Trapped by the Past

Chapter 13: The Get Away

Aurora's POV

    I was in the car going to Caleb's house for the weekend. His parents invited me and Ethan to stay with them for the weekend. But we couldn't stay that long and because of the coming up gala.

The whole ride to Caleb's I was thinking about Aiden and what he told me, going over the time we spent there with him telling me what has happened and everything after that.  

After Aiden left, I stayed in my place with my head down holding it between my hands, unable to do anything. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder that made me jump. 

"What the hell, Ethan?" I yelled at Ethan when I looked up and saw it was Ethan. 

"Sorry." He said as he tool a sit next to me. "Are you ok?" I gave him a look.

"I still can't believe how my life has changed the last week." I murmured 

"Is there anything I can do?" Ethan asked

"No." I whispered and shook my head. "Why do I feel this hurt?" I asked. 

"He was your best friend." He said and put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me closer to him so I could put my head on his shoulder. "Even though, you have been apart for along time, a part of you still wants him to be honest with you." 

We sat in silence like that for a few minutes until Dad came and asked us what has happened. 

"Rora." Ethan called my name softly. "We're here." I looked outside and sure enough there we were. But there was another car there. But that was not Caleb's, unless he bought a new car. 

Do they have guests? I thought, confused and got out of the car. Then why would he invite me. 

"Who's car is that?" I asked Ethan and when I looked at him, he was glaring at the car, like he knew whose it was. "Ethan?" 

"I don't know." was all he said. 

I bite my lips to stop myself from saying anything else. 

We went up the couple of stairs of the porch and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, Caleb opened the door. 

"Hey." He said with the biggest smile on his face. I couldn't help but return it. "Your here." He pulled me in for a hug.

He hugged Ethan with a manly hug. I could tell by the way his back was so tense that he was waiting for something. After they pulled a part Caleb frowned and looked at Ethan, as if he could also sense that something was wrong with him. 

"Do you have a guest?" I asked since Ethan didn't say anything. 

"Not really." He avoided contact with me and Ethan, Which meant that he was hiding something, from both of us. "Why don't you two some inside?" He moved away from the doorway to let us in. 

We sat n the huge living room, that was decorated with white couches and black tables, everything was decorated in black and white. 

"What did he say?" He asked. He was referring to my dad letting me go to the school. He didn't know what has happened since we haven't talked for a couple of weeks. 

"He let me." I said with excitement. "I've been going to an actual school for a week now." 

"I'm happy for you." Caleb said and pulled me in for another hug. "Why didn't you tell me?" He said, more like accusing me of something. 

"We were both busy." I pointed out.

"Whatever." He said with an eyeroll. 

I was about to say something when I felt Ethan tense up beside me and looking somewhere. 

"Ethan?" I asked. I was seriously worried about him. What is going on with him? "Ethan, What's going on?" Caleb turn. He sighed and shake his head. 

I followed both of their eyes and both of them were looking at the stairs. When I saw who they were looking at. 

Aiden. Aiden was standing at the top of the stairs. I froze in my place. He was also as frozen as I was. I reached for Ethan's hand. I needed him to support me and hold my hand, otherwise I would have started to cry. 

As if breaking out his trance, Ethan held my hand and pulled me closer to him. He glanced at Caleb, who was looking at everywhere but us. 

"Care to explain, Caleb?" Ethan spit out with rage.

Caleb took a deep breathe and started to say something but cut himself, when Aiden came down stairs and stood next to Caleb with raised eyebrows. 

"I know about the arrangement." Caleb said. "And I know the history between you two." He looked at Ethan. "They need to talk, Ethan." 

"And what are you doing in the middle of this?" I asked. 

"No one was doing anything to help." Caleb said, on the defense. "And you are my friend. Both of you ."  He added the last part with a softer tone. 

"We did talk." Aiden said after being silent for a long time. "She knows what's been going on. I told her everything." There was no trace of anger on anything, his face not betraying his emotions. 

"Can we leave?" I asked Ethan. "I can drive if you're tired?" I offered. 

"No." Caleb answered. "You can't leave. It's too late. Come one, you just got here. And I haven't seen you or talked to you for a long time." He said and when he saw how hesitated I was he added. "Please?" 

I looked at Ethan. He was looking at me, letting me know the decision is up to me. 

"Fine." I said and sat down on the couch that was behind me. "But don't expect anything to happen with me and Aiden." I added looking at Caleb. 

"Thank you." Caleb said and sat down on the couch opposite me. Aiden stood there staring at me, then went upstairs without anything else. 

