PULSE [H.S]

096

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." — Lord Acton

I hate it here.

The dinner is just as exhausting as I remember the first one being. At least this time I'm not seconds away from fainting or shitting myself, but my nerve endings are all still on high alert.

The place is filled with gross men, a lot of them walking around with escorts on their arms. I don't know if the girls choose to do this kind of work, but I feel bad for them regardless.

I wear a black dress tonight that has one long sleeve, the other side being strapless. Clove helped me pick it out earlier, just like last time. She helped me get ready today too, and she even put some loose waves in my normally straight hair.

I'm supposed to be mingling, but I would rather drink acid than talk to any of these people. The only person I want to talk to is Harry, but we are trying to be careful and keep our distance.

I see him across the room, standing with Niall. I make eye contact with Harry, and he winks at me before looking away. I smile to myself.

He looks so pretty, even from all the way across the room. He has one of those presences that seeps across the entire room. He makes it known that he is here, and he's not scared to take up space.

A hand touches my arm.

Aaron.

"Hey," he says with a smile as he stands in front of me. His smile looks so genuine, but it always looked genuine to me until his hands would strike me. He asks me, "How are you enjoying the evening?"

I say, "It's too formal for me."

"I agree," he nods. "Walk with me?"

Aaron extends his arm for me to take, and I wish I could grab it and break it right in half. I put my hand on his arm, letting him lead me wherever we are going. The feeling of him right next to me makes me nauseous.

He says, "How has it been with your group of friends?"

"Harry wants me to forgive him," I state flatly. It's not a lie.

Aaron laughs, saying, "What a fool. At least I never expected you to come back to me."

I hate him. I hate how casually he brings up our past relationships and the abuse he put me through. He never even sounds remorseful when he reminds me of all of the pain he caused me.

I swallow my bitter feelings towards Aaron as I pretend to direct them at Harry and say, "I don't know how he expects me to forgive him and move on. He ruined my life, and he thinks I am just going to walk right back into his arms."

"At least you have a way back in," he shrugs. He says, "I know I've been a dick to you, but I truly never wanted you to end up here. I tried to shelter you from all of it."

Looking back, I don't know how I was so blind. Aaron would always be working late, having last-minute business to attend to. He'd leave for days on business trips, never fully explaining to me what he even did.

I say, "All of the late nights working and abrupt departures make sense now. Was any of it real?"

He says, "I cared for you."

His words mean nothing to me. They mean nothing, but they do surprise me. I never knew if he was with me for the power trip of being able to control me or if part of it involved feelings.

Aaron says, "We saved a seat for you at the main table."

My body fills with dread. I don't want to be sitting with the most dangerous people in the room. I'd much rather be under the safety of Harry and my friends.