Trapped by the Past

Chapter 12: It Was A Mistake

                Aiden's POV

It's been six hours that I have been in the Palace, waiting for Aurora to show up. She still has to show up. 

I wasn't mad or angry, I was worried. Neither Ethan nor Aurora are back. I knew nothing had happened to her since her brother was with her, but that didn't make me less worried, she was my friend. 

Her dad had let me in but not easily since it was in the middle of the day and I had be at school. I convinced him to let me stay at last. As much as I didn't want him to know what happened that I had to come here in the middle of the day, I had to tell him why I was there. He wasn't happy and that was understandable, he even wanted to have me thrown out but I explained the situation to him and that I want to talk to Aurora. 

Suddenly I heard someone coming this way. I looked up and there she was looking at me with red puffy eyes. I went to go to her, do something but as soon as I took a step toward her, Ethan pulled her toward him. When I looked at him he had really angry expression on his face, I take it as that he knows what I did. 

"Look," I began. "By the expression on your face I take it as she told you about what happened. And I also know that you are mad at me but can you please let me explain what happened, please?" 

"No." He answered with a firm tone, there goes his Walker mood. 

"Please?" I was begging at this point and I didn't care. "You have to let me explain-"

"It's not up to any of us to make the decision." A voice said from behind me, since my back was to the door that connected the gardens and the guests 'waiting' room. I spun around and saw Uncle Henry in the doorway.

"It's up to Aurora to decide if she wants to hear him out." He continued. "I think we have made decisions for her to last her a lifetime." 

"Yeah," Aurora added, sarcasm was dripping from her voice. "Trust me, they will last a lifetime." She was looking at me the whole time she said that. I looked down, ashamed?

When I looked up I saw, both Ethan and Uncle Henry were looking down. The silence in the room could have been cut with a knife, it was becoming unbearable.

"Well," I finally broke the one to break it. "What do you decide, Ro-Aurora?" I asked.

She sighed and answered.

"Can we talk alone?" She asked her father and Ethan. They looked at each other, them looked at Aurora. They both nodded and headed off. 

When they disappeared, she looked at me and gestured for me to sit. I took a seat at the very polished, very white couch. She took a sit on the opposite couch facing me. I guess she didn't want to be anywhere near me. I guess I understand.

"Well," She said. "This is the part that you start to explain." Sarcasm was her mask o cover her hurt I guess.

"She was a new teacher, her first year at this high school." I started. "So it explained that I didn't know who she was. I met her at a bar, the first night that she moved to this town. I was drunk and she was... young, smoking hot and beautiful. So when I first met her, umm, my body reacted. Well you can guess where that night ended. Then I met her at the school, as a teacher. I talked to her and we promised not to say anything, to anyone. But apparently someone told the principle about it. It was just a one night stand and I swear I didn't do anything with her, specially when I found out about, us, this thing that our parents planned out for us. I wouldn't do that to you."

"You had no problem doing it before." She said in a small voice, avoiding eye contact with me, looking at her hands, playing with her fingers. She was nervous. 

"I'm sorry. I was mad and wanted to get back at our parents for what they did to us, it ad nothing to do with you." I tried to reach for her hands but she pulled them away and sat farther back, I could feel myself getting tense and that meant angry. 

Oh, no, I thought. This is not a good time to get angry. I pulled away, getting ready to leave. 

"Maybe you should leave." She said. Ouch, that hurt. 

"Yeah" I said. "Maybe that's good idea." I got up and headed to the door, I looked  over my shoulder at her. She was playing with her fingers looking at them but not seeing them. I really wanted to say something but nothing came out of my mouth, I didn't know what to say.

I went to my car and started driving. To where? Only God knows.

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It's been three hours since I talked to Aurora, since then I have been on the road driving without any destination. Right now I was two and half hours out of town and it was getting dark and I knew I had to go home but I couldn't. I needed an escape from my life, I needed to get away from whatever that has happened.  

Suddenly I had an idea. I had a friend who lived in Rosewood. I'm going to have to stay with him for a couple of days, to escape my life. I have to text my mom and dad to let them know that I'm staying with them. 

