Trapped by the Past

Chapter 14: Before the Gala.

We stayed up late that night, talking and laughing, having fun. I don't remember the last time I ad this much fun. 

"Ok," Caleb said. "It's late and we have to go tomorrow morning, we should get some sleep." 

"Yeah." I said, yawning and stretching. "I'm tired and Ethan has to drive, so do you two." I said nodding toward Cale and Aiden. "Is Mr. R coming?" I asked Mrs. R. 

Mrs. R and Caleb looked at each other. "I don't think so." Mrs. R shook his head. 

"Ok," Caleb said as he got up. "I'll go upstairs to sleep. I'll advice you to do the same." He added and headed up stairs. 

I also got up and looked at Ethan, Aiden and Mrs. R. "If you'll excuse me." I said. "I have to get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day and knowing my family, there would be some kind of announcement. I have to be prepared for anything."

"Yeah," Ethan said. "Go get some sleep, you'll need it." 

"Night." I said and headed up the stairs. 

I went onto the room they gave for the night and changed into my pajamas that I brought with me. I lied down on the bed thinking about what Aiden told me and what has happened. Why do I always get nervous around him? It's like … I don't know how to describe the feeling but it's a weird feeling get whenever I'm around him. I don't like it, I don't like it whenever I lose control. I don't know what time it was but I fall asleep late into the night. 

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Then next morning, I woke up to the smell I haven't smelt in so long. I sat up fast when I realized what that smell was and what it meant. It was the smell of pancakes and eggs with bacon. I haven't smelt that since my mom died and we stopped going to that cabin we used to go and stay once or twice a month to get away from everything that's been going on. My mom used to make us pancakes and egg with bacon. 

I thought I was there in that time but when I opened my eyes and remembered that she was dead and where I was, I could feel tears in my eyes and started crying. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. 

"Yes?" I said in a weak voice. 

"Aurora?" Aiden said with from the other side of the from the other side of the door. "Is everything ok?' He opened the door and stepped in. 

When he saw me like that he came rushing toward me and hugged me.

"Are you ok?" he whispered in my ear. I tried not to cry, stop the tears from coming but as he asked me all the strength I had snapped and I started to cry harder. He let me cry for a long time. 

"Is she ok?" I heard Ethan's voice from the doorway.

I should have pulled away or at least stopped crying because that's what they would have expect me to do but I berried my face deeper Aiden's strong and broad chest.

'What happened to her?" Ethan asked, accusation was evident in his voice. "Did you do or say something to her?" I could feel Ethan caress my hair.

"No," Aiden said and I could feel the vibration of his chest when he spoke. "When I came to get her to comer downstairs to eat something, she was crying like this." 

"Aurora," Ethan called my name and I could feel the bed go down and Ethan's hand was around my shoulder. He tried to pull me toward himself but I didn't want to move from Aiden's chest. 

"Shh, it's ok." Aiden said and caressed my back. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" 

"Nothing." I said and pulled back. "I'm sorry, Aiden. I'm sorry." I went toward the bathroom that was in the room and locked the door. 

I went toward the shower and started to undress and stepped into the water.

It's been days since my mom died but the wound was still there, fresh and bleeding. I still miss her, every day. She was my mom and my friend. I could tell her anything about my day and what I was feeling and she would patiently listen to a nine years old talk none stop for hours. I would show the world that I'm fine and strong, even my family, but from inside I was bleeding and today waking up to that smell, I couldn't keep my walls up and they broke and with them so did I. This week was full of drama and this was my last straw. I didn't notice but I was crying under the shower.

It was nearly an hour that I was in the shower. I dried myself and got dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a white T-shirt with my black and white sneakers. When I was done I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and went outside the bathroom. I didn't think there was anyone in the room so I didn't look for anyone. 

"Aurora?" I heard someone say and turned around, ready to knock them down. It was Aiden, still waiting for me on my bed with the same white wet shirt, sitting on the bed. "Have you been crying in there the whole time?" 

