The Next Line ( The Lineage Series #2)

Chapter 25

And I break.

Not in panic.
Not in fear.
But in the kind of quiet, breathtaking release that only comes after you've survived something beautiful.

Backstage erupts as soon as I step off.

Cheers. Laughter. Hugs. Congratulations.
Everyone's high off the performance, the triumph of opening night.

But I don't hear any of it.

Because the moment I round the corner—

"Aurora!"

My mother rushes forward and pulls me into the tightest hug, her arms trembling around me. She smells like warm vanilla and lavender, the way she always has when she tucks me in at night.

"You were beautiful," she whispers, brushing my hair back from my damp forehead. "Absolutely breathtaking."

I don't have words. Only the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

Then I feel another hand on my back.

Firm. Steady.

My dad.

"You held the entire theater in your hands," he says softly. "You did us proud, Aurora."

That makes the tears sting.

Not from sadness. From everything else.

Jamie comes up last, slinging an arm around my shoulders like we're at a cookout, not a black-tie gala. "Told you all that training would pay off," he says, squeezing me. "You made me look good out there."

I let out a shaky laugh. "You look good? I'm the one who did the pirouettes, thank you very much."

"You were amazing," Ginny blurts, pushing through the crowd with Lena in tow. "People were crying. Actual grown ass people."

"You floated," Lena says, grabbing my arm. "You didn't even dance—you floated."

I let their voices surround me, but I can't help feeling like there's something unfinished—something still waiting to land.

And then—

A voice. Smooth. Deep. Familiar.

"Aurora."

I turn.

And there he is.

Joshuan stands a few feet away from the crowd, dressed in black, sleeves rolled, a bouquet of deep red roses in one hand. He doesn't look at anyone else.

Only me.

My breath hitches.

Elle pulls back from me gently. "Go ahead, baby. We'll be right here."

I nod slowly, my legs suddenly heavy as I make my way over to him.

He holds the bouquet out.

"For Clara," he says jokingly but there's something else in his tone. Something heavier.

I take them—slowly.

The petals are soft. Rich. Fragrant.

"I didn't know you were coming," I say quietly.

His brow lifts, his voice low. "You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?"

I can't hold his gaze for long. It's too much.

Too intense.
Too honest.

He steps a little closer.

"You were... beyond words, princesa."

My breath shudders. "Thank you."

His eyes darken. "Can I talk to you?"

I nod again, and he gently places a hand on my back, leading me out through the side hall—just far enough from the crowd. The air is cooler here, quieter. The hallway is dim and lined with gold sconces and velvet runners.

I clutch the roses against my chest. "You didn't have to bring flowers."

He watches me, unreadable.

And then softly, he adds, "You can stop pretending this is nothing."

Joshuan

The sound of his footsteps echoes down the marble hallway, fast and angry.

I exhale hard, the tension in my shoulders still coiled tight, Aurora's perfume still lingering in the air between us. But she's not who I'm focused on now.

It's him.

Jamie.

And he's coming back.

I know it before I even see him again.

I turn just in time for it to happen.

His fist connects with my jaw—
Hard.
Blunt.
Laced with every unsaid word between us.

My head jerks sideways, pain blooming like fire along my jawline.

But I don't stumble.
I don't fall.

I just stand there, blood warming in my mouth, tasting betrayal on my tongue—his and mine.

He glares at me, chest heaving, fury written all over him.

"You crossed a line," he spits. "You fucking crossed it."

I wipe my mouth slowly with the back of my hand and meet his eyes—dark, wounded, loyal to a fault.

"I didn't mean for it to happen like this," I say, voice low. "But I'm not sorry for how I feel about her."

"You don't get to feel anything for her," he snaps. "You were supposed to protect her. Not touch her. Not want her."

Something in me breaks open.

"She's not a kid anymore, Jamie," I growl. "She's not your responsibility to control."

"She's my sister!" he roars. "And you were supposed to be my brother."

The word hits harder than his fist.

Brother.

That's what we used to be.

That's what he's saying I'm not anymore.

Something shifts in my spine.

I lunge forward and slam my fist into his eye.

His head snaps back. He grunts, stumbling, hand flying up to his face.

The silence that follows is brutal.

I breathe hard. So does he.

His eye's already swelling.

We stand there, staring at each other like strangers. Like two men who just set fire to everything they built.

"You wanna hit me again?" I ask, my voice steel. "Do it. But it won't change the fact that I love her."

Jamie flinches.

Aurora eyes widen.

And for the first time...
He doesn't have anything to say.

He turns, shaking his head, and walks away again—slower this time.

But this time, he doesn't come back.

Sorry guys for the last chapter. I'll do better. 😒
-M❤︎︎