Forbidden Fling

chapter 20

📖 Forbidden Fling: Chapter 20 (Expanded)

Aurora’s discharge papers felt like a false promise of freedom.

She walked out of the hospital with a small paper bag of pain medication, a change of clothes Gloria had dropped off, and a dull ache that settled in her bones.

The world outside felt too bright, too loud, too sharp.

She flinched at car horns, at people brushing past her, at the smell of the city pressing against her skin.

---

Ben’s car was waiting at the curb, a small oasis in the chaos.

He stepped out, opening the passenger door for her, his gentle eyes watching her as she lowered herself carefully into the seat.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

Aurora managed a nod, clutching the strap of her bag like it was the only thing holding her together.

---

They didn’t speak much on the drive to Gloria’s apartment, where Aurora would be staying for a while.

Gloria had offered her the spare room, insisting it was no trouble, that Aurora needed a place where she could heal.

Ben carried her bag upstairs, hovering as she sank onto the edge of the small bed, staring at the floral quilt that smelled like lavender.

“You need anything, just call me,” Ben said, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.

Aurora nodded, looking up at him with tired eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He hesitated, his thumb brushing against her collarbone, a soft, grounding touch. “You’re safe now, Aurora. Remember that.”

---

When he left, the silence of the small room wrapped around her, heavy and suffocating.

Aurora pulled her knees to her chest, pressing her forehead against them as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Safe.

But was she?

---

That night, Aurora woke to the vibration of her phone on the nightstand.

Groggy, she reached for it, the glow of the screen harsh in the darkness.

Her breath caught.

> Marcus: You don’t have to be alone. Let me take care of you.

Her fingers hovered over the screen, her chest tightening, memories flooding back:

His hands on her hips, the way he whispered her name, the way he made her feel wanted, desired, alive.

But also the way his eyes burned when she tried to leave, the way he called her mine.

She locked the screen, tossing the phone back onto the nightstand as she buried herself beneath the quilt.

---

The days passed slowly.

Gloria made tea in the mornings, humming softly as she puttered around the kitchen, pretending not to notice the way Aurora flinched when she accidentally dropped a spoon.

Aurora tried to help around the apartment, folding laundry, washing dishes, sweeping the floor.

Anything to feel useful.

Anything to feel normal.

---

At night, she would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, the darkness pressing in around her.

She would close her eyes, but instead of sleep, memories would come:

Marcus’s hands.

Liam’s voice.

The club lights flashing.

The feel of dollar bills against her skin.

She pressed her hands to her face, trying to block it out, her body shaking as she struggled to remember who she was.

---

On the third night, a knock came at the door.

Aurora’s heart leapt into her throat, her body going rigid.

Gloria opened the door, her voice soft. “Aurora, it’s for you.”

Aurora stood slowly, her legs weak, moving toward the door.

Ben stood there, holding two cups of coffee, his smile soft and warm.

“I thought you might want some fresh air,” he said.

---

They walked to a small park nearby, sitting on a bench as the sun dipped below the skyline, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange.

Aurora wrapped her hands around the warm cup, letting the steam rise to her face.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“So are you,” Ben said, his voice gentle.

She looked at him, tears filling her eyes. “I don’t feel beautiful.”

“You don’t have to feel it to be it,” he replied.

---

They sat in silence, the quiet stretching between them, comfortable and safe.

“Ben,” she said softly, her voice trembling, “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

Ben turned toward her, his eyes steady. “Then we’ll figure it out together.”

---

As they walked back, Aurora felt lighter for the first time in what felt like forever.

---

That night, as she changed into her pajamas, she caught her reflection in the mirror.

The bruises were fading, but she could still see them, shadows of what had happened.

She traced them with her fingers, breathing deeply.

“I am Aurora,” she whispered to her reflection. “I am not his.”

---

Her phone buzzed again.

Marcus.

> I miss you. Let me see you.

Aurora’s fingers hovered over the keyboard.

> Not yet.

She hit send before she could change her mind, turning off the phone and placing it in the drawer.

---

As she crawled into bed, pulling the quilt around her, she felt the weight on her chest loosen, just a little.

She wasn’t healed.

She wasn’t whole.

But for the first time, Aurora felt like she was finally hers.

And that was enough.