"No." I said with a weak voice, touching my eyes and looking down. "I was taking a shower."

"Your eyes and voice says otherwise." He said with a concerned look and coming closer to me. He reached out and put a hand on my cheek. "What's going on Rora?" 

"Nothing." I said but didn't move from his touch, instead I moved more into his hand and closed my eyes. "Can we go downstairs? I'm starving." I said and opened my eyes and looked at him through my lashes. He nodded and tried to smile. I moved away and went downstairs. 

"Hello." I said, cheerfully to everyone who was sitting in the dinning room and around the table. They all looked at me with concern but smiled none the less. Everyone was sitting in the same spot as last night. 

"Am I late?" I asked Mrs. R with a smile. 

"No, sweetheart." She said and got up. "I'll get you, your plate." 

"Thank you." I said and gave him a grateful smile. I sat down next to Ethan and looked at my hands. 

"You ok?"  Ethan murmured.

"Yeah," I said looking at him straight in the eye. "Why wouldn't I be?" He sighed but didn't say anything else. Mrs. R came and put the plate filled with pancakes and blueberries in front of me. 

"Here, sweetie." She said with a smile. 

"Thanks." I said and gave her a grateful smile.

I started to eat but I could fell everyone else was looking at me. After a few minutes they started to eat. After we finished eating I helped Mrs. R with the table while the boys went upstairs to gather their things. 

"Do you want to talk about what happened this morning?" She asked out of blue and caught me off guard "The boys told me." 

"It was nothing." I shrugged, I really didn't want to talk about it. 

"Does that has anything to do with the accident that happened to you a few years ago?" Mrs. R asked me. How does she know about that? They weren't even friends with my family back then. "Your dad told me about it." 

"No," I said, washing my hands. "This has nothing to do with that." I said while drying my hands. "I have to go upstairs to gather my stuff. If you'll excuse me." I left the kitchen without waiting for an answer. 

Is that why she let me help her that easily, because she wouldn't let me do anything whenever we come here. Why can't they just let this go?

I went into the room and gathered all mu stuff that I have brought with myself. It wasn't a lot so it didn't take long, but it took more than necessary because I was thinking about tonight's gala and what I have be waiting for. After I tidied up the room I picked up my bag and went downstairs. 

"Do you need help?" Aiden's voice from behind me made me jump. I turned around with my free hand on my heart. 

"You scared me." I said. "And no, I'm fine." 

"Let me see." He said and before I could protest he took the bag from me.

"Aiden." I whined while he started to go downstairs. "I could carry that myself." 

"I know." He said from over his shoulder since I was behind him. "But what kind of gentleman would I be to let you carry that yourself?"

"Wow." I said with sarcasm and an eye roll. "What a gentleman you are."

"I heard that." He said, laughing. 

"You were meant to." I shouted and started to laugh too.

When I reached him he put the bag behind the front door and turned around. 

"Your welcome." He said when I didn't say anything. I rolled my eyes at him again. "Anything I can help you with, ma'am?" He asked with a mock bow. 

"No," I said with mock seriousness. "That would be all, sir." We looked at each other's sober faces and couldn't control it any more and started to laugh. 

"I see that your mood has changed since this morning." Ethan said from behind me with a concerned tone. I turned around and wiped my eyes that were wet from laughing.

"Yeah." I said, trying to control my laughter. "It did."  

"You guys can go ahead." Mrs. R said from the kitchen. "We'll see you in the Palace."

"Ok." I said with a smile and a wave, which she returned. "We'll see you there. Bye Caleb." I shouted the last part.

"Hey." Aiden said from my left. "Calm down. I think I'm going to go deaf." I rolled my eyes at him and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Bye, Aurora." Caleb said from top of the stairs and waved. 

We left and went outside. 

