Page 127 of Stuck with my Mechanic Daddies

The auto shop wasn’t too far—just a short walk through the quiet streets of Medford—but my legs felt heavy, my body drained from everything.

Still, I kept moving. Because I was done hiding.

The shop came into view, and my steps slowed.

Even in the dim evening light, I could see there was damage. Not lots, but enough to know that something had happened.

Something bad.

My stomach twisted.

I hadn't seen them since everything happened. Since Hank, since I lost my job, since I found out about the baby.

I had been avoiding them, locking myself away in my own head, drowning under the weight of everything. But I couldn’t keep doing this alone.

I stepped inside to find Ethan, Owen, and Mason gathered around a workbench, low voices rumbling in tense conversation.

They all looked up when I entered, their expressions shifting from frustration to something softer.

“Aurora.”

Owen was the first to move, stepping toward me with a cautious sort of urgency, like he wasn’t sure if I was okay.

I wasn’t sure either.

I let out a breath. “I needed to see you guys.”

Ethan crossed his arms, eyes scanning my face. “What happened?”

I swallowed. “I talked to Thomas.”

That got their full attention.

I shifted, feeling the weight of their stares. “There’s enough evidence to fight Hank in court. He doesn’t have a real claim to Page Turners.”

A beat of silence.

Then Mason let out a sharp breath, running a hand through his hair. “Holy shit.”

Ethan exhaled through his nose, his jaw tight. “So we have a way to stop him.”

I nodded. “It’s not over yet, but it’s something.”

Owen studied me for a long moment, like he could see past the words, past the thin layer of control I was clinging to.

He took another step closer. “And what about you?”

The question hit somewhere deep. I opened my mouth, then shut it again.

What about me?

I had spent so much time fighting, clawing for control, grasping at anything that would keep me from completely unraveling.

But right now, standing here in the shop with them, my hands cold, my body exhausted, I didn’t have the strength to pretend anymore.

My throat tightened. I looked away, focused on a patch of grease-stained concrete beneath my feet.

“I lost my job.”

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