Chapter 865

Megan rushed forward, anxious to check on Aurora.

“Aurora, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Her eyes were red with panic. She hadn’t expected this at all–she’d come here to take care of Aurora, so how had it ended with Aurora nearly falling? The thought filled her with guilt. She never imagined things would spiral like this.

Aurora saw the regret on Megan’s face and felt awful too. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen either.

Aurora shot Lucas a glare, then turned to comfort Megan. “Alright, alright, it’s nothing. It’s not your fault. It was my own decision. It really has nothing to do with you, Megan.”

She looked to Lucas and offered a calm explanation. She knew if she didn’t clear things up now, Lucas wouldn’t let it go easily. And truthfully, it was her own responsibility–she hadn’t told anyone in advance. Megan couldn’t be blamed for any of it.

But Megan still didn’t understand how things had turned out this way. She’d only gone to eat–how had it ended with Aurora nearly collapsing?

“Aurora, didn’t I tell you to call me if you needed anything?”

She couldn’t understand why Aurora hadn’t called out to her.

Aurora lowered her eyes, guilt creeping in. “I just felt like I had a little strength again… so, I thought I’d try moving on my own. I didn’t want to trouble you. I figured I need to start regaining my strength little by little.”

Megan’s voice wavered with hurt. “Then… what do you take me for? I told you to call me if you needed anything, and you still didn’t listen to me.”

Aurora looked at Megan’s hurt expression and hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. She reached out and pulled Megan into a gentle hug, feeling a wave of guilt. “I’m really sorry, Megan. I wasn’t thinking things through. I just figured… I should try to slowly regain my strength. I rushed it, that’s all. And then, just when I lost my balance, Lucas happened to walk in. That’s how all of this happened.”

Seeing the tears welling up in Megan’s eyes made Aurora’s heart ache. “This really was on me. I promise, I won’t try to act tough again.”

But Megan looked at her with teary eyes. “Do you… not see me as your friend at all?”

Aurora saw the tears ready to fall and felt even more ashamed of herself for being stubborn earlier. Megan had told her exactly what to do, so why did she insist on trying it alone? She’d upset Megan so much she was in tears, and now everyone was miserable first thing in the morning.

Aurora shot Lucas a glare. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling a little guilty himself. Maybe he’d overreacted and jumped to conclusions about Megan. Even though it had clearly been his fault, he still couldn’t bring himself to apologize; he was her cousin, after all.

Aurora, on the other hand, gave her firm reassurance. “Megan, you’re the only real friend I’ve got. Even if I didn’t rely on Lucas, I would still rely on you. You’re my biggest source of comfort.”

Her eyes were filled with sincerity. “To me, you’ve always been my safe haven. You make me feel like I’m home. You’ve given me so much warmth.”

Megan still felt a little hurt, but when she looked at Aurora’s serious expression, she couldn’t help but be moved.