"I feel good." I said to Ethan. 

"I can see that." He said, worried. "What happened?" 

"I don't know." 

"Do you want to lay down?" Caleb asked. "I'll call you down when we have the table set." 

"Thanks." I said and got up  went upstairs. 

Whenever we come here, which was three times, I had the first room to the right from the stairs, so without thinking I went inside. I screamed lowly, when I saw that someone was there already. 

He whirled around and was just as surprised as I was to see him. 

"Sorry." I said when I clamed down and recognized who it was. "I didn't know you were in here." 

"it's ok." Aiden said, "I take it that you take this is the room you take, whenever you come here?" 

"Yeah." I said. "It's just go to another room. Sorry." 

"Don't worry about it." Aiden said, since I saw him down stairs, he had hardly shown any emotion. What is wrong  with him? 

"Are you ok?" Aiden asked, just before I was about to close the door. 

"Yeah." I said and opened the door a bit more. "Why?"

"You don't look ok." Aiden commented. 

"I'm fine." I said and avoided eye contact. "I'm just tired." 

"I know when your lying." He said. "Do you want to lie down and talk about it?" 

"I can lie down in the other room." I said a small smile. "Thanks, though." I muttered. 

"But you can't talk to anyone in the other room." Aiden said, again, as I was about to close the door. 

I hesitated for a second. Should I talk to him? Do I want to talk t him? What would we even talk about?

"Yeah." I said before I could think it through. My face must have shown some of what is was thinking because he said.

"Nothing serious, just catching up." 

I smiled and went inside the room. It was awkward. I was standing there, in front of the door, playing with my fingers and looking everywhere except at Aiden. 

Suddenly he started to laugh, loud and hard. At first I didn't know what he was laughing at and was looking at him with question. But then I realized that he must be laughing at me, because of how awkward I was. 

"What's so funny?" I asked calmly after he finished laughing.

"Sorry." He apologized, completely sober now. 

"What were you laughing at?" I asked when he didn't answer my question. All I got was him, not looking at me and at the floor. "I think I asked you a question." All the awkwardness was gone and the Princess, with the calm mask was back. 

"You." He whispered and looked me in the eye before looking at the floor again. 

"And what's so funny about me?" I asked with raised eyebrows. 

"The Princess was gone and the normal, awkward teenage girl was there instead." He said and looking at me straight in the eye, again. Those green eyes are like a jungle you could get lost in. "It's not everyday you get to see that." 

Now it was my turn to look down and avoid eye contact. Neither of us said anything for another couple of minutes.

"Come on." He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted he spot next to him for me to sit down. "Sit down, maybe that will help you calm down." He added the last part with a soft tone. 

I sighed and sat down on the bed next to him. We didn't say anything for a while, just looked at each other. 

"How was school today?" Aiden asked and broke the silence.

"Everyone was talking about you and the scandal you made." I answered. "Apparently, this is not your first time." I added. 

"This big? Yes it is." He said. "I never would have done it if I knew she was a teacher. I swear." 

I just nodded and looked at the laptop that was sitting on the bed. 

"What about your friends?" He asked. I know how to read body language since I have to know when someone is lying to me or keeping something from me. Right now he was keeping something from me. So I gave him a questioning look. 

"They're suspicious that there is something going on between us." I said. "I had to come up with a lie to explain to them everything. For now, it worked." 

"Was everyone of them at school today?" He asked.

"No." I said, confused. "Ali wasn't. Why?" 

"Nothing?" He said, too fast. 

He doesn't want me to find out about something, but what? 

"You know," I said, looking at him with a cool expression. "My dad had me taking a body language course. You know, the one you know what the other person is hiding by their body language." 

When he didn't say anything, I asked the question that I know I was asking. "What are you hiding?" 

"Would you promise something first?" He asked, nervous.

"What?" 

"That you'll listen to the story then get mad at me, if you want to."

I sighed. "Fine." 

"Today," he started and took a deep breathe. "When I went out to get my stuff from my car, since I came here late last night. I heard a voice something behind me. When I turned around she was there. I didn't know she was one of your friends. I swear. Anyway, I invited her inside and she didn't refuse. But Caleb got home and told me who she was." 

"Who was she?" I asked, even though, I knew what his answer was going to be, but I wanted to be sure that the answer was what I think it was. 

"Don't-" I cut him with a stern look. "Ali, it was Alison." 

I didn't say anything, just looked at the door, but not seeing it really. 

"Aurora." Aiden called my name but I didn't answer him.