It was another hour or so driving to his house but with some coffee I think I can make it. I pulled over at the next exit and went to Starbucks. I got out of the car and went to order. While waiting for my coffee I pulled my phone out and text my friend, his name was Caleb. After that I called my mom. 

"Hey." I said to the phone to my mom. "I'm going to spend a couple of days with a friend of mine." I wasn't going to ask for permission, I never do. But I knew if I didn't let her know where I was she would call a search party for me. 

"Is everything ok?" She asked. Her motherly senses where in over drive right now apparently. 

"Yes, Mom." I said with an eye roll, even though she couldn't see me, she certainly could her the annoyance in my voice. "Everything's fine, Mom. Don't worry. It'll be just a couple of days, then I will be back again, ok?" 

"Ok, Baby." She said. "Just be careful." 

"Yes, Mom." I said. "Bye." I hung up on her before she could say anything else.

I got my coffee and went back to my car. I called my friend Caleb to let him know that I was heading his way to crash for a couple of days. It was an hour of driving to his house. 

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I was in my car trying to make sure that nothing showed on my face about what happened back home. I do not want his parents to know that there is something wrong with me if they answered the door. Even though he will know because the last time that I came to visit him was, again, when I was in trouble, basically every time I visit him is because I was in trouble.

 So he will know that I'm in trouble. I looked at the clock and sighed. It was 12:30. It was really late. 

I got out of the car and went to his front door and knocked on it. It took him not long to get to the door. 

"Hey." I said. "Sorry for the timing." 

"Trouble doesn't say when it's coming, does it?" He asked, smirking at me. I really wanted to punch that asshole. 

"You're jerk, did you know that?" I asked, with the same tone. 

He laughed at me and pulled me in for a 'man' hug. 

"What happened this time?" He asked when he let me in. "And don't tell me nothing has happened because whenever you come here, something bad has happened."

 "Are you're mom and dad sleep?" I looked upstairs and then back at him. He nodded. "Can we sit down and can you please give me something to eat, I'm starving." 

"You're always hungry." He said with an eyeroll. 

"Shut up." I said and smacked him. "Hurry up, I'm starving." 

He left and came back after a few minutes with some food. 

"Now explain." He said when he sat down next to me on the couch. 

So I told him everything, starting from how I knew the princess and what happened to us, to how we met and what our parents have planned for us. 

"I don't know of what to be shocked of?" He said after a few minutes had passed and he had processed everything. "Of the fact that YOU, the arrogant playboy, know The Princess or the fact that you are going to marry her. Or that you slept with a teacher." 

"The way you said it made it sound a lot worse than it sounded in my head." I said. 

"Actually I can see you sleeping with a teacher." He said. "And knowing who your parents are and how much money and influence, I can easily imagine you knowing The Princess and not you, your dad." 

"You're not helping, Caleb." I said, groaning and leaning to the back of the couch. "Look, I really need to sleep and I would really appreciate it if we could talk about it tomorrow?" 

"I need to sleep too." He said and got up from the  couch. "But when are you going back?" 

"You want me gone?" I asked, not really offended. 

"You know that's not what I meant, man." He said. "I'm just saying that you are running away from your problems, Aiden. You need to face them." 

"I know, man, I know." I said. I got up from the couch. 

"You know where you're going to sleep." He said. I nodded and went to the guest room and laid down on the bed. Everything that has happened the last week. 

It was a long and tiering week and it's only been three days of the week and I'm running away from it. I was about to fall asleep when I felt my phone vibrate. 

I jerked up and looked at the screen. When I saw who it was, I could feel y eyes going wide. It was Aurora. 

Why the hell is Aurora calling me, I thought. I answered the phone. 

"Hey" She said weakly. 

"Hi." I said and sat up fast, in alert. "Is everything alright?" I asked. She sounded like she has been crying for a long time. 

"Yeah." She said after she cleared her throat. 

"Have you been crying?" I asked worried.

"No," She answered, without any emotion in her voice. "doesn't matter."

"Yes it does-" I said, but she cut me off. 

"Your mom called me." She cut me off. "She wanted to know if anything has happened to you at school." 

