Their Princess

Ch. 17- Nothing (Edited)

Aria's POV:

The ride back home was tense and filled with an unnerving silence. I was stuck in the passenger seat, looking everywhere but to my left. Adrian had told Jeremiah to ride with Jaden which I had surprisingly dreaded.

I took a few, glances at Adrian and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. That had only increased my nerves.

Before I could even process it, we had already pulled into the driveway and I was following Adrian back into the mansion. I knew something was about to go down but I was too tired and out of energy to put up with it.

Adrian led me into the dining area where all the Harts were seated. The mood was stiff and nobody talked, laughed, or had a good time. 

It's all because of me.

I shake off the uneasy guilt and sit in the seat I had been frequenting in, beside Jeremiah and I look down at the food. Especially after a fight like that, I was crazy hungry.

I looked around to see if anybody else had begun eating but everybody was busy glaring or avoiding eye contact with me.

You're ruining this family, Aria.

I know.

Look at what you've done.

I know, I'm sorry.

They deserve to be happy again. Not you-

"Aria?" Lawrence calls with a confused look on his face.

I hadn't even realized he was calling me. I quickly fixed my posture and looked him in the eyes, telling him I was ready.

"We're going to have a meeting in the conference room again to discuss some basic rules," He informs me with a glint of worry in his eyes.

"Okay," I mumble loud enough for him to hear, praying that the shakiness in my voice wasn't noticeable.

Everybody dug in but the food no longer looked appetizing. I was too tired to lift the fork so I let my hand fall to my side.

I should've just gone the way the other students were going. It could've gotten me late by a few minutes but it would have been worth the trouble of dealing with these people. 

But I still wondered where the girl was now. The girl that had been cornered by those money-leeching bitches. 

Lunch had felt like an eternity but I wasn't over with the worst part yet. I was still in trouble. 

"... go to the conference room now," Lawrence announced, breaking the loud silence and catching my attention.

Lawrence, Adrian, and Jaden stood up and began heading to the same conference room as last time. I followed the group but from a safe distance.

It hadn't been days since we were last here and everything was going wrong. Everybody sat in the same seats as last time, leaving me the cursed seat I had been interrogated in not too long ago.

It's hard to believe that we were a family. I did share many of the same traits as my brothers but deep down, I'm just a stranger. 

Being in the mansion, I was ruining the once-perfect lives they had. I disrupted their flow and they clearly wanted it back.

When I leave this place, I will return to Canada and live in my and Mama's place again. I'll clean it up so it is exactly how it used to be before all of this went down. Everybody would be happy that way, even if it might be lonely without Mama.

"Aria," an impatient tone which had belonged to Adrian brought me back out of my never-ending thoughts.

He tilted his head towards his father, indicating he had been speaking to me and now it looked like I was blatantly ignoring him.

"My bad," I say in a slightly embarrassed voice.

Lawrence sighs as he clasps his hands together and speaks to me in a collected voice. "I understand that you're struggling as of now to settle in," He began. "But what you had done to those other students was unacceptable."

"Oh my days," I muttered under my breath, done with the conversation already. I leaned further back into my chair as I shuffled uncomfortably from my bruises.

Lawrence had then gotten up, clearly frustrated, as he grabbed a glass and a bottle of liquor. He then walked over and switched seats to the empty seat across from me as he poured himself a drink.

"All four of those kids were hospitalized, Aria." He closes off the bottle as he swirls the liquid around in his glass cup. "You are a Hart and we have a reputation at the school to carry, you can't just be-" I cut Lawrence off, irritated.

"Reputation my ass, Lawrence. They were about to jump me so I fought back," I began my defence. "So, who the fuck are you to tell me that I can't fucking defend myself-"

Lawrence slams both his fists on the table, making everybody flinch and myself jump violently. I knew he was getting irritated and he hadn't been looking happy these past few days, I just seemed to push his buttons even more.

"You watch your tone, Aria Hart. I am your father whether you like it or not." He seethes, leaning forward as he glared into my eyes to intimidate me but I wasn't going to back down. Not yet.

"By blood, yeah. But you're always going to be a stranger to me." I lean forward, copying his position as I glared back into his eyes. "And I'm always going to be Aria Williams."

I could see hurt wash through his body and flicker through his eyes but I couldn't feel an ounce of remorse. 

"Aria," Jaden places a hand on my shoulder, gently bringing me down back into my seat. "You need to let us in so that we can help you."

I shook my head, "You can't help me and you can't ever be my family."

"Aria, I know there's this huge bundle of joy that you feel the need to push down. You're not a sad person, Aria... You're a happy one, just with sad moments." Jaden tries, with a small smile.

"You can't say that Mama was just a sad moment, Jaden," I said in a shaky voice which was poorly hidden. "My whole life, she has been in every single moment and they are all now ruined."

The three men stay silent hearing this and I slump back into my seat. "You have anything else to say or what?" I asked with a dry tone.

Adrian looks over at his father before facing me once again. "You can go but we'll be in Dad's office if you need us."

I was already up and storming out of the room and nobody tried coming after me this time.