Chapter 46 THE DENIAL
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ADELINE
The tension in the room was so thick it felt like it could snap at any second. I frozen, my palms clammy as I stared at Aaron, who loomed in the doorway.
His sharp green eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched, and his sheer presence was enough to make my throat dry. Aurora beside me, looking pale and stiff as a statue, her smile long gone.
The air was charged with unease, and the silence was deafening until Aaron’s deep voice broke it.
“Who did you kiss, Aurora?” His words were cold and precise, his tone leaving no room for excuses.
My heart literally came to my throat as I got goosebumps knowing we were in trouble and there was no way out unless a good lie could help us out of this mess.
Aurora’s lips parted, but no sound came out. Her usual quick wit failed her as her face went white. I glanced at my best friend nervously, silently pleading with her to say something, anything, before this spiraled further out of control. But Aurora stayed frozen, like a deer caught in headlights.
My heart pounded as Aaron’s gaze shifted between us, growing darker with every passing second. Then, his voice rose, booming through the room.
“Aurora! Who did you kiss?”
Aurora flinched at the volume, her hands clutching her shirt tightly. I jumped in my place and sat up slowly.
“I—uh—” she stammered, but before she could find the words, Aaron turned toward the door and yelled,
“Kiara! Rose! Braxton! Get in here. Now!”
My stomach sank, and my pulse quickened. This was not supposed to happen. Whenever something happened and the others were called, it was something Aaron would handle itself and there would be no other person to save us.
Aurora’s eyes widened in panic, darting toward me. We exchanged a desperate, silent look—both knowing this was about to escalate.
The door creaked open, and Braxton walked in with Kiara and Rose trailing behind him. Braxton’s usual smirk was absent, replaced by a look of concern as he took in the tension.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his voice calm but wary.
Aaron didn’t look away from Aurora, his glare burning holes through her.
“Ask her. I want to know who she kissed.”
Everyone froze, stunned by Aaron’s blunt statement. Kiara and Rose exchanged wide-eyed glances, while Braxton raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but also aware of the storm brewing in the room.
Aurora literally trembled, and her face turned redder than a ripe tomato. I knew my best friend was seconds away from crumbling. Panic flooded my chest, but I forced herself to think quickly.
I could not let aurora get in trouble when she had always helped me in everything and saved me from everyone.
I took a shaky breath, then parted my lips, my voice trembling but steady enough to cut through the tension.
“She didn’t kiss anyone.”
Aaron’s eyes snapped to me, sharp and skeptical. “What?”
“She didn’t kiss anyone,” I repeated, forcing herself to hold his intense gaze. My throat ached badly and my voice was so low that it seemed hard for them to hear what I was saying.
“She was telling me about her dream. That’s all.”
Aurora’s shoulders sagged ever so slightly, and I could feel her relief radiating behind me. But Aaron wasn’t convinced.
“A dream?” Aaron’s tone was biting, his brow furrowed as he folded his arms across his chest.
“You’re telling me she was sitting here, talking about kissing someone in a dream?”
I nodded, ignoring the lump forming in my throat. “Yes. That’s exactly what happened. She was just teasing me with some silly dream she had.”
Aurora, finally finding her voice, chimed in weakly,
“Yeah. A dream. That’s all.”
Aaron’s jaw tightened, his skepticism unrelenting.
“I don’t believe you.” His glare returned to Aurora, sharper than ever.
“Why would you be nervous about a dream? Huh? Tell me that.”
Aurora’s mouth opened and closed, no sound coming out. I could feel her unraveling beside me, and I knew I had to take control of the situation before Aaron’s anger boiled over.
“She’s nervous because you’re yelling at her,” I interjected, trying to sound firm despite my pounding heart.
“You’re acting like she committed some crime, but it was just a dream. She didn’t kiss anyone, Aaron. ”
Aaron’s eyes narrowed, flicking between the two of us. For a moment, the room was so silent that the sound of everyone’s breathing was audible.
Braxton, who had been watching the exchange closely, finally stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding.
“Aaron, maybe you should ease up. If it was just a dream, there’s no reason to get worked up about it.”
Aaron turned his glare to Braxton, but Braxton held his ground. “You’re going to scare the hell out of her if you keep this up,” Braxton added.
“Just let it go.”
Aaron exhaled sharply, his fists clenching at his sides. “Fine,” he muttered, though his tone was anything but forgiving.
“But I swear, if I find out she’s lying…” His voice trailed off, leaving the threat hanging in the air.
Aurora nodded quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not lying. I swear.”
Aaron gave her one last piercing look before turning on his heel and storming out of the room. Kiara and Rose exchanged uneasy glances before following him, leaving Braxton behind.
Braxton looked at Aurora and me, his expression softer than before. “You two okay?”
Aurora nodded, though she still looked pale. “Yeah. Thanks.”
Braxton gave a small nod, then left the room, closing the door behind him.
As soon as we were alone, Aurora sank onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. “I thought I was dead,” she mumbled, her voice muffled.
I let out a shaky breath. “Well, you almost were. ”
Aurora peeked at her through her fingers, a small, grateful smile forming on her lips.
“You did. You’re a lifesaver, Addie.”
I sighed, leaning back against the bedpost. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t dig any deeper.”
Aurora groaned, flopping back onto the bed.
“I’m never mentioning dreams—or kisses—ever again.”
I chuckled softly and relaxed only for the door to open once again and we both sat up straight , eyes fixated on the person who had walked in and my heart literally dropped.
“ good job lying, sweethearts “