"What did you tell her?" I asked, panicked. I did not want my mom to find out about what has been going on at school with me. 

"No, I didn't tell her anything about you sleeping with a teacher." She sounded offended. "Do you really think I would tell someone a secret that was not mina? Is how you know?" 

"No, of course not." I said. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her more than I already have. "That's not what I meant." 

"Whatever." She said. "You have to call her and talk to her. She was worried about you." 

"I will." I said. "Wait, how did you have my number?" 

"Your mom gave it to me so I can call you and talk to you about whatever that has been going on." She said. 

"Thanks." I said. I was about to say something else when I heard a voice from her end of line call her.

"I have to go." She said to me. "Goodbye, Aiden." 

"Goodbye, R-Aurora." I responded, exhausted. 

After she hung up I just stared at the phone thinking what just happened. Why did she call me?

I groaned and put the phone on the nightstand. I laid on my back. I need to sleep, this week has been really exhausting. 

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The next morning I woke up to the smell of breakfast. 

Mom must be cooking, which means I'm late for school. I groaned and rolled over to my side to look at the clock on my  nightstand and when I opened my eyes, the room that I was in wasn't my room. 

I panicked and sat up too fast so my head started to spin. I laid back down and looked at the room again. Suddenly everything from yesterday came back. I sighed and sat up, more slowly this time.

I got up and went downstairs to be met with a silent house. Caleb must be at school right now. 

I went to the kitchen and the sell of food had my stomach growling. I heard a laugh and jerked my head up. 

"Hi." Mrs. Robinson, Caleb's mom, said. "Did I scare you? Sorry didn't mean to. But your the sound your stomach made was..." 

"Hi." I said, embarrassed. "Yeah, I haven't ate anything since yesterday morning."

"Well take a sit." She gestured to the stools. I went and took a sit and went into my own world. 

Rora called last night. Wait did I just call her Rora? Why do I keep calling her that? Rora was, or is the name the people who are close to her call her as a nickname. Rosie was the name that her mother used to call her. After she passed away, no one except her father is allowed to call her that. 

"Aiden?" Mrs. Robinson called my name and was looking at me with a concerned look. "Is everything ok?" 

"Yeah." I answered still a little dazed. "Why?" 

"Nothing." She shrugged. "So what happened this time?" She asked.

"What?" I was confused. What is she talking about?

"Every time you come here, something has happened, so what has happened this time?" 

I just looked at my hands and didn't say anything.

"Ok, you don't have to tell me anything." She said with her hands raised. "But running away from your problems does not solve anything." 

"So you are saying that I'm a coward." I said, with raised my eyebrows at her, not really offended.

"No, not at all." She was shocked and didn't know what to say.

"Then what?" I really tried not to smirk at her reaction but that was hard. 

"Oh, God." She sighed. " You really scared me. I thought I offended you, you are a lot like your father. But what I meant was the you should face your problems instead of running away from them. They won't go away, yo have to solve them."

"It's not that I don't want to solve them but they are out of my hand and I don't know what to do about them." I said. "It's not like I can control what everyone else thinks about me. And what my parents are doing for me is not helping." 

"Ok." She said. "You can stay here as long as you want to. That is as long as your parents are ok with you staying here. Your parents do know that you are here, right?" 

"Do you want me gone?" I asked. 

"No of course not." She said, tense. "I was just making sure that your parents are ok with you staying here." 

"I know." I said, with a smirk. "And yes, they are ok with me staying here. It's not like our families are strangers, my dad and your husband are friends."

"Yes, I guess you're right." She said and we fell back into silent. "Does this, you coming here, have anything to do with what your parents have planned for you and Aurora?" 

I jerked m head up and looked at her with shock. 

"What-how-when-" I stuttered out. 

"Like you said my husband and your father are friends." She said with a smile that was suspicious, like she was hiding something. "Our families are more close than you think."

"What does that supposed to mean?" I asked. "And when did you know about that?" 

"When they were planning it." She wasn't making eye contact, which means there is something she is hiding. "Like I said our families are closer than you think. Please don't ask me anything, I can't answer you, I'm sorry."

