our troubled love ᵒˡᵈ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ

+~eight~+

(CLIFFHANGER WARNING- I know, I'm evil heheheh)

I lay awake in bed, enjoying the safe feeling Aiden's arms around me. At this moment, I didn't even remember everything going on in my chaotic life. My mind was free of thoughts, focusing only on the rhythm of Aiden's heartbeat as I rested my head on his chest.

I basked in the comfort of the warm bed for a few more minutes before deciding to get up. Although I wished I could stay there all day, there were things that needed to be done. I carefully got out of bed, making sure not to wake Aiden. I cringed when my feet touched the cold marble floor. Gosh, I wish I had my slippers.

I went into the bathroom to get ready and try to make myself look decent enough to leave the room, although there wasn't much I could do with all my things still in Anthony's room. I put on the same dress and shoes I wore the night before since it was all I had. I carelessly tied my hair up in a bun at the top of my head, not minding how messy it was. Then, I quietly exited the room, gently closing the door behind me.

As I made my way to Anthony's room, I greeted several of my dad's servants. It wasn't unusual for them to be up and working this early. What I did find quite odd, though, was one of the servants pushing a cart of suitcases. As far as I knew, Anthony, Aiden, and I were the only guests at the moment. But I didn't think much of it. I just assumed that people were arriving for an event my dad had arranged or something of that sort.

When I made it to Anthony's room, I stood before the door for a minute, hesitant to knock on it. I really didn't want to see him again. I didn't want to see or hear anything that reminded me of my dad's plans. I just wanted to spend one good day with Aiden before I had to go back to worrying about how I was going to get out of this. It took me a while to finally convince myself to knock on the door. I had to get this over with, and then I would be free for the rest of the day.

Not long after I knocked, the lock clicked and the doorknob turned. The door opened a crack, just enough for me to see half of Anthony's face. "Hello," he said quietly, his voice hoarse as though he had just woken up.

"Good morning," I replied, trying my best to be polite despite my feelings towards him. It wasn't his fault; I was aware of that. But even a glance at him stressed me out. Still, I knew he'd done nothing wrong. "I'm here to get my things. I left my suitcase here last night."

"Wait a minute." The door shut and the sounds of shuffling feet and small wheels rolling against the floor came from the other side. A moment later, the door opened once more, this time completely.

Anthony rolled the suitcase out of the room, and I took it by the handle, thanking him. He bowed his head politely, giving me a faint smile. I took a moment to notice his condition. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face was swollen. It didn't seem like he got much sleep. It looked like he wasn't handling the stress from our situation any better than I was.

Anthony cleared his throat. "Well um... Do you need anything else?" I was going to shake my head at his question, but then remembered there was something else I needed to ask.

"Actually, there is one more thing. I'm going to the beach with someone today, but I don't want my dad to find out." He nodded, already knowing where I was going with this.

"Alright, I'll cover for you," he replied exhaustedly. "I'll tell him that I'm going out with you and leave as well so he won't wonder why you're gone."

I gave him an appreciative smile, genuinely grateful that he would do this for me. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for bothering you so early in the morning."