Trapped by the Past

Chapter 10: Making it known

Aurora's POV 

It was the seventh period now trying not to look to the back of the class to Aiden, because he was staring at me since we sat down. After Emily and her friends walked me to my class they all left since none of them had this class. 

To say I was dreading this period and the rest of the day would be an understatement, and to make things worse the teacher wasn't teaching right. She got pale the minute she looked at the back of the classroom, as if she saw a ghost, then she would stutter throughout the lesson and sometimes stop mid-sentence and just stare at the back of the classroom, so somewhere in the middle of the period she told us what the homework is and to read today's lesson at home. 

It was Chemistry and I knew it way before so there was nothing new for me.

The rest of the period others spent talking since we weren't supposed to be on our phone. I didn't know anyone beside Aiden in this class and, obviously, talking to him was not an option so I spent it doodling a couple of pages of my notebook. They were mostly of the objects in the room. 

About ten minutes after the teacher said that we could do whatever we want to do I felt someone staring at me again. I raised my head and looked behind me, since I could feel it from behind me, and I soon regretted doing that. 

Aiden was staring at me and when I saw it was him I wanted to look away but the instance we locked eyes, it was like they were holding me captive, like I couldn't look away. 

Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder that brought me out of my trance. I looked up and saw that one of the boys that was sitting next to me was looking at me with a flirtish smile on his face. I was still dazed from the trance that Aiden put me on.

"You are a very good artist." He said, pointing to the sketch in front of me. I put my 'camera' face on. Then suddenly I remembered that I was supposed to leave this face so I looked down and muttered a thanks. I kept my head down so he won't see my face, and leave me alone. I heard him chuckled so I looked at him through my lashes and ducked my eyes again. 

"You are a shy one." He sated. "I'm just trying to be friendly, you don't have be afraid." And as if to say ' let's start over' he held his hand out and introduced himself.

"I'm Will." I took his hand and shook it, maybe a little too lady-like. 

"Aurora." I said in a voice that was loud enough just for him to hear.

"Are you new?" He asked with a c****d eyebrow. 

"Yes," I answered. "I was home schooled before I came here." I added with my brows raised as if to aske if there is any problem with that?

"That makes sense," He said. "I would have noticed such a face if I had seen it before." 

I rolled my eyes internally. That's something that boys would say, I thought. 

I ducked my head as if to hide my 'blush'. He just chuckled. 

"I thought you had friendly intentions only." I said, and mentally face palmed myself. Why couldn't I just shut my mouth, I knew how boys would behave in public schools.

"I just wanted to compliment you, that was all." He said and raised his hand in mock surrender. 

"She's off-limits" A sound said from behind me. 

My eyes widen at the sound, and I sat up straighter. I know that sound. It was Aiden's. 

What the hell does he wants? I thought. And what is that supposed to mean?

"Sorry dude," Will said as fear flashed in his eyes as he looked at Aiden. I was still looking at Will and hadn't looked behind me. "Didn't know she was taken." He added as he got up and went to the back of the room. 

I turned to face him as soon as Will was gone. 

"What the hell, Aiden?" I asked in a whisper-yell as he sat down on the chair Will was sitting a moment ago. "I thought we said you wouldn't come near me when we were at school. I don't want any attention on me when I'm at school." 

He just shrugged his shoulders and looked at my notebook. His answer just made me more mad. 

"Of course you don't care about anyone other than yourself." I continued to whisper-yell at him. "And what was that about? I am not taken, so there was no need to tell him that."  

The las part might have gotten his attention because he looked at me and I could see him grit his teeth.

"You are taken." He said through gritted teeth "Remember last night? You're quick to remind me of that but when it comes to you, you forget?" He asked.

"Well," I answered. "When that doesn't apply to you what makes you special?" 

"I said I'm sorry." He answered. "what else do you need me to say?" 

"You never said you were sorry." I said louder than before but it still wasn't loud enough to catch anyone else's attention. "But you had the audacity to threaten me. Is that how you apologize?"

"Because you never gave me a chance." He almost yelled. I looked around and saw that everyone was looking at us. 

