Mated to the Alpha Twins

An hour was much too long to get ready.

I brushed my hair, and changed my clothes in ten minutes. That left me fifty minutes to contemplate what the h**l was going on. Fifty minutes to realize how horribly my fractured life had been upended.

Once hour passed, and Garrett knocked on my door. He didn’t wait for me to answer, he simply poked his head inside until his eyes locked on my own.

“Ready to go?” Garrett asked, his eyes shining brightly.

I nodded, grumbling something unintelligible and stood to my feet. While my face was somehow miraculously healed, my ankle was anything but. Occasionally dull pain would twitch up my ankle, making me wince.

Garrett and I walked downstairs, to where Melissa and Frank were sitting on the sofa. Frank was drunk, as usual. Melissa was desperately trying to keep her gaze off of Garrett. Her eyes kept flickering from the TV to his towering form. I resisted the urge to scoff, she’s more interested in Garrett than she’s been in me for three years. A blind man could see how taken Melissa was with Garrett, even seventeen years later.

“Try and have a good time, Aurora.” Melissa spoke gently.

Her hand lifted, reaching towards my face. Call it a instinct, but I stumbled back. I didn’t stumble back because I was afraid of her hitting me, I stumbled because not once had she ever touched me. This move was too intimate, too caring. It might’ve made sense for any other mother and daughter, but not for us. The action was unwarranted. I didn’t want her comfort or her false sympathy. She noticed my reaction and her face fell, her washed out eyes flickering to Garrett.

‘Watch closely.’ The voice murmured in my head, ‘Her concern isn’t for your benefit. It’s for his.’

For once, the voice was actually helpful. It was right. Melissa wasn’t taking on the roll of a caring mother because she somehow realized the error of her ways, she was doing it for Garrett’s benefit. She truly can’t stand for others to see her as the d**d-beat parent. Her mask was thin on her weathered face, and I could see through it clearly.

“I’ll be outside.” I mumbled, tripping on the chunky boot but somehow managing to make it to the front door unharmed.

I stood outside taking deep breaths of the crisp afternoon air. The breeze was picking up, chilling my skin in a way that brought me some semblance of comfort. Looking out into the woods was the most peaceful I had felt in days. Everything was so silent. The only sound was from birds and the quiet ‘whoosh’ of the wind against the tree’s. Some small part of me wanted to bound off into the woods, and not come back out.

Garrett came outside just a few minutes later. I glanced up at his face and snorted, he looked uncomfortable.

“Something funny?” Garrett raised his eyebrow at me, and I marveled at how similar we looked.

“You seem uncomfortable.” I noted, leaving him behind as I walked down the porch steps.

“Something you can relate to.” Garrett responded once he had caught up to me.

resisted the urge to laugh spitefully. Of course he’d say that, and of course I could relate. This was all brought on by him, not by me. If he

before. Melissa’s car was a ’95 Buick, practically falling apart at the seams. This car had all the flashing lights

in town, the one

tables. Garrett excused himself to go to the bathroom, and I grunted in response. If I was dreading an hour long

your face is all better.” Cameron gave me a

and ibuprofen.” I nodded

the h**l is that?” Cameron snorted, her eyes flickering

sperm-donor.” I shrugged, picking

her nose, “I thought Frank was

was a small town after all. I had heard my fair share of gossip and drama about the other townspeople, choosing to ignore it all. The

my head, “I have Frank, and I have a

it was childish but I felt like I had that right. I had

money.” Cameron shrugged, “Might as well get what you

I needed one now? The only person I wanted was my Grandma. She’d understand how I was feeling and take me away from all of this mess,

back to the table and sat across from me, looking as awkward as I felt. The

kids?” I blurted out, nearly cringing at the hostile tone in my

“I have a daughter. She’s two

years–That’s all it took for Garrett to forget about

statement. He had his own little family,

do.” Garrett cleared his throat, “Not that I

I held my hand up, “Yours

was brief.” Garrett gave me a painful smile, “The relationship

inwardly cringed at his words. It didn’t hurt to know his relationship with Melissa was a mistake, what hurt was hearing how he

you normally toss your blessings to the side and ignore them for seventeen years?” I asked, “Placating them by throwing money their

“Ignoring you–That wasn’t my

to the table, a notepad in her hand. She paused for a moment when she saw us, her eyes running over my face slowly. It was obvious she noticed my healed face,

Aurora.” Tori smiled at me, her eyes wandering over to Garrett questioningly. “Do you two know