And With A Twist Of Fate...

Chapter 5

Stella's POV

Stella jumped at the sudden flash of color before her eyes. For a second she was confused but then she took in the color looking up at her from the table. She hadn't yet processed what they were yet. They were all colorful and poppy for names of doctors and emergency call numbers plaster on the front. Beautiful pictures advertising the perfect get aways. 

They were brochures. 

Aiden was sitting across for her, waiting for her response. She took that as a cue to pick up the pile of brochures and take a look. But as soon as the word PSYCHOLOGIST registered in her mind she dropped the brochures a grabbed her bag and was rising out her seat. Aiden grabbed her hand, a pulled her back down. That was becoming more and more natural to him. She could tell. 

"I'm not going to talk to a shrink." She said venomously. "I'm not crazy."

A little smile played on Aiden's lips and fury ignited in Stella's being. He was laughing at her. He thought this was funny!? She felt her face flush with anger, she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.    He was watching her now. Closely, carefully. He was doing that more than ever now. It was like he was trying to dig a hole through her mind with his eyes. 

Well you could just tell him what's up there. She told herself but shook that away instantly. It was one thing to feel completely safe in his arms. Like nothing in the world could ever harm her again. One weird thing but a thing non the less. 

But letting him into her mind? That would be like letting the floodgates loose. Once you went in you were never coming back. For better or for worst; most the time for worst.  And she couldn't drag Aiden into that. She'd already pulled him too far in and she knew he wouldn't turn back now. He pittied her and thought she deserved his sympathy. 

She didnt. 

If God was going to let that man do what he wanted with her body, If god was going to give her away just like that. She didn't deserve anyone's pity, sympathy, or care. She felt her eyes start to water. This was starting to become a normal occurrence. For the past few days she'd managed to handle herself and she'd even lasted the weekend without any contact with Keith or Aiden. 

They were pissed of course but whatever, she was sleeping most the time. 

But now she felt the tears coming and there was no stopping them. She got up quickly and mumbled a low "Bathroom." over her shoulder to Aiden. 

She rushed through the tables of the lunch room, her hands buried in her eyes and almost broke into a run after she exited the big tiled room. She wasn't too far from the girl's bathroom when she felt her elbow being tugged in a familiar way. 

Aiden had caught up to her and pulled her into an empty hall. The green bed of lockers ran all the way down the gray tiled floor. Aiden guided her so her back was resting on the cool steel lockers. She kept her head low trying to hide her face.

She had been doing so well, she had been trying to stay strong. For Aiden she was trying to stay strong so he wouldn't have to worry. He probably felt like he had to and she hated the fact that she held him hostage to her. She'd taken his true feelings for her and masked them over with morals. 

A sob escaped her now. She couldn't control it, couldn't stop stop the pain from escaping but she bit her lip hard trying her best to anyway. She wanted to get this together so bad for him it was eating her alive. And the overwhelming wave of emotions she'd started feeling when he was around never seized. 

Most the time she was relieved to be around him. Who'd have ever thought she'd say that. But then she'd mess up and make him mad or get too affected by something he said and get mad at him and he'd give her that look. The blank one that showed nothing but annoyance, hatred and disappointment and something inside her would just break. He'd done so much for her in that one night. Fending off that man, Defending her innocence, being there for her; and all she continued to do was disappoint him.