Trapped by the Past

Chapter 9: His Excuses

Aurora's POV

The next morning I woke up at six with a smile on my face, remembering that I will be going to school for the second say. 

That was until I remembered last night and who I would see at school. I groaned while and got up from the bed. 

I was so tired. The events from the night kept repeating in my mind over and over again, and wouldn't let me sleep. So as a result I was up until four in the morning and managed only two hours of sleep. 

I got ready to take a shower and when I looked in the mirror I gasped. I had bags under my eyes that were blood red and my face was also paler than usual, my blond hair like a nest from the tossing and turning all night. In conclusion I looked like s**t. 

Well, I have to use more make up today to cover this up, I thought while groaning. 

After I took a long, hot shower I dried my hair, I brushed my hair that were naturally wavy and reached m lower back and placed the wig on my head after braiding my hair.

My natural hair were just like my mom's, I thought bitterly.

What the hell? Why is this day so sad already. I thought and just then I heard a knock on the door.

"Who's there?" I asked while putting on some lipstick to add some color to my face so I won't look so dead.

"Ethan." I froze with the lipstick in mid air because I was putting it down. 

"Go away." I said, making sure the anger was in my voice so he knew he wasn't forgiven because he kept something so huge from me.

"I brought you your breakfast." He said, with too much cheeriness. 

Since I didn't want to talk to any of my family members I asked the maids to bring me my breakfast. 

I sighed and put the lipstick down and went to open the door. When I opened the door, Ethan was standing with a tray of breakfast on the other side of the door, a sad expression on his face. When he saw me he smiled without the smile reaching his eyes. I looked away from him because I knew if I looked at that expression too long then I would give in and I wasn't ready to forgive him any time soon. 

''You look.... different." He said. I eyed my clothes. I was wearing a white button up shirt with strips of black and black jeans. Nothing unusual.

''When did you sleep last night?'' He asked with a frown on his face, when I looked at him as to say ' what's unusual about my clothes?'

''None of your business'' I said while taking the tray if breakfast from him. I heard him sigh, I turned around to close the door with my arm since my hands were full and walked to the small table that in the corner of my room to place the tray.   

When I turned around I saw Ethan was in the doorway looking at me, with an unreadable expression on his face. 

Something is off, I thought.

''What are still doing here?'' I asked. When I said that I saw hurt flash in his eyes. OK, I was rude but he deserved it. I was about to apologize when his expression changed back to unreadable again. 

''Spill it Ethan.'' I demanded. I can read people easily, especially him and when he was unreadable he would talk to me about what was going on in his mind. Right now we weren't on good terms and I had to force it out of him, apparently.

He was silent just standing in my doorway, debating over what to tell me. I shook my head at him. He has the nerve to come here debate over whether to tell me something or keep it a secret? After what happened last night? I clenched my jaw to stop myself from saying anything else to him and went to turn on the TV and watch the morning news like every day.

''I'm sorry.'' He said in a hurry when my finger was on the power button of the remote. I looked at him with my eyebrows raised to prompt him to go on. He came all the way inside the room.

''I should have told you about the arrangement." He said while walking toward me and standing in front of me. 

''No,'' I said through gritted teeth, remembering last night and the news they gave me. ''You should have tried to talk dad out of the stupid arrangement.'' 

I saw him flinch at my harsh tone, before he regained his composure.

"You know how dad is,'' he muttered under his breath while looking behind me. ''And you don't know the reasons behind it. It is for your own protection. You know his dad owns one of the biggest protection companies in the country.'' He said while looking at me in the eye. At that I got even more mad. 

''Why don't I know about the reasons behind it, huh?'' I was in his face now, trying to control my rising voice. ''Because no one will tell me. And why would I need protection?'' He averted his gaze not looking at me anymore. 

''You just need it.'' He said while looking at me with a desperate look in his eyes, begging me not to aske anymore question and that he couldn't tell me anything else. 

I sighed and took a step back, while shaking my head and turning to turn the TV on. 

''Just go, Ethan.'' I said turning my attention to the news. I was so lost in my world that I didn't see the pictures on the news until I heard his name. 

"Aiden King, the heir to the King's Corp., again, was found kissing a new girl last night.'' The reporter said. I gasped and snapped my eyes to the screen that was showing a picture of Aiden and a girl making out against a stall wall. My hand shot up to my mouth and I could feel tears in my eyes, tears of anger. 

He wouldn't, I thought. He wouldn't dare go against my dad's order, THE King's order. 

''turns out the girl that he was making out with was engaged and the fiancé walked in on them making out.'' Another reporter said. Another gasp escaped my mouth. ''The-''

Suddenly the screen went black. I turned to look at Ethan who was studying me with a worried expression on his face. He must have saw the tears in my eyes because his expression turned into a sad one and he came hurrying to me and threw his arms around me in a hug. 

I didn't even struggle and let him hug me, tears streaming down my face. 

After a while I pushed him gently away and looked at his shirt where he was holding while crying and started to laugh, making Ethan look at me with confusion. 

''I think you need another shirt.'' I said to answer his questioning look. ''I don't even know why I was crying. It's so stupid.'' I added. 

