“Well, we all make mistakes, dear, so just put it behind you. We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea
Kristina, Dante and Madeline
---
There's a certain despondency to once acquired love that makes the sting so much worse. The fact that you had it, and now it's gone, it pierces on a much deeper level than normal rejection. Because you have to hold that truth that you lost something that meant everything to you. You have to stare at that fact for the rest of your life.
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea
Nikolas, Topher and Salem.
Macayla and Owen
Kristina, Dante and Madeline
---
There's a certain despondency to once acquired love that makes the sting so much worse. The fact that you had it, and now it's gone, it pierces on a much deeper level than normal rejection. Because you have to hold that truth that you lost something that meant everything to you. You have to stare at that fact for the rest of your life.
And it never goes away..
---
"Okay, first of all, Aria Eden, I don't even want to be here." Carter reached into the base of the door to his dad's car and extracted a pair of sunglasses, slipping them over his eyes.
"Second..." He glanced over at her, instantly averting his eyes back out the window after doing so. "If you don't put a shirt on, your brother is going to KILL me. He already thinks I want to sleep with you."
Aria scowled and pulled the tank-top she had been lifting back down tight against her chest. She crossed her arms over her stomach and started wiggling her foot, a pout tracing her lips.
"Axil isn't going to do anything. Besides." She rolled her eyes as the car pulled to a stop at the edge of the embankment that led to the water. "What the hell am I supposed to wear to go swimming? A life jacket? It's a bunch of WATER, C. We do live in Hidden Springs."
She pushed the door open, ascending to the ground and immediately pulling her shirt off again. Her eyes scanned the edges of water, spying no one she knew. The kids that hung out here weren't the best. She knew a few of them, but it generally wasn't her crowd. Definitely not Carter's.
But they were here anyway.
Finally her eyes met with a pair of pink ones that matched her own. She grinned and ran over to her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Axxxxillll!"
Her squeal was perpetually big, tainted by the alcohol she had already consumed, and Axil, along with a couple of his friends, winced slightly. A boy standing quietly in the back had his eyes trained carefully on Aria's face. Never once straying away.
It made Aria slightly nervous, but she shot him a smile anyway. Which after a quick eyebrow raise, he returned.
It was the beginning of summer. Aria was 19. High school was over. She was done with everything. The only blight in her life was graduation. This was her first time stepping foot outside of her house in the month since it happened, and it was only at the promise of alcohol and swimming that she decided maybe she could leave for one night.
Axil was talking, but Aria didn't really hear him, still locked in an eye war with the other guy. She cocked her head to the side, smiling again.
Okay, dude, I'll bite.
She sidestepped her brother, his voice faltering away and his eyes watching her as she approached the boy, leaning against the concrete of the wall next to him. He shifted his weight, and Aria just grinned wider.
"You seem pretty nervous for someone who has been staring at me without disconnecting for like ten entire minutes."
He set the beer bottle in his hand on a rock outcropping near him and held out his hand, as if she should shake it, but when her hand entered his, he pulled her against him and put his lips to her ear.
"My name's Ephrem, and does it seem like I'm nervous?"
He released her and she took a step away, her mind foggy. She wasn't upset, just surprised. She swallowed, blowing air through her teeth and pulling the same smile onto her lips.
"I'm Aria."
Her voice shook with an unfamiliar resonance.
He smirked.
"I know who you are. You know my cousin. Very well, actually."
His smirk broadened as confusion streaked her features.
"Wait. Who's your-"
"Hey, A, I need to talk to you about something, you got a second?"
Her voice shook with an unfamiliar resonance.
He smirked.
"I know who you are. You know my cousin. Very well, actually."
His smirk broadened as confusion streaked her features.
"Wait. Who's your-"
"Hey, A, I need to talk to you about something, you got a second?"
Carter's voice cut into her sentence and she rolled her eyes apologetically at Ephrem.
"I'll be right back."
"I'll be right back."
-----
Aria smothered her fear of planes in a bit of an alcohol binge. She would have rather chopped her hand off then be on ANOTHER plane. She hadn't had to fly in a while.. Danielle's trip to Sunlit Tides was her last plane ride. And it sucked. Just like this one.
Not to mention she had thoughts of a certain green eyed asshole clogging the interior workings of her mind. Drowning them didn't seem to be working. But she was giving it as much effort as she could.
