Hide and Seek

Chapter 27

I hear Beau come back into the room at some early hour of the morning. However, I don't move, just continue to stare into the blank darkness of the wall as his bed shifts.

After a few moments the sound of his blankets shifting comes to a stop as he settles down. I take it as a sign to relax my tense muscles and roll cautiously onto my back, going back to my pointless mulling.

I absently bring my hand to my jaw, my fingers probing at the forming bruises. I sigh into the dark. How am I in this mess? I feel my throat constrict, tears building up behind my eyes as I struggle to come up with a reason why all of this has happened. Why I don't know anything about my parents, about myself. I sniff as a wave of emotion forces my tears to spill, swiping a hand under my eyes.

"Rogue?"

I jump, holding back another sniffle as I freeze, waiting.

Seconds tick by and then I hear a sigh and Beau's bed creaking. "Aria?"

I turn my head in his direction, his silhouette showing his figure leaning against the wall behind his bed, clearly awake.

Looking back to the roof I wait a few moments before I decide to reply "Mmmm?"

I feel his eyes on me and squeeze my own shut, forcing my tears back.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I-" He pauses for a few seconds "What I did earlier was not okay. And I'm sorry." He says in a rushed breath, frustration leaking into his tone.

I consider what to reply, honestly surprised at his apology, even if it was lacking a bit. "It's okay" I mumble to the roof, cringing at how broken my voice sounds.

I hear Beau exhale before his blankets shift again and he seems to lay back down. Obviously having nothing else to say.

I roll over so I'm facing him, staring into the dark. I haven't forgiven him but my heart has, against my will, thawed towards him, although only by a tiny bit.

But I will get out of here whether it means hurting him or not I vow to myself as my eyes slip shut. I'm fighting for myself, no one else.

I wake up to an itching on my jaw, reaching my hand up to brush at it as I groan, still half-asleep.

However, my hand doesn't land on my jaw and instead catches on someone's fingers, snagging them as they pull away from my face.

My eyes fly open, my body lurching back as I come face-to-face with Beau. "What are you doing?!" I practically shout at him, pulling the blankets up to my chest. "Why were you touching my face?"

I glance around the room, wrinkling my nose at the sharp smell of aftershave wafting from the bathroom as I take in the steamed up window from the shower steam. Several moments passing as I wait for Beau to reply.

However, he takes his time, lazily striding to the door and stepping out, popping his head back in with a smirk  "Don't flatter yourself, Love. Why would I want to touch your face?" He drawls before striding out the door, shutting it behind him.

I find out why minutes later anyway, my own fingers tracing the bruises on my jawbone as I look at my reflection in the mirror, each linking to one of Beau's fingers. He must of been trying to come up with some excuse to get him out of trouble with the alpha. To save his own ass.

I take one last glance at my mottled skin before slipping back into the bedroom, grabbing a pair of denim jeans and a t-shirt from the pile of clothes at the end of my bed before slipping back into the bathroom to have a shower.

By the time I get out of the bathroom after a rushed search of the drawers for any concealer or anything at all to cover the bruises, I've got a little less than an hour before school starts.

Although the bruises could potentially get Beau in trouble, I don't want to go around neither the pack house nor school with the clear hand print on my skin.

It would make me look weak and I am anything but.

A few minutes later, as I'm making my bed, there is a soft knock on the door. I straighten up, frowning. It's obviously not Beau, he wouldn't knock, nor one of his friends. I decide to open it, pulling it inwards slowly.

Isaiah stands there, stepping into the room quickly before shutting the door quickly behind him.

"How were your first days at school?" He asks causually, leaning against the door frame.

How dare he. I feel my head begin to throb, how can he treat me like scum one minute and then suddenly like I'm his sister the next. "Oh, remembered I'm your sister have you?" I snarl at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What?" He asks, appalled as he stares at me, my unwavering glare "What do you mean? I thought going and getting your stuff from the house was enough of an apology"

I scoff.

"Look, I can't act like I know you. You know that." He says gently, moving towards me and reaching his arms towards me.

I back away, ignoring the flash of hurt in his eyes "Do I?" I demand "Why can't you? Explain it to me. Properly this time"

Isaiah runs a hand through his hair "We- I-" he struggles to find words "We just can't be associated with each other, okay?" He finally gets out, anger tainting his voice.

I bristle "Why the hell are you getting angry, if anyone should be angry it's me" I snap, turning away from him as I run my hands over my face.

My hands. My fingertips are gone. I drop my arms to my sides, discreetly putting them behind my back as my heart flares with confusion and fear.

"Ari-"

My attention's pulled back to Isaiah who's looking at me in concern. My anger floods back "Don't you dare call me that!" I shout "Only my brother gets to call me that, and it seems like you want to pull out of that position. I don't know you, remember!"

"I-"

Tears of anger spill over my cheeks and I lunge at my brother "Get out! Get the hell out!" I sob, pounding his back as he opens the door, looking to me with worry.

"Are you-"

I slam the door in his face, sobbing as I slide down the wood panel.

I bring my hands in front of my face, or where they use to be anyway. I choke on my sobs, gasping as I take in the absence of my arms above my wrists.

I take a deep breath to calm myself, wiggling my fingers. They're still there. I exhale in relief. I just can't see them.

Then I notice that my wrists are slowly coming back into view, the skin seeming to slowly seep back up my arm, the skin appearing transparent and slowly gaining colour before my hands are back.

I stare at them, their trembling form, and pull them to my chest. What is going on?

~~~~
A/N:

Here's the update I promised :) It's a bit shitty but I'll edit it ASAP! Am planning to have another chapter out tomorrow :) Thanks for reading and sorry for the late update, love you guys x