Chapter 31

It was almost midnight, and with each passing minute, Kai and Adelaide's desperation grew. The restaurant was about to close, and they were hurrying not to miss the dazzling neighborhood fireworks display. Only the two of them remained at the place.

Adelaide was putting away pots in the kitchen cabinets, indignant at what she had heard. "She's lying to me!" said Adelaide, expressing her frustration.

As Kai took off his apron and hung it on a hook in the corner, he replied, "I warned you to keep an eye on her."

Still intrigued by the revelation, Adelaide tried to imagine what Aurora was doing behind her back, but it was hard to come to a conclusion, as she thought she knew everything about her younger sister's life.

Kai tried to understand the situation better: "Did you notice any different behavior from her in the past few days?"

Adelaide answered after finishing arranging the pots and leaning on another countertop, facing the chef: "Not that I remember. Apart from the fact that she's becoming more vain every day, everything seems normal."

Curious, Kai asked, "When did she start becoming more vain?"

"After she started working at Emotion. I think she decided to pay more attention to her appearance because of working in that field," replied Adelaide firmly.

Kai, on the other hand, had another suspicion: "I don't think that's the real reason for her change. To be frank, I believe Aurora is dating someone."

Adelaide was surprised by the possibility but was reluctant to believe that her sister was hiding something so simple: "What? Dating? Kai, I know my sister. She would tell me if she started dating."

"It could be someone you would never approve of," Kai warned.

Determined, Adelaide replied, "She doesn't need my approval; I just care about her happiness. Unless it's someone who just wants to take advantage of her. That I will never allow. But Aurora is very smart; she would never fall for cheap flattery."

Confident in her sister's strong personality, Adelaide smiled weakly. But Kai suggested a more assertive action to uncover the truth.

"If you really want to find out the truth, you should search her room," Kai proposed, receiving a negative look from Adelaide.

"I won't do that! You know I respect her privacy, and I promised myself I'd never stoop to that level," Adelaide refused.

Persistent, Kai offered another alternative: "Then start keeping an eye on her. I know you'd like to talk to her, but there's a possibility she'll lie again. It's better to start observing her; that's the only way you'll find out the truth."

Adelaide had no more arguments; after all, Kai was right. Aurora had already lied once and could very well lie again.

"I'll only agree to do it if you help me," Adelaide requested, seeking Kai's support.

"Alright," agreed Kai, surprising himself with his acceptance. "I care about Aurora too, believe me. I want to find out the truth just as much as you do."

***

After that surprising revelation, Alex and Tristan continued to stare at each other. It wasn't a warm family reunion with a tight hug; it felt more like a battle where two opponents awaited the command to attack each other. Aurora was flabbergasted, and Rose, in the corner of the room, couldn't make sense of anything and felt nauseous from the alcohol.

"I thought you were in Canada, living a mediocre life next to your father," Tristan taunted.

"And I thought that, with time, you would stop being selfish. It seems both of us were mistaken," retorted Alex.

"I think I'm going to throw up," said Rose, sitting on the sofa, feeling sick from the alcohol's effect.

"Do it, and clean the floor with your own tongue!" exclaimed Aurora, frustrated and furious. Alex had the Callahan DNA running through his veins; he shared the same blood as Tristan and Griffin. How would she react well to this?

"Wait... You two know each other?" Alex asked, looking between Tristan and Aurora.

"Yes, but that's not relevant!" replied Aurora, approaching the two. "Is it true that you're cousins? Or is this some kind of tasteless joke?"

Both turned their faces in opposite directions, confirming the statement. Aurora widened her eyes, feeling a mix of anger and disappointment. Alex was her friend, and he didn't trust her enough to tell her that important detail about his life.

"I never imagined this. You don't even look alike," commented Aurora.

"We're not alike in any way," Alex agreed.

"For once, I agree with you," Tristan said rudely. "I'm not a weakling who accepts injustice silently."

"And I wasn't kicked out of my own father's house," Alex provoked, hitting a sensitive point for Tristan.

Aurora huffed at their argument, huffed at Rose's situation, and huffed at life for giving her another problem that night. She just wanted peace, but that was far from happening. Her patience had reached its limit; it was time to end it.

"Alexander and Tristan Callahan!" Aurora shouted, making both of them look at her somewhat surprised by the way she addressed them. "You two are going to discuss your family matters far away from my house! I already have enough problems in my life to put up with yours!"

"That's right, Aurora! Kick them out!" Rose cheered, excited, getting up from the sofa.

"You're leaving too!" Aurora retorted, making Rose's happiness vanish. "Alex, take her with you. She's your responsibility."

"Me?" Alex pointed to himself, tensed.