"Aurora?" Aiden called my name as I was about to head toward Ethan's car. I turned around and gave him a questioning look. "Do you want to come with me?" I raised my brows at him. "It was just an offer." 

I looked at Ethan who shrugged and closed the trunk after putting our bags in it. 

"Yeah." I said and looked at him. We started to ward his car. 

I sat in the front and waited for Aiden to come. After a few minutes he came after putting his bag in the trunk. He started the car and didn't say anything. I didn't say anything either and just looked out of the window.

"Do you remember the day after the night your dad told us about the arrangement?" Aiden asked after a few minutes of driving in silence. I knew when he meant. 

"Yeah." I looked at him with question. "I don't think I could forget that day. What about it?" 

"I'm sorry about that." He said without looking at me. "I was mad and wanted to … I don't know, rebel. But I didn't see any ring on her finger, I swear. It was a trap." 

"Look." I said. "You don't have to explain anything to me. You can do whatever you want with whoever you want. Just don't do it in public like that." I looked out the window again, thinking  about last night. I gasped. I don't think I remember taking my meds I reached for my purse and took out my pills. I took out a piece of paper and spilled them out and started to count them.

"Aurora." Aiden yelled and took my hands. "What are you doing? What is going on?" 

"Nothing." I tried to pull my hands but when he didn't let go of them I added. "Just let me do this, please." He let go of my hands. I started to count them.

No, no, no. I didn't take one last night. I put my head on the headrest and closed my eyes, but I couldn't feel the car moving. I looked out the window and saw that we have stopped. I looked at Aiden who was looking at me with concern and confusion. 

"Are you ok?" He asked when he saw me looking at him.

"Yeah." I said, taking a deep breathe and not meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry if I acted weird." 

"What happened?" He asked. "And don't tell me nothing because I don't believe you." 

I took a deep breathe. I really wanted to tell him. 

"A few months after you left..." I started but I couldn't bring myself to tell him something that huge. "You know what? Forget it." I turned to the window and looked out. 

There was complete and utter silence in the car for a few minutes. I could feel Aiden staring at me so I turned to him. "What?" I snapped at him. 

"Aren't you going to continue?" Aiden asked, clearly frustrated. 

"No." I said harshly. "Can we just go?"

"No." He snapped. "You have to talk to me." 

"I don't have to do shit." I snapped. "So it you don't want to move, I'll call Ethan and ask him to come and give me a ride for the rest of the way." 

"Fine." He breathed out and started the car. 

We drove in silence and I went into my own thoughts. 

One of the biggest problems with these pills was the emotional whiplash you would get whenever you take them for the first time and whenever you don't take them, even for a day. This morning was an aftermath of not taking them last night. I would have taken them right now, but I had a gala to attend and those pills would make you sleepy. 

My phone ringing brought me back from my thoughts from last night and what happened the last time I didn't take them. I do not want that to happened again, especially tonight. 

I looked at the screen of my phone and saw Ethan's name on the screen. I answered it.

"Hello?" I said. 

"Hey." Aiden said from the other side of the phone. "Where are you? You were behind me one second and the next you weren't. What happened?"

"Nothing." I replied after he was finished. "I just didn't feel good for a second and Aiden pulled over for me to get some air."

"Are you ok now?" He sounded even more worried than before. 

"Yeah." I tried to calm him down. "It was just car sick. I'm fine now, I promise." 

"Are you sure?" he asked. 

"Ethan." I said in a firm tone. "I'm fine." I said in a softer tone.

"Ok." he sighed. He knew he couldn't say anything when I was this firm with him. "Bye."

"Bye." I stared at the phone after disconnecting it. 

"Who was that?" Aiden asked after a few moments. 

"Ethan." I said and since I could feel he was still mad at me for not telling him what those pills were for I added. "He was worried since he couldn't see us behind him anymore." He didn't say anything and just drove. I put my phone back into my purse and put my pills back into the bottle and put it back into my purse. 

