Page 177 of Scandalous

While they walk out of the room, I just enjoy the moment alone with Aurora. The last few days didn’t play out the way I thought they would.

“I’m sorry you had to be the one to break it to him.”

“It’s okay.”

“You say that, but it must have been hard.”

“I’d rather it be me than someone else.” I kiss the top of her head again and pull away. “Now come on, let’s go watch whatever horrible movie those two put on.”

“Who said it’s going to be horrible?” she teases.

“Trust me, their taste in movies is atrocious.”

* * *

I feel unsettled. I know Ezra meant well bringing me back here, but I feel like this place is tainted for me. I need to be somewhere else right now.

So instead of staying still, I slide out of bed.

Santi must have carried me here last night.

I look at him long and hard. I need to leave them a note or something. I can’t leave without saying a word, but they won’t let me go.

I just need a minute.

I need Holland.

Sneaking out of his room, I make my way down the hall to the kitchen. I startle when I find Liam.

“What are you doing up?”

He looks up at me, sadness in his eyes.

“I don’t sleep well anyway. Figured my tossing and turning would affect Drake.”

“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

He shakes his head. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

I widen my eyes. “How did you know?”

“I had a feeling. We need you, Rora. Please don’t leave.”

I move to sit on the barstool next to him. Taking his hand in mine, I turn to him.

“I’m not leaving you guys. I need to go home for a bit. You might not understand this, but everything that happened was a gut punch to me. The first person I wanted to call was Holland. She knows my family and understands what this means to me. It’s not that you guys won’t understand. I think you could, but I just need her.”

He nods slowly. “So if I let you leave, you’ll come back?”

He sounds so hopeful. I can’t make promises though.

“I want to come back. I want to be with you guys. I need to get my head on straight. I need to fix the mess with my social media accounts. As much as I love you guys, I need a minute by myself. You guys mean well, but I haven’t felt like I had a chance to process because you are all in fix-it mode. I think a night on the couch with some ice cream with my bestie will make me feel better.”

“Okay. I’ll drive you to the airport, but you have to promise to tell me when you get there. The guys are going to want to pummel me for this, but I will always give you what you need. All you have to do is ask.”

I give him a small smile. “You are one of a kind, Liam.”

“I know. Don’t forget it. Come back to me. To us. I’ll keep the guys away as long as I can.”

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