Consume my broken heart

Chapter 25

Very long chapter!

My feet are killing me." I whine and swallow the fluid down my throat. If alcohol will ease the pain as my nerves, I'll be fine.

"It's because you never wear heels," Barbie says with a wicked smile. "In a few hours, you can sit down and throw them away." She adds before someone caught elsewhere her attention. "Oh, no," she murmurs and I quickly follow her gaze.

"Oh no," I repeat her exact words. "He has seen you," I whisper, feeling guilty already. It was my fault she was here with me. I asked her to join me for support.

"I need to talk to him," Barbie says with a painful expression. I nod and bite on my inner lip when I see her walking towards Rick. Still, she moves with so much ease, like we haven't been standing for hours. It's already late and I'm not sure why, but it's like someone tipped her off.

I bite on my painted fingernail, also something I had to endure because of Barbie. The color had to be the same as the color of the dress; she had instructed me. So I painted them black because my dress was black as well. Barbie wanted a brighter color for me, but if I was going to wear a dress, it needed to be black. I didn't need to be more visible than needed. I wanted to seek the attention of Matthew and not the entire ballroom.

Gazing at the bubbles from my champagne, I jumped up when I hear his voice. "Am I too late?" Aiden appeared in front of me in a black suit. He looked so different than usual with his hoodies and jeans.

Although, I was still angry at him; it did something to see him here. He was here to help me, even when I yelled at him. It's not like he needed the money I was going to pay him. Aiden was here because he knew I needed his help. And he's right. I can't do this on my own. Not now when Barbie isn't here as well.

"No, I was waiting for the right moment," I say shortly, but tried my best to answer him in a civilized way.

Aiden looks at me seriously before placing him beside me, viewing the entire room of people. "We need to get a closer look. When his girlfriend leaves for a moment, you can approach him." Aiden says with clenched jaws. I know he doesn't like the idea of seducing him, but it's the one thing I know will hurt him. Not because he will lose his girlfriend, but he'll lose all the money he was hoping to get from his rich father-in-law. The company he's working in is also from her parents, so he probably will lose his job as well.

"Let's dance, so we can get a better look." Aiden gestured for me to take his hand. Since when is he so gallant? Well, I know he has royal blood in him. I'm guessing this wasn't the first time he would attend a party like this. All the women were dressed in classy dresses and the men in fancy suits. This was something you would see in movies. All those rich and beautiful people gathered in one room. They seem almost a different, superior rase.

I hesitate for a moment but take his hand. This was a way to get close without drawing too much attention. I follow him on foot, trying my best to walk with my head held high, just like Barbie taught me. It felt strange holding a man's hand, even when we were not together. We walk into the crowd, and I feel the vibrations of the music in my entire body. My body and mind were on edge, ready to freeze or run when needed.

Suddenly, I feel Aiden's finger under my chin, pulling it up to face him. Didn't even realize we have stopped. As gently as he was, he smiled at me in encouragement. "I'm going to place my hands on your back." He breathed.

Why was he asking for permission? Isn't that what a man always does while dancing with a woman? "Okay," I answer him, knowing I was going to dance with a man after all those years. For some, it would be the most normal thing to do, but for me, it was a tremendous step in my healing process. I can't afford to do this. If I can't dance with Aiden, I rather quit and go home. There's no room for improvement anymore. This needs to work.