God, this is not a good time for me to have emotional whiplash, I need to be on my best behavior for tonight's gala since there were going to be a lot of important people there. What am I going to do? 

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the car has stopped until Aiden called my name. 

"Aurora." Aiden said in a flat voice, still mad at me. 

"Yes?" I looked at him, questioning. 

"What do you want to at?" 

"I'm not hungry. Thanks, though."

"Aurora." He said in a controlled voice. "What do you wan to eat?" 

"I'm not hungry, Aiden. Leave me alone." 

"Like hell I will." His voice was rising. "You haven't eaten anything today."

"I ate breakfast."

"No, out of the three pancakes, you barely ate half of one of them."

"Because I'm no t hungry, Aiden." I said, also raising my voice. 

"What is going on?" Ethan asked from Aiden's side since the window was down. "Why are you guys yelling at each other?" 

"Your sister doesn't want to eat anything." Aiden said before I could say anything. I gave him a look which he ignored. 

"Because I'm not hungry." I said. Ethan looked at me, searching fot something. 

"Oh, no." he said and hurried to my side. He opened the door and kneeled in front of me. "Did you take your pills last night?" I didn't say anything and just looked at my hands. "Aurora." Ethan's yell made me jump. "Did you take your pills last night?" 

"N...no." I stuttered. I wasn't one to be scared easily, but when Ethan got angry it was scary.

"Ethan." Aiden said. "You are scaring her. I don't know what those pills are for and what they do, but I don't think they are worth making her cry or scaring her, is it?" 

Ethan pulled his hair and turned around. I could see he was trying to compose himself and taking deep breathes. I could feel the tears gathering in my eyes. 

"Hey," Aiden said and took both my small hands into his big one and pulled me toward himself. "You ok?" I could see the concern look on his face and voice. 

I nodded and tried to smile but the tears started to spill. Aiden pulled me more into him and hugged me tightly. 

"It's going to be ok." Aiden murmured into my hair and moved his hand up and down my back in a soothing manner. I heard foot steps leaving. Ethan must have left. And for some reason that made me cry harder into Aiden's chest.

Aiden didn't say anything just held me tightly and caressed my back. After a few minutes I heard foot steps come this way. 

"Here," Ethan said from behind me. "You need to eat something." He said in a soft tone. 

I pulled away from Aiden and looked at Ethan who was kneeling in front of the car. He waved a bag in front of me. "You need to eat." I was about to say something but he didn't let me. "I know you are not hungry, but you haven't eaten anything since last night." 

"Eat something, Rora." Aiden said from the other side. I looked at him. "Please." He added. I sighed and nodded and took the bag from Ethan. He smiled and got up. 

"What do you want to eat, Aiden?" Ethan asked. Aiden told Ethan what he wanted to eat and Ethan left. We fell silent the whole time I ate and Aiden closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of his seat. 

"I'm sorry." Aiden said with his eyes still closed. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." he looked at me.  I could how dory he was. 

"It's ok." I sad as Ethan came and gave Aiden his food and they both started to eat while I played with my half eaten sandwich, thinking about when was the last time I have driven a car. Suddenly I had an idea. 

"Do you want me to drive?" I asked Aiden. 

"Why?" He looked at me confused. I shrugged.

"I just thought you were tiered from last night."

"Yeah." Aided said, still confused. He was about to say something but Ethan didn't let him. 

"No." Ethan said in a firm tone. 

"Ethan." I said in a firm tone but when he gave me a stern look I knew I had to give him my puppy eyes. "Do you know when was the last time I have driven?" I gave him my best puppy eyes that would always work. "Please?" Ethan sighed. 

"Are you sure you won't have-" 

"I'm sure." I cut him off. "I wont' have one, I'm pretty sure."

"Fine." he gave up. "Can she drive?" He asked Aiden. 

"Yeah, of course." He said and got out from the car and I did the same. 