As she tried hard not to stumble in her stupid heels to the luggage claim, Mila's voice interrupted her Carter based musings.
"How long has it been since we have seen mom and dad? Do you think they will be surprised by our dropping in?"
Mila asked as they waited for the luggage to make its way towards them.
"How long has it been since we have seen mom and dad? Do you think they will be surprised by our dropping in?"
Mila asked as they waited for the luggage to make its way towards them.
"Mmm?" She said, dropping her mind into Mila's conversation.
Her face lit up with the mention of her daddy, but not quite reaching her eyes.. She missed him a lot.
"I do. I think they're going to be surprised, but excited!"
Her words were slurred a little, but she tried to pull them together. The last thing she needed was her noticing how much she was hurting even though she said she was fine.
Mila took a deep breath, grabbing something out of her purse and handing it to Aria. She stared at the small sphere in her palm. It was a mint.
"I'm really sorry, Ar." She said lightly, leaning her head to Aria's.
"Stay here and I will be right back."
She got their luggage and returned, stopping right in front of her.
"Let's go get a cab! I can't wait to see them. They are totally going to freak out."
The cab rolled to a stop outside of their parents house half an hour later and Aria's stomach turned. She probably should have chilled on the amount of alcohol she had been consuming, but she was never very good at taking it slow when she was upset.
Which she wasn't. Of course not. Why would she be?
She chastised herself silently, drilling it into her head that she was okay.
Done is done is done. He doesn't matter. It's time to let go. It's been a month since your birthday, Aria. He's the past, leave him there.
She pushed the door open and her heels connected with the pavement that led to their parents mansion. One that was supposed to be Aria's someday as the oldest child. But she didn't really want it.
So many memories there...
She wondered how this trip was going to pan out. She had missed Mila more than she could say. She wished she could rewind time back to when they were kids. Stay there. With Mila and Willow and Carter. When things were innocent and easy...
"Mila! Let's put our stuff in the garage and surprise them now!"
"Perfect plan sis. The garage is open which makes it that much easier. I bet we give my mom a heart attack when we walk in."
She responded, coming to help Aria with a huge grin on her face.
Mila rolled the bags into the garage, placing them aside and pulling her key out of her pocket, slipping it into the lock.
She responded, coming to help Aria with a huge grin on her face.
Mila rolled the bags into the garage, placing them aside and pulling her key out of her pocket, slipping it into the lock.
"Let me go in first and see where they are hiding." She whispered to Aria. "Then I can come grab you so we can attack!"
She slipped her tiny body through the crack in the door and disappeared.
Aria leaned against the wall, a small smile tracing her lips. Her dad wasn't too skittish, but he would be surprised by this.They were supposed to be in Riverview. Not in Hidden Springs. So this was going to-
Aria's head snapped towards the door.
What was that?
She had heard vague shouting when the door clicked open and Mila stepped back into the garage.
"What, Mi? What is it?"
Her eyes were wide, her words quick and decisive.
"We need to go and come back."
She seemed entirely eager to go for someone who's idea this whole thing was in the first place.
"No. What the fuck just happened???" She yanked a strand of hair into her fingers and pulled, her own nervous habit.
"It was nothing. Things are fine. They are just arguing. No big deal."
Mila was situated in between Aria and the door. She dropped the piece of hair and reached out, pushing her to the side. She generally couldn't do so, but she was extra forceful with vodka in her system.
She moved too easily.. Like she kind of gave up because Aria would throw a fit if she didn't.
The first thing Aria heard as she crossed the garage threshold and approached the living area, was her dad's voice, ripe with something akin to panic. Weird for him.. He was chill about everything..
"She still doesn't know about the AFFAIR, Hadley. Melody died not knowing."
Aria's stomach dropped. What the fuck was that?
She pressed against the wall, her mouth going dry.
Aria leaned against the wall, a small smile tracing her lips. Her dad wasn't too skittish, but he would be surprised by this.They were supposed to be in Riverview. Not in Hidden Springs. So this was going to-
Aria's head snapped towards the door.
What was that?
She had heard vague shouting when the door clicked open and Mila stepped back into the garage.
"What, Mi? What is it?"
Her eyes were wide, her words quick and decisive.
"We need to go and come back."