''It's not stupid,'' He said. ''You are crying because you are feeling betrayed. From your best friend I might add.'' He said the last part in a whisper. 

''Ex-best friend.'' I said to him. 

''I'm sorry.'' He whispered. 

"It's not your fault.'' I said with a small smile on playing on my lips. 

''You know what I mean.'' He growled.

''Doesn't matter.'' I said after taking a deep breath and plastering a smile on my face. Ethan just sighed and shook his head at me. 

I looked at the clock and shoot up from the couch. 

''Shoot. I'll be late if we don't hurry.'' I said, while rushing to get my bag pack from the other side of the room, and went to the door.

''Ethan get my glasses from the table please.'' I said to him since he was near the coffee table that my glasses were on. 

''Got it.'' He said while holding them in the air for me to see.

He came to my side and handed me the glasses. We both rushed down the stairs. When I reached at the end of the stairs, everyone was there and when they heard us coming down, they l looked at us with worried written all over their faces. 

That's when it hit me. They all knew, they all knew that he was going to be in the news this morning and that's why Ethan was the one who brought my breakfast for me. I looked at Ethan and then at the rest of them. 

''How?'' I whispered. I was asking them how did they knew that Aiden was going to be on the news this morning?

"Doesn't matter,'' Ethan answered. ''You are going to be late, remember?"

''Fine.'' I said and started to follow Ethan toward the front door and to the car. 

"Bye Aurora.'' I heard dad say. 

I really didn't want to look at them because I was really mad at them what I saw this morning just made everything worse. But he was still my father and the King of this country, I couldn't ignore him.

So I just looked over my should to where they were standing at the top the marble stairs of the entrance and nodded at them, and quickly slide inside the car. 

''Are you still mad at me?'' Ethan asked as soon as I was inside the car. I looked at him.

''I forgave you,'' I whispered, after I decided it was enough torture for him, I whispered because we were both in the back sit of one of his car while my bodyguard was driving and I didn't want him to hear what we were saying, I didn't have a good feeling about him. ''But that doesn't mean I am not mad at you.'' I added and watched the happy look on his face disappear. I knew what I was doing was not right, but it served him and the rest of my family right. 

I looked out the window and ignored him for the rest of the ride. 

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I was in my fifth period taking notes.

''Hey,'' The girl to my right says in a hushed tone so the teacher would not be able to hear her. ''You are the new girl who stood up to Aiden King, right?" She asked. She had big crystal blue eyes and brownish-black hair that were in a braid. I studied her for a second. She seemed friendly and harmless, the smile she had on was genuine and big.

''Yeah, that's me.'' I said while blushing. Is that how the whole school knew me? ''And my name's Aurora.'' I added. 

''Emily.'' She introduced herself and extended her hand for me to shake, the smile still on her face. I shook her hand and went back to taking notes. 

The rest of the class Emily and I chatted silently.

''Do you have any friends that you sit with at lunch?'' She asked the teacher let us go to lunch. 

''No, I sat alone yesterday.'' I answered.

''You can sit with me and my friends." She offered. 

"Wouldn't your friends feel uncomfortable or uneasy?" I asked.

"No, trust me,'' She said. ''They would be happy that 'the girl who stood up to Aiden King' joined our table. You have quiet the reputation for yourself and it's just your second day.'' She added the last part with a smirk. 

''Apparently.'' I muttered. ''Is that how everyone knows me?"

She shrugged. ''It's rare that someone stand up to Aiden King, after all he is THE Aiden King.'' She was quiet as we stopped by our locker to get our lunches. ''Actually I haven't heard anyone standing up to Aiden since I was here.'' Then she added with a huge smile. ''You are the first." 

I forced a laugh. Is that how Aiden has become? Scary? A bully? I thought back to the Aiden that I knew when I was nine. He was nothing like this, anywhere near this Aiden. But then again we both changed after being apart for eight years. Neither of us is who we used to be back then.

"I'm going to use the restroom." I said.

"I'll see you at the cafeteria then?" She asked.

"Yeah. But where do you guys usually sit?" I asked.

She told me where they sit and we went out separate ways. 

After I used the restroom, I was on my way to the cafeteria when all of a sudden someone pushed me into one of the empty classrooms. I was about to yell when he/she put their hand on my mouth. It was a boy, if the size of his hand was any evidence.

I was shoved against the wall and finally I could see who my captive was. When I saw who it was my eyes were about to fall out. 

I was Aiden. 

"What the hell?" I yelled when he removed his hand from my mouth.

''Shhh.'' He shushed me and looked at the door, putting his hand on my mouth again. After a few seconds passed and nothing happened he removed his hand and looked at me.

"What the hell, Aiden?" I whisper-yelled at him this time. ''What are you doing?" 

"I needed to talk to you about the news this morning.'' He stated as if it was no big deal.

"What is there to explain." I said angrily. ''The news said it all: you couldn't keep it in your pants even when my father told you not to make a scandal. And not just with any woman, with a married one at that. I would say that's pretty self-explanatory to me." I glared at him.