"It's ok." I said, my mind already trying to connect the dots. 

How does she know about the arrangement? I thought. How close are they to our family, to know something like this?

She slid plate of pancakes toward me and another plate of eggs and bacon on the opposite side of me and sat down. 

"Thanks." I said.

"Mhm." was all the response that I got, which meant that she was far away, thinking about something. I took this opportunity to study her. 

She had the same hair color and they had the same nose. And a lot of their personalities are the same. 

"When did you find out?" She asked all of a sudden and that caught me off guard. I gave her a puzzled look. "When did you find about the arrangement that your parents have came up with? About you and Aurora?"

"At the first night of the schools." I answered. 

"Oh." was all she said before she went back to her own thoughts. After she ate breakfast, she got up and took my plate with her to the sink, since I was done too.

"Well you are welcome to stay in the house or get out of the house, too." She said. "If you want, that is." 

"Sure." I said to her. "Thanks for letting me stay here, like this."

"No problem." She responded, and left the kitchen. 

I pulled my phone and looked at the notification. Nothing was there. 

I sighed and got up from the stool and went to go to the room but I remembered that I have some of my stuff in my trunk. I went back downstairs and headed to the car and bent to get my stuff.

"It's nice ass you have there." I heard a female voice say from behind me. I straightened up and looked at the person who said that. 

It was a skinny blond, with long legs and everything that would have been my type, still is 

"Well, thanks." I said with my most charming smile I could manage, even if my mind was telling me not to flirt with her, but I needed a distraction. 

"Hey." She said when she was near me. "Are you new in the neighbor?"

"Not really." I looked at my duffle bag and looked at the girl who was there. "I'm visiting a friend, I have visited him before. So I'm really not new."

"How long are you staying?" She asked. 

"Depends on." I responded. 

"On what?" 

"A lot of things." 

"Like?" 

"Are you looking for a specific answer?" 

"Maybe." 

"A girl?" I asked and all she did was shrug and look at me through her lashes. I laughed. "No girl involved." I knew I shouldn't say that but I really needed a distraction from all that has happened this week.

"That's good." She responded. 

"I don't think you told me your name?" I asked.

"It's Ali." She said and came nearer. 

"Aiden." I said and I put my arms around her. "Do you wanna come inside?"

"Is anyone in there?" She asked as Mrs. Robinson's car passed by.

"No." I responded and guided her to the front door and toward the stairs and up the stairs. 

"You've got to be shitting me." We heard a voice say from behind us, that made us jump and whirl around, to see who it was. It was Caleb. 

"Goddamn it, Caleb." I cursed. "You scared the s**t out of me." 

"Are you serious right now?" Caleb said. "What the hell are you doing? Do you want to hurt her more than you already have? Do you want to ruin your relationship with more than you already have?" 

"That's none of your business." I shouted, Ali has already forgotten 

"You really think I would let you hurt her again?" He was also shouting

"Who is he talking about?" I heard Ali say.

"No one." I looked at her and said that and headed up with her hand in mine. 

"Do you really want to upset her more than you already have?" I heard him say quietly. "By sleeping with her friend?" 

"WHAT?" I shouted and whirled back. 

"I take it that you didn't know she was her friend." He said. 

I looked between Ali and Caleb. Suddenly I knew how I know Ali and why she looked so familiar, I saw her with Aurora. 

No, no, no, I thought. How can I do this to her?

She would have never forgiven me if I did it with her friends. 

"You know if Aurora find out about this she will never forgive you, you do know that, right?" Caleb asked.

"Oh, God." I heard Ali gasp. "You won't tell her that, will you?" 

"Not unless you leave." Caleb said it with a calm, dangerous tone. After that she left and didn't look back. 

"How do you know Aurora?" I asked as I took a sit on the couch and Caleb joined me. It was silent after a few seconds, before he started to talk. 

"A few years ago, my father started a project. The project was huge, I mean huge and successful. It got the attention of The King. So one day he wanted to meet my family. You know how it is when The King wanted to meet us. Anyway, we went there and that's when I met Aurora for the first time, in person. After that we started to hang out more. We became close, but not close enough. I admit I asked her out a couple of times but she friend zoned me, every time. We stayed close, talked to each other at least every week. She told me about her friends and she sent me a picture of them. That's how I knew who she was."

