Melih tried to rub her back, but quickly pulled his hand away. “Everything is going to be okay, Rora.”
“Melih, stop that. Leave me alone. Please. Someone is going to come in here and find us.” Don’t leave though. I want you, Melih. I need you.
“Don’t worry about it, Aurora,” Melih said. “Tell me vhat is vrong. Are you okay?”
“I feel like you already know the answer to that, Melih,” Aurora said. “But yes, I was just thinking about Gannon.” A tear ran down her face, and Melih wiped it away. “Please don’t touch me.”
“I am sorry,” Melih said. “I am just trying to help you relax. You know I am here for you and vant to help you through dis divorce.”
“I am sorry to sound mean. I-I-I am just scared of men right now.” Aurora continued, “And… I just feel stupid for ever being with him.”
“You don’t have to blame yourself for Gannon. You did not know he vas a monster,” Melih said. He put his hand to her wet cheek to dry her tears. “Aşkım. I mean, my love.” He started to stumble on his words. “Aşkım means, my love, in Turkish…. Sorry, I didn’t mean… Oh dang it…”
“You have never called me that before, Melih.” He chuckled at her.
“What?” Aurora said. “Did I pronounce it right?”
“Pronounce vhat?”
“Your name?” Aurora said.
“Vell. No. But dat is da cute ting about it,” Melih said.
“Anyway… you are right about Gannon,” Aurora said.
“Stop thinking about him. His name should not leave your beautiful lips.” With his hand on her face, he rubbed his thumb along her lips. His thumb felt soft. Melih continued, “Aurora, you know I like you so much.” He quickly pulled his hand away as if touching a woman were touching forbidden fruit to him.
“No I don’t, actually.” She could smell his masculine pheromones calling out her name.
“I am trying so hard to contain my feelings,” Melih said. You have no idea.
“Well, you have done a great job so far,” Aurora said and giggled.
I don’t know why, but I am trying hard to not kiss him right now.
Aurora and Melih got off the bed to walk out of the room as they heard some noise in the living room. The sounds came from a man that wasn’t there earlier. The voice was muffled. Why does that voice sound so familiar? She heard the voice getting closer. For a few moments the man stopped talking. She could hear him getting closer to her, and she heard Zara yell. Aurora could hear the stomping the man’s feet made with each step he took. He was getting closer and closer. She could hear him in the hallway, and her heart started to beat faster. Adrenaline went through her veins to her brain.
“Not now,” she said. She could sense something bad was about to happen. The door opened and she couldn’t breathe.
“Gannon, please don’t!” Aurora yelled as she thought he was going to attack her. All of her past memories with Gannon flashed in front of her eyes. She covered her face with her hands to protect herself. She thought he was going to kill her, but Gannon lunged toward Melih. She thought he was going to kill Melih. How did he know I was here? No one invited him. Who told him about tonight?
Gannon yelled, “I knew you guys were messin' around!” Aurora could smell the whiskey on Gannon’s breath.
Melih said, “No vee veren’t, bro. Calm down!”
“Melih, you already told me you liked her. You ain’t foolin’ me.” He told him what? Gannon released a large amount of air from his chest and got close to Melih. Their noses were almost touching. Gannon continued, “You know what, you dirty A-rab. I am goin’ to kill you.” Gannon pointed at Aurora, then at his own chest. “She is my girl.”
Instead of talking back by saying he was Turkish and not an Arab, he ignored that comment. Gannon was too ignorant to even know the difference between a lake and an ocean, let alone an Arab or a Turk. Melih always knew that Gannon was racist, just never toward him, until that moment.
Melih said, “Gannon, she isn’t yours anymore, and she isn’t mine yet, either.” Melih continued after taking a breath and raising his voice, “She is nobody’s!”
Aurora thought that Melih wasn’t proud enough to be with her or too ashamed. She didn’t hear Melih say, “Yet.” She became so upset that she tried to run out of the room, but Gannon grabbed her arm.