"Exactly! She's in this state because of you. You hurt her, so be a man and have the decency to take her home!" Aurora ordered.

Alex felt bad for causing Rose's sadness; it wasn't his intention to hurt her. He tried to have an amicable breakup, wanting to keep the friendship with the brunette intact, but apparently, it hadn't gone very well.

"You're right. I'll take her home," Alex agreed, seeing the brunette recoil.

"I refuse to go anywhere with you!" she turned her face away with her nose up, but Aurora didn't back down.

"Drunk people have no will," she declared, determined to end that delicate situation.

"I'm not leaving here, nobody will take me from here!" Rose declared, in a resolute tone.

Aurora glanced at Alex, who understood her idea. Then, Alex approached the brunette and lifted her, placing her over his shoulder. Rose started to struggle and scream like a crazed person, pounding Alex's back with her thin, short legs.

"We'll talk later," Alex said to Aurora as he walked out of the apartment. His gaze crossed paths with Tristan, who completely ignored him.

"What are you still doing here?" Aurora asked Tristan when they were alone. "I told you to leave!"

"Hold on there, feisty one," Tristan said with a slight smile, amused by her irritated expression.

"Feisty one, my foot!" She clenched her fists. "How do you expect me to stay calm? I just wanted a peaceful night and got a drunk who ended the relationship, my first lesbian kiss, the revelation that you and Alex are cousins, and, as a bonus, this mess in my apartment!"

"What did you say?" Tristan furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "You just had your first lesbian kiss?"

Of all the things I just said, he only paid attention to that? ― the redhead thought.

"Yes, and I can say it wasn't one of my best experiences," Aurora replied.

"Too bad I missed it. Can't we repeat it in front of me? I'll go after her; she can't have gone too far..." Tristan suggested.

"You pervert!" Aurora turned red with anger as she approached him, maintaining a slight smile on his lips. "Get out of here before I resort to violence!"

She expected Tristan to back off, but instead, he put his hands in his pant pockets and stood his ground, defying her.

"Is this serious?" She raised an eyebrow. "Know that I've learned a lot from watching fighting movies. I'm practically a black belt!"

Tristan remained silent. Aurora moved towards him, raising her fist to punch him, but he was quicker and grabbed her wrist. Then Aurora attempted to punch him with her other hand, but once again, he stopped her. With her wrists restrained, she thought of using her legs to attack him, but it was already too late. Tristan tripped her, causing her to lose balance and fall. Before she hit the ground, she felt her body being supported by his arms, pressed against him. She stared into his dark eyes and saw her own reflection, making her feel even more ridiculous for the previous scene. She had forgotten that Tristan knew how to fight!

"I didn't come here to be kicked out. I have a purpose," Tristan said, while she huffed, wondering what he wanted.

"Your arrogance must be affecting your brain! Did you forget our conversation earlier? Today would be an exception..." Aurora said.

"I didn't come for sex," Tristan affirmed.

First, she laughed as if he had told a joke, but then stopped when she saw the seriousness in his face. It was hard to believe, but he was telling the truth, and that confused her thoughts. He had no other reason to come after her.

"So, what did you come here for?" Aurora asked, eager for an answer.

Before he could respond, the sound of fireworks, accompanied by shouts of joy and whistles, reached their ears. Aurora let go of Tristan and ran to the curtains, pulling them aside and opening the window. She saw the colorful fireworks illuminating the sky and the warm embraces of people in the neighborhood square. It was then that she realized it was already Christmas.

She stayed quiet for a few more minutes, with a smile on her face, watching the fireworks become even more beautiful with each passing second. She felt a little sad for not having her camera at that moment, but she knew that image would be forever engraved in her memory.

"I know you don't have a Christmas spirit, but... Merry Christmas, Tristan," Aurora said, turning her head to see his face. However, to her surprise, she was alone in the room. He had left.

If Tristan didn't come for sex, then what did he come here for? ― she wondered.

This question didn't bother her for long, as she decided to stop worrying about Tristan, Alex, Rose, and everything else. So, she left the apartment, ignoring the mess that was there, and went to the lobby and then outside the building. By coincidence, she spotted Kai parking his motorcycle near the square, with Adelaide riding pillion, looking for her.

"Aurora! Kai!" she ran towards the two, who smiled upon seeing her. They got off the vehicle and approached the young woman.

"Don't freak out, but the apartment is a mess, and we no longer have decorative flower vases," Aurora reported, leaving Adelaide completely confused.

"Wait, what?!" Adelaide exclaimed, not understanding.

"That's not the most important thing, is it?" Aurora smiled, pulling them both into a tight hug. "Merry Christmas!"