𝟐𝟓

♕

𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑠' 𝑝𝑜𝑣

The atmosphere in the room stilled; Aurora, Ava, Ariella, and I all watched with shocked faces and agape mouths after the door slammed forward. Daniel had shut it in whoever's face that stood outside after his outburst, an angered look on his chiseled face as he now walked back to us all with clenched fists.

It was clear from the indent in his cheeks and his ragged breaths that the unknown guest wasn't welcomed.

"Aurora—"

Daniel couldn't get another word in before the front door unlocked and in walked three people; their auras very obviously bringing a sudden darkness into the once lively room.

The all too familiar one, Evelyn, stood between the taller ones. Her silky hair was pinned up in a slicked back bun. Her slim, yet curvy figure was adorned in a dark grey long sleeve and matching dress pants. The heeled boots on her feet added a few inches to her height, but she still was no taller than the two bodies beside her.

The other two.

I had no idea who they were but it wasn't hard to guess who.

Both a man and woman, no older than sixty, stood tall alongside Aurora's infamous ex-wife. They were dressed to the nines, and I wouldn't have expected anything less, honestly. The woman's body was snug against the sultry cloth of her black dress. The stockings on her legs were dark and went all the way down to meet the heel of her four inch Louis Vuitton heels. Her stance was full of authority if her striking eyes, covered in voluminous lashes, weren't direct enough.

The man's hair might've shown signs of aging, but he and the woman beside him were straight copies of faces I knew too well.

Aurora and Daniel never quite frightened me this way though.

"This was my mother's house let's not forget that." the older blonde woman spoke, her cold eyes narrowed at Daniel.

He almost looked like he wanted to pounce after the humiliating statement. However, he only managed to let out a long sigh as Ava cuddled her comforting body against his own.

If it wasn't clear before, it was damn near evident that the older man and woman were Mr. and Mrs. Romane.

Upon my realization, I attempted to hide my resentment with the male whose face was covered in an egotistical smirk. I hated that he actually didn't look as terrible as his inner personality, but what would I have expected from Aurora and Daniel's genetics?

His ambience was as dark as any other being in the room. The professional suit on his body paired with the gold, lavish accessories made him look more presentable than what I had pictured. The smirk on his face was permanent and it made me sick to see. How could someone truly be so goddamn cruel?

Aurora's hand had found its way into mine and Ariella's face was stuffed into my neck. I suppose they needed the same amount of support as Daniel.

"What do you want? I already declined your offer for lunch." Aurora meekly spoke.

There was an attempt to speak up with confidence but it was undoubtedly dimmed due to the lack of warning about the three, very unwanted, very hated, presences that stood ahead of us.

I flinched the moment their loud laughs rang throughout the room. And by they, I mean Mrs. and Mr. Romane. They laughed as if the world's funniest joke had been uttered. It was odd. No one else in the room dared to intake a single breath as we watched their pearly whites appear and their hard eyes squeeze shut.

The large laughs were so condescending.

Surprisingly, Evelyn hadn't seemed to be in her usual cackling and arrogant mood. From the moment that she walked into the door she had seemed to radiate a sense of unsureness. And that was something I'd ever imagined from her. Ever since we met, though they were terrible circumstances, she's always seemed confident within herself, even if it stunk of absolute garbage. Today, as she stood with a straight back in between Mr. and Mrs. Romane, she looked almost regretful. . . but that could've simply been a misunderstanding.

She was too much of a bitch to have either empathy or sympathy. It just didn't quite suit her character.

Mr. Romane attempted to clear his throat, his glare returning within a blinking second, "You really thought my invitation was a request, dear?" and he tsked with a grin before stating, "It was a demand."

It wasn't difficult to notice the grip on my hand grow tighter. It hurt like hell to endure the pain of Aurora's attempt at composing herself, but I couldn't help but think of every detail that she shared with me about her wrecked past.

So I let her ground herself.

"Who are you to decide—"

A harsh slap echoed across the thin walls of the home.

It left us all stunned.

Even Mrs. Romane.

