Chapter 15 He Cares
Chapter 15 — Aria’s POV
I gripped the small bag in my hands, my fingers tight around the strap. Each step down the hallway felt heavier than the last. My chest was tight, my stomach twisted, my mind racing. I had told myself a thousand times I would leave quietly, take only what I needed, and disappear without making a scene. No drama. No arguments. Just… leave.
But then I heard his voice, and the world seemed to stop.
“Aria.”
It wasn’t loud, but it carried across the empty hallway like a low thunderclap. My knees almost gave way. I froze mid-step, my heart hammering so fast I thought it might burst through my chest.
I turned slowly. Aiden stood there, tall, broad, and commanding. His presence alone filled the space, his dark eyes fixed on me. There was no anger in them. No impatience. Only focus, intent, and that cold, sharp power that always made my heart race.
“You don’t need to pack anything,” he said, his voice low, calm, yet so strong it felt like it vibrated through me. “Whatever you need… here, I have more than that with me.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. Words failed me. I nodded slowly, barely able to breathe. My bag in my hands suddenly felt meaningless. All my plans, all my escape routes—they didn’t matter anymore.
Aiden took a step closer. The air seemed to thicken. Every fiber of my body screamed caution, fear, and something else I couldn’t name. He didn’t touch me, not yet, but his presence was enough. My heart raced. My pulse thrummed in my ears.
We turned back together, moving toward the stairs. I could feel every eye in the house on us. Mina’s, my parents’, my brothers’—all of them. The tension was thick, almost suffocating. I could feel the weight of their stares, their judgments, their questions.
Then Mina’s voice rang out, sharp, cutting through the hallway like a whip:
“Have you changed your mind?”
I flinched. The sound of her voice, her anger barely contained, sent a shiver down my spine. “You aren’t packing up again?” she spat, her tone filled with disbelief, shock, and that familiar sting of jealousy.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t even look at her. I could feel her eyes burning into me, calculating, searching for a crack in my armor. I wouldn’t give her that satisfaction. Not now. Not ever.
Aiden ignored her completely. He stepped forward, bending slightly to lift me into his arms. My heart leapt into my throat. I gasped, surprised by the sudden motion, but he held me effortlessly, as if I weighed nothing at all. My bag slipped from my hands, but he caught it with ease, balancing both me and my belongings.
I felt Mina’s gaze burning into my back, but I didn’t dare turn. My mind raced: She’ll never forgive this. She’ll see me as the enemy now. And Aiden… he doesn’t even care about her anger. He’s… with me.
The hallway seemed to stretch forever as he carried me up the stairs. Every step made my heart pound faster. The sound of his boots on the wood echoed like a drum in my chest. My fingers clutched his shoulders, both for balance and out of a nervous need for connection.
I could feel the tension in the air. The house seemed to hold its breath. My family was behind us, silent, watching, judging, waiting. I felt like an intruder in my own home, yet I wasn’t alone. I had Aiden.
Finally, we reached the room upstairs. He set me down gently on the edge of the bed, still holding the bag with one strong arm. I sank into the mattress, my body trembling from exhaustion, fear, and something else—something I couldn’t yet name.
“You don’t need to worry about anything,” he said again, his voice low, almost a growl. “Not here. Not with me.”
I nodded, still unable to speak. My chest was tight, my mind spinning. Relief and fear battled within me, twisting into a whirlwind I couldn’t untangle.
From the stairs below, Mina’s voice rang out again, weaker this time, but sharp with disbelief:
“You—what do you think you’re doing?!”
I could feel her fury, her jealousy, her panic. And for the first time, I realized something important: the power in this house was shifting. For now, at least, I wasn’t the one fighting alone.
Aiden closed the door behind us with a soft click. I leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath, finally feeling a moment of respite. His presence behind me, silent but commanding, offered something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in years: safety.
I sank further into the mattress, the exhaustion of the last few days finally catching up. My mind, however, remained alert, spinning with thoughts of Mina, of my pregnancy, of Aiden’s words, of what my next steps should be.
Mina will not stop. She will try to take everything back. She will manipulate, scheme, and plan.
I clenched my fists in the bed sheets, my chest aching. But even with that knowledge, I felt a spark—a stubborn, fragile spark—that I had been denied for so long. I wasn’t powerless. Not entirely. And with Aiden at my side, I had a chance.
I looked at him, standing silently in the corner, his eyes never leaving me. For the first time, I felt a strange, dangerous hope rising inside me.
Maybe… just maybe… I wasn’t alone anymore.