"I'm done." I whispered and got up to ask the use the restroom and get away from the asshole.

When I got the teacher I asked if I can use the restroom I saw that she was searching up Aiden's name. When she heard me coming, she closed the tab hurriedly. 

"Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked me. I looked from her computer to her. I was curious as to why a teacher would search up Aiden's name.

"Can I use the restroom?" I asked with my brows furrowed.

"Sure." She said and wrote a pass for me. 

I took the pass and left the classroom. I went to the restroom and stayed there for a while, trying to calm down before I did anything stupid. 

After, about ten minutes of trying to calm down, I washed my face and went out. I felt like someone was following me. I looked behind me and saw that it was bodyguard.  

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and looked in front of me. I was getting paranoid over nothing. I was so lost in my world that I didn't see anyone in front of me so I hit a brick wall. 

"Ow" I whined and looked up to see it wasn't a brick wall but a chest. My first response was to apologize, but when I saw who it was, instead of being sorry I was mad. 

"Why are you following me, Aiden?" I asked.

"I needed to make sure you are alright." He said.

"Like you care." I rolled my eyes at him. 

"God damn it Aurora, I care. You were my best friend and I know that I left you when you needed me but I-" 

"Stop." I cut him off. "Just stop." Tears were coming down my face. 

I went past him and headed to the classroom. I wiped my tears and took a deep breath to collect myself. 

I entered the classroom and sat down and went back to doodling while my mind was in overdrive with all the memories that Aiden has brought up. 

I didn't even know that I was still drawing when I heard my name being called. I looked up and saw that Aiden was sitting next to me and was looking at what I had drawn. 

I looked down and gasp. What the hell, I thought.

I looked at Aiden as if he knew something about me that I didn't know but he was still gaping at the drawing. 

It was of Aiden, the Aiden that was in front of me. 

suddenly something inside me snapped. I closed the notebook and glared at Aiden.

"How-" He was cut off by the sound of the bell ringing. 

I hurriedly put the notebook in my bag pack and left the classroom and a still gaping Aiden. 

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My next class, I had Emily and Hannah with me so I sat next to them and chatted. Aiden didn't come near me but I could feel him occasionally looking at me. 

This went on until the last bell rang and we were free to leave.

I was waiting in front of the building for one of the boys or Dad to come and pick me up, when suddenly I felt someone tap my shoulder. 

I spun around and suddenly Aiden pulled me close and slammed his lips on mine. 

I was shocked first but then started to kiss him back almost involuntarily. After a minute he pulled back and rest his forehead on mine. We were both panting and I still had my eyes closed. I slowly opened them to see that Aiden was already looking at me. 

Suddenly I was brought back to reality and I pulled back when I heard a horn. I looked around and saw that everyone was looking at me. 

I could feel my face becoming crimson. 

"Aurora." I heard Ethan's voice from my right and I turned that wat. When I made sure it was Aiden, I ran to him and the car behind him. 

"What was that?" Ethan asked from my right, when Zach was behind the wheel and we were driving to the Palace. I just shook my head, still not trusting my voice to be steady enough to talk from the kiss. 

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  I was in my room right now. After I got home I ran straight to my room and hasn't talked to anyone since. Right now I was on my bed replaying the kiss in my head.

I can't believe he kissed me in front of the whole school. We made a deal for him not to come near me. But like always he didn't listen. 

Suddenly there was a knock on my door and that startled me and I let out a scream. 

"Are you OK?" Ethan came in with a worried expression on his face.

"Yeah I'm ok." I answered after I calmed down. "You startled me." 

"Sorry." He said, sheepishly. "What was that?" He asked, the question in what felt like a hundred times. I just shrugged.

"Do not shrug me off." He threatened. I sighed

"I don't know, honestly." I answered. He gave me a skeptical look and I explained to him how it happened. 

"Oh." Was all he said, when I finished talking. 

"Oh?" I asked. "Is that all you have to say?" He took a few deep breathes. 

"I want to kill that-" He stopped himself. "That was your first kiss wasn't it?" He asked.

I looked at him with horror. How did he know?

