Yes, terrible things happen, but sometimes those terrible things-- They save you.


-- Chuck Palahniuk

Sunday, December 23, 2012

23- Maybe You Should Have


Mature Content Ahead.
Also, A warning to those of you who may have sexual abuse in your past.
With that said, we begin with some birthdays <3

Tripp, child.


Rory, child.


Phoebe Rapture.


Echo Rapture.





"I feel like I should tell you something." 

Aria whispered into the phone, head in her hands. His voice paused on the other end. "What is it Aria?" Aria's eyes burned as they filled with tears. "I'm so sorry." No sound came from the receiver. "I should have believed you." 

Levi sighed. "Aria, what are you talking about?" 

Aria started crying, the story spilling out before she could stop it.


TWELVE HOURS EARLIER

Aria giggled, setting Phoebe on the floor. Logan's twins were completely adorable even if they were a handful. They seemed to have a lot of their father's personality. Already they had Aria laughing constantly. 

Aria sighed, glancing at the clock. 'I guess I should get ready.' She thought. She headed upstairs, nervous. Something about Corbin made her jittery and she wasn't sure she even wanted to go to his house. She threw on a dress and called her babysitter...


-
She pulled up to Corbin's house an hour later. She felt nauseous, her senses telling her it was a bad idea. She thought she saw a figure standing in the door, but when she took a second look, it was gone. As she ascended the stairs, the door opened as if it sensed her presence. 'That's ridiculous Aria,' she thought to herself with a chuckle. 'It's a fluffing door.'

Corbin stood in the door frame, surveying her. 

"I wasn't entirely sure you would show up." He said, holding the door open as Aria walked past. She hesitated just beyond the threshold. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to." She turned around to face him, arms crossed over her chest. "Quite frankly I am confused as to why I'm here. I find it hard to believe that you want to be a challenge father." 


Corbin smirked, making his way into the living room.

 "Maybe I do," He replied, taking a seat and gesturing for Aria to do the same. "Just on my own terms.” Aria sat abruptly, brow crinkling. “What is that supposed to mean?” She snapped, confused by the sudden need to sit. He smiled, “Nothing. It’s not like you would get it if I explained.” His smile widened at her offended expression, showing his teeth.
 Aria had almost forgotten he was a vampire. Almost.

She glanced around the room at the various objects and furniture. It all seemed perfectly normal. Something was wrong though. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it was. After a few minutes of silence, she looked back at Corbin. He was just staring at her, his eyes showing a hint of amusement. 

“Are you uncomfortable?” He wondered quietly.

Aria bit her lip. “No,” She replied, looking away. 



“You know that I can tell that you’re lying right?” He muttered, moving closer to Aria. 
She was speechless. And for some reason she seemed to be stuck in place. Like she couldn’t pull away if she wanted to. 

“I can also tell that you’re afraid of me.” Corbin put a hand on Aria’s leg, sending chills up her spine. “I would like to tell you that you shouldn’t be.” His words were now a whisper at her ear. “But that's far from the truth.”

Aria regained her voice, pushing Corbin's face away from hers.
 “Stop it,” She began, but he pressed closer, this time his lips at her collar bone. Her senses prickled. “I don’t really think you want me to.” He hovered in front of her lips, his breath intoxicating. “I think that I could do whatever I wanted to you and you would love it..”


Aria shoved him away from her and took off for the door. “You don’t know anything about me, Corbin. Leave me the hell alone.”

Aria was about to put her hand on the doorknob, when she froze in place. She turned around and faced Corbin, her cheeks red. He walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

"You're not going anywhere." He smiled a little, leaning down and tracing his lips over hers. A small voice in Aria's head seemed to try and scream, but something pushed it away and she kissed him back. 


Corbin pulled her against him, picking her up and carrying her up the stairs. When they got to his bedroom, Aria shook her head, looking around. "What are you doing? I told you I was going home." Corbin laughed, sitting her on the bed. He touched her face lightly, his skin ice cold. He leaned over her, lips on hers.

"Corbin, I don't want to do this. It doesn't feel right." Aria squirmed underneath his weight, uneasy. She didn't want to be with him. Not like this. Every time she resisted, a cloudy feeling came over her mind and she became subdued. She didn't quite understand what was going on, but this didn't feel anywhere near to okay. She did NOT want to sleep with this guy who had been making her feel like crap all night.


She tried, once again, to resist, but her hands were nothing compared to his strength. "Shhh," Corbin whispered in her ear, a smile on his lips. That same calmness coursed through her veins and she relaxed. "Okay.." She murmured, kissing him back.
 He was obviously incredibly beautiful. Aria wasn't even sure why she had resisted. Something told her what was going on wasn't right but she couln't quite figured out why.

