A question she couldn't answer
1125 Words
Aurora's pov
My brain completely glitched.
For two seconds, I just stared at Nick, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"You're out of your mind," I finally spat, snapping out of it. "Jack has zero to do with us. You destroyed us all on your own the second you put your hands on another girl."
"Liar," Nick sneered, stepping closer. "I saw the way he looked at you at the party. I know how guys think, Rory. He’s been waiting for a chance to get his d**k inside you."
"Hey! Get the hell away from her!"
Anna came sprinting back around the corner with two cold bottles of water in her arms. She shoved herself between us, glaring at Nick. "Stop embarrassing yourself, Nick. You look pathetic."
"Stay out of this, Anna," Nick growled.
"Is there a problem here?"
Jack’s voice was smooth, but it cut through the hallway like a sharp blade. He stopped right beside me, his broad frame instantly towering over Nick. His blue eyes were icy, his shoulders relaxed like he was ready for a fight.
Nick let out a bitter laugh, pointing a finger at Jack's chest. "Yeah, there's a damn problem. Stop trying to steal my girlfriend, Jordan."
Jack raised an eyebrow, letting out a short, mocking laugh. "First of all, she's not your girlfriend. Second, I don't need to steal something you threw in the trash."
The hallway went dead silent.
Nick's bruised face turned bright red. "You arrogant bastard—"
"Hey! What is going on out here?" Coach Harrison's loud voice echoed from the end of the corridor as he stepped out of his office. He took one look at the three of us and pointed his finger hard. "The next person who raises a voice in my arena is sitting on the bench for a month! Am I clear?"
Nick clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. He looked straight at Jack, his voice dropping into a murmur. "This isn't over."
"Whenever you're ready, buddy," Jack replied flatly.
Nick spun around and slammed his way through the exit doors.
"I swear, if I have to look at his ugly face one more time, I'm going to throw up," Anna groaned from the back seat of Jack's truck on the drive home. "I can't believe I ever thought he was a decent guy."
I stared out the passenger window, watching the trees blur past. "I'm more annoyed at myself for ignoring all the warning signs. I should have seen it coming."
Jack glanced over at me, one hand lightly resting on the steering wheel. "Don't do that to yourself, Rory. Guys who cheat are good at lying. It's not your fault you trusted him."
I looked at his sharp side profile, a tiny smile touching my lips for the first time all morning. "Thanks, Jack."
He gave me a fast smirk before focusing back on the road.
When we pulled into the long driveway of the Jordan estate, Anna's phone suddenly started ringing loudly. She looked at the screen and gasped. "Oh, it's mom! I have to take this inside, the connection out here is terrible."
She opened the truck door, scrambled out, and ran straight up the front steps, leaving Jack and me alone in the driveway.
I stepped down from the truck, turning to face him. "Thanks for the ride. And... thanks for putting Nick in his place back there."
Jack leaned against the side of his truck, crossing his arms over his chest. His sweatpants hugged his low hips, his hockey jersey tight over his chest. His blue eyes searched my face, dropping down to my lips for a split second before rising back up.
"Are you really okay?" he asked softly. "What he said... about me using you?"
"I know what Nick is doing," I said, taking a small step closer to him. The heat radiating off his body was insane. "He just wants to make me feel guilty. You've been nothing but good to me."
"I just don't like seeing anyone mess with you," Jack murmured.
Neither of us spoke for a long moment. The warm breeze brushed past us, pulling a strand of hair across my face. Jack reached out, his warm thumb gently tucking the hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed against the side of my neck, sending a delicious spark straight down my spine.
Standing behind the tinted glass of his second-floor balcony, Damian stood in the shadows.
His dark eyes were narrowed, locked onto Jack's hand resting against my skin. Damian told himself he was just watching the driveway to make sure his daughter and guest arrived home safely. But as he watched Jack lean closer to me, a hot, dark rage flared in his gut, making his chest tighten so hard he could barely breathe.
I didn't notice Damian watching. I stepped back from Jack, offering a shaky smile. "I should... head inside."
Jack swallowed hard, clearing his throat as he pulled his hand back. "Yeah. See you inside, Rory."
I walked through the front doors, trying to calm down my beating heart.
Before I could reach the main stairs, one of the middle-aged housekeepers walked out of the side hallway holding a small black box tied with a red ribbon.
"Miss Aurora?" she called out politely. "This just arrived at the front gate for you a few minutes ago."
I stopped, frowning. "For me? I didn't order anything."
"The courier said it was urgent," she said, handing me the sleek box before walking away.
Anna came bounding down the stairs, having just hung up her phone. "Ooh! What's that? Did Jack already buy you a gift?" she teased, nudging my shoulder.
"No," I said, a strange feeling settling in my stomach. "There's no name on it."
I untied the slick red ribbon and pulled off the top lid.
The breath instantly left my lungs.
Resting on the velvet cushion was a shiny silver charm bracelet. It was the exact bracelet Nick had bought me for our one-year anniversary—the one I had thrown into the bushes outside his apartment the night I caught him cheating.
Lying right underneath the bracelet was a small, folded piece of white paper.
My hands started shaking as I pulled the paper out and unfolded it. The ink was dark, written in rough, jagged handwriting.
"What is it, Rory?" Anna asked, her teasing tone completely vanishing as she saw the color drain straight from my face. "What does it say?"
My throat felt bone-dry. I could barely force the words out of my mouth as I read the single sentence written across the page.
*"If I can't have you... nobody will."*
- Writer