He chuckled. "You never had any boyfriend and as far as I know you haven't kissed anyone before." 

I looked at my hands in my lap. I didn't know what to say. And I was saved from answering by a knock on the door. 

"Come in." I said. 

"Your father said that he wants to see you in five minutes down stairs and that you are going to have a guest and go out." A maid said. 

I nodded and dismissed her. I looked at Ethan with a questioning look and he just shrugged, but I knew hw knew what was going on and why dad wanted to see me. I Shook my head at him. 

"I'll be down stairs." I said. " I need to freshen up." 

"OK" was all he said and then left. 

I went to my closet and chose a light pink long off the shoulder dress and a pair of light pink high heels, and light rose pendant and it's earing and ring and bracelet. 

When I was walking down the stairs I saw that everyone was there, waiting for me. There were too many people there. I looked and saw Aiden plus his family was here. 

Everyone was looking at me as I was coming down the stairs. I smiled shyly at them. I could see Aiden's jaw was wide open and he was openly staring at me. I had to control myself not to smirk, but the blush that came was inevitable. 

I'm used to having other boys checking me out, it was how it had always been, but with Aiden it was different. I looked down and focused on the stairs and to make sure that I wouldn't trip and fall.

Aiden was standing near the stairs so when I was near enough for him to hold my hand, he extended his hand and offered it to me. 

I looked at my dad and he nodded once to tell me to take his hand and then gestured to his right, and I saw that there were paparazzies there taking pictures. 

This was not part of the plan, but then again everything that has happened wasn't part of the plan. So I had to take his hand. 

When I took his hand and reached the bottom of the stairs he pulled me gently close and wrapped his hand around my waist. 

I was really uncomfortable so I almost jumped when he kissed the side of my head.

"Relax Soph." He whispered in my ear. "You look beautiful." 

I blushed harder and I could feel Aiden chuckling. 

"Shut up." I said in a whisper tried to glare at him but couldn't. 

"Oh, come on." He said. "I made Princess Aurora blush. That's not something that happens every day, is it? And I didn't even say anything that you hadn't heard before, did I?" 

I just rolled my eyes at him. 

But he was right, he didn't say anything out of ordinary and that I hadn't heard before so what was so different about him saying that I was beautiful? 

Ugh, I groaned internally. I'm becoming one of those girls that always blush over the stupidest things.

"Aurora, Aiden?" My dad called. 

We both looked at him and motioned for us to follow him and the rest of our family, and we did with Aiden's hand still wrapped around my waist. 

After the photographers took their photos while following us to the dinning room, my dad motioned to the security to get them out of the room. 

We all sat down, with dad at the head of the table and Uncle Jacob and Aunt Margaret on his right and me and Aiden and Ethan on the left and Liam, Oliver, Mason, Lucas and Noah on the right after Uncle and Aunt. 

No one said anything as the servants served the food, and the silent was not a comfortable nor an awkward one. 

"Fine." I muttered, causing Aiden and Ethan both to look at me in confusion. "What is going on?" I asked in a loud voice so that everyone could hear me. "The last time we had a gathering like this was last night and that ended up with a shocking news. What is going on now? And I thought that you promised me that you wouldn't let the paparazzies to know that I was engaged or that our families were on 'good' terms again?" I asked the last part from my dad. 

"After the show you two put on at school you didn't want anyone to know that you two were together?" Dad answered and I blushed at the mention of what happened at school this afternoon. "What was that about anyway?" 

I looked at Aiden waiting to him to answer but he just shrugged. I huffed in annoyance. 

"Doesn't matter." I said. "But the humiliation that it will bring is too much dad. Do you know what the press would say? Aiden kissed another girl today and tonight he shows up in the Palace with his family with the Princess hanging off his arm. They don't know that I am the same girl that he kissed this afternoon." 

Everyone started laughing and I was confused. 

"What are you laughing at?" I asked in confusion. I hadn't said anything funny. 

"The Princess hanging off his arm?" Noah managed to say between laughs. "You watch too many news and gossip shows." 

"Shut up." I said. "Is that what you all are laughing at?" I asked them.

"Oh, come on." Aiden said. "Admit that was funny." 