I didn't know anything about this. They both kept it a secret from me. I mean I get it why Aurora kept it a secret, but Caleb? That does not make any sense. 

"Why didn't you say anything to me?" I asked. 

"I didn't think it was important." He answered. "I didn't know about your history with her. And I certainly didn't know about your crush on her." He added the last part with a smirk. 

"I do not have a crush on her." I said. 

"Whatever you say." Caleb retorted. 

"Thank you." I said after a long silent I worked up the courage to say it.

"That's what friends are for, right?" He said, He sounded so much like a girl.

"You sound so much like a girl." I joked. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were at school."

"And let you ruin everything?" He snorted. "No, don't think so. I talked to my mom about you and she told me to come home and she told me to some home and keep an eye on you." 

"To babysit me?" I asked. 

"Well," He looked at me. "You do need to be babysat." 

"Shut up." I said and shoved him, and we laughed. 

We laughed and talked for a long time. Long enough that the next thing we know, Mrs. Robinson had opened the door and was coming in. 

"Hi, boys." She said when she said when she saw us together. "Having fun?" She gave Caleb a knowing look. 

"No I didn't do anything to ruin my relationship with the Princess." I answered the look instead.

She laughed and put her purse on the closet that was by the door. "You guys Hungary?" She asked. "We can make something real quick?"

"I'll help." I volunteered. I got up from he couch and went to the kitchen. "Are you coming?" I asked Caleb.

"Fine." I said and got up from the couch and came with me to the kitchen. 

"I'll be down in a couple of minutes." Mrs. Robinson said. "I need to change." We both nodded and headed toward the kitchen. 

"Did you think about what I told you last night?" Caleb asked. 

"Yeah," I responded and t a sit on the kitchen counter. "And Aurora freezing me out is not helping."

"What do you mean?" He was confused. I remembered that he doesn't know about the call that Aurora made last night. So I told him about what happened last night.

"I don't know what to say." He said after I finished telling him what happened. "I knew Aurora was cold, but this is something else." 

"Well you don't know half of it." I said. 

"Probably." He was about to continue but his mother came in and he stopped himself.

"Did I interrupt something?" She asked when she saw us like that. 

"No," I said. 

"Ok then," She said as she putted on her apron. "Let's get to work."

We started to work. It took an hour and half, mostly because we were laughing and playing around. 

"Mrs. Robinson," I said when we finished the food. "It was delicious." 

"Your welcome." She answered with a sweet smile. She got up and started to get the plates. 

"I'll help." I said and got up to help, but she put a hand on my shoulder. 

"I can do it." She said with a sweet smile. "You guys go and sit in the living room." 

I smiled and got up and so did Caleb and we both went to the living room and sat down on the couch and stared at the ceiling, when he sat next to me and I looked at him and then looked at the ceiling. 

What's going on with me and Aurora? We used to be best friends. Now this? I really wish we could go back to eight years ago. Everything would have been different. 

I heard my phone ring that made me jump. I took the phone out of my pocket and looked at the screen. It was my mom. I got up and went outside to take the call. 

"Hey mom." I said. 

"Hey." She said. 

"Is everything ok?" 

"Yeah, I was just worried. Where are you?"

"Mom, I told you that I was staying at Caleb's, remember?" 

"Yeah. But- I'm a mother. You can't expect me not to worry about my son." 

"Yeah." I said, annoyance was evident in my voice. 

"Ok," She said. "Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. Bye." 

"Bye mom." I said.

I hung up and went back inside. I looked at Caleb and I went upstairs. 

I pulled out my laptop and plugged in my headphones and started to work on some emails. I got caught up with my emails and I still had time until dinner and I had to be downstairs. 

I started to work on somethings that needed to be done for the company. By the time I was done it was dark outside.

I went downstairs and saw that there was some one in the living room. When I recognized who it was, I froze on the spot. 

It was Aurora. Standing in the living room and laughing at something Caleb said.