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.

course he’d say that, and of course I could relate. This was all brought on by him, not by me. If

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

at the only restaurant in town, the one

himself to go to the bathroom, and I grunted in response. If I was

face is all better.” Cameron gave me a side-eyed

and

snorted, her eyes flickering towards

shrugged, picking at

scrunched her nose, “I thought Frank was

heard my fair share of gossip and drama about the other townspeople, choosing to ignore it all. The typical rumors flew around. Who slept with who, couples getting divorced, and the occasional g******g or

a Dad.” I shook my head, “I

had spent years taking care of myself, didn’t

sperm-donor has some money.” Cameron shrugged,

but I truly didn’t want anything from Garrett. I didn’t need money, or some poorly constructed relationship. I was seventeen years old and spent my life without a single father figure, what makes him think 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, as she had many times

as awkward as I felt. The awkward silence was picking at me, making me grow more irritable with

kids?” I blurted out, nearly

“I have a daughter. She’s

took for Garrett to forget about me and have another

a statement. He had his own little family,

Garrett cleared his throat, “Not that

held my hand up, “Yours and

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

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

pursed his lips, “Ignoring you–That wasn’t my

interrupted by Tori walking up to the table, a notepad in her hand. She paused for a moment when she saw us, her eyes running over my face

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