Echo in Her Mind

Thirty-Seven.

Bethany paced anxiously around the room, awaiting Ruben's return. It had only been about an hour or two since he dramatically flew out the window, leaving the chilly Pittsburgh air to enter into the hotel room. However, Bethany had a gut feeling that something was wrong.

Ruben had never lost control of himself like that before, at least in front of her, that was. Her words must have set him off, which confused her even more because she truly believed he didn't care. Bethany had no idea what the truth was anymore.

A sudden knock at the door brought Bethany to focus, and she raced towards it, in hopes that Ruben would be on the other side. She was shocked, however, to find Aaron standing there instead.

"What are you doing here?" Bethany asked. "And how did you find out where I was staying?"

She kept her guard up, unsure of how to take this surprise visit from Aaron.

"I followed you." He shrugged, as if it weren't a big deal. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Bethany's stomach fluttered at the words, but something in the back of her mind told her that this wasn't right.

"Well, thank you for checking in on me, but I'm fine." Bethany said, and attempted to close the door.

"What happened to your window?"

Aaron stuck his hand out to stop the door, and forced his way inside. "He lost control again, didn't he?" She didn't want to discuss Ruben with Aaron at that moment.

Bethany was fine conversing with him in a public space, but now, alone in her hotel room, she felt unsettled. Almost too unsettled; something was wrong.

"You don't know him like I do, I'm trying to protect you." Ruben's words replayed through her head.

She wasn't sure what to believe, but she knew it was best if Aaron wasn't there when Ruben got back.

"He should be back any moment now," Bethany said, choosing not to answer Aaron's question about Ruben's lack of control.

"I wouldn't hold your breath; the last time I saw him lose control, he disappeared for months." He laughed, as if what he had said was actually funny, but to Bethany, even if she could laugh, she wouldn't have.

The vibe that she was getting from Aaron was thicker, and complete opposite of what she got at the bar.

Had it been like that all along?

Was she that caught up in making Ruben mad, that she didn't notice it?

Bethany had not a clue.

"You should probably go. He won't be very happy if you're here when he does come back." Bethany moved uncomfortably at the look Aaron was now giving her.

"You want me to leave?" He asked her, and in a millisecond, he was right in front of her, his hand grazing the side of her face. His breath was laced with beer, hot on her mouth. "But we're all alone; imagine the fun we could have." His voice was getting lower with each word he spoke. "It could be like at the bar, only more rough and uninterrupted," Aaron whispered, and Bethany felt a shiver roll down her spine.

The gut feeling, she had previously, was nowhere to be found now, and she thought briefly that it was being masked by desire. It felt wrong this time though, as her mind was completely focused on the image of a beautiful dark angel soaring through the sky.

Bethany went to speak, to tell Aaron that she couldn't kiss him again, but she was interrupted as he brought his finger up to her lips to silence her. She tried to oblige, but she could no longer open her mouth to speak; she tried to move her arms, but they were stuck to her sides.

It was as if she were frozen in place, and it reminded her of the time The Watcher took control of her body in the past. This was different though; it just felt different.

"I've waiting for this moment; waited for Ruben to throw you aside. He never deserved you after everything he had done. And now, I finally have my chance to make you mine, forever."

Bethany tried to move as Aaron's hands began to roam her body, slowly. She wanted to squirm under his touch, but she couldn't; she was frozen. Bethany wanted to scream as Aaron began to attack her neck with his mouth. There was nothing that she could do to stop this.

Her body was limp as he picked her up bridal style, and placed her on the bed. He looked down at Bethany with such admiration. Anyone else would kill to be looked at like that, but under the circumstances, it made Bethany want to vomit.

"My love, you are officially mine for the taking." Aaron began to hover over Bethany, his legs placed on either side of her, as he began to lift her shirt up her torso, before taking it off entirely.

Bethany had no idea what to do; how to stop this from happening. She had never been in a situation like this before, nor did she know what Aaron had done to her body. It was as if she were watching from afar as Aaron began to attach her body with his lips, taking advantage of her as she lay there, limp, and unable to protect herself.

When he looked back up to meet her eyes, the excitement that they held scared her, but the darkness that was surrounding them as well, left her absolutely terrified.

In her mind, she was screaming as Aaron mouth met hers, forcing her lips to move along with his. He kept talking to her, as if she was enjoying what he was doing, and maybe in his mind, she was.

She felt herself began to feel sick when Aaron's hands moved to her jeans, unbuttoning them and attempting to remove them from her body. His lips left hers suddenly, and he stared at her again, stopping his attempts to fully undress her.

"I wish my brother could see us now; about to become one for all eternity."

The grin that his face held, reminded her of the one that Ruben had, when he had had all of those horrible things to her. She began to close her eyes, almost accepting what was about to happen, since she had no way of stopping it, and then a sudden movement from behind Aaron caught Bethany's attention.

"You should really be careful what you wish for, brother."