Rebellious Aurora | ✓

twenty-eight | love hurts

Damon didn't know what he was saying.

I was sure of it.

I think.

Damon didn't know how it felt like to have someone trample all over your non-existent heart with heavy shoes, crushing it into pieces to the point where you felt vulnerable and powerless. Those emotions I didn't ever want to immerse myself in. I've never wanted to feel like that, ever. But with Ashton, I have and maybe it was because I kept pushing him away or maybe because I believed love didn't exist, as disgusting as that sounded, I really believed 'love' was just a sorry excuse of satisfying one's needs.

It has been exactly twenty-four hours since I saw Ashton and he was nowhere to be found.

School, no Ashton.

Mall, no Ashton.

Library, no Ashton.

"Looking for someone?" I heard a masculine voice question and by instinct, I immediately groaned and turned away as I began to immediately stride through the crowd that managed to form around Starbucks. When I didn't answer, the figure pressed on. "Luna, were you looking for someone?"

I inhaled a deep breath and rolled my shoulders back, preparing myself to punch the figure in the face if need be.

"Aurora Luna Marie Steele!" the figure exclaimed in frustration, forcing me to halt in my steps as I balled my hand into fists. The sound of my full name gets me every time and I didn't know if it was because I wasn't used to it or the fact that people use it with an aggravating tone.

"What?" I questioned in a stern voice, turning around quickly to see Damon with a blank façade as he stood in his ground with his arms crossed over his chest. The minute I clenched my jaw, his façade immediately crumbled, revealing a worried cousin who I loved dearly.

"Stop pretending," Damon answered me as he began to walk towards me before throwing an arm around my shoulders and guided me towards the park where numerous children played with each other.

I looked up at him, faking confusion even though I knew exactly what he was talking about.

He rolled his eyes and sat down on a bench, patting on the empty spot beside him as if beckoning me to sit. And I did. "You need to stop pretending."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop it with that unnecessary attitude," Damon replied, shaking his head in disappointment as his gaze followed a little girl with blonde hair, freckles that have painted her cheeks and nose bridge. He threw a smile at her before pointing at her. "That was you, once."

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, knowing where he was getting at. "So?"

Damon sighed heavily. "Look at her, she's happy. Carefree, even."

"What do you want, Damon?" I was truly getting tired of his games and I just wanted this conversation get it over and done with.

Damon slightly turned his body towards me, leaning his elbow on the bench and leant his head on his hand. "Why are you so afraid of letting Ashton in? Afraid of loving him? You don't have to put on a stupid façade because we're only surrounded by children. No one you know from school is here."

I shifted my gaze to him as I looked directly into his eyes and something just clicked inside of me. Maybe it was the childhood memories of us that brought me back to him or maybe it was the fact that my beloved cousin was sitting in front of me, worrying and caring for me because no one has dared to comfort me.

Damon's eyes slightly widened as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean...you didn't have to cry but uh..."

I blinked, his voice forcing me out of my own thoughts as my hands instinctively moved to my face, touching my cheeks that were now wet with salty tears. I cleared my throat embarrassingly and wiped it away with the back of my hand, inhaling a deep, shaky breath.