Aurora looked in Gannon’s eyes; they were red like a fire, as if the devil himself was staring into her eyes. “You ain’t goin’ anywhere, Aurora!”
Aurora tried to pull her arm away as hard as she could. She yelled, “Let go of me!” Dan rushed to the room and pulled Gannon off of Aurora.
Gannon was breathing heavily while clenching his fists and jaw. That was the way he used to look at Aurora before he would abuse her. Gannon tried to fight Dan, but he knew that he didn’t stand a chance with him. Dan said, “Gannon, you need to go, buddy.” He tried to pull away from Dan. “Come on, man. You know I am stronger than you. Don’t even try to fight me. You need to leave.”
Gannon pulled away and walked fast out the door, stomping his feet. As he left, he slammed the door, and the whole house shook. Then everything was silent as everyone was in shock by the situation that happened in such a short amount of time. Gannon came in like a tornado, trying to destroy everything in his path.
“I am sorry, everyone,” Aurora said frantically. “This is my fault.” She started to cry. Aurora was used to Gannon always blaming her. She went right back into believing that Gannon’s storming into that house was her fault.
Then Melih reassured her and said, “No, it is not your fault, Rora. Just sit down.” She pulled away from Melih and put her hand in front of him, meaning for him to stop.
Aurora said, “I don’t want to sit down. I want to leave.” She yelled, “Tessa! I want to leave.” Aurora fell to the floor. Zara and Sara came in with Tessa to console Aurora, since Dan had told them to wait in the living room until Gannon was gone. Aurora’s heart beat faster, and she felt a tightness in her chest. She felt like she was unable to breathe. She thought to herself, Melih couldn’t even fight for me. Am I not good enough? Was Gannon right? What the hell is wrong with me?
Sara’s dark black eyes looked into Aurora’s. It was as if she were staring into Aurora’s soul and knew her future. She said, “Everything is going to be okay, my love.” She then hugged Aurora. Aurora never liked hugs, either giving or receiving them, but she needed one then. She needed a lot of hugs.
The guys left the room, but Melih stayed in the doorway. As soon as she calmed down, Tessa and her went home. Dan walked them to the car and kissed Tessa on the cheek. Aurora could see it as she looked from the passenger side window. She touched her lips and remembered Melih’s lips. Then it made her feel defeated again.
On the way home, Tessa turned the radio off in the car. “Aurora, I really want to talk to you about something.”
“Is it something about Dan?” Aurora said.
“No,” Tessa said. “It is about you, actually.”
Aurora gulped down a breath of air.
“You really should stop dating for a while because you do not need that kind of drama in your life.”
“You are right,” Aurora said. “I am just shocked with what just happened.”
“I know, and hate to be harsh, Aurora,” Tessa said. “But I am your best friend, and if I do not tell you the truth, who will?”
“It is fine,” Aurora said. “I know you are just looking out for what is best for me.”
“I wish you could see what was best for you.”
“Ouch.”
“I mean, I wish you could see how much of an amazing person you are. Nice, funny, and a great writer,” Tessa said. “Don’t forget that. Don’t forget who you are.”
“I know. Gannon made me forget who I was for a while.”
“And… I know you like Melih a lot.” Tessa turned on her blinker to take a right turn.
“You do?” Aurora said. It was one of those times that Aurora neede
d to hear the truth, or she would have kept burying herself in Melih’s heart.
“Well. Just be careful, Aurora. With Jason as well,” Tessa said. “You have to remember that you are still not divorced.”
“I know. I know,” Aurora said. “I just…”
“You just need more time to heal.”
Chapter 19
Aurora kept herself busy by moving into her new place. The days following the fight at Sara and Zara’s, Aurora thought about how she wanted to call Melih and yell at him for not defending her.
