Chapter 80
What should have been a night of joy turned into a scene of horror. Magnus had a specific target, but his cruelty led him to harm other innocent souls. Tristan remained watchful over Aurora's slumber. The morning was already breaking, and he hadn't slept or changed clothes, except for the jacket stained with her blood that he had removed. His mind was racing as he observed her serene face, realizing that he would need to be stronger than ever.
He watched as she slowly opened her eyes, regaining consciousness. "Tristan..." She was weak, her voice hoarse, and she could barely turn her neck to look at him.
"Shh... don't exert yourself. You've just come out of surgery." He held her hand, cold and sore, but she continued speaking.
"W... where's Adelaide?"
His shoulders tensed. "She was hit. Just like several other innocent people. Magnus wanted to hurt you to get to me, but he lost control." He explained. "It seems he's been trying this for a while. Your motorcycle accident... it was his fault. It was him in the car that night." Tears streamed down her face. "Magnus is in custody now. Besides Adelaide, Griffin was also hit. He underwent surgery to remove the bullet, the doctors said he'll recover quickly. Luna got shot in her left arm, it wasn't serious, and she'll be discharged today. And Harry..." He abruptly stopped, and she sensed that something was wrong.
"What happened to him?"
"He got shot, in the head. The doctors said there was no way to save him."
More tears welled up in the girl's eyes. With a heavy heart, Tristan reached a hand to her cheek and caressed it.
"My sister... where is she?" She longed for Adelaide's embrace more than anything else now.
"She..." He started hesitantly. "The doctors tried to remove the bullet, but it was too close to her heart..."
"No. Please, no..." She pleaded for him not to say what she feared.
"Aurora, I'm so sorry."
Tears flowed without restraint. A night that should have been joyful had now turned into the loss of her friend and her sister.
***
Days later…
Shortly after the funerals of Harry and Adelaide, Aurora watched the scene of Violet hugging the older lady, their faces swollen from crying. Unlike them, she didn't cry, not because she wasn't sad, but because she had shed countless tears and reached a point where she couldn't anymore.
On the other side of the room, Mr. Callahan embraced Griffin, who seemed even more shaken. He was devastated for not having had the chance to build a life with his fiancée.
"Can we get out of here for a moment?" Aurora questioned.
"Of course." Tristan spoke gently, placing his hand on her shoulder and leading her to another empty room. "If you want to go back home..."
"I'm leaving, Tristan."
He froze with the sudden news, hoping he had misunderstood. As if reading his thoughts, she repeated:
"I'm leaving New York. I accepted Luna's offer and I'm moving to London." Her vacant expression startled him.
"You... you can't be serious." He refused to believe it.
"I am. It's all decided."
"No, you're not thinking straight. Come on, let's go home..."
"I can't." She pulled back. "My flight is tonight."
"Tonight?" His voice raised. "What the hell is going on? What the hell are you doing?"
"I don't want to stay here, I want to leave, I need this."
"Your family is here!"
"No! They're not! They're all dead, my parents, my sister, Kai..."
"I'm here!" He shouted. "I can help you..."
"No. You've always helped me, even when I didn't need it, but now only I can do it. I'm lost, and staying here suffocates me. I need some time away from here, away from everything. And it hurts to do this, but... Sometimes, we have to make a decision that will break our heart, but will bring peace to our soul." She took off the ring that sealed their commitment. "It's over, Tristan." She extended the ring to him, which he didn't take, his face serious. She didn't insist and left the ring on a small table in the room. "I'm sorry." She said finally and left the room, head bowed.
The girl returned to the hall, saw Luna by the door, waiting for her. The brunette had spoken the truth at lunch; she would help her with anything. It was Luna who arranged the flight and a good place near the new agency in London for her. And now she was there to take her to the airport.
"Aurora!"
There wasn't time to react; Tristan was already holding her by the arm, right in the middle of the hall. Everyone was looking. He was clearly desperate.
"Please, let's talk. We can work this out..."
"Let her go, Tristan." Luna spoke up and received an angry look from him.
"Stay out of this, Luna."
"How can you be so selfish? Can't you see she's hurting?"
Indeed, she was, and she would cry now if she could.
"Please, Tristan, don't make things harder." Aurora tried to free herself, but he didn't back down. "Why don't you just accept it? Why don't you just let me go?"
"Because I love you." He confessed his feelings for the first time, and the whole world seemed to stop to listen.
The tension in the room grew, even more so when Aurora showed no reaction to the declaration.
"Aurora..." He called her again, his eyes wide, unable to believe that even after his greatest gesture of love, she still intended to leave.
As she turned to leave, something held her in place. Tristan fell to the floor. He knelt in front of her and grabbed onto her legs, preventing her from moving.
"Tristan..." she was bewildered. She could see the pain in his teary eyes. He was... crying?
"Please, don't go..." He pleaded with a choked voice, and she had never heard anything more painful. "I need you... please, don't leave me..."
No one thought it was possible, and even watching everything from the sidelines, they still couldn't believe what they were seeing. Tristan Callahan was at the feet of a girl, his heart shattered.
"Tristan..." She called him, tears in her eyes.
"Brother... let her go." Griffin tried to intervene, but Tristan paid no attention, so the doctor and Xavier pulled him away as he struggled and shouted to be released.
"Let's go." Aurora murmured between sobs, and the brunette led the girl toward the exit.