CHAPTER 404: CHAPTER 404: LIKE OR NOT?

Aurora looked at her for a moment, then smiled again.

"You don’t need to put it that way. But if you want, you can think of it as something you will buy back later. I plan to buy this apartment for now. When you have enough money in the future, you can buy it back from me. For the time being, let’s say you are renting this place with my help. It will be easier that way."

Mia’s eyes widened, then suddenly filled with tears again.

She hugged Aurora tightly and sobbed.

"I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here for me. I was so lost. I thought I would lose everything. Thank you... thank you so much."

Aurora hugged her back and smiled gently. "It’s not a big deal. You deserve better than what they gave you."

As she held Mia, Aurora felt a deep pang in her heart.

She never imagined that Mia, the cheerful girl she had always seen at school, had been living such a hard life.

She had assumed Mia came from a comfortable middle-class family, like most of their classmates.

But now she knew there was a painful story behind Mia’s transfer to the elite high school.

Aurora wondered if the school had accepted Mia not just for her grades but also because of some hidden arrangement her parents had made.

There might be secrets that Mia herself did not know. Aurora decided silently that she would investigate Mia’s background.

After Mia finally calmed down and fell asleep on the bed, Aurora quietly stepped out of the room. She thought for a while, then took out her phone and called Selena.

When the call connected, a lazy voice came from the other end. "What is it now, Aurora?"

Aurora glanced at the sleeping Mia and said in a calm tone, "It’s about Mia. She is in trouble."

There was a sharp pause on the other end. Then Selena’s voice became alert. "What happened to her?"

Aurora gave a quick, clear explanation of what had happened.

Then she added, "I am at Mia’s apartment. I will wait here until you arrive. Once you are here, I will leave."

Selena was silent for a second, then said in a softer voice, "Thank you." After that, she hung up.

Aurora rolled her eyes lightly. She thought to herself that if it wasn’t for the fact that she wanted her best friend to have someone reliable by her side, she would not have bothered to deal with Selena at all.

She just wanted to make sure Mia was not alone.

With that thought, she stayed in the living room, keeping an eye on Mia as she slept peacefully.

After some time, the doorbell rang. Aurora got up and opened the door.

Selena stepped in quickly. The moment she saw Mia sleeping on the bed with her swollen eyes and red nose, her own eyes darkened with anger.

She clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"I will deal with those leeches," she said in a low, furious voice.

Aurora smiled faintly at her reaction. "Then I will wait to see your revenge," she said lightly.

Selena turned her attention to Aurora. She looked at Mia again for a moment, then gestured for Aurora to come with her.

Aurora nodded and followed her out of the room, making sure to close the door quietly so as not to wake Mia. They both went into the living room.

Selena faced Aurora, her hands still clenched. "I don’t understand you," she said, her voice sharp.

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "What is it that you don’t understand? I am just Mia’s best friend."

Selena’s fists tightened as she took a step closer. "Do you even know about Mia’s true feelings?"

Aurora blinked and looked at her calmly. "What kind of true feelings?"

Selena let out a bitter chuckle. "Mia likes you."

For a moment, Aurora froze, her expression unreadable. Then she shook her head slightly. "That is impossible."

Selena stared at her, surprised by how calm and steady she looked. "How can you be so sure?"

Aurora looked at Selena with her calm eyes, her voice steady and clear.

"If Mia truly loved me or liked me, she would have at least confessed. But she didn’t."

Selena rolled her eyes at her words. "Not everyone has enough confidence to confess," she replied sharply.

Aurora chuckled softly, her smile carrying a trace of calm confidence.

"That’s not true," she said.

"Everyone has enough confidence. It only depends on how much they like the other person. If someone just has a little attraction, they will hide it. If they really like the other person, they will try to get their attention. But if they truly love that person, they will give everything they have to them. They will care about all their needs."

She paused, her eyes softening a little as she continued.

"But Mia isn’t like that. She liked me as her best friend, and she did small things like copying notes or bringing me coffee sometimes. But I always returned those favors. I did the same things for her. There was never a time she did something for me that I didn’t do back. That’s why I know she didn’t love me. And when she found out that Spencer and I had broken up, she didn’t show any special emotion. She just consoled me and made sure I was okay. She didn’t try to use that moment to get close to me. In fact, she kept her distance even more."

Selena frowned. "How can you be so sure that Mia wasn’t just scared?" she asked.

"Maybe she thought you were straight and didn’t want to ruin your friendship. Maybe she was chickening out."

Aurora shrugged lightly. "Maybe," she said simply.

"But I have seen how she behaves with you. She has relaxed around you in ways she never did with me. She even let you apply medicine on her back. She never allowed me to do that before."

Hearing those words, Selena froze. Her eyes widened a little, and she stared at Aurora.

"Wait... do you mean..." she started to ask.

Aurora just shrugged again, her lips curling into a faint, teasing smile.

"That’s up to you," she said softly. "It depends on your intelligence and how much you can understand from this conversation."

Selena blinked, her mind suddenly racing. As she thought about Aurora’s words, pieces of memories started to come together.

She remembered how Mia’s attention toward Aurora had slowly lessened.

She remembered how Mia had started to smile more at her jokes, how she didn’t hesitate as much when Selena called her out for coffee or study breaks.

Mia even started texting her more often, asking about her day.

It all made sense now. Maybe Mia had started to develop feelings for her.

Or maybe she had just gotten used to her company. Whatever the reason, Mia had definitely changed.

A warm feeling grew in Selena’s chest, and her heart started to beat faster.

She looked at Aurora and couldn’t hold it in anymore. She suddenly stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

Aurora froze for a moment, surprised by the sudden hug.

Then she sighed softly and patted Selena’s back. "If Mia saw us now, she would definitely misunderstand," she said gently.

Selena immediately stepped back, her face a little red. "You’re right," she said quickly. "I can’t let my wifey misunderstand me."

Aurora blinked in disbelief. "Wifey?" she repeated.

Selena smiled brightly, her tone playful. "Well, she’s not officially mine yet, but one day, maybe she will be."

Aurora stared at her for a few seconds, completely speechless.

Then she rolled her eyes. "Is this still a friend?" she muttered under her breath.

"I help you this much, and you’re already calling her your wifey?"

Selena laughed, not taking her words seriously.

"When I first met Mia," she said, "I thought you were going to be my biggest rival. I even prepared myself for a battle."

Aurora chuckled coldly. "You still should," she said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp.

"If you ever dare to bully Mia or make her cry, I will take her away from you."

Selena crossed her arms and raised a brow. "You dare?" she challenged.

Aurora nodded. "I dare," she said seriously.

Selena’s eyes met hers, and for a moment, the air between them felt tense.

Aurora’s eyes were blazing with determination, and Selena finally understood.

Aurora wasn’t threatening her because she wanted Mia for herself.

She was doing it because she wanted to protect her best friend.

Aurora wanted Selena to always have a sense of responsibility and fear of losing Mia so that she would treat her right.

Selena’s anger softened, and she let out a small chuckle. "You really are a good friend, Aurora," she said.

Aurora smiled faintly. "I could be a good lover too," she said teasingly. "If you ever give me the chance, I will prove it to Mia."

Selena laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I doubt that," she said, though there was no meanness in her tone.