"Thank you." I said when passed him and gave him a hug. He was shocked at first but then hugged me back. 

"Your welcome." He replied and I pulled away, both of us smiling. I looked at Ethan who was looking at me with concern and  surprise. I rolled my eyes at him. 

"I'm going to be fine." I said with a reassuring smile. "For now." I muttered. 

"What do you mean, for now?" He asked with big eyes. 

"Nothing." I replied. Ethan was about to say something but Aiden beat him to it.

"Look." He said. "I won't let anything happen to her, I promise. 

"Fine." He gave me one last look and went toward his car.

"Thanks." I thanked Aiden again.

"Don't thank me." He said, not looking at me but I could see his cheeks getting red. I giggled and started the car and drove. 

We drove in silent for an hour. I was getting tiered and frustrated. I looked at Aiden who was looking at the road. I took a deep breathe and tried to start a conversation. 

"Did you know that I was coming to your school?" I asked Aiden no taking my eyes off the road. I could feel Aiden looking at me and trying to decide how to answer my question. I heard him sigh. 

"No," He said. "Remember I was as surprised as you were when you saw me." He paused. "Why?" I just shrugged. 

"Can we just not be quiet?" I said when we fell silent again. "It's getting frustrating." He laughed. I raised my eyebrows at him and gave him a side look. "What?" 

"Nothing." He said after he finished laughing but still had a smile on his face. "What do you wan to talk about?" 

"I don't know. Something, anything."

"Did you know that I would be there?" I gave him a look. He looked down and I had to try hard not to laugh at him, but I couldn't and started to laugh. "Glad that you find my embarrassment funny, Princess." He was also trying not laugh. 

"Sorry." I said and tried to contain my laughter. 

"How many boyfriends have you had?" Aiden asked and I rolled my eyes at him. 

"Seriously?" I said. 

"What?" He said, acting innocent. "I was just curious. Now answer the question."

"None of your business." 

"Oh, come on." 

"No, my turn. What were you and my brothers and Caleb arguing about?" 

"Nothing." He was taken back by my question. I tried to look at him in the eye but he wasn't looking at me. 

I sighed. I knew he wouldn't answer the question but it was worth a shot. 

"Is Liam still the same?" Aiden asked after a few minutes of silent. 

"Pretty much." I said. "Everyone is the same." 

"Not everyone." He said and I could feel him looking at me. "You are not." 

"I guess." I shrugged. "Oh, my God." I said with excitement. "Remember that time when you fell into the pool and pulled me with you and Liam saw us." 

"Yeah." He said laughing. "He was shouting at us for an hour straight and we were both laughing."

"That made him more mad." I laughed, remembering that time. "It was in the middle of January. I caught a cold after that and couldn't come out of my room for two days." 

"Yeah, I remember." 

We started to laugh and remembering all the memories from our childhood and how much fun we had together. 

"I miss those days." He said with a bitter smile, staring into distance. "I had nothing to worry about except how I'm going to get to your Palace after school and how to make dad let me stay with you longer." 

"I wish I could say the same." I said with a bitter smile and he looked at me with surprise. "Not that I don't miss those days, just that I had a lot to worry about, even back then." 

"Yeah," He said and looked at me with an emotion in his eyes that was hard to read. "You were always worried about everything." I smiled a bitter one and stared at the road. I saw the city and smiled, a real one this time. 

"Hey." I said to Aiden and broke the sad moment. "We're at the city." 

"Yeah, " He said, completely distracted. "Wait, did your dad seriously let you come to Caleb's without any guards?" I had to laugh at his question.

He must be joking. I looked at him and he was looking at me with raised eyebrows. 

"You're joking, right?" I asked and he shook his head. "My dad won't let me go to my room without someone tailing me. Of course he had someone follow my every move." 

"Where are they?" Aiden asked and looked back from the rea view mirror. 