The sound of the slap was loud enough to scare Ariella, who had secured her arms around my neck as she sung to herself in an attempt at drowning out the current situation. I was sure to wrap my free hand tightly around her body, rubbing small circles on her back.

The ebullient morning that we had was now just a distant memory in our minds.

That's how crushing such events were.

"Watch your mouth, boy." Mr. Romane snarled, glaring at Daniel who now was holding his right hand to his cheek.

Daniel only chuckled at his father, rubbing the pain away from his face. Ava now had a certain look in her eyes that I'd never seen. She looked as if she was the one who now wanted to pounce. Daniel didn't fully allow the hit to soothe before he took a step toward his parents, his wife securely by his side.

Daniel made a move to take another step towards Mr. Romane the moment the older man's lip curled up at the sight of Daniel's wife. This time he moved with the intent to strike back.

That was until my girlfriend spoke up from beside me.

"Can you just fucking stop?"

All eyes flickered to Aurora. Her eyebrows were furrowed and a frown was prominent on her soft lips. After everything that has been happening, I would've expected this to be her last straw, for her to just completely lose it on us all. It would've been greatly understood; from the appearance of Evelyn, the death of her grandmother, and now the unwelcome entrance of her parents, the same parents who had physically and emotionally abused her. Never would I have imagined her standing up to said parents, specifically her dad, after the things she has told me.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Romane spoke up. She had went still after the hit to Daniel, so why was she all of a sudden involved again?

Her personality was confusing to me. She was described as a doormat, and I see the signs; the reaction to her husband's hit that she didn't attempt to prevent, her constant shifting eyes that lacked consideration but seemed to hit the ground every once in a while, and the very obvious distance from her husband.

My eyes raked over her from head to toe, searching for her true self. What had he done to make her just as cold?

Aurora gently squeezed my hand and that brought my attention over to her. Her bright eyes looked at Ariella and I with softness. It made my stomach erupt with warmth. All of what is happening and yet she still finds the time to flash admirable gazes at me.

Her lips parted and a soft sigh followed right after.

"Not in front of them." she demanded.

And for the first time since they walked into the home, both Romane parents acknowledged my presence. Evelyn. . . well her top lip only seemed to curl slightly at the mention of me.

I ignored their judgmental gazes that reeked of anger, instead pulling Aurora's hand closer to my body. I didn't want to leave her, not in a situation like this. I've gotten to be a helping hand as well as a source of tranquility in her moments of chaos. How could I leave when the worst demons of all decided to bear their teeth at us?

"I'm not leaving you alone." I whispered to her stubbornly, my eyes full of desperation.

I prayed and prayed that she would recognize my pleading eyes. It was something so terrible about seeing her that night outside; face masked by hands, the broken tone of her sweet voice, and then the watering of her gentle eyes as she poured her past out to me.

I couldn't ever leave her alone to deal with such pain.

Aurora's heavy eyes twinkled as a comforting smile lit up her face, "She doesn't need to witness any of this, and I can't allow you to get involved with my fucked up family."

"I am your family."

All Aurora could do was part her lips once more before I basically threw myself into her arms, Ariella shielded perfectly in between our bodies. My hair was swept behind my shoulders as my lover attempted to reassure me, her cold fingers adorned in her usual rings slithered across my neck before cradling the back of it. Her forehead touched mine and she sighed deeply while continuing to soothe my mind with the constant action of her hand sliding across my neck.

It was such a gentle moment, one that was too beautiful for our current situation.

"Just let me talk to them with Danny, cara. I promise to tell you it all in full detail." Aurora whispered to me, just me.

"I just hate to see you hurt." I uttered back in a soft breath, using my free hand to cradle the warm skin on her face.

Aurora smiled timidly, "I know baby, I know. All I want is the both of you safe."

It was then that I recognized that this entire ordeal was not something that Ariella should witness. She needed to be away from it all, and I was her only safe space without Aurora around.

I had no choice but to leave.