Her skin broke out in goosebumps. And for some reason as Corbin pulled her closer and closer, all she could think of was Levi. 

--- 

Aria looked in the mirror, her hands shaking. She didn't even remember making it home. Something inside her chest ached with a ferocity. She couldn't believe last night had even happened. It seemed like a dream in a way. Her hair and clothes were still a mess, but she couldn't seem to move from the spot she had fallen into. Just sitting there in front of her mirror.

She traced the outline of the vein in her neck. It was still intact. Corbin obviously hadn't bitten her. Although what he HAD done was bad enough.. Aria shuddered, trying to push the thought out of her mind. She had consented.. hadn't she? She said no, but then she said yes. Technically. 


A sickness permeated her stomach, and she closed her eyes as they began to sting. If it was rape, she obviously deserved it. She knew she shouldn't go over there and she still did it. She went against her better judgment and ignored every single warning that her mind had sent her way. That put her straight into the column of idiot. Didn't it...? 

A single thought surfaced in Aria's mind. Is this what Levi had gone through? Is this what really happened? She had spent days, weeks, months convincing herself that he had made the whole thing up. That things like mind control couldn't possibly exist. Now she felt like Karma had basically sucker punched her in the face.


Aria took out her phone, dialing a familiar number she hadn’t dialed in ages. It rang twice before he answered.

"I feel like I should tell you something." Aria whispered into the phone, head in her hands. His voice paused on the other end. "What is it Aria?" Aria's eyes burned as they filled with tears. "I'm so sorry." No sound came from the receiver. "I should have believed you." Levi sighed. "Aria what are you talking about?" Aria started crying, the story spilling out before she could stop it.

“Aria, my God. I’ll be home tomorrow night. Can you meet me at my apartment?” 

-------------
“I don’t even know how to go about doing something about it, Levi. What am i supposed to do? ‘Hey, officer, this guy raped me. but I technically said yes because he used vampiric mind control on me?’ No one is going to believe me.” Levi winced at Aria’s callous mention of the word. “No one believed me either. Even you. No one besides my mother.” Aria nodded. “I know. I’m so sorry.. I don’t know what I can do to fix it. I wish I had believed you..” Levi put an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek. “Aria, I don’t blame you.”

Aria buried her face in his chest, too numb to cry anymore. 

“What am i supposed to do Levi?”  His arms tightened around her. “I don’t know. I really wish i did, but I don’t.” Aria took a deep breath, releasing her hold on Levi. “ I guess I should just try to move on? i don’t think Corbin is going to try anything else, i mean what’s left to do?” She laughed bitterly.

 Levi’s face held an emotion Aria knew well. She knew he loved her. Probably more than he would ever love anyone. And something inside Aria told her the same was probably true for herself.


What happened next was probably not the smartest choice, but Aria wasn’t anywhere close to caring. She climbed on Levi’s lap, crushing her lips onto his. He ran his hands through her hair, returning her kiss. She pulled away, her eyes locked on his, they widened when she realized what she had done. Levi had a girlfriend. He had for months. Coincidentally, they heard the door to his apartment open and Reign’s voice called out his name.


Aria quickly got off of him and rushed to the window. She looked back at him as she climbed onto the ground outside in the alley. “I’m so sorry.” She mouthed, shutting the window behind her. 
He still looked stunned as Reign opened the door and wrapped him in her arms. Aria leaned against the wall outside, dizzy. ‘What the HELL was I thinking?’ She sighed, looking right and left down the alley where she was now standing. ‘Awesome. Just where I wanted to be.’


She walked towards the street, it was ten feet away, she’d be fine. 

She was almost there when she was thrown into the wall with enough force to take her breath away.

 “ Did you really think I wouldn’t keep tabs on you? What the fuck were you thinking?” Corbin’s voice sent chills straight to her core. She tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist and shoved her back against the bricks. 

She became calm and complacent, Not quite sure why she was struggling in the first place. A pressure eased into her chest, which she was only half sure was Corbin’s body weight. There was a flash of light and the sound of footsteps.


“Step away from the girl, now.” 

A voice Aria recognized broke through the trance she was under and she coughed, the pressure around her chest releasing. Corbin smirked, leaving his hand where it had been, on the wall. “If you don’t do it by the count of three, I WILL shoot you.” Aria’s head snapped towards the voice. That was Carter.

Corbin didn’t move.


“One.” Carter said, raising his gun. 


Corbins smile spread across his face, and he leaned closer to Aria. 

“Two.” Carter took another step closer, his eyes meeting Aria’s, finally realizing it was her. His eyes widened. “Let go of her right now or I’m putting a bullet through your skull."


