Trapped by the Past

Chapter 7: The Arrangment Part I

"You are going after your graduation, to Aiden." The words were ringing in my ear, as I sat there, my mouth hanging open as I stared at my dad. Surely he didn't say what I think he did? Did he?

"No!" It was Aiden who broke the silence. "Are you f*****g kidding me?"

"Language." His dad said. "And no, he is not joking, he is serious." 

"B-b-but you are the reason that we broke up in the first place. So what is with this marriage?" I asked, more like shouted the last part. 

Even though I didn't know exactly what had happened between our families but I always knew that something had happened between them. 

Dad didn't say anything about it, just looked at me with a blank look on his face. I turned to look at the boys, they all avoided eye contact with me. 

"Did cat got your tongues?" I said, with anger evident in my voice. "Because this is the part that you explain to me what actually is happening here?"

I see my dad taking a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. But before a can say anything Aiden's dad, Jacob, beat him to it.

"Maybe it's best if we leave?" He asked.

"I'm not going anywhere," Aiden said. "I need to know what is happening. This is my life that you are deciding to play with." 

"You and Aiden are getting married after your graduation ceremony." Dad said.

"But why? That's not fair considering that you are the reason we are not close any more. The reason that we are different from who we were." I said.

"Stop arguing with me and do what you are told to do." Dad said in a firm tone that would scare anyone. But I was his daughter and he couldn't scare me with just a firm tone, he needed more than that. 

"But-" I was about to argue but dad cut me off.

"This conversation is over." He said

I turned to look at Ethan, pleading with him to do something, say something. But instead he just looked at the floor and didn't look up. I looked at all of the boys and none of them were looking at me. 

I could feel myself being in the verge of tears, from frustration and also the sense of betrayal that I have right now. With one final look at everyone I sprinted up the stairs toward my rooms. Tears were flowing down my face. 

When I got to my room I slammed the door shut and slide down it. What is going on with my life? I thought. How did everything got this chaotic? 

Suddenly I couldn't breath, it was like someone was sucking all the air out of my lungs. I had to get out here. I got up and opened the door, and ran through the halls toward the gardens. As soon as I breathed in the fresh air I felt like I could breath again. I collapsed in front of the stairs that led to the rose section of the garden and started to cry. One of the guards came to try to help me but I pushed him away, told him to leave. 

"I'm sorry Princess." The guard said. "But I can't leave you alone on your own without any protection." 

"I don't need protection." I said. "Leave me alone." When he didn't do as I told him to I added "I'm the Princess and I order you to leave me alone. Now." 

"I will wait inside for you, Your highness." He said, bowing his head down and leaving.

I stayed there for a couple of more minutes, but after that I got up and started toward my spot.

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I don't how long I have been here crying and sobbing but I know it has been a long time. I didn't have my phone with me due to my dad's rule of not bringing any electronic devices to the table. 

Why would dad decide that I needed to marry someone? And Aiden of all people? How can he do this to me, he was the one who separated us and now here he is, deciding that I need to marry Aiden. 

What's more hurtful is that he promised me he would never do that to me. He promised that he would never try to marry me off just because it would benefit him or the country. 

My head was swirling with thoughts and questions that I didn't hear someone coming this way. I let out a cry of shock and fear when someone sat beside me. 

"What the f**k Ethan?" I asked as I recognized my brother. "Are you trying to give me heart attack or something?" 

"Sorry." He muttered, not looking at me. 

"What do you want?" I asked in a cold voice. I saw him flinch at my tone but didn't say anything about it.

"I'm sorry about inside," He said while pointing at the Palace with his head. I was waiting for him to continue to say something. He doesn't. As if that's possible, I get even more angry.

" Wow." I muttered under my breath as I got up to leave before I say anything that I would regret after it. Suddenly I felt a grip on my wrist, I turned on my heels and saw that it was Ethan. 

"Are you going to explain to me what's going on or not?" I asked, when he didn't say anything I got my answer and shook his hand away. I felt tears starting to roll down my cheeks. As I was passing to get to my rooms I heard voices, but what got my attention was that whoever it was talking was talking about the news of my marriage. I stopped in my tracks and listened to what they were saying, hopefully something that would explain what is going on. 

"Are you sure she is going to agree to this?" It was Jacob, Aiden's dad, who asked.

"I'm sure." My dad's voice answered "Once she knows what's at stake she will understand."

"As if she doesn't hate me already, she will hate me more after she finds out what is going on." I slapped my hand on my mouth to stop the sound of gasp that came out of my mouth. 

Aiden was in all of this. He knew about all of this and didn't say anything, acted like he didn't know what was going on either, as if he was as confused as I was, still am? 

"How do you know she hates you?" My dad asked.

"Have you seen the way she looks at me?" Aiden answered. 

"She has to get over whatever grudge she is holding against you." My dad responded. 

"She needs to." Jacob added. There was several minutes of silence from the room. As I turned and was about to leave I heard someone calling my name.

"Aurora?" I heard a voice from behind me. I turned around and there he was, Aiden looking at me with a surprised expression and a little mix of horror. "Are you-" I didn't hear what he said because I turned on my heels and climbed the marble stairs, to my room. 

When I reached my room, I slammed the door shut and threw myself on the bed and curled into a ball. 

