Page 100 of Claimed by my Bestie's Dad

She turns in my arms, looking up at me with those big, soulful eyes. Apparently, she’s not worried about paint fumes. Her mind is back on our biggest issue right now. “I’m still scared, Ethan. About Aurora and…being a mom.”

I cup her face gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know you are. But we’ll get through it. One step at a time.”

Madison nods, but I can see the uncertainty still lingering in her eyes. “I just don’t want to have to do it alone. I guess that’s my biggest fear.”

“You don’t have to. I’m right here.”

“But what if Aurora never comes around? What if she demands you have to pick her or this new kid?”

“Then, I’ll tell her I won’t choose, but if she chooses notto accept someone who is part of my family, then she’s the one making the choice to divide us.”

Madison seems to accept my answer, and I wrap my arm around her, moving her outside. The smell of paint is strong, even with the windows open.

“I want you to stop worrying and just trust. We’ve got this, okay?”

Madison nods, her head moving up and down against my shoulder. I guess that’s the best answer I’m going to get from her right now. Madison needs time to accept our new reality.

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep working on Aurora.

48

MADISON

I pullup to Aurora’s house, my stomach in knots. I’ve been here so many times before, but today feels different. I have to talk to her and smooth things over.

But as I sit in the car, staring at the familiar front door, I feel a knot tighten in my chest. How did it come to this? Aurora and I have been best friends forever, and now, it feels like I don’t know her at all.

She probably feels the same way about me. I try to think of the situation reversed, but my parents are still together, and it doesn’t compute in my mind. Either way, I need to come at this with empathy for her even though she isn’t acting as though she has any empathy toward me.

Taking a deep breath, I step out of the car and approach her door. I can feel my heartbeat in my throat. Maybe this will go better than I think. Maybe she’ll listen to me, and we’ll find a way back to where we were before all of this.

I knock.

The wait seems like forever, and I start to wonder if she’ll even answer. But then, the door swings open. Aurora stands there, and it’s difficult to read her face. It’s clear thatshe’s not being open about her feelings. She doesn’t invite me in right away either even though the wind is bone-chilling.

“Madison, what are you doing here?” She doesn’t sound hostile, but she’s definitely not welcoming either.

“Hey, I… I just wanted to talk. Can I come in?”

Aurora steps back, folding her arms across her chest. She thinks about it for a second, then shrugs. I step inside.

Her house is still overwhelmingly decorated with Christmas decorations. It even smells like Christmas with the pine scent in the air.

“Aurora, I came here to talk honestly. We’ve been friends for so long. I hate how things are between us right now. I want you back as my friend.”

Her lips tighten into a thin line, but it’s clear that she’s hurt and trying to hide it. “You hate it? I mean… it doesn’t seem like you cared what I’d think when you started seeing my dad.”

I flinch at her words. What can I even do to fix this?

“It wasn’t like that. Aurora, I never wanted to hurt you. I never planned for this to happen. It just kind of…did.”

She lets out a slow, shaky breath, looking down at the floor before meeting my gaze again. “Planned or not, youdidhurt me, Madison. And it’s not just that you’re with him… It’s that you didn’t tell me. You didn’t think to say anything until it was already serious, until you were pregnant, so it was like youhadto tell me. And then you promised you wouldn’t be with him, and you broke that promise.”

I do feel guilty about breaking that promise, but no one should ever have to even make a promise like that.

“I didn’t know how to tell you. I honestly just thought it was a fling, and it wasn’t until later that feelings developed and…it was more than just a fling.”

Aurora shakes her head. She turns away from me, but it’s clear from her voice that she’s holding back tears. “You didn’t mean to, but you still did. You didn’t tell me because you were scared of how I’d react, but all that did was make it worse. It made me feel like you didn’t trust me.”

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