Page 42 of Tell Me No
Strong arms encircle me, wrapping me in the fortress of his love without a word. His hands trail up and down my back, his touch so calming. I bury my face in his chest, letting every ounce of pain and loss I’ve felt since leaving LSU drain from my soul.
“Let it all go, baby. This place isyours.” He always knows exactly what I need to hear, exactly when I need to hear it.
“Are we interrupting?” The deep timbre of my brother’s voice breaks the silence, and I laugh, swiping at the tears on my face.
“Of course not,” I tell him, even though Jason looks less than convinced.
“This place is amazing!” Kelsea says as everyone files through the front door.
Kelsea, Ember, Willow, Magnolia, and Vanessa all squeeze me in the middle of a giant group hug, and I soak it in. These women are my friends, my family, my tribe. They are a key part of the life I’ve built here, part of the future I’m going to build.
“Well, this place is a bigger mess than my nana’s barn floor, but I can see the potential,” Magnolia states, her sweet southern accent shining through as everyone surveys the place.
“Magnolia Monroe, ladies and gents. Ever the charmer,” Kelsea pipes in, scoffing at her friend.
I’ve met Magnolia a handful of time since I moved here, and it’s always an interesting experience. She looks like the perfect southern princess, as if John Wayne and Scarlett O’Hara had a baby. But on the inside, she’s fiery and blunt. I love that in a person.
“Well, come on. This shit ain’t gonna clean itself,” Vanessa says, shoving a broom into Iris’s chest. He grunts, his eyes never leaving Magnolia’s face.
I’ve seen the way Iris chases women, like he doesn’t have a care in the world about accidental pregnancy or STDs. I hope he understands Magnolia Monroe is not that kind of woman.
“Isn’t this a job for one of you fine ladies?” Iris asks, signing his own death certificate. Six pairs of eyes snap his direction, each of us giving him a look that says‘are you fucking kidding me?’
Instead of any one of us interjecting to rip his balls off, Maggie steps forward. Iris’s face is one of shock and excitement when she places her tiny hand against his chest. I swear I see the man physically shiver under her touch, and she knows the effect she’s having on him. She bats her long eyelashes, looking up at him before parting her ruby red lips. He’s hanging on to every move, every single breath she takes. Little does he know, he’s a fly trapped in her web.
“Dalton, do you know what this mouth can do?” She says softly, bitting her bottom lip and trailing a finger down his chest. The man is frozen, absolutely speechless, as he slowly shakes his head. Kelsea suppresses a snort behind me, and I know this is gonna be so good.
“Honey, it can really hurt your fucking feelings. Now, sweep,” she says, shoving the broom back into Iris’s chest. He coughs, utterly shocked at Magnolia’s blunt attitude.
Kelsea and Vanessa double over laughing behind me, and I have to fight to control my own laughter from breaking free. I have a soft spot for Iris. I know he has a good heart, and I think a woman like Magnolia would be good for him. If only he could settle down long enough to see that. He recovers quickly, his cocky mask dropping smoothly into place.
“For you, Magnolia Monroe, I’ll sweep the ocean until it’s dry,” he says, blowing her a kiss as she breezes past him. She rolls her eyes, but I see the smile she’s trying to hide. Oh yeah, he’s done for when it comes to that woman. He may not know it yet, but he’ll be in the same position Eli, Ev, and Jason are in within the year, I’m sure.
twenty-six
With all hands on deck,we have the studio cleaned before lunch. Now that the floors are swept and mopped, I can see they’re desperately in need of refinishing. This place definitely needs a huge amount of TLC, but I’m willing to put in the work.
“I’m glad you’re doing this, Bug,” Eli says, wrapping his strong arm around my shoulder. I smile up at him, leaning in to his warmth.
“Yeah, me too, big brother. It’s been a rocky road to get here, but I’m grateful to be standing here now. Especially knowing I have the best support system standing behind me.” My brother has always been in my corner, without fail. For most of my life, I never kept a secret from him. I’ll admit, our relationship has been strained since I left LSU.
“You know, you can tell me anything, Aurora. No matter what’s going through your mind right now, I’m supposed to be the one person you can always run to.” He always could read my mind, but I’m less than grateful for it today.
I know the secret I’ve been keeping will destroy him. I know he’ll blame himself, even though there’s nothing he could possibly have done to prevent it or protect me.
But the weight of this secret is heavy and exhausting. I’m so beaten and worn out from dragging it around like a chain encircling my heart. It’s time to put it down.
I loop my arm through his, pulling him out the front door while everyone else chats about their plans for the day. I catch Jason’s eye on the way out the door and I throw him a wink.
The studio is directly across the street from the main square of Grovewood. A quaint park is built around the marble statue of a Civil War era cannon. It really feels like I stepped right off the set of Mystic Falls or some shit every time I walk around this place. Unfortunately, the Salvatore brothers are nowhere to be found. I pull Elijah down on the bench across from the studio and breathe deeply, hoping the extra oxygen will give me the steel spine I need to get through this conversation.
“I guess you’ve noticed I haven’t really been… well, I don’t want to say I haven’t been myself. Because no matter what, this is who I am, Elijah, and I’m so proud of her. She’s strong and resilient, and I love who I am,” I tell him.
“I love who you are too, Aurora. But I don’t understand why dancing hasn’t been a part of that. I watched you from the time you were a baby, bug. I saw you fall in love with dance, saw the way your soul poured out through your arms and legs as you moved across the stage every time you performed. You never loved anything as much as you loved to dance, Aurora.” The way he says it sounds like he’s blaming Jason for my change in priorities. But my mind shifted long before Jason came into it.
“He’s not the reason I-” I try to explain, but he cuts me off.
“No, Ror. I know it’s not Breaker. That passion in you dimmed before you came here. Hell, I feel like it’s the reason you showed up on my doorstep in the first place. And I know I told you I’m always here, no questions asked. But now I have to ask the questions because I don’t want to see this version of you. You smile, but you’re not truly happy. Not the kind of happiness that comes from waking up every day and taking pride in who you are and what you do. I want this place to be a new beginning for you, for the family you’re going to build here. Breaker is a good man, Aurora. But even the happiest marriage on Earth can’t be your entire world. You have to have something that’s just foryou.You have to pour into yourself, baby sister.” My eyes burn with tears as I absorb what he’s telling me. I know he’s right. An all-consuming love is incredible. That kind of love awakens you from the bones and keeps you smiling all your life. But eventually, life and kids and all the other bullshit that comes along with that love takes pieces of you. And if you don’t have anything to fill you back up, you’ll pour from an empty cup until you’re dry as the desert. I don’t want that, and here in this moment, I decide I’m taking my life back.