She seemed entirely eager to go for someone who's idea this whole thing was in the first place.
"No. What the fuck just happened???" She yanked a strand of hair into her fingers and pulled, her own nervous habit.
"It was nothing. Things are fine. They are just arguing. No big deal."
Mila was situated in between Aria and the door. She dropped the piece of hair and reached out, pushing her to the side. She generally couldn't do so, but she was extra forceful with vodka in her system.
She moved too easily.. Like she kind of gave up because Aria would throw a fit if she didn't.
The first thing Aria heard as she crossed the garage threshold and approached the living area, was her dad's voice, ripe with something akin to panic. Weird for him.. He was chill about everything..
"She still doesn't know about the AFFAIR, Hadley. Melody died not knowing."
Aria's stomach dropped. What the fuck was that?
She pressed against the wall, her mouth going dry.
Mila was in front of her faster than she could think, putting a finger to her lips.
"Ar.... please don't freak out... please. We can figure this out."
As Aria was yanked out the door, Mila started sifting through boxes and Aria heard Hadley's voice rise sharply, the only words falling on her ears were 'blood' and 'sisters'.
"Proof, Ar. We need proof before we believe this. I bet we just heard wrong. It's wrong... right?"
"Wait, Mila? What did you hear? I-"
Her voice wouldn't cooperate with her..
She watched Mila work her away around the garage, multiple boxes finding their way to the floor. She was so steady in believing this couldn't be true, but Something told Aria it was..
Rene.. Her dad had an affair that produced her, so why not Mila?
But MARRYING the woman he had an affair with? That was completely different and honestly almost too much to take. Everything was crashing down on top of Aria in earth shaking waves.
Carter
Her dad had another affair..
Nothing was real anymore. Nothing seemed to be the way it should. It was like it all came apart at the seams when the time was right.
Or wrong, I guess it depended on how you looked at it.
Why did this keep happening to her though?
What am I doing wrong....
She dropped to her knees next to the spot Mila had just vacated, shaking her head to clear the jumbling thoughts. Not that it did much.
Her eyes fell on a slender metallic case on the bottom of the shelf next to her dad's BMW.. She reached out and pulled it into her lap, looking for the opening clasp..
As was par her luck, it was locked.
"Ar.... please don't freak out... please. We can figure this out."
As Aria was yanked out the door, Mila started sifting through boxes and Aria heard Hadley's voice rise sharply, the only words falling on her ears were 'blood' and 'sisters'.
"Proof, Ar. We need proof before we believe this. I bet we just heard wrong. It's wrong... right?"
"Wait, Mila? What did you hear? I-"
Her voice wouldn't cooperate with her..
She watched Mila work her away around the garage, multiple boxes finding their way to the floor. She was so steady in believing this couldn't be true, but Something told Aria it was..
Rene.. Her dad had an affair that produced her, so why not Mila?
But MARRYING the woman he had an affair with? That was completely different and honestly almost too much to take. Everything was crashing down on top of Aria in earth shaking waves.
Carter
Her dad had another affair..
Nothing was real anymore. Nothing seemed to be the way it should. It was like it all came apart at the seams when the time was right.
Or wrong, I guess it depended on how you looked at it.
Why did this keep happening to her though?
What am I doing wrong....
She dropped to her knees next to the spot Mila had just vacated, shaking her head to clear the jumbling thoughts. Not that it did much.
Her eyes fell on a slender metallic case on the bottom of the shelf next to her dad's BMW.. She reached out and pulled it into her lap, looking for the opening clasp..
As was par her luck, it was locked.
"I can't find shit."
Mila's voice carried across the garage and into Aria's ears.
Her next words were right behind Aria and it made her jump slightly.
Mila's voice carried across the garage and into Aria's ears.
Her next words were right behind Aria and it made her jump slightly.
"Does it have a key?"
Aria barely moved her head in a negative response before Mila returned to her side with bolt cutters. A trick they had learned from Carter when they were younger.
Yeah, he wasn't ALWAYS the good kid.
Mila dropped to her knees next to her and cut the lock, the metal meeting cement with a soft clink.
"Wait a second, M. What.. happens next if we find something else out then what we thought? What if.."
Her mind revolved.
What if it was all a lie? Why is everything a lie now?
