"Hey Aurora, just give me your hand—"
Jake reached out carefully, his eyes filled with concern.
SLAP!
The sound echoed in the room like thunder. Aurora had slapped him hard with her wounded hand. Blood splattered slightly from the reopened cut, and Jake stood frozen, one hand on his stinging cheek, the other hovering helplessly in the air. He stared at her in disbelief, then slowly touched the affected area, inhaling deeply as he fought to control his emotions.
"Baby… you're bleeding," he said, voice breaking. "Please, let me treat the wound first. It's getting worse—"
"Don't you ever try to come near me again, Jake Scott!" she screamed, her voice cutting like glass. "I hate you! I feel disgusted just being around you!"
Jake staggered back, as if her words were physical blows."How could you do this to me?" she cried. "In what way did I ever wrong you? Just tell me, and I'll apologize right now. I swear I will! But this—this betrayal?" Her voice cracked. "It's too much. My heart is too fragile for this."
Tears flooded her eyes as she dropped to her knees, grabbing his trousers, weeping bitterly. "I gave you everything, Jake. I made you who you are today. And this is how you repay me?" Jake was stunned. He knelt quickly and tried to help her up, lifting her gently by the elbows. But the moment she found her balance, she shoved his hands away violently.
"I curse the day I fell in love with you," she spat."No! Aurora—please—don't say that," Jake stammered, his voice trembling. "Your words… they're tearing me apart. I'm confused. I don't even know what I've done—"
"My words are hurting you?" she laughed bitterly, eyes wide and wild with grief. "My words? Are you serious? Why would my words hurt you, Jake? I mean nothing to you, right?" She stepped back, her lips trembling with fury.
"You should be happy now. Your burden is finally gone, right? No more obligations. No more me. You probably feel free relieved not to take care of a broken woman anymore."
"Aurora, please calm down," Jake begged. "You've said so much just let me treat your wound before it gets worse. You're bleeding so much…"
"THIS?" she shouted, pointing at her injured hand. "This is nothing compared to what I'm feeling inside. My heart feels like it's been ripped out of my chest." Jake reached for her again, but she stepped back with a deranged smile."Wait—aren't you happy I might die from this excessive bleeding?" she asked, tilting her head.
"AURORA!" he bellowed in anguish, his hand twitching midair almost involuntarily rising in frustration.She looked him dead in the eye, her voice suddenly calm, icy."What? You want to slap me now? Go ahead," she dared him. "Do it. Hit me. Give me another reason to hate you. Come on, Jake. HIT ME!"
Jake's hand trembled in the air, but he couldn't bring himself to touch her.
"Do it," she whispered, her tone venomous. "Beat me. I dare you. After everything, this is where we've ended up, huh?"
Jake dropped his hand, utterly broken.
"I… I'm… uh—"
"You what?" she snapped. "Don't bother apologizing. I don't need your fake sympathy. I'm leaving, Jake. And don't you ever come looking for me again. It's over between us."
"No! Aurora, please don't do this," Jake shouted in desperation. "I won't let you walk away not like this not when I don't even know what I've done! This is unfair. You can't just destroy everything without telling me the reason!"
"You still don't get it…" she whispered.
"You don't look well," he said, ignoring her last statement. "Please, just sit down. Let me clean your wound. "I told you to stay away!" she shrieked. "You come near me again and I swear I'll slap you harder than before!"
Jake ran his hands through his hair, pacing the room like a madman. "You're driving me insane, Aurora! Please, just talk to me—say something I can understand!"
She turned sharply.
"I already told you what I want," she said coldly. "I want that girl Melissa out of this house."Jake blinked. "What… what exactly did she do?"
"I don't care if you understand or not. I just want her gone. And if you don't send her away, then say goodbye to me… forever."
Jake's breath caught in his throat.
"WHAT?! So what you're saying our entire relationship depends on her? Is that what this has come down to? Is our love so weak that the presence of one woman threatens it?"
Aurora stood silent, but her eyes said it all.
Jake felt his world begin to crumble