Aura In LaLaLand

by Skye Grace

  “Fair to Aura? Von, I’m falling for her. The last thing I need is you showing up here now. The only way I could possibly know you’re sorry is by the fact that you haven’t come by to screw up the moving on process until now.”

  “If you’re falling for her, you know it wasn’t right for us. But if you’ve really moved on, you wouldn’t be so angry at me now, J.” Yvonne starts to reach a hand out toward Jacksen’s arm and he recoils.

  “Is this the formal apology I’ve been waiting for?” His eyes meet hers for what he hopes will be the last time. He doesn’t want to see her, and he doesn’t want to be told he can’t still feel hurt by her and be falling for someone else at the same time.

  “Yes,” she says, her eyes dripping sincerity.

  “Okay,” he nods. I don’t know how I ended up being the asshole of the night but I might as well ride it out now, “I’ll have the Peters’ bring you your purse. Formally.”

  He closes the door behind him with an air of finality, leaving Yvonne on the other side. This, paired with seeing Aura standing in the entryway waiting for him, fills him with relief.

  “Are you okay?” she asks.

  “Now,” he sighs, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Nice sweatshirt.”

  She grins and he leans in to whisper, “God I missed you today, can we not do that again… for a while, anyway?”

  “Considering we’re gonna be stuck together on set for a good month and a half, I would say we’re good on that front, yeah,” she laughs.

  “I’ve gotta talk to Gabs real quick but all I want to do is know how you’re handling this so well.”

  “You proud of me? Impressed even?” She grins.

  “Very,” he says, electric jade eyes full of sincerity and awe.

  “I think we're both stronger than we think,” she admits, kissing him gently, “I’m pretty proud of us.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The next morning, Aura, Jacksen, and Wes celebrate their second-to-last day off with a big brunch in Beverly Hills followed by a successful meeting with Constellation’s stunt coordinators. They show up at an offshoot of the studio where training is done and stunts are coordinated. Jameson beats them there and greets the three of them with big bear hugs.

  The actress who was casted to play Jameson’s, or rather Brody’s love interest in the film is nowhere to be seen. Instead, a badass blonde stuntwoman is here in her place. The fact that Aura didn’t have to be replaced by a profession sends prideful tingles of excitement through her body and she can’t wipe the grin off her face. Jacksen and Wes listen in, smile and each give her a squeeze on the shoulder to show how proud they are too. They’re ushered off to the side to do some sparring with the stunt double and some trainers but both guys keep an eye on Aura, who appears to be the woman of the hour.

  “Aura, we loved the fight video you sent. Just wanna make sure it’s gonna work out for the screen, okay?” A trainer asks and Aura nods. The trainer grabs Jameson and pulls him right in front of Aura, “Did you guys read through the fight scene with Bianca and Brody?”

  “Yes,” they answer in unison. Their eyes meet and they share a small laugh. The air between them is clear and everything feels so right.

  “So, I know Jameson’s got nearly a foot on you Aura, thankfully you’re not shorter,” the trainer explains and she silently thanks her younger self for avoiding coffee and anything else that could’ve stunted her growth. “But you’ve still gotta pull this off, flipping Jameson over, yeah? I’m gonna demonstrate for you now, I’m gonna do this using a hip toss.”

  Aura manages not to squeal in delight, but she’s done this move with Mark so many times that she feels unstoppable, giddy and impervious. Her body buzzes with excitement and she gives gratitude for her strong, wide hips, she couldn’t do this move without them. It’s her turn now and Jameson almost looks worried for her as they face off. Ha! She bends her knees just slightly and slides both arms under Jameson’s armpits, steps into him, then behind him, sucking in a sharp breath.

  She only has to lift slightly with her arms and gains leverage as she sets Jameson back down onto her hip and lower back, using a quick jolt of power from her knees and quads to throw him back off of her. She uses her right arm to fling him off and he lands on the mats with a thunderous thud that has everyone in the room staring with mouths agape. Jacksen and Wes clap and yell and Jameson just laughs as he gets up on his knees, rubbing the hip he fell on.

  Aura offers a hand to help up her friend and the trainers stare at her in awe as she offers, “Well, that was easy. What’s next?”

