Don’t Let Go

8. Aurora

8

Aurora

I still couldn’t believe my mamma allowed some stranger to move in with us. So what if he was the son of her deceased best friend? He could’ve been a serial killer, for all we knew. However, after seeing him in person yesterday, I doubted that. He seemed nice if guys from Scottsdale gave a damn about girls from South Phoenix.

With his near-herculean muscles and that thick, luscious hair, I bet he had a lot of girls heartbroken he had to leave town. I squeezed my eyes shut. Damnit, why did he have to be hot?

Franco and Lorenzo went with Mamma to help Tyler pack his things and officially move him into Carmen’s room. Carmen and I were to prepare the house for our permanent guest and watch over Lizzy. Carmen muttered curse words under her breath as she went back and forth, moving the rest of her things into Lizzy’s room.

“Yay! We can have a slumber party every night!” Lizzy bounced off the walls with her excitement, hugging her bunny so tightly that if it was a real bunny, it would be long dead.

Carmen walked past her with an armful of bedding.

I leaned against the wall laughing as Lizzy ordered Carmen where to place her stuff like she was an interior decorator.

“What are you laughing about?” Carmen snapped, giving me a death glare as she passed by. “Don’t you have a toilet to clean?”

I nodded toward the bathroom. “I already cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom. When you don’t spend half the time sulking, you can get a lot done.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Why do I have to share a room with Lizzy? You two are best friends. Why can’t you share?”

“Because I’m older, and the world is out to get you. I thought you knew that by now.” I grabbed fresh sheets from the linen closet and walked into Carmen’s room to make the bed since I knew she wasn’t going to.

“Do you think Tyler will be nice?” Lizzy asked. She stood next to me with a hand on the hem of my shirt. She stared up at me with her chubby cheeks and a smear of peanut butter near her mouth.

“Yes. It will take him some time to get used to it here, but I’m sure he’s nice.” I licked my thumb and rubbed the peanut butter off her face. “You need to learn how to use a napkin, Lizzy.”

She giggled and ran away, yelling, “Never!”

After changing the sheets and fluffing the pillows, I glanced around the room to ensure everything was in place. The closet still had some stuff on the top shelf, but there was room to hang up clothes and plenty of space on the floor for storage. The dresser and nightstand were cleared out. The room appeared ready for a guest.

Carmen stood in the doorway looking at her movie posters and clicked her tongue in thought. “Do you think I need to take everything off my walls? I don’t know this guy. He could be a psycho and tear my posters down or worse, he could tag them with something.” She moved to stand in front of her poster of Shakespeare in Love . “I don’t know where I’m going to put them all if I do.”

“I’m sure it’s fine for now. You can always take them down later.” A car horn blared outside — they must be back.

“This is ridiculous,” Carmen said, slamming the door to her room and storming down the hall to Lizzy’s.

Lizzy bowed her head and stuck out her bottom lip. “Why doesn’t she want to stay with me? I no fun?”

I hooked my finger under her chin and tipped her head to look at me. “She loves you, Lizzy. She’s upset about having to give up her room. Soon, she’ll see how amazing a roommate you are.” The doorbell chimed. “Now let’s go greet our guest.”

My brothers dragged in two suitcases each. “How can a guy have so many clothes,” Lorenzo said as he walked past me.

“Just because you wear the same three outfits doesn’t mean everyone else does,” I replied before going downstairs.

Lizzy ran to Mamma and gave her a big hug. Mamma smiled and picked Lizzy up. She nodded toward our new guest. “This is Tyler.”

Tyler put down a suitcase and took one of Lizzy’s hands. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Lizzy,” she said proudly with her arms open wide like she was on the center stage of a Broadway play. That girl was a ham.

Tyler chuckled.

Mamma put Lizzy down and looked around. “Where’s Carmen?”

I motioned upstairs with my hand. “You know, being a drama queen. I’m sure she’ll come down later for dinner.”

“That girl,” Mamma said under her breath. She turned to Tyler and pointed toward me. “Aurora will show you to your room.”

He grabbed his suitcase and followed me upstairs. I opened the bedroom door. “Here’s your room. Sorry about all the movie posters. Carmen wants to be a famous actress one day.”

“It’s fine,” he said weakly, setting his suitcase down at the foot of the bed. He shrugged off his backpack, and his muscles rippled through his tight white shirt. Blood whooshed in my ears. I bet he looked delicious in nothing but boxers.

I dug my nails into my palms. I needed to focus. “Next door is my room, and two doors down on your left is the bathroom. We all share it, so you’ll have to figure out a good time to use it.”

“Thanks, Aurora.” He gave me a slight nod. There was a heavy sorrow in his eyes, turning them darker. His pout made his lips stick out more. I caught myself staring and dug my nails deeper into my palms.

“You can call me Rory. Everyone else does.”

He picked up a suitcase and placed it on the bed before unzipping it. “My friends call me Ty.”

I stood there awkwardly for a few more heartbeats. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you to unpack.” I turned to go to my room.

“Hey, wait.”

I stopped and forced myself to stare at his forehead to avoid watching his mouth. “Yeah?”

“Yesterday at the funeral, you quoted Dracula . Why?”

“It’s great literature,” I laughed halfheartedly. I brushed my hands over my pants and lowered my voice. “Just something to say during dark times. My papà also died, and all the sorrys and such all blur into nothing. Thought I’d mix it up.”

He appeared puzzled yet appreciative, flashing me a ghost of a smile. “Oh… thanks.”

I shrugged, inching my way toward the door. “No problem. I’m next door if you need anything.”

I locked myself in my bedroom and slid down my door. I needed to keep myself together if I must live next door to him. He was handsome to look at, but he was from Scottsdale, or what Chloe called Snobbs dale, so there had to be something wrong with him. I just had to wait to see what that fatal flaw would be.