Chapter 28
Caleb’s ROV
I hesitate only for a second before stepping forward and pulling her into a hug. It’s not the kind of brief, half–hearted embrace people give when they don’t know where they stand with each other. It’s warm, solid, and grounding–an unspoken reassurance that whatever happened between us tonight, it didn’t break us. She doesn’t pull away immediately, and I take in the way she exhales, the tension in her shoulders loosening ever so slightly. Maybe, just maybe, she needed this too.
When I finally let go, she takes a step back, and just like that, the moment passes. Without another word, she turns and disappears into the trees, the darkness swallowing her whole. I watch her go, standing there for a second longer than I should, as if expecting her to turn around, to say something else, to give me some reason to follow. But she doesn’t.
With a final glance toward the woods, I sigh and turn back to my car. As I walk back to my car, my steps slow, almost coming to a halt when I see Aurora step out of the restaurant, her small frame illuminated by the soft glow of the streetlights. She’s not alone. A little boy, no older than five or six, clings to her hand, his tiny fingers wrapped around hers with an innocence that tugs at something deep inside me.
For a moment, I just watched, my mind racing back to the rumors I’d overheard–whispers of how her mother had died bringing him into the world, how she had taken on the role of both sister and mother, sacrificing everything for him. But I hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t expected him to be so small, so fragile- looking, and I definitely hadn’t expected the way my chest tightens at the sight of them together.
Aura kneels in front of him, adjusting his coat, her fingers brushing his cheeks with a gentleness that makes my throat go dry. “Are you warm enough, Riley?” Her voice is soft, careful, like she’s afraid the world might steal him away if she isn’t.
The boy–Riley–nods, but I notice the way he shifts on his feet, the way his tiny hands rub against his arms as if trying to generate warmth. It’s cold tonight, colder than it should be, and yet he doesn’t complain. He just looks up at his sister with unwavering trust, as if she’s the only thing keeping him safe in this world.
Something in me stirs, something I don’t understand, and before I even realize what I’m doing, my feet move on their own. I follow them, keeping a safe distance, telling myself it’s just curiosity. That’s all. I just… want to know where they’re going.
Aura doesn’t notice me. She’s too focused on Riley, keeping him close as they walk down the dimly lit sidewalk. It doesn’t take long for me to realize they’re not heading toward the nicer part of town. Instead, they weave through the quieter streets, where the houses are older, the paint peeling, and the streetlights flicker like they’re struggling to stay alive. My brows furrow. I knew she wasn’t well off, but this… this is different.
Riley stumbles on a crack in the pavement, and Aura instantly pulls him into her arms, hoisting him up with ease despite her small frame. “I told you to be careful, silly,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
He giggles sleepily, wrapping his arms around her neck. “You always say that.”
“And you never listen,” she teases, though I don’t miss the exhaustion in her voice, the way she exhales deeply before continuing forward.
My fingers curl into fists. I don’t know why I’m still here, why I’m trailing after them like some kind of ghost. Maybe it’s the way she carries herself–so strong, so unwavering, despite the weight she’s bearing. Maybe it’s the way Riley looks at her like she’s his entire world. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the way something about all of this feels… unfair.
I don’t even realize how far we’ve walked until they stop in front of a tiny, rundown building, the porch light barely flickering to life as Aura digs through her bag for the keys. The door creaks when she opens it, and she steps inside, Riley already half–asleep against her shoulder.
I should leave. I should turn around, get in my car, and drive away. But I don’t.
I stand there, staring at the dim light filtering through the window, my mind spinning with a thousand thoughts I can’t quite grasp. And for the first time in a long time, I feel something I can’t name. Something foreign. Something dangerous.
I want to know more.
