Wronged

• 19 •

- Anna's POV -

Aiden slept in the guest room last night after Ms. Morgan (or Lyma, as she now wants me to call her) came home and said he could stay due to the crazy rain outside. It's hazardous to drive in.

Or maybe I shouldn't say sleep. Because he didn't sleep in there. He just stayed in there until everyone had gone to sleep and then snuck into my room. Since the talk we had was rough, he crashed on the floor. I was grateful that he respected my space...to an extent at least.

He ended up joining me in the bed in the morning anyway, as I expected. It was such a task to crawl out of his bear-strong arms without waking him.

Anyway, in the morning, I woke up and joined Hayley and Nico downstairs while Aiden slept. It was difficult to sneak out of the door and walk around and tip-toe without making noise, but I succeeded somehow.

Right now, Nico's trying to put Hayley's gorgeous hair into a braid that would go over her right shoulder. She sat there with a camera, pushing buttons, seeming to know exactly what she's doing.

I go and sit next to her, crossing my arms on the table. My eyes dart to the camera on their own. I know she's mentioned she's into photography, but I didn't know she had such a nice picture-taker. Since it's so expensive, I'm thinking that she has to take it seriously. Otherwise, who would spend so much on a camera?

Hayley glances up at me when she finally realizes my presence. "Oh! Hi!" She smiles.

"Hi."

She turns off the screen on the camera and sets it on the tabletop across from the island, giving her attention to me. Not like I wanted it, but she assumes so, since she's so polite. It doesn't bother me so much anymore.

"How'd you sleep?" She asks innocently. But we all know there's a sliver of corruption in everyone. She's insinuating whether or not Aiden and I slept together as in slept together.

I roll my eyes. "Without a distraction."

She giggles.

Now that was actually a lie in all ways except for the gross one (that Aiden and I got down with it). I didn't sleep at all. And there was the rain outside that distracted me tremendously too. It was thundering. There was no lightning. Not even that much wind, actually. But I was waiting for it to do so. My heart was in my throat as I watched outside the window with wide eyes and waited for the storm to come.

Only it never did. But I still didn't sleep. I was afraid the nightmares would return in front of Aiden. And I don't know why it was so important to me that he didn't see them, even though he did once already.

"Where's Dakota?" I ask, changing the subject. "Did he come back after leaving last night?"

Nico curses in a whisper when his fingers fumble with the three pieces of hair. He sighs and takes it out, trying to start over with intense concentration on his face.

"Yeah," Hayley replies. "He went to the bathroom upstairs and then said he was gonna check on you...he didn't wake you up?" Her brows furrow.

My eyes widen and I stand from my spot, my morning hairdo probably bouncing a little. I grab the hair tie from my wrist and begin to tie it up as I head up the stairs, trying to beat Dakota to my room somehow.