They said he didn't have a heart, that he was incapable of love and that nobody would ever want him.
He never knew what it felt like to be loved. What it was like having someone care for him. What it was like to be so unbelievably happy. Until he me...
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They're just two broken people trying to heal each other.
-R.H
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When the large antique clock struck twelve Aurora signed, gently closing the book she was reading before discarding it on the large wooden table in the corner of the library. Rising from the maroon colored chair, she stretched wincing at the popping her shoulder made. It had been three hours since Jaxon left for his meeting and an hour since she ditched Amber in the kitchen while they were making grilled cheese sandwiches.
Amber seemed like a really nice girl but she was energetic and loud, always needing to be doing something or talking Aurora's ear off. It only took two hours before Aurora's social battery died and she needed a moment to herself. Quiet and calm was the way Aurora liked it.
Slipping out of the door, Rory cracked a small smile when she saw the coast was clear. It was the first time all day she hadn't seen Amber or any guards lingering around the halls.
Gently closing the heavy wooden door, she decided to have a look around the castle. She had been here for a few weeks and still had not had a look of the entire palace. Making her way up the torch lite stone stairway she made her way to the top floor to grab a sweater, since the castle had quite a cool draft flowing through the stone walls.
"Aurora, are you up here?" Aurora jumped at the sudden voice before quickly ducking into the nearest room and resting her head on the old wooden door. She knew it would only be a matter of time before Amber started looking for her, and quite honestly she thought she'd be found a little sooner. Watching the light that was peeking underneath the door, Aurora saw Amber footsteps pass the room she was hiding in.
A small sigh could be heard before the sound of retreating footsteps met her ears, Amber's footsteps fading down the stairwell before disappearing entirely. Smiling to herself, she pushed herself off the door and turned to have a look at the room. Instantly freezing when she sees the far side of the room.
Dozens of paintings littered the wall, floor and table tops. Some depicted a beautiful colorful meadow, flowers lit up the canvas like a rainbow in the sky. Others portrayed a small colorful shed surrounded by purple flowers.
There was a painting with a family smiling in it. The mom and dad looking into each other's eyes and grinning widely at the other, obviously in love. Two identical little boys were to the right, both laughing at something the other had said.. To the lower left of the canvas a small brown haired girl looked straight ahead, a large smile showing her missing front tooth, light brown freckles splattered across her cheeks like paint on the canvas, and her left hand holding a purple flower that matched the one in the mothers hair.
A warm tear slipped down Aurora's cold cheek, the painting seemed so familiar. It was like she knew these people, their faces were embedded in her mind but she couldn't for the life of her figure out who they were. Had she met these people in the castle?
Turning to her left she saw a sliver of something hiding beneath a white dust sheet. Tearing off the sheet she fell to her knees, before bursting into tears. Underneath the sheet sat an easel with a partly done painting. The paintbrush still sitting on the easel with blue paint dried to the bristols.
A little boy in a blue shirt with dark hair was pictured kissing the little girl from the family portraits cheek. Looking closer Aurora felt all the breath leave her lungs when she saw the small birthmark on the little girl's shoulder, a little dark spot that looks similar to a small heart, grabbing her left shoulder, she ripped the shirt sleeve down her arm to reveal that same exact birthmark.
Not able to stop the tears Aurora sobbed in her hands, not understanding what all of this meant. Why couldn't she remember her family, how did Jaxon get these paintings, why hadn't her family looked for her, who was the little boy in the painting with her?
Pounding footsteps startled Aurora, jumping to her feet, she grabbed a long pointy paint spatula. Twirling around she held it defensively in front of her as the door to the room slammed open.
Jaxon stood in front of her, his breath heaving in and out of his nose roughly, his hands fisted by his sides turning his fingers a pale white color and his wild eyes staring directly into Aurora's frightened and hurt ones.
"Aurora, listen to me." Jaxon spoke as he took a cautious small step forward.
"Don't come near me!" Aurora yelled at him, causing him to quickly retreat that small step he took towards her. Putting his hands in the surrender position in front of him, he tried to make himself less threatening. He knew he could easily disarm her, but he didn't want to scare her even more than she already was.
Jaxon wasn't sure how much she knew, he didn't want her to find the paintings so soon, he wanted her to slowly be introduced to the memories her mind had suppressed for all those years. Wanted her to go at her own pace, he wanted to be able to answer all her questions, he wanted to be there for her. .
He wasn't even sure how she found this room, it was constantly under lock and key with a guard stationed outside of the door at all times. Before he found her again this room was his most prized possession. He would spend hours here, reminiscing about the short amount of time he knew her, reading books he thought she'd like to the paintings as if the canvas was her, and she was listening to every word he said. Just a few weeks ago this room held half of his soul.
"Where is my family?" her soft voice cracked.
"I'm sorry" he shook his head slowly, he never wanted to have to tell her like this.
"Where are they!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face, the hand holding the paint spatula shaking so badly Jaxon was surprised it didn't fling out of her grasp.
"They're dead, all of them." Aurora crumpled to the floor right before his eyes, the metal dropping from her hand and loudly clanking on the floor. Jaxon rushed to her, falling to his knees in front of her, a single tear rolling down his cheek. The first one that's left his eye in thirteen years since he lost her.
"I couldn't save them, and I couldn't save you. And for the rest of my life I will hate myself for it."
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Disclaimer: Sorry for not updating in so long :( I was thinking about deleting this book but your comments are very motivating. I wanna update once a week so I can finally complete this and start a new one.
