AI The door creaked open, revealing a sliver of warm, cluttered light from within. Aurora Carter, her bright blue eyes wide with surprise, stood in the doorway of her flat above Silas' bar. She had been expecting someone else—anyone else—but not him. Not Lucien Moreau, the Frenchman with heterochromatic eyes that held the weight of a thousand unsaid words.
Lucien stood on the threshold, his slicked-back platinum blond hair catching the dim glow of the hallway light. He was dressed in one of his signature tailored charcoal suits, the ivory-handled cane in his hand a stark contrast to the darkness of his attire. His amber and black eyes flicked over her, taking in the sight of her straight shoulder-length black hair, the small crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist, and the way her fingers tightened around the edge of the door.
"Lucien," Aurora said, her voice cool and measured , though her heart pounded in her chest . "What are you doing here?"
Lucien's gaze didn't waver. "Aurora," he acknowledged, his voice smooth and accented. "May I come in?"
She hesitated, her mind racing . The last time they had seen each other, things had been left unresolved, words hanging in the air between them like a storm waiting to break. But the night was cold, and the flat was warm, and despite everything, she couldn't bring herself to shut the door in his face.
"Fine," she said, stepping back to let him in. "But make it quick. I have work in the morning."
Lucien nodded, stepping inside. The flat was small, cramped with books and scrolls and research notes that covered every available surface. A tabby cat, Ptolemy, lounged on the armchair, his green eyes watching Lucien with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
Aurora closed the door behind him, sliding the three deadbolts into place. The sound echoed in the small space, a reminder of the barriers that had been erected between them.
"So," she said, turning to face him. "What brings you to my doorstep, Lucien?"
Lucien leaned on his cane, his gaze never leaving hers. "I needed to see you," he said simply . "There are things we need to discuss."
Aurora crossed her arms, her fingers brushing against the scar on her wrist. "We said everything that needed to be said the last time we spoke," she reminded him .
Lucien's expression softened. "Did we?" he asked. "Because from where I stand, there's still a lot left unsaid."
Aurora looked away, her eyes landing on a stack of books on the coffee table. She had been trying to forget the past, to move on from the hurt and the confusion. But Lucien's presence in her flat was a stark reminder that some things couldn't be so easily dismissed.
"Fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper . "What do you want to talk about?"
Lucien took a step closer, his cane clicking against the wooden floor. "Us," he said. "What happened between us. Why you left."
Aurora's heart skipped a beat . She had run from Evan, from the abuse and the control, but she had also run from Lucien, from the intensity of their connection and the fear of what it could become. She had told herself it was for the best, that it was better to cut ties than to risk getting hurt again. But now, standing in front of him, she wasn't so sure.
"I had my reasons," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her.
Lucien nodded, his expression unreadable . "I know you did," he said. "But I think it's time we talked about them. Really talked about them."
Aurora looked at him, really looked at him, and saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the unspoken fear that she would shut him out again. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.
"Alright," she said. "But not here. Not in the flat. Let's go somewhere we can talk properly."
Lucien's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he nodded. "As you wish," he said.
Aurora grabbed her coat from the hook by the door, her fingers brushing against the familiar fabric. She had come a long way since she had first arrived in London, since she had first met Lucien. She was stronger now, more confident in who she was and what she wanted. And she was ready to face the past, to confront the demons that had haunted her for so long.
She turned to Lucien, her eyes meeting his. "Come on," she said. "Let's go."
Lucien followed her out of the flat, his cane clicking against the stairs as they descended. The night air was cold, but Aurora barely noticed. She was too focused on the man beside her, on the words that needed to be said, on the past that needed to be laid to rest.
They walked in silence, the streets of London passing by in a blur. Aurora led them to a small park, a quiet oasis in the heart of the city. They sat on a bench, the cold metal seeping through their coats, and turned to face each other.
"Alright," Aurora said, her voice steady . "Talk."
Lucien looked at her, his heterochromatic eyes reflecting the moonlight. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper . "For everything. For not being there when you needed me, for not understanding, for not fighting harder for you."
Aurora's heart ached at his words, at the raw honesty in his voice. She had been so focused on her own pain, on her own fears, that she had forgotten that Lucien had been hurting too.
"I'm sorry too," she said, her voice soft . "For running, for not talking to you, for not giving you a chance to explain."
Lucien reached out, his fingers brushing against hers. "I understand why you did it," he said. "I understand why you ran. But I need you to know that I'm here now. That I'm not going anywhere."
Aurora looked at him, really looked at him, and saw the sincerity in his eyes, the depth of his feelings. She had been so afraid of getting hurt again, of opening herself up to pain and heartache. But she realized now that she had been hurting herself by keeping him at a distance, by denying the connection that had always been there between them.
"I'm scared," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper . "Scared of getting hurt, scared of letting you in. But I'm also scared of losing you, of throwing away something that could be amazing."
Lucien's fingers tightened around hers, his thumb tracing circles on her skin. "I'm scared too," he said. "But I think we owe it to ourselves to try. To give this thing between us a chance."
Aurora looked at him, her heart pounding in her chest. She had spent so long running from her past, from her fears, from the possibility of love. But now, sitting beside Lucien in the quiet of the night, she realized that she was ready to face it all. Ready to take a chance, to open her heart, to let herself feel again.
"Alright," she said, her voice steady . "Let's try."
Lucien's eyes lit up, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Really?" he asked.
Aurora nodded, her own smile mirroring his. "Really," she said.
They sat there for a while, their fingers entwined, their hearts beating in sync. The night was cold, but they were warm, wrapped up in each other, in the promise of a new beginning.
Eventually, Lucien stood, pulling Aurora to her feet. "Come on," he said. "Let's go back to your flat. We have a lot to talk about."
Aurora nodded, her heart light with the possibility of what was to come. She took Lucien's hand, their fingers intertwining, and together they walked back into the night, ready to face whatever the future held.