A Princess and A Zombie (A Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and Descendants AU)

Ch. 28

Aurelia was engrossed in her own thoughts while making her way back home, contemplating the discoveries in the cave, the shocking truth about her ancestry, and the significant duty she now had to bear.

As she navigated the quiet streets of Seabrook, Aurelia felt an intense bond with her surroundings. The whispering leaves and the gentle breeze seemed to communicate with her on an unprecedented level.

"Why would you do that?" A voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she looked up to find herself face-to-face with Addison Wells.

"Excuse me?"

"You really hurt Zed, you know!" Addison confronted, making Aurelia raise an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I hurt Zed?" She shook her head, "Are you serious? If anyone hurt Zed, it was you!" She took a bold step towards the cheerleader. "You were too concerned with your image and maintaining your cheerleading status that you pushed Zed out of your life!"

Addison's face turned a shade of red as she stepped forward, her voice quivering with anger. "You don't know anything about it!"

"Oh, but I do!" Aurelia maintained steady eye contact, her voice unwavering. "Zed was there for you, he cared for you, and what did you do? You chose cheerleading over him, over something real and genuine."

Aurelia's words struck a chord with Addison, leaving her momentarily speechless. She hadn't anticipated Aurelia would ever call her out on her past actions. The memories of her time with Zed flooded back, along with a deep-seated sense of regret.

"You just don't get it... I was terrified. Terrified of losing something I'd worked so hard to achieve, afraid of being judged. I thought cheerleading had to come first, even before Zed."

"Zed was worth more than what you were afraid of losing. I'd give anything to be able to have that with him," Aurelia spoke more gently now, "He appreciated you for who you were, not your skills."

"This isn't about me and Zed, it's about you and him! He poured his heart out to you and you left him standing there! Bonzo told Bree everything!"

"So you think you of all people have the right to come out here and chastise me?" She stood her ground, "Newsflash, you don't. You're the one who broke his heart."

"Then it looks like we're both guilty of hurting him, doesn't it?" Addison responded, her anger subsiding as realization dawned on her. "I was wrong, and I've been living with that regret every day. But what's your excuse?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you of all people," Aurelia retorted, her voice laced with a mixture of anger and pain. The air between Aurelia and Addison was heavy with tension, charged with unspoken words and repressed emotions. Addison's eyes bore into Aurelia's, searching for some hint of vulnerability, some sign that her words had penetrated the armor she wore so proudly.

"I may not have the right to chastise you," Addison admitted, her voice softer now, tinged with remorse. "But I do have the right to care about Zed."

"If you cared about Zed, we wouldn't be standing here." Aurelia's last sentence hung in the air, leaving a palpable tension between the two. Addison looked taken aback, her previous anger now replaced with a deep contemplation. She seemed to be wrestling with her own emotions, her own past actions. "I'm not you Addison, I can't just walk away. I... love... him."

The realization shocked her. She hadn't meant to admit it, at least not here and not now. The words hung in the air, a raw and undeniable truth that she could no longer hide from. Addison, for once, was completely speechless, her eyes wide as she processed Aurelia's admission.

Aurelia herself was reeling from her own words, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never said it out loud before, never admitted to herself or to anyone else how deep her feelings for Zed went. But now, faced with the reality of the situation, she couldn't deny it any longer.

"I... I didn't mean to say that," Aurelia stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Addison, recovering from her initial shock, shook her head slightly. "No, it's okay. Maybe it's something we both needed to hear."

Aurelia looked at her, confusion written all over her face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I've been living in the past, holding onto my mistakes and the hurt I caused Zed. But you... you're living it right now. You're in love with him, and you're hurting too." Addison's voice was softer now, filled with a sadness that Aurelia hadn't expected.

"I have to go," Aurelia said abruptly, the weight of her admission and the complexity of her emotions suddenly too much to bear in front of Addison.

She turned on her heel, needing space to process everything that had just transpired. As she walked away, she could feel Addison's eyes on her back, but she didn't turn around. She needed to be alone.

Aurelia's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as she made her way through the quiet streets of Seabrook. The gentle breeze that had once seemed to communicate with her now felt cold and biting. The whispering leaves sounded more like murmurs of disapproval, and the bond she had felt with her surroundings was now replaced with a sense of isolation.

She had admitted her feelings for Zed out loud, not just to Addison, but to herself. And in doing so, she had opened a floodgate of emotions that she couldn't close. Love, fear, duty, and regret all battled for dominance in her heart, leaving her feeling overwhelmed and uncertain.

As she reached her home, Aurelia knew that she couldn't keep these feelings bottled up inside any longer. She needed to talk to someone, someone who would understand and help her make sense of everything.

With a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped inside, ready to face whatever came next.