Chapter 207. Moving Forward: pt. 2

Aurora’s POV

I let out a slow breath, feeling my chest ache, not just for him but for the versions of us that had suffered alone, in silence, trying to survive in different ways. “We didn’t come from the same circumstances,” I told him, my voice quiet but firm. “Yes, abuse was a common factor, but there was more at play than just that.” I hesitated, feeling the weight of my own memories clawing at the edges of my mind. “You had ways to vent, Shane. You could explode, lash out, fight back in ways I never could. But me?” I forced out a shaky breath. “I didn’t have that luxury. I had to hold it in. If I broke, if I let myself feel everything all at once, I wouldn’t have survived it.”

He stared at me, something raw flickering behind his eyes. “But that’s not fair,” he muttered. “You deserved to be angry too.”

A small, bitter smile ghosted my lips. “I was angry. I still am,” I admitted. “But I had to learn to carry it differently. I had to swallow it down, make s