Recapturing Fate

Chapter 11

Within thirty minutes, Renee had dressed Aurora in a fashionable yet comfortable way. They went down the stairs with fluttering smiles and looked for Maria throughout the house. They walked into the living room and Maria was watching her soaps yet again. Renee watched as Maria bawled on the couch loudly. Aurora rolled her eyes at her mother and Renee grinned wide.

“Is that what I look like while I watch those shows?” Renee whispered.

Aurora turned to her with a knowing look. “No dearest. You look way more pathetic than that.” Aurora said with a big smile. She frowned and shoved Aurora lightly. As Aurora laughed uncontrollably, Renee walked and flopped onto the couch. Maria looked up at Renee with a smile and started crying again. Maria curled up against Renee and she patted her gently to calm her. She turned to Aurora who tried her best to stifle her laugh but ended up cracking only seconds later. After the cheesy episode Aurora and Renee left Maria to her agenda. They left the house with even bigger smiles and a mission.

They got into Aurora’s car and Aurora pulled out her phone. She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear.

“Hey, Ant it's Aur can you bring the group to the diner? In about thirty? Yeah, even Tristan if you want. I’m alright with him now. Long story but I want to introduce you guys to my best friend. Don’t worry no one could replace you stud. Oh, you’re good. See ya when I see ya.” Aurora said with pauses between each reply from Anthony. Renee turned to her with a questioning look.

“I don’t think I can trust you anymore. You’re going to let me meet all of them at once? I feel more nervous than when we went to class.” Renee said shakily.

Aurora rolled her eyes. “Don’t be, they’re not that bad. You’re going to love them.” She scoffed. Aurora turned on her car and they backed out of the driveway.

“Who’s Ant? Is he one of the guys in the picture?” Renee asked. Aurora thought back to the picture.

“Yeah, he was the dark-haired big brown eyes. Besides Max, those boys are taken by some other girl in my group. So luckily you chose my single boy.” Aurora said with a big smirk.

“Your boy? Are you his mother or something?” Renee laughed happily.

“No I can’t be his mom, but he’s like a brother to me though so if you break his fragile big boy heart I might burn your Prada purse at home.” Aurora threatened happily.

Renee feigned mock horror and replied, “I haven’t even met the guy yet. What makes you think we’re going to get together?”

Aurora gave her a significant look. “Please, you’ll have him eat out of the palm of your hand within seconds of knowing you.” She replied with a snort.

Renee smiled deviously and replied, “Not seconds, give it two minutes.”

As they drove off to the diner Aurora felt her heartbeat somewhat furiously. She was going to see Tristan yet again. She had already seen him twice while she was here but she still felt overly self-conscious.

“Hey Aur, are you okay? You look like you’re about to tear the wheel off.” Renee said eyeing her friend’s knuckles turning white.

“Yeah, why? Do I look like I’m stressed?” She asked while her eyes started tearing up.

“Sweetie, your knuckles are turning white from gripping onto that wheel. You look like you’re going to strangle it. Of course, you look stressed.” She replied sensitively.

Aurora pouted and pulled up into the diner’s parking lot. She turned off her car and looked over at her friend. “I’m nervous about Tristan even if I’ve seen him twice already. I never feel this way about other guys it’s only him and yet I can’t let go of the past. He doesn’t love me.” She admitted.

Renee turned to her friend and watched as she looked around distressed. “Do you think you still possibly love him? I know it may seem bizarre to you since you don’t want to fall in love again and go through any of this again but think about it. You can’t stop thinking about him, and you get nervous at the thought of seeing him, it looks as if you are confessing to murder right now from the look on your face and I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of all those little possibilities of him not breaking your heart in the first place. Am I right?” She said while Aurora furrowed her brows in thought.

“I don’t know. That’s slightly how I feel but it’s not love. It’s like a teenage crush that repeats itself. I’ve felt this way about him before and I know after what we’ve been through, it’s not love. If I forgive him for before then I’ll prove to be weak.” She said hesitantly. Renee was surprised. Aurora talked to her about Tristan a lot but she had never acted so vulnerable about the subject. Yup it is love, she can lie to me all she wants, but it is so true, Renee thought smiling to herself.

“Whatever you wish to believe deary,” Renee said while patting Aurora’s knee softly. Aurora smiled watery at her and nodded slowly. They both stepped out of the car and Aurora felt all tension wash away.

From inside the diner, Tristan watched as Aurora and a girl sat in Aurora’s car and talked. He watched closely as Aurora gripped onto the wheel and cried a bit. He felt his heart tighten and crush at the sight of her crying. She never cried around anyone even though she was going through the toughest things. That girl she was with must’ve been able to get into her heart. He watched them and suddenly felt someone tap him. He turned to see one of his closest friends, Jen tower over him.

“Hey stranger, what’s going on?” she said with a signature Jen smile.

He smiled back up at her and patted the seat next to him. She sat down with an even bigger smile and stared out the window. “Same old stuff. How about you?” he said while hugging her gently.

She punched him in the gut and still smiled innocently. “Oh I’m alright but keep your hands off. You’re looking at your ex’s old friend here. Even if you’re practically my brother, that fragile heart you broke is coming into this diner. Speaking of that particular lovely lady, who’s the one next to her?” Jen said pointing to Aurora in her car.

Tristan looked back to the car and shrugged. “I think that’s her best friend from Miami.” Jen looked out the window as Aurora waved her hands around explaining something. She noticed Aurora had been crying a bit and Jen herself became shocked. Aurora never cried through all of it.

“Aurora never cries. I wonder what happened now.” Jen said worried.

Tristan turned his attention to the almost vacant diner. It was his whole group without Aurora so far. The rest of them were playing pool next to their corner booth and laughing happily. Jack and Tina had their arms wrapped around each other and so did Anthony and Roxy. Tristan watched as Max rolled his eyes at them and Alexa talked on her phone to her boyfriend. He knew Max was waiting for that one girl to draw his attention. Tristan himself had witnessed girls by the tons throw themselves at Max. The guy didn’t want any of them. It would only take a little more time before he would find that girl.

“So Jen, do you have a boyfriend you aren’t telling me about?” Tristan said with a smirk. Jen looked up at him and shrugged.

“My ex-boyfriend Steven dumped me last week in a text. He didn’t want to be in a serious relationship so I’m left to think, what's wrong with me? I’m getting really sad about it you know.” Jen said, forcing some happiness into her words.

Tristan looked over at the girl next to him. “Nothing is wrong with you. It’s what’s wrong with them that you should look at. Never think it’s you. Guys are shallow sometimes. Not Max, Anthony, Jack, or me though, we’re the only good boys in your life.” He said with a wink.

Jen smiled wide and punched Tristan in the arm. “No, I’m pretty sure out of all the boys in the world you guys are at the bottom of the list for being good boys. I remember when Paul Johnson went out with Roxy and he broke up with her in the middle of class. The next day you four boys went out to find him. You made Roxy happy. Paul was such an a*s anyway. Luckily she got Ant now.” Jen pouted and leaned against Tristan.

He thought back on that event and remembered how sad Roxy was. When Jack suggested teaching the sucker a lesson, they all wanted in. They hadn’t hurt him that bad only one or ten bruises and a cut lip. Yeah…no different.