I didn't know who to be more mad at, Aiden or Ali? I knew Ali knew who Aiden was. But I don't know who Ali was. I didn't know what to believe. But I knew girls like Ali and what they do. 

"Aurora." Aiden called my name again, this time he raised his hand to touch my shoulder but stopped himself. "Aurora, please say something. Please."

"How do I know you are telling the truth?" I asked, looking at him in the eye. 

"You can aske Caleb." He said and raised my eyebrows. "He saw my face when he told me who she was." 

I looked at him in the eyes, searching for something, anything to tell me if what he said was true or not. I could into his green eyes for days and still lost in them. 

I always envy his eyes. They were mesmerizing. And they were showing every emotion he was feeling right now, and with that they were even more mesmerizing. Right now they were telling the truth, that he didn't know who Ali was. 

"Aurora." He whispered and that was all it took for me to snap me out of the trance. 

I looked down and I could feel my cheeks becoming red from embarrassment. 

"And there's the teenage girl." He said, laughing at my face. 

I looked around for anything hit him with and saw the pillows behind me. I picked one up and threw it at his laughing face. 

He was shocked for a minute, but when he recovered, he got a devilish look in his eyes. 

"OH.MY.GOD." I said when I realized what I've done. 

Aiden was always playful with a competitive edge. What I did brought that side of him out. 

"Too late to back out now." He said, with the same devilish smile he wore since he was a kid. He threw the pillow at me. I was so busy dodging the pillow that he was coming to toward me. The next thing I know is that he is on top of me. 

We were both laughing, he was on top of, tickling me and making me laugh harder. 

"Oh, my-" I tried to say between laughter. "Ok, stop, stop."

"Apologize." he demanded. 

"No." I said, still laughing. 

"OH?" He said. "Does that mean you want to be tickled?" He asked as continued to tickle me. 

"Ok, ok, ok." I said. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." 

That made him stop but stayed on top of me, with me sprawled beneath him. I found myself getting lost in the jungle of his eyes. 

"Uhmm." We heard someone clear their throat from the door. I looked toward the door and saw Ethan standing in the door way. 

I hurried to straightened up and so did Aiden. We were so embarrassed and in a rush that we bumped our foreheads together. 

"Ouch." I whined while rubbing my forehead. 

"Sorry." Aiden said while rubbing his own forehead. 

"What the hell is going on here?" Ethan asked us, anger was evident in his too controlled voice. 

"Nothing." I said, looking at him in the eye. He was the one who wanted us to get on well, so he doesn't get to get mad at me for getting on with Aiden. 

"And you want me to believe that?" Ethan asked. I could see his expression change from anger to disappointment. 

Oh, no. He doesn't get to ne disappointed of me. Just because I'm not mad at him anymore doesn't mean that I forgot he kept a huge secret from me, my whole life. 

I stood up and started walking toward the door. 

"You were the one who wanted us to marry for a reason that I still don't know." By this point I was face to face with Ethan. I could feel Aiden standing in the back of the room, not knowing what to do. 

"You weren't the one to find out the only person you thought would not keep anything from you, kept a huge secret from you, your whole life. So don't look at me like YOU are disappointed in me."

After I said that, I could see the shock that was on Ethan's face, and I would bet that if I looked at Aiden, he would have the same expression. I left the room with the boys still in shock. 

"Hi, Mrs. R." I said when to Caleb's mom when I got to the kitchen. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were home." 

"It's ok." She responded with a smile and pulled me in for a hug. "How are you?" She asked, worried. 

"Good." I said with a fake smile. "Where's Caleb? I thought he was the one making the food." I joked and changed the subject. 

"You know as well as I do that, that boy can't cook to save his life." She said while laughing and I joined in. "He should be in his room upstairs." 

"Oh, ok." I said and looked at what she was doing. "Is there anything I can help you with?" 

"No, you're tired from the long drive." She responded while looking at my face. I knew I had dark circles under my eyes form not getting enough sleep these last few nights. "Do you-" 

I cut her off, because I knew what she wanted to ask. 

"No." I said with a sharp tone. "It's not that." I added softly. "Please let me help you. I really need a distraction." Mrs. R. sighed ad told me what to do. 

We started tp talk about small things and laugh about some gossip that 's been going around in her office. The boys were still upstairs none of them has come down yet and I was starting to get worried . 

"Do you think they're ok?" I asked Mrs. R when there wasn't even a sound coming from upstairs.

"Their fine." She said. "Don't worry about them." 

"Ok." I wasn't convinced but didn't say anything. As if seeing that I'm still not convinced Mrs. R said. 

