Cabin Fever | ✓

(12) It's A Combination Of My Abs And My Snake Catching Abilities

Decided to post 11&12 since I finished both 😊 so if your notification took you here go back a chapter!!

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Her head spun. Twelve years. Aggravated assault. This was no normal beating. This was...she can't even picture it. How much Aiden had to have been injured by Paul for him to get thrown in jail for twelve years. How close to death. But she knew even if she asked, he'd never give her those details.

Marley couldn't hear them anyway.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I love you so much and I hate this. I hate that...I hate all of it."

"Its just...I wanted you to understand, Marley. I wanted you to know why I am the way I am."

Aiden's trigger.

All he sees, is Paul in everyone who ever tries to hurt her or Ian. With Dylan being older like Paul was with Violet...it triggered him.

All Aiden knows how to do is fight back. It's his strict workout routine to be in optimum shape. He can't allow himself to be a victim. But in a way, being a victim is caring about people for him.

Marley remembered everything back in her mind with new understanding.

How Aiden perceives mild to moderate threats as code red. How he always jumps to the worst possible conclusion if someone even looks at her the wrong way.

How offended and snappy he gets if she ever mentions him being physical with her, if anyone else does, too.

It's how affected he was when she accused him of cheating. How he needed to be alone.

The day at the carnival at the beginning of November [chapter 48 of CWTHAW], when she accidentally ran into a guy, who wanted to pick a fight when Aiden demanded an apology.

What Leo said to him that day when he refused to walk away:

"Back. Down. He's not him. Marley is safe. This guy didn't hurt her and he won't. He's not him."

He was referring to Paul.

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"Take her out of here, fucking now Leo."

His voice was hard but there was something off about it. Something like he was confused at himself, at what was going on around him. Marley couldn't see his face, just assuming it was angry at this guy for what was happening here and now. But this was different. This was wrong.

"You need to get out of this, Matthews. He's no threat," Marley was focused on Leo, so they locked eyes right away when he turned to look at her, "Marley, come here."

"No," Aiden hissed, his hand locking around her forearm and keeping her in place.

"Aiden. Let her go."

"No."

"Aiden please."

He didn't reply. It was right then that she noticed his hand around her arm was shaking, trembling.

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He was recalling his helplessness. He was recalling his pain and suffering. He refused to move, refused to allow her out of his protection the same way he redirected Paul's angry rage from Ian to himself.

Aiden had been reliving his trauma, probably triggered into his PTSD by the guy being older, wearing a leather jacket and having tattoos. Shoving at him after unintentionally pushing Marley to the ground.