Forbidden Fling

chapter 17

📖 Forbidden Fling: Chapter 17

Aurora tied her apron around her waist, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon buns filling the tiny café. It was a quiet place on the corner of a busy street, the kind of place with mismatched chairs and chipped mugs that made her feel oddly at home.

It wasn’t much, but it was hers for now.

---

She had started working there a week ago, under a fake name—Anna—just in case.

Every morning she wiped down the counters, took orders, and tried to remember how to smile without it feeling like it might crack her face open.

The other staff didn’t ask questions. The owner, a kind older woman named Gloria, simply gave her cash at the end of each day and told her to get some rest.

Aurora was grateful for the simplicity.

---

But even here, she couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on her.

She would catch glimpses of shadows across the street, a figure leaning against a lamppost, a car parked too long with tinted windows.

And every time the door opened, her breath would catch, her heart leaping into her throat until she saw it was just a customer.

Not Liam.

Not Marcus.

---

One afternoon, while wiping down a table near the window, she felt it.

That familiar shift in the air, the tension wrapping around her like a noose.

She looked up.

Marcus stood outside the café, leaning against the glass, his eyes locked on her, dark and unreadable.

He didn’t come in.

He just stood there, watching her, his jaw tight, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black coat.

She turned away, focusing on the crumbs on the table, her hands trembling as she swept them into her palm.

When she looked up again, he was gone.

But she knew he would be back.

---

That night, she walked home, her coat pulled tight around her, the cold wind stinging her face. She kept to the well-lit streets, her eyes scanning the shadows, her ears straining for footsteps.

When she reached her small motel room, she checked under the bed, in the closet, behind the shower curtain.

She double-checked the lock.

Only then did she allow herself to breathe.

---

She sat on the edge of the bed, pulling out her phone, turning it on for the first time in days.

Missed calls.

Messages.

> Ben: Thinking about you. Hope you’re okay.

> Ben: I found a place outside the city if you want to get away for a while.

> Ben: I’m here when you’re ready.

Aurora’s chest tightened, tears welling in her eyes.

She typed a reply before she could stop herself.

> I don’t know if I can do this alone anymore.

His reply came almost instantly.

> Ben: You don’t have to. Let me help you, Aurora. Please.

---

She stared at the message, her thumb hovering over the keyboard.

A knock on the door made her jump, the phone slipping from her hands and clattering to the floor.

She froze, her breath caught, her eyes locked on the door.

“Anna?”

Her shoulders sagged with relief at the voice.

Gloria.

Aurora opened the door a crack, peering out.

Gloria stood there, holding a small bag of food. “You left this at the café,” she said softly.

Aurora opened the door wider, accepting the bag. “Thank you.”

Gloria’s eyes were kind but sad as she took in Aurora’s pale face and tired eyes. “You’re running from something, aren’t you, dear?”

Aurora swallowed, her throat tight. “I’m trying to start over.”

Gloria nodded, squeezing her hand gently. “Be careful. Whatever you’re running from, don’t let it find you again.”

---

That night, Aurora lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, Gloria’s words echoing in her mind.

Don’t let it find you again.

But she knew it would.

Because Liam wasn’t finished.

Because Marcus wouldn’t let her go.

And because part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to let Marcus go, either.

---

In the darkness, her phone buzzed.

She reached for it, expecting another message from Ben.

But it wasn’t.

It was a message from an unknown number.

> Miss me, baby?

Aurora’s breath froze, the phone slipping from her fingers as she stared at the screen, the world tilting around her.

Liam.

He had found her.

---

She scrambled out of bed, locking the door, pushing the dresser in front of it, her hands shaking violently.

Her phone buzzed again.

> You can’t hide from me forever.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she backed into the corner, sinking to the floor.

No. No. No.

She pulled her knees to her chest, pressing her forehead against them as she tried to silence the rising panic.

She needed help.

She needed to run.

She needed Marcus.

---

Her phone buzzed again.

This time, it was Ben.

> Ben: I’m outside. Let me in, Aurora.

She froze, lifting her head, her breath caught in her throat.

She crawled to the window, peeking out.

Ben was there, standing beside his car, looking up at her window, his face filled with worry.

She pressed her hand against the glass, tears streaming down her face.

Ben looked up, meeting her eyes.

“It’s okay,” he mouthed. “I’ve got you.”

---

But as she turned from the window, she didn’t see the shadow standing across the street.

Watching.

Waiting.

Liam’s eyes glinted in the darkness, a twisted smile on his lips.

You’re mine, Aurora.