𝐍𝐎 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐒, ꜱʙɢ

35

"Aiden?"

"Hey." He smiled, sitting down on the asphalt of the rooftop and scooting closer to Dom. Dominique's figure stilled in its spot, her mind still in a frenzy from the events that had come to light previously in her room.

"How you doing?" Aiden asked, his body not touching hers, but still a distance away she could still find comfort in his presence. She looked into his eyes, hers filling with subtle tears as she sniffled, wiping her face on her sleeve.

"I'm okay." She replied, breaking her gaze from his and looking toward the floor in solitude. Aiden hummed from beside her, a calming smile over his features while eyeing Dominique's form down.

"No, you're not."

Dominique didn't look back at him, curling up on herself slightly and digging her nails into her thighs slightly, crescent marks rising to the surface of her skin as she let out an unsettled sigh.

"Whatever you say." She gave in to his presence, looking back toward him. She felt her mind fog back to the images of her late mother; her form crumpled to the floor and a weeping sob leaving her bruised lips, her once beautiful features beaten in in black and blue.

Her breath started to pick back up again, coming out in short huffs as she tried her best to breathe out the carbon blocking her lungs in a frenzy. Quickly, she turned her body to him, grasping onto the the wrinkled fabric of his shirt and desperate plea leaving her lips.

"Is she okay?!" Dominique yelled, her frame shaken and tossed between the winds of the rooftop, leaving her vulnerable to its elements. She felt goose-bumps rise to the surface of her skin, her teeth chattering while she waited desperately for Aiden's response.

"Is who okay?" He asked, concern swimming in his eyes and his smile slipping from his lips. He grasped Dominique's hands on his shirt, rubbing soothing circles into the back of her palms and placing a soft kiss to her fingertips.

"My mom, She was in my room. On the floor, Aiden! Is she okay? God, she looked terrified!" She stuttered out, a sob ripping from her lips as she pleaded for information on her beautiful mother's condition.

"Your mother? Dominique, your mom wasn't there." Aiden quickly replied, tearing his jacket from his frame and smothering it around her figure, its warmth faulting the wind's assault on Dominique's body. He quickly brought her figure into his, her tears soaking through his shirt as her breaths tried to heave from her lungs, stuttering against her throat in broken hiccups.

"She was on the floor, Aiden! How could you not see her?!" She sobbed out, her arms wrapping around his waist. He pulled her closer slightly, letting her rest against him fully as she babbled incoherently into his chest. He enclosed his arms around her hair, trying to give her chattering frame some much needed warmth as his heart broke at his friend's despair.

"There was nobody in the room except me, Tyler, Taylor, Ben, Logan and you. Your father was-." He stopped himself, his eyes blown wide in realisation as his arms felt numb against him limbs, falling limp from rubbing circles into Dominique's hair.

"Dominique, that wasn't your mother. Oh god." He whispered out in horror, peppering a panicked kiss to her forehead as she raised her head, the tears coating her cheeks glistening against the morning sun and burning her skin harshly.