Chapter 2: Living For Him

Aurora’s P.O.V

I stepped into the kitchen next, already knowing what I’d find. The house was a mess. It always was after my father left. Empty bottles were scattered across the living room, and broken glass was on the floor where he’d thrown something in one of his rages. The stench of alcohol and misery clung to the air, so I had to open up a few windows to let some fresh air in.

Cleaning the room within twenty minutes wasn’t the most difficult part, but trying to stay lucid and not topple over was. My body ached all over, and I could already tell that there was dried blood in my hair from the injury last night. But I hadn't had the time or luxury of a shower. I had to hurry, school started soon, and as a scholarship student, I couldn’t afford to take days off.

So without further complains, I began cleaning the house to the best of my abilities. My hands trembled, my whole body felt numb, as if I’d been hit by a truck, but I knew I couldn’t stop.

 I found the remnants of my savings—nothing but a few crumpled bills. My father had taken it all, of course. He always did. I had been saving up to buy food for the rest of the week, to make sure we had something other than cheap instant noodles as breakfast and dinner. But now…it was all gone.

I let out a small, bitter laugh as I shoved the money into my pocket. I would have to come up with some way to make more tips at my job, or there would be nothing left to eat.

Opening the fridge brought another wave of disappointment. There wasn’t enough to make a full breakfast anyway. I’d stretch whatever I could, but with one single slice of bread staring back at me from the otherwise empty pack…I knew I was skipping breakfast today.

So I made Riley a peanut butter sandwich, scraping the walls of the tiny jar and poured the last of the milk into a glass for him. He wouldn’t know that I couldn’t afford breakfast today. He didn’t need to.

I walked into his room, knocking softly on the door. He was curled up on his bed, hugging his pillow to his chest while another remained on top of his ears. The sight made my lips tremble. He must have heard the commotion last night…he must have been so scared…

It always broke my heart how I couldn’t comfort him. But at least if I locked him up in his room, then he would remain safe. And I would do anything in the world to keep him safe.

“Riley?” I called, clearing my throat to make my voice seem less hoarse. “Time to wake up.”

He stirred, his small body shifting in his bed. “Aurora?” His voice was muffled, and I could hear the concern in it.

“Yeah, it’s me. Get up, honey. It’s time for school.”

Riley sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes. He didn’t question me, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know what was happening outside his door. Maybe it because he knew if he asked, I wouldn’t have answers. His eyes flickered to the bruise on my cheek, but he didn’t say anything.

Instead, he looked down, his lips trembling a bit, as if he was trying to hold in a sob.  

Watching him like this, it broke something in me, and I didn’t know what to say or do. But the only thing I knew was that I couldn’t break. Not now, not in front of him. After all, he was the reason I was still alive, he was the reason I still kept going.

He stood up and threw on his clothes in record time and I handed him his breakfast. His face lit up, even though there was only a single toast and the milk hardly reached half the glass; and I couldn’t help but smile back. He was so young, so innocent, and I would do anything to protect that smile on his face.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” He asked, looking at the otherwise empty table, his little brows drawn together in concentration.

“I already ate, honey.” I lied, but made sure my smile stayed as sincere as possible. He nodded, smiling as he took another bite.

After he was done, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the last of my cash—the few bills my father hadn’t bothered with this time. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. “Here,” I said softly, handing it to him. “I know it’s not much. But…have something nice for lunch, okay?”

Riley’s eyes softened. “Thanks, big sis.”

I just smiled and kissed his forehead, taking his hand and leading him to the door.

“Ready?” I asked as I slipped on my shoes that were worn out beyond recognition.

He nodded, slipping on his shoes as I grabbed my worn-out bag. I closed the door behind us, locking it before heading down the cracked stone path to the front yard. The lawn was now filled with weeds and overgrown, as it had been since our mother passed, and I didn’t have the time or the strength to take care of it anymore.

The walk to school was long, and I felt the weight of my body dragging me down every step of the way. I kept glancing back at Riley to make sure he was okay.

I hated that he had to walk with me instead of going with his friends by the bus. This part of childhood that was supposed to be carefree…and I hated that I couldn’t give him more.

When we reached his school, I made sure he was inside before I turned to leave. I lingered at the entrance for just a moment, watching him through the glass windows as he found his way to class before I turned to leave.

As I reached the perimeter of my school, the gate only a couple steps away, I could feel the exhausting settling into my bones. My body ached from the strain of what had happened last night, and my stomach growled loudly, letting me know that not only had I skipped breakfast, but also dinner last night.

But before I could dwell on any of that, the shrieking sound of tires on pavement pierced through the air, tearing me out of my thoughts. The noise was jarring, unnatural, like a scream, and it instantly gripped my heart with terror. It was too loud, too sudden.

“Move, you stupid bitch!”

I turned around just in time to see the headlights flashing, blurring everything in front of me. My heart pounded against my ribs, my breath caught in my throat. I stumbled, trying to get out of the way, but my body refused to obey. I felt the ground beneath me shift as my knees buckled. The very next second, I hit the pavement as my body gave way, my palms scraping against the rough concrete, pain shooting through me as I fell hard.

And then—silence.