Chapter 162 A PAINFUL MEMORY.
AURORA’S POINT OF VIEW.
The second our eyes met, I felt the room turn to ice. My blood pulsed, as did the pace of my heartbeat. For a moment, his dark eyes appeared shocked, and all of a sudden, they were filled with heat, passion, and anger….a combination that set my heart on fire years ago, and even now. It caused me to falter slightly in the next move, something that had never happened before. \]
I collected myself before anyone would see it, and focused instead on ensuring served a show. My hips rubbed while my ass bounded rhythmically to the beat of the music, my vision slightly blurred over not just from the dollar bills being sprayed all over the stage, but also the memories he conjured in my mind just by a mere eye contact.
The life I’d abandoned, not by choice, but because my stepmother decided to pounce the second my father had a heart attack.
It’d been the perfect afternoon. Kai and I had agreed to start dating. I’d liked him from the moment I walked through the doors of Ravenscroft High as the daughter of the mayor of Westridge, and tried to keep a low profile. I couldn’t help but be drawn to one of the famous horsemen, who always wore a dark shade of blood red no matter what, on his clothes.
I’d dreamed about him, hoped I would have the courage to speak more than a squeak when I was around him, but I long gave up on the idea when I overheard one of the girls in the bathroom moan about how good he was in bed the other night. I’d thought he’d been interested in me because of a smile we’d shared the day before at the cafeteria when he’d told me……”Looking good, my lady.” With a low bow….it made me blush.
But with that, I realised he would never like someone like me, so I tried keeping my distance. I didn’t smile at him, didn’t look at him, I just kept my gaze ahead, tried to forget the chaos at home, and focus on graduation.
However, he noticed, because all of a sudden, one day, we’d gotten a group task…more like, Kai threatened everyone else not to work with me because he wanted to be my partner, and even when I’d protested, and tried using my mayor’s daughter privilege, it couldn’t outweigh his billionaire father’s power and status.
It’d been a normal day, or rather, a weird day because we’d just left the gathering of Sloane humiliating Roxanne all over again, so I retreated to a quiet part of school to try and forget the sound of m dad and his wife screaming at each other, when he suddenly appeared in front of me like a demon conjured from smoke, and ash.
“Boo!” he’d exclaimed, startling me.
“Ah…what the hell?!” I’d hissed, but instead he smiled…. until he saw the dry sheen of tears on my face. The smile turned to a frown instantly, as he pulled himself closer to me and whispered. “Who made you cry?” his tone had been dark, as if he was ready to slay dragons for me….but I’d learned soon enough that no one could save me….the second my mother died in that accident on my twelfth birthday…. I’d given up on life.
“No one,” I grumbled, flinging his hand away from my cheek so I could gather my mp3 player and run from him… something I’d tried doing, but it seemed impossible because no matter where I turned, he was there.
And when I was at home, he found a way into my messages. While I slept, he crept in my dreams……I couldn’t shake him off, no matter how hard I tried.
But I didn’t hate it.
It gave me the illusion that someone wouldn’t leave me, unlike everyone else in my life.
“Don’t lie to me, Aurora…” he’d said, his tone dark and restrained as he wrapped his hand around my arm in a tight but not bruising grip. “Tell me who.”
“It's not like you can do anything about it, anyway,” I grumbled.
“Try me.”
“Look…..I get that you're a part of the horsemen.” I said with my fingers making air quotes. “But listen, you cannot solve every issue, okay, least of all mine. Just focus on leaving me all alone, and we can read in peace.”
“What?” he’d scoffed, his face reflecting his confusion. “What the hell happened in the past two days….you have been cold, distant, and frankly, you’ve been avoidant. Did I do something wrong?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled. “Why are you so insufferable…. can't you see that I don't want to talk? I don’t want to see you, speak to you, or anyone for that matter. Let me be, please. I was tired….of everything. Of being abandoned, of being the wallflower… of having to pretend to be the perfect daughter, and hide the fact that I missed my mother.
‘No.” He simply said as if there was no room for argument.
“Excuse me?” I scoffed.
“You heard right, Aurora. I'm done pretending I don’t feel this, and I don’t want you pretending either.” He pulled me much closer again; this time, his breath fanned my face, and his lips were dangerously close to mine. So much so that if either of us jolted, we would kiss. “Tell me you don’t feel this;….that your heart doesn’t pound when you see me; the same way mine does as well….tell me you don’t want me, and I swear, I’ll leave you.
I won't speak to you again, I won't bother you…. I’ll just go on about my way.”
“I-I—i….what about the girl?” I squeaked, my mind wandering back to that same girl in the bathroom who’d also claimed to be his girlfriend.
“What girl?” he asked, his confusion deepening.
“The girl you had sex with three days ago,” I replied, a frown pulled at my lips as jealousy crept into my heart. I hated the fact that he had another girl while I was there, hoping he and I would do more than smile at each other.
“Sara? She’s nothing….and I didn’t even sleep with her. I was supposed to….But I couldn’t get you out of my mind. And that’s when I knew….I couldn’t hold back anymore. And it's why I need to know, Aurora.” He chuckled.
“Promise?” A feeling of hope surged through my veins. I hoped he didn’t even kiss her…..I hated the thought of him with someone else.
“I swear.”
“How am I sure you aren’t lying?” I pouted…I hope he isn’t…it would crush me.
“If this is a lie, I hope I grow bald and get naked, with only a hula hoop around my waist while dancing all over the school.”
“What?” I laughed despite myself. He just watched me laugh, not saying a word, until it suddenly felt awkward.
“It's good to see you laugh, Aurora.” He said with a kiss to my cheek….making me blush. “So tell me……do you feel it too?”
I didn’t waste a second. I answered him, “Yes.” Before the word escaped my lips, he crashed his lips to mine in a heated kiss… my first kiss.
…
So now that I'm staring at the one guy I ever felt anything for, dressed as a stripper, dancing before a hundred men…..I felt nothing but shame, and anger….and I hated it. Focusing on the final part of the dance, I hurried things up, thankfully that I could rush home after this. The crowd cheered as the song came to an end. Yet even as money came flying at me, all I could focus on was the shame and fear coursing through me… so I bolted to the back.
But before I could take another step, one of the guards stepped forward, stopping me in my tracks: “Barbie.”
“Greyson? I'm done for the night, I can go home now,” all I could hear was the pounding of my heart against my throat while I tried not to tremble.
“A VIP has requested a private dance.”