AURORA'S POV

Ethan's eyes were pitch black as his gaze moved momentarily from me to Brielle. Seeing the red mark on her face, he grunted.

"What the fuck is your problem? Can't you take the hint? I don't want you," he hissed.

Brielle wrapped her hands around Ethan as she pouted. "Baby, don't waste your energy on her. She's too dumb."

Ethan patted her head as he smiled softly at her. I'd be a fool to say it didn't sting, because it did—badly.

When his eyes flashed back toward me, the warmth in them vanished and was replaced with cold contempt. "Listen up. You and I are already—"

My fist connected with his face, knocking him straight in the nose. A collective gasp filled the air all at once.

Pain clung to my wrist, but I didn't care. I just wanted to release the emotions tangled up inside me.

Brielle rushed to Ethan, her perfectly manicured fingers holding his head and checking if his face was ruined. His hand clasped around his nose, and blood started to gush out.

Brielle bit her lip, snapping her head back at me. "Aurora, you witch! Have you lost your mind?"

"Listen up! You don't get to tell me we're done. I do—and we are DONE!" I almost screamed.

The sound was so loud I heard it inside my own head, rumbling like thunder.

The light bulbs snapped, breaking into pieces, and the music went off immediately. The windows shattered with a frightening shriek!

A wave of relief filled me, but it lasted only a moment. The whole place was already suffocating, so I pushed away from the crowd, barely seeing through the dimly lit room.

Once I was outside, the chill in the air hit me, and that was when I noticed the dark clouds. It was going to rain any moment, but I didn't care.

I leaped from the porch, feeling the tears streaming down my face, gritting my teeth.

Why did my life have to be so hard and messy?

Suddenly, I stumbled backwards when strong hands clasped around me and yanked me backward, just as the honk of a car blasted in my ears as it sped past me.

"Are you fucking crazy?”

Kole's voice ripped through the cold night like shattered glass. I flinched at the harshness in it, my heart thudding wildly with a mixture and surprise.

He was standing there, chest heaving, eyes glinting and in his eyes was something dark, and furious beneath the dim moonlight.

Why was he even out here? The question lodged painfully in my chest, refusing to leave.

"I can't believe I waited almost half of my life for you—for this." His voice cracked into a rasp, low and vicious, dripping with disgust as his eyes raked over me.

My lips parted in a trembling gasp. I felt my shoulders buckle. A shudder tore through me, my breath hitching as tears threatened to spill. Every word of his seemed to carve me open from the inside even though I didn't understand. It broke my heart.

Tears slipped down my face. "What does it have to do with you? Do you know what I've been going through? How dare you come here just to yell at me?"

Kole paused, unsure of what to say. A few people moving through the streets were already casting strange glares at us.

He cleared his throat, trying to reach me. "Can you stop crying? You're making a scene."

"Don't touch me," I snapped, moving away from his hold.

"Young man! Why are you making such a young lady cry?"

"If you know you can't be responsible, why are you dating in the first place? Nonsense."

Some of the people passing by sneered at Kole. His face turned red, and I felt bad for him, but I couldn't help how I felt now.

"You're embarrassing me. If you want to stay here bathing in self-misery, fine. Who am I to interfere?" He rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning away.

I slumped onto the floor, burying my face in my palms with no tears left to cry. Thunder clapped faintly in the sky, and I could already feel the rain drizzling, but I didn't move.

Maybe the rain could wash everything away and tomorrow I'd feel better.

It poured slowly, and I closed my eyes, ready to receive heaven's showers.

A bike stopped in front of me and my eyes opened.

Kole's face was neutral as he tossed a helmet toward me. I caught it instinctively.

"You have two options. One is to give me your address so I can take you home."

He paused, watching me curiously.

My fingers brushed over the helmet and I could pick up his thick musky scent lingering on it. "What's number two?"

Kole's expression shifted into something I couldn't understand. "You come home with me. My place isn't far from here. At least until the rain stops—or else we'll both get drenched."

My heart began to pound. Was he really inviting me to his house?

The thought made my mouth go dry. Given his reputation as a shameless player, I was sure he was well-practiced at this—seducing random girls with that careless charm, luring them straight into his bed without a second thought.

"Is there a third option?" I asked softly.

He nodded and turned the engine so it roared to life. "I leave you here and act like this never happened."

It wasn't like I was going to spend the night—it was just to wait out the rain, right?

My fingers tightened around the helmet. The whole point of the party was so I wouldn't be home, but now I didn't want to be alone either.

"Do you do this often?" I found myself asking.

Kole arched his brow. "What?"

I pressed my lips together, avoiding his gaze. "Ask random girls to your house and..."

"You're not random," he shot back, and my words stalled as I watched his gray eyes soften.

What did he mean by that?

As if pulled back into reality, he turned away and twisted the bike handle, the engine roaring.

"So what's it going to be? Are you coming home with me or not?"

My breath hitched, trying to find a way to respond as I took a step toward him and then halted. "If I go with you... what are we going to do?"

The corner of his lips curled as his eyes roamed over me from my feet back up to my face. Then he whispered:

"Anything you want."