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I don't remember when I fell sleep but the next thing I knew was someone was coming inside my room. 

I shoot up straight and sat in my bed ready to scream when the person turned the lights on.

My eyes went wide as I recognized the person who came inside my room. It was Aiden.

"What the hell, Aiden?" I asked. "You scared me to death." 

"You were always paranoid," He said, as he looked at me with soft eyes, and a small sad smile playing on his lips. "A bit too much." 

"What did you expect?" I asked. "I have to be extra cautious." I said softly as I looked at his warm green eyes and got lost. 

After a few seconds Aiden cleared his throat, and I could feel myself blushing. I ducked my head to hide my crimson cheeks. Aiden came further into the room and sat the foot of my bed. 

"Sure Aiden, make yourself comfortable." I said sarcastically. 

"Still Queen of sarcasm, I see." He said, while chuckling softly. 

"What do you want?" I asked, maybe a bit too coldly probably. 

"Can't I just see my childhood best friend?" He said with a raised eyebrow. 

"Wow," I said, rolling my eyes at him. "You could have came to see me eight years ago." I said, trying my hardest not to cry. "Now, what do you want?" I asked in a bitter tone.

"I said I wanted to check up on you after the show you just put on in the living area." He said.

I snorted in reply while rolling my eyes at him. "Yeah, whatever you say King." I said, using his last name to show him that I was mad at him.

I saw him wince, when I used his last name. I don't use just the last name, it's very rare, but I use it on people who have hurt me in some ways. He knew what I said and what that meant. 

I could see the hurt in his eyes. But he didn't do anything to cover it. And that took me off guard. He wanted me to see that I still had the power to hurt him, just like he had.

"Sophie," He said in a soft tone. "I'm your friend, your best friend, I don't need a reason to see you." He said that while looking at me with his emerald green eyes. 

I laughed at him, a bitter laugh. He thought we were friends after not seeing each other for eight years? The nerve he has. 

"You are not my best friend anymore." I stated in a cold, razor sharp tone, struggling not to show that I was at the verge of crying, trying to keep my face as cold as my voice. From the look on his face I would say that I have succeeded.

He opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to t.

"You lost that title when you left me when I needed you the most, when I lost my mother and my best friend. You knew how close we were and still you left me to grieve on my own." I said, my voice breaking at the end. "Do you know how many days I sat at my balcony waiting for you to come? But you didn't. And right now you have the nerve to call yourself my best friend?" 

I could see the hurt written all over his face, more clearly. By the end, I couldn't fight the tears that were coming down my face. The feeling of humiliations washed over me. 

"Get out!" I said, pointing at the door. When he didn't move I said "Now!" 

He shook his head and stood up to leave when the door to my room opened again and my dad, Uncle Jacob, and Ethan came in. 

When they saw Aiden they froze in their place, looking between my tear stained face to Aiden's blank expression. 

I quickly wiped the tears away and sat straighter, putting my Princess smile on my face, a mask for times when I don't want people to know how I feel.

Ethan was looking, more like glaring at Aiden. If looks could kill, Aiden would have been dead already. 

"What happened?" My dad was the one to finally break the silence that had engulfed the room after they came in. 

"Nothing. Is there a reason you all are in my room?" I asked looking my dad in the eyes. My tone not at all appropriate for talking to my father, whatsoever that father being the King.

He sighed before answering. "We need to talk." Aiden took a step toward the door to leave when my dad added "All of us." 

"Right now?" I asked.

"Yes, right now." My dad answered. I sighed and was about to get up when my dad motioned for me to sit there. I sent him a confusing look.

"We are talking here not in the living area." He answered.

"Why?" I asked with my eyebrows raised. In response he just shook his head. 

Everyone took a sit. My dad at the foot of my bed, Aiden and Uncle Jacob at the couch and Ethan at the chair where I study and Liam stood at the door. With amusement I realized that none of them sat near me, probably giving me "some space".  I rolled my eyes at the realization. What a considerate family I have, I thought bitterly.

"Well," I said when no one said anything after a full minute. "Are you going to say something or are we going to stay in silence for the rest of time." I said while sarcasm was dripping from my words.

"Aurora." My dad warned at my tone.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"We are here to talk about your engagement." Ethan stated when dad didn't continue.

I felt a wave of pain hitting me. I still couldn't believe my family would do something like this to me. I felt betrayed, and the only way I knew to respond to this feeling was through anger. I fisted my hands and opened my mouth to say something rude but Ethan cut me off. 

"I know you are hurt right now," He said and I snorted at his words. Hurt didn't begin to describe how I was feeling right now. "Trust me I know-" 

"You don't know how I'm feeling." I yelled at him through tears and a thick voice. "You don't know. You aren't the one who her father, her brothers, betrayed. But then again, so did her mother and her, supposedly, best friend." I looked at everyone of them as I said the last part. I could see the pain in their faces but that made me more angry, at them and a myself. "Dad," I said and looked at him. " Weren't you the one who promised not to marry me off to someone?" I asked.

"To someone you don't know ," He said. "But you know Aiden. He was your best friend when you were younger." He paused and I was about to talk but he held his hand up for me to let him talk. "I know that we are the ones that separated you, I know. But give it a chance again, at least to get along because this marriage is happening whether you want it or not"