Aria barely moved her head in a negative response before Mila returned to her side with bolt cutters. A trick they had learned from Carter when they were younger.
Yeah, he wasn't ALWAYS the good kid.
Mila dropped to her knees next to her and cut the lock, the metal meeting cement with a soft clink.
"Wait a second, M. What.. happens next if we find something else out then what we thought? What if.."
Her mind revolved.
What if it was all a lie? Why is everything a lie now?
Mila paused for a moment, the metal opening still in her hands.
"They can't be right. Maybe they were talking about Rene... her mom."
One of her hands instinctively went to the scar at her throat as she said their sister's name.
She shook her head and cleared her throat, finally opening the box.
One single sheet of paper met with her fingertips and her eyes widened.
The next words were barely whispered.
"Jack Rapture"
Aria's brow furrowed in confusion as the name of her father, Mila's step dad left her lips.
What.. that looked like her original birth certificate...
There was no way.
She and Mila were born three days apart. June 13th and June 15th.
She pulled the paper out of Mila's hands and ran her eyes down the page.
There it was. Written in heavy ink. Aria's father was Mila's biological father. They were blood sisters. Half sisters.
She reread the document through, scanning names, dates, everything.
My father is her father. Once again, I am surrounded by lies.
She dropped the piece of traitorous paper to the floor, an indescribable feeling rising in her chest. She glanced back towards the door, tears stinging at her eyes.
"Mila.. I can't. I just..."
Everything was falling apart in front of her eyes. She had nothing to hold onto. It was as if everything she had known was a complete fallacy. She didn't even have her best friend anymore. She was reduced to the belief that everything she had ever known... was fake.
She stood up, running a hand through her hair. Even yanking that strand she always did wasn't going to be enough, or anywhere near enough, to calm these feelings. She could feel her self control fade to nothing.
She turned, heading for the driveway, pulling out her phone.
She left her bags, her sister.. Her REAL fucking sister, behind her, dialing the number to the airport.
It looked like she was going home early.
----
"Hey, A, I need to talk to you about something, you got a second?"
Aria scowled in Carter's direction, but gave Ephrem a weak smile and a nod, following Carter a few feet away. His eyes were trained on the ground and they never quite met up with hers. Aria's attention was still mostly focused on Ephrem's figure, who was now angled away, talking to someone else that Aria didn't know.
She was awash in girly thoughts, wondering just how much trouble this boy was, and who his cousin was that he mentioned and-
"-I should have told you right when I decided, but I didn't know how to."
She crashed back down to Earth, focusing her attention, finally, on what Carter was saying.
"What?" She snapped, irritated that he had even bothered to pull her away from what she was doing.
"Aria, I-"
His face crinkled in confusion and then he raised an eyebrow, his face flickering with heat for a second.
"Did you not hear anything I just said, Aria?"
Aria crossed her arms over her chest, groaning.
"No, I didn't. What is it? What do you want?"
His eyes went blank, every emotion drained from his face until he was staring at her with the most tenebrous look he had ever given her.
"You know what? Nevermind. You'll-"
He stopped, pulling his keys out of his pocket and curling his hand into a fist around them.
"You'll see. I gotta go. Have fun with your, uh,"
He cast an eye over to where Ephrem stood with a bottle to his lips.
"Your friend."
He turned to leave and Aria sighed.
He could be so weird sometimes.
She grabbed a bottle to match those of the people around her and made her way to the group surrounding her brother and her new found friend. She was going to have fun tonight whether Carter liked it or not.
That was the last time she saw him before he left Hidden Springs behind.
---
When Aria returned home from Hidden Springs, she decided on having a donor pregnancy.. Which resulted in her first single birth in a long, long time.
Baby 91, Clark Rapture.
----
You're too proud to say that you've made a mistake
You're a coward to the end
I don't wanna admit that we're not gonna fit
No, I'm not the type that you like
Why don't we just pretend?
---
When Aria returned home from Hidden Springs, she decided on having a donor pregnancy.. Which resulted in her first single birth in a long, long time.
Baby 91, Clark Rapture.
----
Nikolas, Topher, Salem
Owen and Macayla
----
You're too proud to say that you've made a mistake
You're a coward to the end
I don't wanna admit that we're not gonna fit
No, I'm not the type that you like
Why don't we just pretend?
No comments:
Post a Comment