While she was unpacking some clothes into her new place, she had some time to reflect. Why am I mad about Melih? I am not Melih’s…. but he was right. Why am I always mad at everyone? Even the people who love and care about me. She wanted to call and yell at Gannon too, but she knew yelling at Gannon was a waste of time because that was the kind of attention he wanted. She felt pathetic for Melih not being able to fight for her when Dan had. But why was he so afraid to stick up for me? What is he hiding? Why is he holding back? What is wrong with me?..... You know what, nothing is wrong with me. It’s them.
Okay….I have to stay busy. I need to write. I need to put my emotions on paper and forget about all of this. Her writing was the best when she was mad or depressed, though she wouldn’t admit it, and no one knew that about her, either. That is when she let out her real emotions and coping with life’s struggles since she was ten years old, when she started journaling.
She turned her frustration and anger into writing. She took the black elastic hair band from her wrist that she has had always worn since she was a teenager to put her hair in a bun on top of her head. She always did that when she was really into writing or working hard on something.
Aurora started by typing at the head of her computer document a title: Leaving Your Abusive Husband. She scratched her head as she thought. She laid out the entirety of what words she would write in her mind, like a blanket being laid out on a freshly made bed. With every letter she typed for that article, a small amount of pain left her heart and mind. The article was a way for her to cope and to get back at Gannon for what he had done to her. She was sure he wouldn’t even read it because he never read her articles. No more turning back or hiding those dark secrets now. After I write this article, I am not wasting one more thought on him.
A box of Kleenex and many tears later, she hit send on her laptop. Why don’t I feel happy? I feel nothing. She knew she was too nice to be revengeful, but she did what she thought was right. She used her voiced to speak for the voiceless that were in abusive relationships like her. I just feel bad for Gannon. He is so pathetic. She finally realized nothing she did could be equal to what he did, and she was okay with that. I finally think I am going to be okay. I mean, I have to be. I am not hiding anything anymore.
Chapter 20
Aurora met up to go shopping with Tessa to get a new outfit for her divorce.
“So, what do you suggest?” Aurora said as she looked through some clothing racks. “Should I wear all black because it is like I will be dressing for a funeral?”
“No, Aurora,” Tessa said. “You need to dress your best. No one wants to dress bad on their divorce day.”
“How do you know that?” Aurora said. “You don’t know any divorced people.”
“That is true, but if I were getting divorced,” Tessa said, “I would want to look my best. Show him what he is missing. Show him what he lost.”
“I honestly don’t care what he thinks,” Aurora said. “He is dead to me. That is why I wanted to dress like it is a funeral.”
“Do you want to just dress like the grim reaper then?” Tessa said.
“Why not?” Aurora said. “Do you think places still sell Halloween costumes this time of year?” Tessa rolled her eyes.
Tessa continued to talk about fashion as Aurora felt her phone vibrate. She took it out of her jeans pocket and saw she had an email notification.
She opened her phone and saw it was from The New York Times. Please don’t be spam. Please don’t be spam. Her heart started to skip beats.
Aurora had pitched her article to one of the editors at The New York Times a week earlier. She assumed they were never going to respond because they typically respond within three days. She had pitched to them several times before, but she had not pitched them a story in a while.
The one she pitched about her leaving her husband was different. It was real and raw, as if she had written with blood. She had never written about her relationship or personal life before that article. She wrote that article because she wanted to protect the world from people like Gannon, and she felt like she had to. Though she knew no matter what she would write, say, or do, nothing would be worse than what Gannon had done to her.
The email was from the assistant to the Editor-in-chief, Dean Banquet, at The New York Times. Oh. My. God. I hope this is good. It must be good.
Hello Aurora,
We were deeply moved by your article that you sent us. We put it up on our website this morning and within the first hour after posting that article, it reached ten thousand shares. We project that it will reach almost one million views in this month alone.
Furthermore, we see that you are the type of upcoming talent we are looking for. This is the first article that we have seen of yours where you let us into your life. Many people were reaching out to us to talk with you and thanking you for writing that article. We would like you to know that we have a position open for the Assistant Executive Editor. We also know you are working with the “Happy Living Magazine” in Wisconsin, but we would like to extend the opportunity to you to interview.
