As It Was (h.s)

vi

Its not what I wanted
To leave you behind
Don't know where you'll land when you fly
But baby,
You were the love of my life
***
Aria's POV:
***

Harry didn't pull out of his parking spot until he saw me get into my car and drive away. I knew exactly where I was going, but not where I was headed once I got there.

I drove down the road to a hotel that was near Resky's. I pulled into the parking lot, I turned my car off and sat there for a moment.

When I got to my house earlier, I walked in the door and saw Cole and my mother sitting on the couch watching Jepordy. They both turned their heads when they saw me.

"Aria," Cole said, and he stood, but I didn't want to hear what he had to say. I immediately went to the stairs on the way to my bedroom. I had grabbed a bag and threw clothes and necessities into it. I tried with everything I could to keep tears from falling down my cheeks.

When Cole appeared into the door, he tried to take the bag from my hands. "Aria, stop, you're overreacting."

"Over reacting?!" I yelled, and I took the bag away from him. "Are you kidding me?! That woman you've befriended sitting on my couch eating the food that I pay for in the house I pay for is the entire reasoning that I'm so fucked up, Cole!"

"Aria, calm down she isn't that bad." He tried to reason with me, his hands trying to find mine but I slap them away.

"Not that bad?" I asked. "Not that bad!? When I was 10, she told me she'd rather die than be my mother because I told her I didn't want to have fucking carrots with dinner! She told me she hated me more times than I can count! My entire life I've grown up thinking I was a terrible person because of all the shit she filled my head with and you're sitting here telling me that I'm being dramatic because I don't want to be in the same house as her?"

"Arianna, don't be such a bitch." My mother's eerie voice ricocheted through the entire room. "I've raised you better than this."

I ignore her words and head towards the door. "Excuse me." I said, trying to side step her, but she stepped with me.

Then, her hand met my cheek. The stinging feeling that flowed through my skin was nothing but a nostalgic memory from my childhood. As the pain dissipated, anger replaced it.

I shoved her out of my way and stormed out of the house to Harry's car that was still parked outside.

I grabbed my bag and opened my car door. Slinging the bag over my shoulder and heading into the hotel. I can still feel the burn on my face from where my mother hit me, but I'm choosing to ignore it. There is nothing that could make me go back to stay at that house. Nothing in the world.

The lobby was busy. It was a Saturday in L.A. and tourists filled with their suitcases and luggage. Small children hug their stuffed animals and cling to their mother's. There was a buzz of small talk and people deciding where to go first. It was a dainty sound that under any other circumstances of my day, I probably would've smiled.

I walked up to the front desk. "Can I get a room, I just need one bed."

"Sure," He said, he looked annoyed. "Name?"

"Uhm...Aria Andrews." I said, he smiled and typed my name into his computer.

"Like the one who dated Harry Styles? How's that going by the way." click click click went his fingers on the keyboard.

"We broke up a while ago." I spat out, my eyes shifting to the floor. "I'm-" I start, about to say married, but I realize it doesn't matter, and shut up about it.