  “I think it’s safe to say you’ve got that in the bag, Aur,” Jacksen chuckles as they get back in the Jeep. Thanks, she thinks to him, it’s cool that they were impressed, but sparring with you is still the best part. He leans over and kisses her while Wes climbs into the backseat without a single complaint about the display of affection.

  They end up back at Aura’s house, where Aura and Wes spend most of the afternoon researching time travel and Chaos Theory while Alexis and Jacksen hit up every artisan market within a ten mile radius to get just the right ingredients for Rowan’s welcome dinner. Aura thinks maybe one artisanal grocery store would have been enough for Jacksen, but figures he’s attempting to make up for his being the ultimate girl’s night buzzkill the evening before.

  “Butterfly effect…” Aura reads, laptop on her chest, as her head rests comfortably on Wes’ bermuda shorts-covered thigh as they lounge on the sectional in Aura’s living room.

  “Mmmm,” Wes barely responds, his head buried in a different theory entirely.

  “In theory, it can cause a hurricane in China to a butterfly flapping its wings in New Mexico. It may take a very long time, but the connection is real. If the butterfly had not flapped its wings at just the right point in space and time, the hurricane would not have happened. Yeah?”

  “Sure,” he auto-replies. She reaches up and slaps him on the stomach.

  “Listen!” Aura demands.

  “Ow, Jesus! Okay okay, listening!” He claps his laptop shut and looks at the top of her head, the closest he can currently get to making eye contact.

  “But what about string theory? If we accept that there are 11 dimensions of reality, like string theory suggests, then a time machine or portal could not only transport us back through the fourth dimension but also through the fifth dimension to an entirely new time line. Our actions would have no bearing on the timeline in which the travel mechanism was invented or used. I mean, that makes sense too, right? Wes?”

  Wes sighs, “This is why I haven’t gotten very far, Aura, there’s a lot of theories and very little concrete evidence. I don’t really know which one fits our situation. I’m really hoping Rowan is somehow the missing link in explaining all of this.”

  “Maybe...I mean, I hope so. Which means researching isn’t doing us any good at this point then anyway so I’m done for now.” She follows Wes’ suit and slams her computer shut.

  “Come on, let’s go down to the beach. Bet you can’t beat me to the pier,” he smiles, hearing from her thoughts that his distraction technique is working.

  “You’re on,” she grins.

  When Alexis and Jacksen return, Wes is eager to help Jacksen on the grill while Sage and Taylor show up and start chopping things up with Alexis in the kitchen. It’s so weird to see the three of them eat anything, let alone cook, that Aura does a double take to make sure it’s really happening. But she appreciates the effort they’re all putting in to make the evening perfect for her, even if she’s too anxious to do much to contribute at this point. Her nerves amp up further when the doorbell rings and its Monroe, not Rowan.

  She had mentioned to her that Rowan was coming and didn’t think the popstar would take that as an invite or even be free to show up. Monroe being anywhere in the vicinity was always hit or miss but something about her being here now is like an irrational tidal wave of relief for Aura.

  “You really thought I could hear abo
ut this bitch for so many years and not havta meet her?”

  Aura shakes her head, “Yeah, I get it,” and reaches out for a big hug to greet her insane friend who somehow manages to always calm her nerves. “And she’s not a bitch. She’s actually the nicest ever and I’m the bitch, remember? I mean, I was one. Repenting here, hello!”

  “How long is she gonna be here?” Monroe asks after rolling her eyes, while Aura starts pacing the entry way.

  “Closed set, so I guess she’ll just be here till we go on in a couple days.” She stops to gnaw on a fingernail and then continues pacing.

  “Aur, you’re wrecked. You need me to make you a drink?”

  She takes a few more steps back and forth, “I don’t know… No. I don’t think I want any tonight, actually.” Monroe looks at her like she has three heads, pulls a bottle of Jack from her enormous purse, and wanders to the kitchen where she halfheartedly greets her ‘dolls’ and mixes a stiff drink for herself. Taylor opens a bottle of red and a bottle of white, and also cocks an eyebrow when Aura refuses a glass. Her memories have returned, for the most part, and she doesn’t want anything muddling up her new memories, especially not tonight.