"Why don't you go and call them down? The food is almost ready." 

"Ok." I said and headed upstairs. I could hear their voices whispering. I was coming from the room that Aiden was staying in. I tiptoed to the door and listened. 

"She needs to know." I heard Aiden say. 

"No, she doesn't." Ethan whisper-yelled back. 

"It's her life that you are playing with." Aiden said. 

"I want to protect her. She is my sister, I don't want anything happen to her." 

"You, keeping her in the dark is not helping her. She needs to know what's after her, the danger she is in." Aiden's voice rose in the end, like he was angry. 

"If we tell her that we have tell her everything else that we have been keeping from her." 

"Then tell her." 

"Keep your voice down." Ethan said. 

"Ethan." Caleb said. "Maybe he's right. You are playing with her life and she doesn't know it." 

There was silence from the other side of the door, complete silence. 

"We can talk about this later." Ethan said and I heard footsteps. 

I hurried to the stairs and went two down and as soon as the door opened I went up the steps and smiled at Ethan when he opened the door. 

"Hey." I said. "I was just about to call you down." 

"Ok." Ethan responded with a smile. "We'll be down in a minute." 

"Ok." I went downstairs and helped Mrs. R set the table. 

I was thinking about what the boys said upstairs. What were they talking about? Why I can't know about it?

"Aurora?" I heard someone call out. I jerked my head to where the sound was coming from. 

 "Yes?" I said when I saw Caleb looking at me with a frown on his face. "Did you need something?" 

"I've been calling your name for the last couple of minutes or so." He said and came closer to me and put  a hand on my chin and made me look up, and searched my face. When he didn't see anything, he put his hand on my cheek and caressed me with his thumb. 

"What's going on?" He asked with a concerned look on his face. "You know you can talk to me."

"I know." I said and stared into his brown eyes. 

"Uhmm." Someone cleared their throat from behind Caleb and made us snap of my thoughts. 

I pulled away from my hands and he dropped it with a sigh. I looked up to see who was in the dinning room with us. Aiden. 

Oh, God. Aiden saw me and Caleb like that. But I remembered wat he had done and honestly, this was no where near what he did to me.

"Where's Ethan?" I asked, without any emotion in my voice.

"He's upstairs." I looked into his eyes and for a second I thought I saw hurt and jealousy in them. But he cared it was so fast that I couldn't be sure. He smiled. "He'll be down in a second." 

"Ok." I said. 

"Do you guys need any help?" Aiden asked me and Caleb. 

"Yeah." I said. "Can you se these? I have to help Mrs. R." 

"Yeah, sure." He said and came to get the knifes and the forks from me. When he got them our hands brushed and I quickly pulled my hand away. 

"Sorry." I muttered and ducked my head and left the room. 

"What is wrong with her?" I heard Caleb when I was in the doorway I paused to what Aiden will say but didn't hear anything. 

I started toward the kitchen but loud voices from the dinning room stopped me, frozen in my place. 

"f**k you, Caleb." I heard Aiden say and storm out of the room I turned around and only got a glimpse of Aiden's back. I went back to the dinning room. 

"What was that about?" I asked Caleb. He was bent down to pick the silverware that were on the floor. I went and helped him pick them up. "Caleb?" I said when he didn't answer me. 

"I have no clue." He said with a sigh. 

I really wanted to call out hos lie but stopped myself. 

I took the silverwares from Caleb and took them to the kitchen to wash them and bring them back. 

"What happened?" Ethan asked when I went to the kitchen. Mrs. R was also looking at me with concern. 

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Aiden was … Aiden." 

I started to wash the spoons. 

"Where's he now?" Mrs. R asked. 

"Outside." I said while washing the spoons. 

"Fuck." Ethan said. 

"Language." Mrs. R said with a scowl on her face. 

"Sorry." Ethan said with an apologetic smile and started toward the door. But stopped as if he thought of something.

He came to me and said. 

"Can you go talk to him?" He asked me. 

"Me?" I asked, surprised. 

"Yes, you." He replied with an eyeroll. "Will you?" 

"Yeah." I said and started toward the back yard, where Aiden went. 

When I opened the door a cool breeze hit my face and I closed my eyes for a second and inhaled the smell of wet grass. I opened my eyes and looked around the yard for Aiden. The yard was big with a light blue pool in the middle and a barn to the far left. To the right were the gardens that were filled with all kinds of flower of any color. 