"No it wasn't." I said.

"It doesn't matter what the press says." Mason said. 

"Yes, it does." I argued. "That will be how the people see you. You of all people should know that better than anyone else." 

"What the press says doesn't matter but what you say to them does. And I didn't know that." He answered. 

"Whatever." I said. "Now what is going on?" 

"We want to announce that you two are engaged at this weekend's ball." Dad answered.

"WHAT?" I shouted. "You are kidding me right?" 

"No," Liam was the one to answer. "He is serious." 

"But you promised." I whispered. When no one said anything I felt like I was suffocating. I was about to get, but my dad must have sensed what I wanted to do because he said, "Don't even think about it Aurora." 

"I-I-I can't" I managed to get out. 

"Dad," Ethan said as he helped me get up. "She needs to get out." He throw a meaningful look at him and his expression changed but I couldn't see anything so I didn't know what expression he had. 

"Come on." Ethan helped me up. " Are you coming?" 

I heard a chair moving and then another pair of hands on my left arm. I was about to black out when the fresh air hit me and I felt like I could breathe again and leaned on Ethan. 

"I'm sorry." One of the guards said. "Prince Ethan, your father needs to see you. He said right now." 

I heard Ethan sigh. 

"Go" Aiden?, said. "You and I both know that she will be mad at you if you get in trouble with your dad." 

"Fine." Ethan gave in. "But what about her?" 

"I got her." Aiden assured him. 

"Ethan." I managed to get out. 

"Yes." Ethan's voice was concerned, I can only imagine what his face would look.  

"Go before I kick your ass." I said in a voice that was higher than a whisper but not my usual voice. "And before you deny it, you know that's true. Remember?"

"OK, fine." Ethan said as he gently helped Aiden help me walk. I felt him kiss my temple before he whispered, "I love you little sis." 

After he left, Aiden helped me walk to the rose section of the garden, and gently sat me down on the bench and himself sat down and laid my head on his chest.

"How did you know where to go?" I asked after I could breathe better. 

"I know this is your special place." He said, softly.

"How?" I whispered.

"It has been since you were seven." He said in a distance voice.

He remembered? I thought to myself. But I thought he didn't care?

"What was that?" He asked after a few minutes. I knew he was talking about what happened in the dinning room, so I sighed pulled away from him just to have him pull me back in. 

I looked at him confusingly, he shrugged. "You are cold." I didn't even notice but he was right I was cold. "So are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked again.

"I guess you should know since you are my 'fiancé'." I said. "It started two weeks after my mom died."

"Two weeks after I left." He said softly. I nodded.

"One say I was in my room with my tutor trying to study and focus on what e was saying but my mind would take me to you and my mom. I was thinking that my mom left me permanently, what if that's what you did too? Before that I thought you would come back and try to comfort me and distract me, it was surreal. Suddenly it wasn't that surreal, it felt very real. Suddenly I couldn't breathe anymore as I realized that you will not come back and make me laugh, you won't burst through that door laughing at how you got me on one of you stupid jokes. It has been two weeks. I lost both my best friends in a week, one of them my mom. I felt like the walls were closing in on me, trying to suffocate me. I couldn't breathe anymore and passed out. when I woke up the doctor said it was my body's reaction to my mom's news and that I finally knew it was real. But it wasn't just that, it was also the realization that you wouldn't come back and that I will never see you, my best friend, again." I looked at him with tears in my eyes and saw that he was trying his hardest no to cry. "After that whenever I get too emotional that happens. So I come out here to sort my emotions out. " I added. 

"I'm sorry" Was all he said before he hugged me tightly and I let him. I clung to him too, afraid that he would leave me again. 

After fifteen minutes or so we pulled apart and he wiped the tears that had managed to escape, with his thumbs. 

"Are you ok?" He asked, worry clear in his voice. 

"Yeah." I nodded. "Can we go inside?" I asked.

"Of course." He got up and held out his hand for me. 

I took it with a small smile. The whole walk from the garden to the Palace he had his hand around my waist making sure I was ok, and wouldn't fall. 

This is the Aiden I know, I thought.