  A pang of guilt knocks from inside her chest when she thinks about the friends standing in front of her, her oldest ones other than Rowan, and how much she’s been hiding from them. The doorbell rings and she practically jumps out of her skin. The crew rockets towards the foyer and Aura stops them. She asks for a second and they give it to her, but they begin whispering about why Rowan would suddenly forgive Aura 5 years later. She had only given to Alexis a half-truth as to why they’d suddenly reconciled. She’d told her that she had reached out to Rowan, and since she’d married Aura’s teen crush, that things were even enough now and that Rowan missed her.

  At least it’s not a total lie, she thinks to herself before a long shaky exhale leaves her lips and she turns the doorknob. Any air left in her lungs leaves as soon as she sees Rowan, reverting to a nerdy 11-year old who opens to the door to find the most enviably cool babysitter that’s ever showed up on her doorstep.

  Rowan is infinitely more rad than Aura could have even expected, her ears and nose covered in holes, piercings and ink highlighting her effortless style, complete with long silver hair and rebellious, jet black growout at the roots. She was more beautiful than Aura could’ve imagined. Rowan drops her giant shoulder bag on the steps and runs up to Aura, her eyes already welling. Damnit, you could always make me cry before you even let one tear fall, Aura sighs to herself, this has sucked not having you during all this, I just love this girl…

  Rowan blinks back a tear or two, “Oh, I love you too, now stop being a little bitch and come hug me.”

  Aura lifts up her arms, incredulous, and puts them tentatively on her friend’s shoulders, You can read minds, too? She barely gets out the thought before those sharp little electrical spikes attack Aura’s skin as her hands touch Rowan’s bare shoulders.

  Rowan begins to nod as if it’s obvious and then her eyes pop open, “And you can’t?!” Aura shakes her head, baffled. Rowan is overcome by the tingling energy spreading over her skin, not something she has ever felt before and definitely wasn’t expecting, but is too confused to even ask.

  “Aura, I- I’m sorry. I just assumed we could both read people’s thoughts now, I thought it came with the uh, territory,” Rowan apologizes and hugs her friend tight.

  “I think it does, just not for me,” Aura admits into Rowan’s hair, envious of the abilities Jacksen, Wes, and now Rowan all share. Rowan steps back a bit, reading the brunette carefully.

  “Wait, you know someone other than us who-” All Rowan wants, other than time with the only person in the world as close as a sister to her, is answers. And just as she’s able to start getting somewhere, she hears a loud throat clear and is interrupted by the beautiful faces of the stars of Aura’s new life staring at them expectantly.

  Aura turns around to see Alexis, Monroe, and Taylor, their faces bright, expectant, impatiently waiting to be introduced to the Rowan they’ve heard so much about but never actually met. Rowan picks up her bag and Aura grabs her hand, pulling her inside while pushing back her boundary-breaking friends. At least my boys had the courtesy to stay out back and give us a minute.

  Rowan’s eyebrows perk at hearing Aura thinking of her ‘boys.’ Who was here other than Jacksen? Her heart beats faster at the thought of meeting him any second, being a lifelong Protectors fangirl, after all, this is a little much, a little more than I thought… Rowan panics momentarily, but exhales and attempts to keep her cool.

  “Rowan, this is Taylor, Alexis, and Monroe,” Aura ticks them off in the order they’re standing.

  “Holy shit, I never thought we’d be meeting you, girl,” Monroe drawls.

  They all do their hellos and Rowan grins, “Thank you all for being there for Aur when I wasn’t.” Alexis purses her lips and Taylor’s eyes sparkle, hoping for a chick fight to break out at any moment. Aura hands Taylor her phone so he can snap a picture of her and Rowan. He obliges while the blondes pout on the sidelines, so she requests he take a second with all four girls in the shot. Aura has no time for jealousy of any kind and ignores it completely, tossing Rowan’s bags at the foot of the stairs and yanking her outside to meet Jacksen and Wes.

  They close the door behind them and the technicolor sunset over the water takes their breath away. Once their eyes adjust, they are hit again with the dazzling smiles of Wes and Jacksen. The boys quickly put down their barbeque tools, wipe hands on their jeans, and outstretch them to introduce themselves, something entirely unnecessary for Rowan. She had mentally prepared herself, or at least tried to, for meeting Jacksen, but Wesley Armand? This was too much.

