Rickey well, but he had seen enough to recognize the signs. âAurora, donât you realize that Rickey likes you?â
âDonât be ridiculous.â Aurora laughed, raising her bottle of wine with a weak smile. The idea seemed downright absurd to her.
Rickey was always pointing out her flaws, calling her clueless, while everyone else showered her with praise. How could someone so critical of her possibly like her?
Lucas, however, gave her a steady look. âThink about it. Didnât he start pulling away when you and Dunn got closer?â
Lucasâ words struck a chord with Aurora, even though she refused to acknowledge it. The thought had been lingering in her mind for a while, but she simply couldnât accept the idea of a friendship turning into something more.
Her smile faltered as she gripped the bottle tighter. âItâs not like that. Rickey doesnât even know about the things between me and Dunn.â
Lucas shot her a sideways glance, his expression neutral. âAlright, maybe Iâm overthinking. But if you are seeing Dunn, you should probably start keeping some distance from Rickey.â
âYeah, I know.â
On the sofa, Molly stirred as a light breeze swept through the room. She rubbed her eyes and let out a soft whimper, her small voice breaking the tension.
âIâll go check on Molly,â Lucas said.
After he left, Aurora found herself feeling even more restless. She picked up her phoneâstill no reply from Rickey. Her frustration bubbled to the surface. How hard could it be to just respond?
Why couldnât he explain what was going on?
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