Chapter 12 Alone With Thoughts
Chapter 12: Aria’s POV — Alone With Thoughts
The door clicked shut behind me, and the sound felt louder than a thunderclap. The silence that followed pressed against my ears, my chest, and my thoughts. No one came after me. No one called my name. The house felt bigger, colder, and somehow emptier than it ever had before.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, my fingers clutching the fabric of the covers as if it could hold me together. My stomach ached, not just from hunger or worry, but from the weight of everything—the fear, the shame, ahhh confusion.
I couldn’t stop thinking.
Why does this always happen to me?
Why do I always end up in the middle of someone else’s drama? Why does every step I take toward safety, toward belonging, always lead me into more pain?
I pressed my palms against my face, trying to block out the world. Trying to push away the memory of Mina’s tears, her screams, the way my parents had rushed to her, the way the brothers had carried her like she was precious glass while I… I was invisible.
Invisible.
I felt like I had been erased from the house, from their hearts, from the world I thought I had found.
And yet… there was the thought that refused to leave me.
Aiden.
I shivered at the thought of him. That powerful, unrelenting Alpha… the way he had walked into my life like a storm and refused to leave. The way he had looked at me the other day, sharp and demanding, yet… wanting.
I clenched my fists. My pulse thundered in my ears.
Part of me… wanted to go with him.
To leave the chaos behind. To step away from the weight of my family’s judgment. To escape the eyes of my parents, my brothers, and Mina—the girl who had been my friend, my ally, and now… my enemy.
If I went with Aiden…
I could avoid all the fights.
I could avoid the sneers, the whispered words, the glances that measured my worth.
I could have his protection.
And yet… I couldn’t stop thinking about Mina.
Even now, even after everything… she would hate me. She would think I had betrayed her. That I had chosen myself over her, that I had joined with the Alpha to take what she wanted. She would never forgive me.
She would watch, waiting, planning, looking for ways to hurt me. I knew her. Mina never forgot. She never forgave.
And she was clever. Dangerous.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
If I went to Aiden… I would have him, maybe even safety. But I would also have Mina’s wrath. I would be walking into a storm, knowing she would never rest until she found a way to make me regret it.
I couldn’t… I couldn’t bear that.
I leaned back against the wall, my head hitting the cool plaster. My fingers dug into my dress as if that small pain could remind me I was still here. I was still real. I was still me.
But was I?
A part of me whispered, small and trembling, that maybe I was meant to vanish. Maybe I didn’t belong anywhere. Not in this house. Not with my parents. Not with my brothers. Not even in the presence of Aiden.
Another part of me refused that thought. That part… that stubborn, foolish part… whispered that I had to fight. That I couldn’t let fear decide for me. That Mina’s hatred could not control me forever.
I exhaled slowly, my breath shaky.
And yet the thought returned.
If I stayed here… I would continue to be the invisible one. Mina would continue to have her power. My parents would continue to treat me like a shadow, loving me in their way but never truly seeing me. And Aiden… he would want me, yes, but at what cost? Would he care about me? Or would he see me as just another piece in his world, another omega to bend and claim?
I closed my eyes.
The room was quiet. Too quiet.
I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my chest. A dull ache spread through me. Loneliness wrapped around me like a thick blanket, suffocating but familiar.
I thought of all the moments I had longed for belonging. For family. For love. For someone to see me and care—not just superficially, but truly.
And now, it was all tangled.
Mina’s power. My parents’ fear. My brothers’ worry. Aiden’s desire.
And me.
I was trapped in the middle of all of it. A pawn, a shadow, a girl who wanted to matter.
I pressed my hands over my eyes, biting my lip to stop the tears. But they came anyway, hot and fast. Silent, but unstoppable.
I whispered to the empty room, my voice shaking.
I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to betray anyone. I just… want to live… to be safe… to be seen.
The walls around me felt tight. The air felt heavy. The silence pressed down harder than any anger or accusation ever could.
I thought of Aiden again.
If I went with him… maybe all this would stop.
Maybe Mina wouldn’t have power over me.
Maybe the house would finally be quiet, finally empty of judgment.
But could I betray my family? Betray the only people who had loved me, imperfectly but still truly?
Could I betray Mina… even after she hurt me, after she tried to destroy me… could I betray her?
I didn’t know.
I pressed my forehead against the wall, trembling. My stomach churned. My hands shook.
I had never felt so small. So helpless. So alone.
And yet… in the darkness of my thoughts, one tiny spark flickered.
A thought so fragile, so dangerous…
I have to make a choice. And whatever I choose… I have to live with it.
I wiped my tears roughly, trying to steady my breath. The moonlight through the window cast a silver glow on my face, highlighting every tear streak, every bruise of emotion.
I sat there for a long time. Thinking. Remembering. Wondering.
And then… I realized.
No matter what happened, no matter how much Mina hated me. No matter how powerful Aiden was. No matter how fragile my place in this family seemed…
I would survive.
I would survive.
And maybe, just maybe… I could find a way to matter.