  Aura checks to make sure no one is coming out to join them and then looks back at the guys and blurts in her brain, Not only did Rowan travel right in after me, but she can also read minds just like you both can!

  Rowan chokes on nothing and Aura smiles, she can’t help it, it’s such a her move. Rowan’s hands are shaking harder than they were just a few seconds ago, something she’d have thought impossible. Wes’ hand hasn’t even left Rowan’s yet as he hears this, so instead of letting go, he clutches it tighter and her pulse reaches what she assumes is a medically-concerning rate. Wes grins. She tries not to think of her computer’s ‘Wesley Armand as Graylan’ gratuitous fangirl wallpaper or the uber crush that fuels decorating her technology in such a way.

  Don’t think about it, don’t think about it. He’ll read you. It’d taken her only a few days after she traveled to realize and remember… she had moved on from Jameson and his character Brody. She was a complete ‘Graylan girl’ now. Thought about it. Damn it!

  Wes laughs softly, “Rowan, has Aura told you about how alike the two of us are?” Rowan shakes her head, dumbfounded, not even, did she just say you and Jacksen time traveled like we did? And you could both read minds like I can once you traveled?”

  “Yes and no,” Wes sighs. Jacksen reaches over to Aura and pulls her into him and Wes looks over to them, knowing it’s all just a little too much for both girls right now. “Aura, I know you were literally just reunited but can I take Rowan for a minute? I’ll bring her back, I promise.”

  Aura nods and Wes whisks Rowan off to walk the beach and describe what exactly was going on with all of them, to the best of his knowledge, anyway.

  “Are you alright?” Jacksen asks Aura once they’re alone, breaking their embrace only to pull the steaks, including an extremely hard to find tofu steak for Rowan the vegan, off the grill.

  “I think so. I don’t know, it’s a lot to take in,” she admits honestly. “When I know, I’ll tell you, here,” she taps an index finger to her temple.

  He takes that hand in his and kisses along each knuckle. She stares into his eyes, a nearly chartreuse green in the fading light and listens to his breathing, as steady as the lapping waves, and it calms her more than anything could. “I’ll be listening, as long as you�
��ll let me, always.”

  After dinner, Alexis, Taylor, and Monroe head to a big party for a mutual friend at a club downtown while Wes and Jacksen quickly make plans to have a nightcap with Jameson and Gabby so Aura can have some alone time to catch up with Rowan. Three sets of empathetic eyes land on Rowan once they’ve realized they mentioned Jameson. Rowan scoffs and waves them off, mumbling something about water under a bridge.

  Aura kisses Jacksen hard knowing she won’t be seeing him till tomorrow and then gives Wes a tight squeeze. Why am I the only one of us that can’t read people? she wonders hard, hoping for an answer from her beautiful, gangly, and too intelligent for his own good new friend. He pulls back and looks at her with care and concern, “I’ll text you when we’re in the car,” Wes assures.

  Rowan runs upstairs to change into pajamas while Aura stays in the kitchen to scrounge up some dessert. She checks the pantry of the calorie-conscious household, nothing. She walks towards the fridge but stops mid step when her phone buzzes in her pocket. She reads Wes’ text immediately.

  ‘So… you traveled in time. J can read thoughts but he didn’t travel. Rowan and I traveled and we can read minds. I don’t know exactly why you can’t or why Jacksen can. All I know really is that you brought all four of us together, you’re the thread that connects us. Dunno what we will accomplish now that we’re together, but it’s something big. Something amazing. I can feel it Aura, can’t you?’

  She stashes her phone then stands and stares blankly at the frozen food while she contemplates his question. The cold air chills her bones but it barely registers. Yes, she decides, all I can feel is the amazing to come. She pulls two pints of Ben and Jerry’s out of the freezer and delivers them to her bedroom, where Rowan is already cuddled up in bed fiddling with the remote.

  Aura hands her a tub of dairy-free triple chocolate, Rowan thanks her and laughs, “I will admit it took me a minute to figure out this whole smart TV thing, you?”