Chapter 21

The day was beautifully sunny, with no signs of rain and intense heat, which was unusual for a time close to winter. People were wearing light-colored clothes and fanning themselves with fans, flyers, or their own hands. Aurora walked along the sidewalk, following the same route she took almost every day toward Starbucks. However, on that day, something was different, as everyone looked at her as if she were crazy. Even the attendant at her favorite coffee shop, with whom she had developed a rapport over the years, gave her a strange look.

"Thank you," Aurora said as she received her glorious Americano coffee and left the establishment.

Instead of heading home, she decided to take a different route that she rarely used. Everyone still looked at her, and she knew very well why. On such a hot day, she was wearing a hoodie!

Yes, she was sweating under the hoodie and felt uncomfortable, but it was better than exposing the marks from the unforgettable night she had with Tristan.

She entered a pharmacy and scanned the various shelves until she found what she was looking for. She picked up a small box and went to the cashier, where she handed the product to a man. Aurora lowered her head, hiding her blushing face. She was buying emergency contraceptive pills, recommended by her gynecologist. It was more embarrassing than buying pads!

After paying for the pills, she left the pharmacy with the bag in her hands and hurried toward the building where she lived. In a few minutes, she had already arrived. She took out her keys and opened the apartment door.

"Still here?!" exclaimed her sister, widening her eyes upon seeing Aurora in the living room, struggling to put on her shoes.

"I woke up very late!" said Adelaide, desperate. "My boss is super intolerant when employees are late. Where's my bag?!"

"Calm down, I'll help you look for it," replied Aurora, placing the bag on the coffee table and starting to search for Adelaide's bag in the living room.

"For everything that is most sacred, I ask not to be fired!" Adelaide prayed with her eyes closed and hands clasped.

Aurora laughed as she crouched down to look under the sofa. She smiled upon finding her sister's bag.

"I found it!" she informed, picking it up and handing it to Adelaide. "Now, explain to me how it ended up under the sofa?"

"I must have accidentally dropped it. I was in such a hurry that I didn't even realize the mess I was leaving behind," answered Adelaide. She looked at the bag on the table and couldn't resist her curiosity. "What's in this bag?"

"Pain relief pills," replied Aurora, nervously smiling. "Did something happen last night for you to wake up so late?"

"Nothing important," replied Adelaide evasively.

"I bet you brought someone here," said Aurora teasingly, sitting next to Adelaide on the sofa. "Who was it? Kai or Griffin?"

"I didn't bring anyone!" replied Adelaide, visibly embarrassed.

"You're lying; your blushing face gives it away! Who were you with here? The handsome doctor or the hot chef? Did you have sex with either of them? Was it in your room? In the bathroom? In the kitchen? In the living room? Wait... on this sofa?!" Aurora quickly stood up.

"A-Aurora!" exclaimed Adelaide, also getting up and completely embarrassed. "I didn't bring anyone here, and I didn't have sexual relations last night. Where did you get this absurd idea of having sex in every room of the house?"

"From nowhere," replied Aurora, looking away.

"Since when did your mind become so dirty?" asked Adelaide, bewildered.

"I was born this way, and you'll have to deal with me for the rest of your life," Aurora confidently asserted.

"It must be that Seraphina girl. You've been spending too much time with her," Adelaide commented, raising suspicion. Aurora internally chuckled.

"I'm off to work. See you later," Adelaide bid farewell.

"Bye, sis!" Aurora waved, watching Adelaide leave the apartment.

Alone at home, she took the box out of the bag and grabbed a pill. Then she hurried to the kitchen, got a glass of water, and swallowed the medication. She couldn't understand why she couldn't get Tristan out of her head. Before she knew it, she was reminiscing about the wonderful moments they had together, but reality quickly brought her back. He was everything she didn't want. He wasn't the kind of man to commit to a woman, didn't plan on getting married, and certainly not having children. He had made it clear it was just a one-night thing, and now that they had both gotten what they wanted, they needed to move on without looking back.

***

Days later...

Aurora's room was never entirely tidy. There was always something out of place, but on that day, it looked like a hurricane had passed through. Clothes were scattered on the floor, on the bed, on the dresser, and even on the lamp. She thanked the heavens that Adelaide was at the restaurant because if she saw that mess, she'd give Aurora a good scolding!

Aurora was having a fashion surge. She decided to go to college looking more put-together, showing more of her feminine side. Choosing an outfit was difficult, but she managed and was very pleased with the result. She wore a wine-colored knee-length dress, flared, accentuating her waist and showing a bit of cleavage. She put on black heels and spent a few minutes walking back and forth, stumbling a few times until she got the hang of it. Finally, she left her hair down, put on a bracelet and a simple necklace. The outfit made her look like a femme fatale, but the light makeup added a touch of sweetness.

Aurora grabbed her bag and left home. Instead of taking the subway, she decided to spend a little money and take a taxi.

In a few minutes, the taxi parked in front of the campus, where there were many students. She paid the driver and got out of the car a bit nervous. She took a deep breath, seeking composure in the gazes that followed her since she stepped out of the vehicle. She walked confidently on the stone path, trying not to be embarrassed by the evaluations from the boys, but feeling good about the surprised expressions from the girls who, once upon a time, bad-mouthed her behind her back.