We know a several years ago you declined the offer to come work with us, but we want to let you know that a better opportunity has become available.
Contact us if you are interested.
Best,
Audrey Gorgio
Assistant of Dean Banquet
Aurora kept re-reading it over and over again. What? She put her hand to her mouth. Dean Banquet’s assistant is messaging me? No way.
“Are you okay, Aurora?” Tessa said.
“Yes,” Aurora said as her voice cracked. “Just reading a work email.”
This is exactly I need. Though I cannot leave until the divorce is finalized. Leaving Wisconsin and going to live her dream was exactly what she wanted. She smiled and laughed. Is this even real? She was scared to leave, but felt that it was necessary for her to finally be happy. Will this finally make me happy again, if I was ever happy? She had always resented Gannon for not going to New York, and she had always beaten herself up about it. You know what, Aurora. Stop blaming him for not going. You didn’t have to say yes. It was your own fault you didn’t go. She knew that she would not let a moment like that pass her by again. I finally have a way out of here, but what about Melih? What about Jason? But maybe I should be thinking for once, what about me?
She didn’t know if it was luck or fate. She was not the only one shocked, but The New York Times was as well. She opened her social media and saw messages from women thanking her for the article, messaging her “this is the push I needed to leave my abusive relationship.” I am happy I helped these people. I am happier that there are other people out there that have been through what I have been through. Not like I want anyone to go through this, I just don’t want to be alone in this anymore. Though she was ready to write about her divorce, facing the reality to talk about it to people in person was too hard for her. Her main reason for becoming a writer was so she could avoid confrontation.
“Aurora? Aurora?” Tessa said as she snapped her fingers at Aurora. “Are you listening to anything I am saying?”
“Yes,” Aurora said as Tessa grunted and rolled her eyes again.
“You have been staring at your phone for the last ten minutes,” Tessa said as she handed Aurora an armful of clothes. “Just try these on, please.”
“Whatever you say, mom.” Aurora smiled.
“Why are you so happy now?” I ca
n’t tell her they offered me an interview. She will tell me not to do it or that it is too much of a step… But I can’t lie.
“Well….” Aurora said. “The Times posted an article I pitched to them.” I guess that had some truth in it… Part of the truth, anyway.
“My best friend is awesome!” Tessa said. “Okay… After we choose you a nice divorce outfit, we can go celebrate.”
Aurora walked to the fitting room with her arms full of clothes.
You know what, I have to call them for an interview.
Chapter 21
Two days after she posted that article, her employees were staring at her after they all read her article. They felt sad just looking at her because behind the tough exterior that Aurora always displayed at work, people got to finally see past that. Aurora was sitting at her work desk sipping coffee from her bright red coffee mug that said, The BOSS, on it. She was editing articles for her magazine, with a pencil tucked into the bun on her head. Her cell phone started to ring, and she saw that it was Jason calling.
“Hello, Jason? I think this is the first time you have ever called me before,” Aurora said as she continued to type on her computer.
“Hey. I just read your article! It was very powerful!” She stopped writing. “I just thought a phone call would be more personal, don’t you think?”
“I mean, I guess?” Aurora said.
“See Aurora, you are stronger than you think,” Jason said.
“Who said I wasn’t strong?” As she sipped from her coffee mug she thought, I am not really that strong. He must understand why I wrote that article. How can he see through me? Maybe I am getting stronger.
“You are right,” Jason said. “You are a strong and beautiful woman.”
“You know why I wrote that article, right Jason?”
I know Jason was intelligent enough to know why I really wrote the article… but Jason didn’t know about the altercation at Zara and Sara’s that finally pushed me to write it and tell the world about my abusive relationship. I bared it all to the world. I revealed my scars.
After She Said Yes Page 12