Love Me Or Leave Me ✓

~05~

Aurora was making lunch, a Spanish radio station playing in the background as she made chicken alfredo. She swayed her hips and danced with a merry smile on her face. It was the second week of January and she twirled her fingers through her dark hair, pleasant that she had it changed back to the original. She called for Adelaide loudly, wanting the table to be set before her boyfriend, Jared, came over from Los Angeles.

A bedroom door was opened and Adelaide walked out wearing a large hoodie Jared got her, paired with white jeans. An envelope was in her hands, being fiddled with nervously as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

Aurora turned around with a bright smile, one that made Adelaide's chest ache with guilt. But before she could speak, Adelaide threw the fat envelope onto the table with a squeak and stepped back, suddenly too scared to talk.

"What's this?" Aurora asked, a confused smile settling on her face as she picked up the envelope. "Heavy." She commented before opening, a gasp following her as she pulled out a large wad of money. Aurora looked back at Adelaide with wide eyes not understanding what was happening. "This is–"

"Seven thousand dollars." Adelaide rushed out.

"Are you paying rent? Cause this won't–"

"I'm leaving." Adelaide blurted out, her hands immediately covering her face so she wouldn't have to see her sister's reaction.

Aurora frowned; she set the envelope down and moved towards her baby sister. In the back of her mind, she felt like she should have seen this coming, but Aurora felt blind-sighted, wishing she could have helped her sister out more. She took Adelaide's hands into her own and felt her heart twist at the first sight of the tears. Adelaide was trembling, causing Aurora to hug her tightly, trying to make the ache stop.

"I don't think I have it in me to stay in this town, Rori."

"God, I can't believe that jackass is the reason you want to run away from this town." Aurora pulled back from Adelaide and held her shoulders. "How can you let one bad relationship define you like this?"

But Adelaide shook her head, confident in her reason to leave. "He's only part of why I want to leave." She wiped her tears and drew in a breath. "He said something that made sense and I want try it. All I've ever known is this town, you and Jason. There's so much to see out there, I can't let it pass me by like that."

Aurora was wiping underneath her eyes, trying not to appear emotional. "You're going away for college in two months; why not just wait till then? There's plenty of world to see in Houston."

"I want to get a head start." Adelaide tried smiling. "Also I think I need to get used to change. Look at how one small thing felt different and I spiraled out of control. I have a lot of growing to do. It's why I took a gap year, isn't it?"

"I thought you took a gap year to be with Jason before the both of you went to separate colleges?"

Adelaide grimaced. "That was before Jason was sponsored to go on the Graduate's tour so." She smiled a little as if that was self-explanatory. The air was thick and heavy as Aurora cried, a very rare sight for Adelaide which in turn made her cry as well. "Rori, please."

"You have changed so much in the past few months. I'm sorry I couldn't fix any damage done to you." Aurora placed her hands on Adelaide's cheeks, slightly squeezing them together as she smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."

"There are some things not even God can protect me from." Adelaide sniffed as they hugged; a warm and comforting feeling exploding within her as she embraced the familiarity of family. "But I know He wanted me to learn from this. I was too dependent on someone who hasn't figured himself out yet. It hurt, but it was necessary."