Aiden was coming out from the barn without anyone else around. He must have came here a lot for him to go to the barn without anyone else around. This was my third time here, usually Caleb would come to the Palace and visit but for some reason he invited me here for a day since we would head back tomorrow for the gala. 

I started toward Aiden. 

"Hey." I said when I was right in front of him. All he did was a nod and rounded me and went toward the house. "Aiden, wait." I jugged the few steps to him. "What happened with you and Caleb in there?" 

"Nothing." He said, he wouldn't even look at me. 

"Aiden." I said in a firm tone. "Look at me." I said when he didn't turn to look at me. 

He turned my way and looked at ne in the eye without any emotion on his face. 

"You don't want to talk to me?" I asked but didn't give him time to respond. "Fine. But don't you dare ruin tonight for me. Tonight is the first night I have with my brother and friends to have some fun. So don't ruin it for me, understood?" 

I could see he grit his teeth and lock his jaw. 

"Yes, ma'am." He said through gritted teeth. 

"Good." I said ad straightened up. "Now come inside and eat." I started to walk toward the house. I could feel Aiden hesitate before sighing and following me to the house. 

We went straight to the dinning room without saying a word to each other. When we got to the dinning room, I put a smile on my face and started to walk faster. 

Ethan and Caleb looked between me and Aiden with confusion and question. They looked at me and tilting his head to the side with raised eyebrows. I just smiled at him. 

"Can I do anything to help?" I asked them.

"No." Caleb said with a smile. 

"Come on everyone." Mrs. R said. "Let's sit and eat." 

"Isn't Dad coming?" Caleb asked with something else behind his question.

"You know how busy he is." Mrs. R said. " He couldn't make it." She looked down at the plate in front of her. 

Everyone took a sit. I sat down next to Mrs. R and Caleb sat down in front of me with Aiden to his let. Ethan sat next to me. I looked between Caleb and Mrs. R. Caleb was looking at his mother while Mrs. R was getting some food on her plate. 

What was going on with them? I thought to myself. I looked at Caleb questioning. 

As if sensing me, starting at him, he looked at me and gave me a fake smile that didn't reach his eyes. I smiled back at him.

We started to eat with an awkward silence on the table. 

"I heard you started going to a public school, Aurora." Mrs. R said. 

"Yes." I responded. 

"How is it?" 

"Well," I said, looking at Aiden who was on the other side next to Caleb. "I never thought I would have to deal with so much drama. But I guess that was to be expected when the Princess goes to a regular school." 

"Does anyone knows wo you are?" 

"No." I said. "Well, two people. The Principle and …" 

"And who?" Mrs. R asked. 

"Aiden." I said and Mrs. R raised her eyebrows. I was about to say something say something but Caleb beat me to it. 

"Oh, drop the act Mom." He said while laughing. "Don't mess with her. She already has a lot to deal with. Don't make it harder on her." 

I looked at Caleb with shock. What is he talking about? 

"What are you talking about?" I asked but I heard someone laugh. I looked at Aiden who was looking at his plate and trying not laugh. 

"What's so funny, Aiden?" I asked. He looked up and looked at me in the eye. 

"Nothing." was all he said before he looked at Ethan and looked back at his plate. 

"What do you mean Caleb?" I asked again. 

"My mom knows that you and Aiden are going to the same school." He said with a smirk. 

I looked at Mrs. R and she just smiled at me. 

"How?' I asked, really confused.

"Our families are closer than what you think." Mrs. R said with a distance look, like she remembered something from her past. 

I looked at Ethan and he was looking at me. I wanted to see the same shock that I knew was evident on my face. But he had a blank face on. 

How many more secrets a my family keeping from me? I gritted my teeth to stop myself from saying anything and started to eat. 

The rest of the time went silent while we ate our food. 

After we ate I helped Mrs. R clean the table while the boys went into the living room, watching TV. 

"I'll wash the dishes, you go and sit with the others." She said. 

"Thanks." I said and went into the living room. The boys were whispering again, but Caleb was the one to see me, he smiled and waved. The others looked at me and smiled at me. 

"Come on," Aiden said. "Sit down." 

I smiled and headed toward Ethan and sat next to him and put my head on his shoulder. 

"Don't you two look like a couple." Caleb said with a smirk.

"Ewww." I said. "Shut up. He's my brother and he's my best friend."

"Yeah, yeah." Caleb said. "Whatever you say." 

"Shut up, Caleb." Ethan said. "Don't mess with her. It's not a good time." 

"Fine." He said. "I was just joking." 

Ethan pulled me closer.  

We started to talk and laugh and soon Mrs. R joined us in the living room.