During her firm steps, she spotted her two friends talking about a random topic. They were so engrossed that they only noticed her presence when she called them.

"Hi, guys!" Aurora greeted.

Both widened their eyes, observing every detail of the girl from head to toe. Alex, in particular, had his mouth slightly open, unknowingly.

"A-Aurora..." Alex said, visibly impressed.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?" Lucca joked. Everyone laughed.

"I just decided to dress up a bit more for my last days of class," Aurora explained.

In the last few days, she had thought a lot about her life and future, and she decided to drop her journalism course and pursue marketing. It would be good to deepen her knowledge in that area, as she worked in a fashion company.

"Lucky for you, we're neighbors," Lucca remarked, addressing Alex, who finally snapped out of his trance. Alex turned back to Aurora.

"I'm going to miss you," he said sincerely.

"Me too, aggressive shorty," she teased, ruffling Lucca's hair.

"I take back what I said," Lucca retorted, and they all laughed as they started walking toward their respective departments.

"You can visit me whenever you want, or we can go out and have some fun," Aurora invited enthusiastically.

"We should go out tonight, after class," Lucca suggested.

"Good idea. Let's go, Aurora?" invited Alex.

"Sure, but can we stop by my place first? I want to change my clothes," replied Aurora. In truth, she wanted to change her shoes because she couldn't bear to wear those heels for much longer.

"No need, you already look beautiful," Alex complimented. Aurora smiled shyly, but letting go of the feelings she had for him wasn't an easy task.

***

The three friends were already at the nightclub, sitting on the high stools at the bar and ordering their drinks. Aurora was having fun and trying her best to feel comfortable with Rose's presence, who joined them after finishing her medical school classes.

Aurora even tried to chat with Rose. Despite being Alex's girlfriend, she was very nice and friendly. She behaved like a lady and was quite shy. However, as she felt more at ease, she loosened up and showed a more fun side. The two talked about various topics, with "boys" being the main one.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Rose asked, somewhat surprised, as she found Aurora very attractive.

"No, and I don't intend to fall in love at the moment," Aurora replied.

"Why? Being in love is one of life's greatest pleasures," Rose said with a romantic air.

"It's just that I've been disillusioned in love," Aurora glanced discreetly at Alex, who was talking with Lucca. "So I'm going to enjoy my freedom until I find the right guy."

"I understand," Rose smiled.

"Girls, we're going to try to get a table in the V.I.P. area," announced Alex, giving Rose a peck on the lips before walking away with Lucca, the aggressive shorty.

"How about we try to find a guy for you here at the nightclub?" Rose suggested, turning to Aurora with a sweet smile.

"Good luck. So far, none has caught my attention," Aurora replied, feeling a bit discouraged.

The men around her were indeed very handsome, but she wasn't interested. In these moments, it was the Arrogant Mr. that came to her mind. After Tristan, she didn't feel attracted to any other man.

"A sexy guy!" Rose nudged her arm, pulling her out of her daydream.

"Where?" Aurora asked, discreetly turning her head to see the guy Rose was talking about. He was tall, slim, and wearing jeans and a black shirt. He was looking directly at Aurora without even trying to disguise it. She turned her head again, with a smile.

"He's looking at me," she commented, taking a sip of her drink.

"Lucky you!" Rose tried to boost her confidence. "Well, I'm going after Alex and Lucca."

"I'll go with you," Aurora suggested.

"No, stay here. I bet that sexy guy will come talk to you when you're alone," Rose winked and walked away.

Aurora took another glimpse at the boy and noticed he was approaching. Quickly, she turned around and took another sip of her drink, just to gain more confidence.

"Excuse me..." he sat next to her with a somewhat seductive smile. "Are you with someone?"

Aurora replied sarcastically, "Sure, can't you see Brad Pitt right here beside me?" pointing to the empty seat next to her.

"Hey, Brad!" he laughed, playing along. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm going to steal this girl's attention for the rest of the night."

Aurora questioned, "What makes you so confident?"

"I need to be confident if I want to impress a girl as beautiful as you," he replied, with a smirk. Aurora raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. This boy had sparked some of her interest, which was already something significant compared to the others.

"What's your name?" Aurora asked.

"Klaus."

***

Aurora opened her eyes with difficulty, feeling her eyelids heavy and a strong headache. With each passing second, memories of the previous night came back to her mind. When she finally remembered everything, she composed herself and sat up gently on the bed, looking around to realize where she was. In Klaus's room. She looked to the side and saw the man sleeping deeply, holding onto a pillow. Both were naked and covered by a blanket.

She got up slowly and picked up her clothes that were scattered, along with his, on the floor. She dressed quickly, grabbed her bag thrown in a corner of the room, and left the apartment.

She couldn't explain how she felt. It was a strange and unique sensation. She surprised herself by allowing herself to be carried away by the moment and sleep with a stranger. She felt lighter, independent, and free...

But that feeling lasted only for a few minutes, as she soon remembered she needed to be at Emotion early for a photo shoot.

"Oh, for God's sake, don't make me lose this job!" she pleaded to the heavens while trying to spot a taxi.