"It was a-'' 

"I don't want to hear your excuses so save them for my dad for tonight.'' I cut him off. I watched as fear flashed through his eyes but it was gone the next second. 

"Just so you know if you make another scandal like this I will make sure you pay for it.'' I threatened. "Make one mistake, I don't car big or small, I will make sure your life is a living hell. And you know I can do that.'' I started to walk toward the door.

"You have no power over me." He smugly said. At the I turned to him with anger. He did not just underestimate my power.

"You will not talk to me like that." I hissed at him through gritted teeth. "I am your Princess and that is not the tone you will use with me." I was in his face by now. I turned on my heels and was about to reach the door when his next sentence had me frozen in place.

"You will not do anything to me because I can take away the only thing you dream about." He said. I could hear the smirk he had on his lips. "I know you, Rora. I was your best friend since childhood, I know you better than anyone else. I know what you wish to have, and trust me I can take away that from you.'' I was behind me now.

He did not just use that nickname. 

"You don't know me Aiden." I turned on my heels and sure enough he was in my face. "I am not the nine years old Aurora that you left behind. I am not that naïve anymore."

He laughed. He freaking laughed

"Yeah, sure you aren't. That's why you are here right now when you already know everything that they are teaching right now." He said when he was don laughing at me. "I know that, being a normal girl has always been your dream. This is just part of what you want because you are the next in line you can't go and have a full normal life so this is as far as you can get. And you don't want that to be ruined, do you? You don't want other people know that you are the Princess and go back to the spotlight, do you, Rora?" He said with a smirk on his face.

"DO.NOT.CALL.ME.THAT." I said, and he just smirked. 

The room was silent for a full minutes, with me trying my hard not to slap that smirk off of his face. 

Suddenly the door burst open and my someone came in, making it hit my back and nearly losing my balance. 

I was waiting for the impact to come when it didn't, I opened my eyes and looked at my waist. A pair of arm were encircled around my waist, preventing me from falling face first to the ground. I looked over my shoulder to see who had caught me. It was Aiden, and what shocked me the most was the worried expression on his face, as if he was concerned about me falling. I could feel m cheeks getting red and tried to get on my feet again.

"I am so sorry your ma-, Miss Aurora. I didn't mean to hurt you." Came from a voice behind me. I looked at the person. it was my Bodyguard. "Are you OK?" He asked while trying to touch where the door hit me in the back. 

I was pushed away before he could touch me by Aiden, who had a scowl on his face. I freed my elbow from his grip and glared at him, but he was still scowling at the Bodyguard. 

"I'm fine..." I gave him a questioning look to aske his name.

"Zach." He said while bowing his head.

"I'm fine, Zach." I said. "And next time stay outside until I call you, understood?" I said in a firm tone.

"Yes." He said, his head still down. 

"Now let's go." I said to Zach and started toward the door. "And Aiden," I looked over my shoulder at him when I reached the door. "Don't forget what I said." And with that I left.

I made my way to the cafeteria and found Emily and her friends. I made my way over to them, but suddenly I remembered Zach was following me. 

"Sit a few tables away." I ordered him without looking at him over my shoulder. 

"Of course." was all he said. 

"Hey." I whispered as I reached Emily's table. Every head turned m way.

"Hey." Emily replied as soon as she saw me. "I thought you were going t ditch me." 

"Sorry, got held up." I replied with an apologetic smile. 

"OK, sit down." She gestured to the seat next to where she was sitting and I took a sit.

"OK, let's introduce you." She said to me. "Guys, this is Aurora, the girl who stood up to Aiden on her first day," I groaned internally at that. "Aurora, this is Hannah,"-she gestured to the blonde girl with big blue eyes to my left- "that's Ali,"- the girl beside Hannah was a very confident looking girl with blonde hairs and blue-green eyes, definitely the head of the group,- " and this is Aria," -she gestured to the small brunet girl who had short hair and very beautiful big brown eyes. They all waved at me and said hi, which I returned. 

I took out my lunch and started to eat as they chatted and gossiped among themselves, and sometimes asking me about where I went before I came here. 

"I was homeschooled." I answered and all their eyes went wide. I looked at Emily with a confused look and she hurriedly changed her face and glared at the rest. 

"Nothing." She answered. 

After that they continues to aske me some more questions then returned to gossiping with themselves while my mind went to my conversation with Aiden from earlier. 

That asshole, I thought. He had the nerve to say those things to me. Ugh. Jerk. I will show him who is in charge here. 

OMG. I could feel my eyes go wide. Did tell Aiden what I just did? Oh My God. I'm not supposed to talk to him like that, I am not the kind of girl who threatened other people like that. What is wrong with me? 

But he deserved it, another part of my mind said. 

Still, the other part said. 

"Earth to Aurora." I heard Emily say, while snapping her fingers in front of my face. 

I jerked my head. "Sorry," I said apologetically. "I got lost in my own world. What were you saying?" 

She laughed at that. "It's OK. The bell just rang so we gotta hurry up if we don't want to be late." She said.

"OK." I said and gathered my lunch and headed to my next class with Emily and her friends.