The ride home was silent. I couldn't tell what was on Pierce's mind, and I wasn't sure he could tell what was on my mind either. Honestly, I was starting to wonder if this whole thing was a mistake. Just when I thought his father was about to welcome me, he asked me to prove myself. When I asked him how he told me to figure out the answer on my own.
The thing is, where do I even start?
I looked at Pierce, who was busy on the road. "How do you think I can prove myself to your father?"
"Don't take his words to heart," he said. "As long as you're with me, you don't have to prove anything."
I slumped back in my seat, feeling defeated. How could I make him see things my way?
I was too busy searching my brain for ways to prove to myself that I couldn't get a wink of sleep that night. When morning came, I looked like a zombie, with dark bags visible beneath my eyes.
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I realized I was in no shape to go out. It had only been a few days since I got drunk, and I was sure the alcohol was still in my system.
Pierce was nowhere to be found, which was shocking. He didn't mention anything to me the night before, but then again, we hadn't spoken since our visit to his parents.
When I got to the dining area, I found that he had prepared breakfast. He had made pancakes!
I happily dug in, not leaving a single crumb behind. Once I was done, I headed back upstairs for a nap. I had decided to skip work today, don't ask me why.
The sound of the doorbell made me pause in my tracks. It rang for a second time, and I decided to check it out. The door swung open, and I came face to face with Barbara. I groaned, not even bothering to hide my annoyance. Imagine being forced to deal with her first thing in the morning.
"Why are you here?" I questioned. She eyed me from head to toe and, without saying a word, pushed me to the side, forcing her way in. I slammed the door angrily. "Pierce is not here. I suggest you leave."
"Oh, I know," she settled on the couch. "Don't you want to know where my brother is? I'm sure he didn't tell you."
I slammed the door angrily. "Pierce is not here. I suggest you leave."
"Oh, I know," she settled on the couch. "Don't you want to know where my brother is? I'm sure he didn't tell you."
She was right about that, but I refused to give in. "I don't care," I said, looking away, trying my best to sound as uninterested as possible.
"Liar."
She flipped out her phone and shoved it in my face. Involuntarily, my eyes trailed to the white screen. I could see Pierce leaning on a black car with Johanna's arm wrapped around his. A sudden wave of anger pulsed through me.
"It could be an old image," I said, though it sounded like I was trying to convince myself.
Barbara laughed hysterically, "Sure, whatever makes you sleep at night."
I'm sure you don't know what Papa meant when he asked you to prove yourself."
How did she know?
"Although I want to fill you in so bad, I won't be the one to do so. But prepare your mind; this is just the beginning."
Having said all she wanted, she rose to her feet and walked to the door. Minutes later, she was gone, and I was left alone to decipher her mysterious words.
The door clicked shut, and I could tell Pierce was home. I bounced my feet on the ground impatiently as his footsteps approached. The time was quarter past ten and not AM.
"Where have you been?"
I asked the second he walked inside the bedroom. It was my turn to interrogate him now, and I was sure he must have had fun doing it to me days ago.
He pulled his coat and flipped it on the ground, ignoring me as he headed for the bathroom.
Unbelievable.
Minutes later, he strolled in with a towel tied around his waist.
"So, you're ignoring me now?"
When I disappeared without informing him, he almost ate me alive. But now that the tables have turned, he wouldn't even give me an explanation.
"I'm tired, Aurora. Please, can we do this tomorrow?" Frustration was evident in his tone, and I was determined to know the source.
"No, we can't. I need you to explain yourself right now."
He paused, "And if I don't?"
"You can sleep on the couch," I said firmly, hoping he'd give in.
With a stretch, he grabbed his clothes off the stand, and the next thing I knew, the door was slammed shut in my face. I couldn't believe my eyes.
Again, Pierce was nowhere to be found when I woke up. This time, he didn't bother to make breakfast. The sudden change was driving me crazy, and I struggled to understand why. Ever since our return from his parents' house, he had been acting off. I'm sure it had something to do with his father asking me to prove myself, but everyone refused to let me know what exactly the problem was.
As if to make things worse, he had been spending time with Johanna these days. I didn't know how Barbara got my number, but she had been sending me pictures of Pierce and Johanna non-stop. It was hard to tell where they were, judging from their surroundings, but the background looked posh, and both of them were well-dressed like a couple on a date.
In every picture, Johanna held onto Pierce, and I was glad he wasn't the one doing the holding, but something snapped in me whenever I saw it.
While I was scrolling through Instagram, a message popped up. Barbara sent me yet another picture. I'd tried blocking her, but it wasn't enough; the pictures kept coming in from different numbers. I applaud the dedication.
In this new picture, Johanna could be seen leaning on Pierce's shoulder while he appeared stiff. Annoyed, I tossed my phone in my pocket and headed out for some fresh air.
My legs led me to Jordyn's apartment. With a single knock, the door swung open, and she engulfed me in a hug upon seeing me. I hugged her tightly, needing comfort.
"You left without notice," she said, pulling away from the hug. "Although Grey told me what happened, I was still kind of sad to hear you wouldn't be returning."
I flashed her an apologetic smile and stepped inside. "I came back, did I not?"
The door fell shut, "Clearly because that sucker's done something else to make you cry," Jordyn said behind me.
Turning to her, I was shocked. "How do you know? Are you, by chance, a witch?"
"Girl, look in the mirror," she strolled past me and sat on the bed.
"So what did he do this time? Let's hear it."
I narrated everything to Jordyn,
Jordyn listened carefully, although she cut me off a few times to curse at Pierce and Johanna. Talking to her reduced the burden a bit. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I groaned, having an idea who it was.
"She's not going to give it a rest, is she?"
"C'mon," Jordyn nudged me with her elbow, "Let's see it."
I hesitantly pulled out the phone and shoved it in her face, not bothering to take a look myself. I'd been tortured enough.
Jordyn snatched the phone from my grip. "I know this place," she said, tapping on my phone screen, probably to zoom in on the picture, narrowing her eyes like a detective.
"I can't be mistaken," she said. "It's the same place."
"What place?" I asked.
Handing me back the phone, she jumped off the bed like a wild cat and started to change her shirt immediately, while I stared at her like she was an alien.
"What's going on, Jordyn? Are you going somewhere?"
She whipped her hair back, matching my gaze with a rising flame in her eyes.
"We are going to catch your cheating fiancé."
"Excuse me?"
"Look, I know where the location in that picture is, and it's not far from here at all. All I'm saying is, catch him in the act and ask those questions. Sitting back here and wondering what's going on will not help you. Do you want to find out what's happening? Then you should come with me."
I stared at her, unsure. What if my presence ends up causing more problems? To an extent, I trust Pierce. I know that there's no way he'll leave me for Johanna, but his silence is starting to trouble me. The evidence is right before my eyes, and I don't know what to believe anymore.
Jordyn can tell I'm confused; she eyes me from head to toe and shakes her head.
"Don't be a coward, Aurora. What do you say? Are you coming or not?"
Pushing the worried thoughts aside, I rise to my feet. "Of course I am."