 Corbin sighed, removing his hand from beside Aria’s head and releasing her wrist.

 He put both hands in the air and laughed condescendingly. “Sorry officer, please don’t shoot.” His tone taunted Carter, making his blood boil. 

He put his gun away and stepped between Aria and Corbin. “If I EVER see you near her again, I will put one right between your eyes, vampire or not. You got me?” Corbin backed away, hands still up, still smirking. “Yes sir, Mr. Officer.” He turned and walked away, but as he was leaving, his voice echoed through Aria’s mind. “If you tell him what happened, I’ll kill you. And then I will kill him.” 


"Things like this happen when you keep putting yourself in these situations, Aria. Haven't you learned that by now?" Aria's heart sank at his words, but she kept her mouth shut. There was no way she was going to tell him what happened. He would probably tell her she deserved that too. 

Carter turned and faced her. “You are going to die if you keep this stupid challenge up. Guys like him don’t care if you say no. AND they aren’t interested in being part of a challenge. They WILL hurt you.” 

Aria crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at the ground. “I know.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

 Carter sighed, pulling Aria into a hug. He looked down the alleyway towards where Corbin disappeared. “Did he hurt you?” He asked, his voice uneasy. Aria shook her head. Carter, exhaled in relief. “I swear to God if he ever touches you I will put him in the ground. If his kind even fucking dies...” He paused, stepping away from Aria and looking her in the eyes. “ I would find a way, Aria.” 


She remained silent, not meeting his gaze. They just stood there, awkward and quiet for a few minutes. “Do you want a ride home?” Aria nodded. “Please.” 

Carter pulled up to her house, parking and coming around to open her door. It was already light outside. 

"Thank you Carter." Aria stood, biting her lip, not knowing what exactly to say. Carter sighed. "Aria, you don't have to thank me. This is my job. I just want you to be safe. I don't think you completely understand what would happen to me if you were gone." Aria looked at him, stunned by his words. 

It was almost as if... No. 

Carter put his hand out and Aria took it. He pulled her into his arms once again, and for a moment it was like they were kids again. The best friends they always were. Aria breathed in his scent, her heart heavy. She had never felt more alone in her entire life then she had lately. And she just wished more than anything she had someone to take all of this pain away.


 She stepped away from Carter, turned and walked towards her house.

"Hey Aria?" She faced him, smiling slightly. "Yeah?" He gestured to the cell phone in his hand. "If you need me, I'm a phone call away. Anytime." She nodded and he got in his cruiser, pulling away from the curb and heading home. 

She looked back at the big empty house looming in front of her. She hadn't told Carter anything, and she hoped that Corbin stayed away from her. 


She would never tell him. Ever.

-----
Before she knew it, Aria was  puking every morning. A sickness in her stomach told her she was pregnant. She couldn’t believe her luck. She scheduled an appointment with her doctor, confirming it. She sat, completely dumbfounded that she could possibly be carrying his children. What the fuck was she supposed to do? She would now be forever tied to this monster.


It was the hardest pregnancy of her life.

 Not because it was physically taxing, but because with every day that passed she loathed the baby growing inside of her more and more. She just couldn’t bring herself to love it. Corbin didnt even know it existed. Yet. And she was terrified he would find out. Carter once again, wouldn’t answer her calls. After an angry argument about her current pregnancy he didn't even look at her when they ran into each other in town. In his mind he thought she had slept with Corbin willingly. It really wasn't his fault since Aria hadn't told him the truth. But it still hurt. 


She exited the hospital, carrying her babies in their car seat. She hoped the feeling would go away, but it never really did. She brought the babies into the world, dreading every push and each cry. When she finally held them and saw the light in their eyes, she broke down, underestimating her capability of love once again. They were just as perfect as the rest. Putting her baby count to 49.


Logan and Aria's twins were soon children. Sweet ones at that. They seemed to be the only light in Aria's world currently. They were amazing with the littlest ones too. They loved  them unconditionally. Tripp and Rory taught them everything they knew. It was honestly like her children were a family and she was on the outside looking in...


Aria could feel who she was slowly slipping away. As much as she tried to keep her head above water she couldn't quite hold on. She decided to have another baby, from a donor. Maybe a new pregnancy would bring some brightness back into the dark, dark hole she hid in.

3 comments:

  1. GAH JUST. GAH.


    Girlll, you're catching up to me! SLOW DOWN xD

    MY FEELS. JUST GAH. >explodes<

    ~ Danielle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol xD I have slowed down. ;) I am still like 3 behind you. :P

      I won't finish before you. I promise. <3

      And, YAY! i'm glad you liked it.

      I love you.

      Delete
    2. And I'm sitting here with 16 kids, only starting a month after Maya. GAH! XD

      Delete