I sighed for nearly the hundredth time, placing a quick kiss on the lips of my girlfriend before standing with Ariella safely cradled in my arms.

Ava reluctantly let go of Daniel just as I had Aurora. He had no doubt given her the same talk. Neither of us wanted to leave but it was obvious that all of this was more personal, beyond us.

We left the room with concerned yet understood gazes, allowing the dysfunctional family to discuss what was needed of them.

♕

𝑎𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑎'𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑣

"Why the hell are you here with them?"

Immediately after the three girls left the room I couldn't help but allow my surprise to evolve into uncontrollable anger.

Evelyn looked at me with distant eyes. She knew better than any one about what I went through with my parents during high school. I had confided in her and trusted her with everything that I'd said to her. So why was she on their side?

"They called me. . . said that you needed me. They weren't aware that we are no longer together. That's not my fault." she shrugged carelessly, eyes glimmering with only a small hint of vulnerability.

I scoffed, "They called you? I left their house with bruises beyond repair because of my sexuality and you think that I'm to believe that they called you for help? You're a fucking joke."

"Aurora—"

"I called her. I wasn't aware that you two are no longer wives, but after telling her the news she insisted on coming along anyway." my "mother" stated, head held high.

I looked at her with disgust. She was still the same as I remember. A frail woman with no back bone who so badly wanted to please her abusive husband by matching his so called dominance.

She'll forever be pathetic in my mind and there's no changing that. Call me harsh but no mother would watch their daughter— or any of their children— be beaten for who they love, and watch with anything but remorseful eyes.

Evelyn rolled her eyes at my mother's words, "I insisted on coming because I knew how much your nonna meant to you. I wanted to offer comfort."

I nearly laughed.

Such a serious moment. . . and I just about laughed.

There was no way that Evelyn truly still believed that her comfort would be of any use to me after all that she's done.

"Stop questioning our intentions." he demanded.

Younger me would've submitted under the bass of his voice. Younger me would've immediately apologized for whatever it was that I thought that I'd done to upset him. Younger me would've shut her mouth for the following week.

I'm a grown woman now. One with a child and girlfriend who I cherish deeply. There was no way that I was going to let him frighten me anymore. Not when I have a family to protect.

"You can shut the fuck up." I spat at him.

Daniel stood protectively by my side, his hands in front of himself where he was ready to defend me if necessary. It's not that I was incapable of doing it myself. It was more of the fact that he wasn't able to do it the first time, so he had promised himself to never let another soul touch me with the same intent. I'd remained untouched since then.

Something flashed in our parents' eyes. It was as if this was their first time recognizing our growth. We were no longer the same young, helpless children as before. A smile dared to show on my face once I saw the hesitation in their movements.

"I have raised you well." he chuckled lightly, eyes flashing with pride.

"You haven't raised us at all, stronzo." Daniel countered.

Silence followed and after years of pain it seemed like the childhood trauma was slowly unraveling its grasp from around my soul. Maybe it was the fact that I was finally standing up to my abusers. Whatever it was, I couldn't help but release a freeing breath from past my lips.

There was nothing to be scared of anymore.

My mother's eyes showed exhaustion in them for the first time since she's entered the home. She was backing down, something I'm sure she did upon realizing that Danny and I were actually done with their manipulation and abuse this time around.

"I'll see you both at the wake." she mumbled, dragging her eyes away from us and down to the ground before exiting the house, her husband— who looked displeased with the lack of action— following closely beside her.

"Aurora—"

Evelyn was once again cut off, a common occurrence really.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

For once since her return, I started to see the Evelyn that I once knew appear. Her eyes softened and her mouth opened partially as if she had something to say but couldn't gain the motivation to voice it all. Her posture slackened and her hands sat folded infront of her stomach.

Without another word, she too left the room— and the house in total— with nothing but lowered eyes.

Had I known that, that would be the last time we would see each other, I would've jumped in joy.

Instead, all I could think about was my small family that remained underneath the roof of this home.

So I pulled Danny into a hug as we made our way to our girls, smiles slowly appearing on our faces.

♕