Chapter 36

Chapter 36
Aurelia's POV

"Oh dear," she gushed, looking at me. Her arms were still around me. "What happened?"

"It's nothing of—"

"She was going to go home with a man... He was taking advantage of her drunk state," Killian announced, shaking his head. "You should focus on teaching your daughter more safety tips, you know."

"She was drunk," Ivy said, defending me. "The man simply wanted to take advantage. It's not her fault."

Ivy was supporting me? My chest twisted that I was betraying her.

Killian shrugged. "Well, good thing I went to the club last night."

"Hm," she harrumphed and stood up, adjusting her tone and walking upstairs.

I followed after her, not wanting to be left in the same room as him for too long. I had to be so intent on avoiding Killian if I didn't want a repeat of the last two times.

When I got to my room, I exhaled, looking at the fairy light and the vines. The last time I had done a room makeover was sometime in high school.

There were two options right now to stop myself from spiralling. Go back to my dorm, or redecorate my room.

"Hey," a voice called in the doorway and I was glad the voice was not that of Killian.

Ivy stood there, her hips leaning against the doorframe. Her eyes were no longer red-rimmed. She folded her arms, assessing me, and for some reason, my heart began to pound. What if she had found out and had come to confront me? Or was it my guilt speaking for me?

"Hi," I said in a shaky voice.

"You should shower," she commented, stepping further into the room. She sank onto my bed and sighed.

"Yeah, I'll do that," I said, looking at myself. "Hey... You look... Tired, sad?"

I knew she was.

She let out a small laugh. "I don't know."

"We should go shopping... And redecorate my room today," I said. "I... Feel like."

"That will be nice. But we'll be moving to Killian's house soon."

"Hey, this house will be here forever. I'd love to stay here..."

"Yeah, it's your dad's house. And it does really belong to you."

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll throw parties here."

She grinned. "Don't just trash the place. He'll haunt you from the grave. I have a feeling he's doing that to me."

"Why would he?" I asked, joining her on the bed and lying to look up at the ceiling.

"Well, my marriages never work out," she shrugged.

"Okay? You think he wouldn't have wanted you to move on?"

"At least, not so soon."

"It's been six years, Ivy," I smiled at her.

"Hm, and I got my first fiancé less than a year after that," she told me. "Plus other stuff you know..."

"Hey, I'll go shower... You do the same. Let's go shopping."

"We'll have to look at Pinterest to see what we want to change around here... But yeah, I've been meaning to tell you your room is outdated but I wasn't sure how you'd take it."

I laughed, the laughter turning into a snort.

"You decorated it with your dad... The memories," she smiled sadly.

"Right? I'll be right back, let me shower."

I walked to the bathroom and let my dress fall to the floor. I stared at my body and the love bites on it, suddenly feeling so conscious. My hair has covered up the ones on my neck, but there were on my chest, stomach and all

With a sigh, I turned on the shower and stood under it, slowly sinking to the floor. Guilt consumed me, but there was nothing I could do about the past. I had to focus on the future and not find myself in any situation involving Killian.

But how possible was it?

Thinking about him made my already sore pussy tingle deliciously with need.

"Get those thoughts out of your head," I scolded myself, feeling annoyed for thinking about that. Eventually, I washed up every part of my body, and then towel-dried myself. I grabbed another towel and put it around my shoulders to avoid any questions my step mom might have about the hickey's on me. She had already been suspicious when Killian and I came in through the front door this morning. I had to do everything not to confirm those thoughts she had brushed away.

Luckily, when I stepped back into my room, she wasn't there and I figured she had gone to get dressed. I locked my door and walked to my dresser table. After my body care and skin care routine, I went to my wardrobe.

I grabbed a black turtle-necked long-sleeved sweater I owned, which unfortunately was cropped.

I had love bites on my stomach as well..

Then a thought came to mind. I had enough body con tops to wear underneath. I'd probably look like a fashion disaster.

I sighed and put it on that way. All I had to do was wear mid-wasted jeans and that would be fine right?

I grabbed a pair of black jeans and put them on. Then grabbed sneakers from the shoe rack beside.

I walked out of my room and went to my stepmom's room, opening the door slowly.

She was already dressed in shorts and a backless crop top. "You ready?"

"I am," I said, glancing at where Killian lay shirtless on the bed, scrolling away on his phone. I could see him checking me out in the corner of his eye, and he had an amused look on his face.

"Who are we mourning Aurelia?" He asked me.

"Ivy? Let's go," I said, ignoring him.

My stepmom looked at him, sighed and walked out with me.

Deep down, I wondered how she could do it.

How could she want to spend the rest of her life with a man who didn't love her?

How did it benefit her? Blackmailing a man who didn't love her into marriage?

That was a different level of crazy if I was being honest.