"The black car that has been following us." I gestured toward the car. "And they were stationed outside last night." I said as we pulled up near the Palace entrance. "Ok, get out." I got out and so did Aiden. I gave the keys to the valet who was waiting for it. 

"What are you doing?" Aiden asked. "I need to go and get dressed."            

"Your mom sent everything that you would need here." Ethan said from behind him. "I called my dad and told him you were coming here, so he told your parents and they sent everything over since that would be more convenient when you are her date." Ethan nodded toward me when he said the last part. 

"Fine." Aiden muttered and started walking toward the Palace doors. 

"You ok?" Ethan asked when we both started to walk toward the Place. 

"I'm fine, Ethan." I gave him a reassuring smile. "Nothing would happen. I promise." 

"You don't know." He said, clearly frustrated and worried about me. "At least Aiden will keep an eye on you now that he knows." He looked at me and I dodged his eyes and pulled my lower lip between my teeth. "You didn't tell him?" He stopped walking on the front stairs and raised his voice in shock. I shook my head and looked at the stairs and at Aiden who was looking at us from the top of the stairs with worry. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"Because." I said still not looking at Ethan. "He doesn't need to know everything about me."

"What?" He asked with big eyes. "Are you serious? Why doesn't he need to know everything about you? He's you fiancé." 

"He doesn't need to know because first," I said getting angry myself. "He is not my fiancé by MY choice and second, I don' know everything about him either." 

"God, Aurora. You are unbelievable." Ethan said and ran his hand in his hair. "He needs to know because he doesn't have as big as a problem as you have. He is not as damaged as you are." I was completely frozen. 

No, no, no. Ethan would never say that about me. As much as I bother him and walk on his nerves, he would never say something like that. But his words keep repeating in my head, 'He is not as damaged as you are.' And he is right, I am damaged and broken. 

But that doesn't stop my eyes from getting wet and starting to get blurry. As if he just realized what he said, he reached out for me. I pulled away from him, and as much as I didn't want to cry but the tears escaped from my eyes. 

"Aurora." He said and tried to reach for me again and I pulled away again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." I started to run up the stairs to my room. I could hear both Aiden and Ethan's voice calling my name but I didn't look back and headed straight to my room. 

When I opened the door and was greeted with Liam and other people who were there to get me ready for tonight. When Liam turned around he was smiling but when he saw my face his smile turned into a frown. 

"Are you ok?" Liam asked, coming toward me and pulling me into him. "What happened?" He asked and I couldn't control myself anymore and started to cry. "Shh. It's ok." 

"I want to be alone." I said through y sobs. 

"Ok." He said. "Out. Now." He said in a loud voice to everyone else. He was about to leave but I pulled his hand to stop him. 

"Stay." I said in a weak voice. "Please." 

"Ok, I will." He said and closed the door. I wiped the remaining of my tears and sat down on my bed. "What happened?" He sat down next to me. I told him everything that happened since I left the Palace yesterday. When I was finished, he was silent and I didn't know what his face was like since I was looking at my hands. I looked at his and his face was scary. His face was red and he was frowning and his jaw was locked. 

"You know," He said through gritted teeth. "I can beat Ethan right now for how he talked to you." 

"He is your brother, Liam." I said lowly.

"And you are my sister," He got up and went toward the window that was over looking the gardens. "Our sister." He said. 

"But he was just telling the truth." I said. "I didn't take my meds and he was right, I am damaged." 

"Stop." he said and marched toward me. "God, Aurora. You are not damaged. You have a problem and that's ok. And whatever his reasons were, Ethan didn't have the right to talk to you like that." He pulled me into him again. 

We pulled away after a few minutes and he smiled. 

"I'm going to call them in." He said, referring to the staff that came to make sure I got ready for tonight. "You'll be ok?" 

"Yeah." I nodded and smiled through a soaked face. "I'll get ready. You need to get ready too." He smile and kissed my forehead one last time and left the room.

After he left everyone came rushing in ordering me to take a bath and other things.