K I A R A ' S P.O.V
Once again, I was packing my bag. Once again, I was leaving alone.
I wiped away my tears, furious at myself for letting them fall. I was so close, so close to happiness and then just like that, it was ripped away.
It was my own fault really. Everyone warned me, everyone told me that Aaron Black would break my heart but I didn't want to believe them. I forced myself not to because, I loved him.
I have since we went to Paris, or maybe I fell in love that night at the club, when he told the world I was his. We really could have been something special, too bad that was just a dream.
Eventually, everyone has to wake up. Everyone has to come back to reality. I just didn't realise that it would hurt so much.
After packing my suitcase, I glanced over at Aaron's sweatshirt hanging off the edge of the chair. I was going to wear it tonight when I went to bed, just like I did every night. Maybe I still could though?
Quickly snatching it, I stuffed it into my bag and then walked out. He wasn't going to wear it, he never did.
I passed Caitlin's room on the way, and then stopped on the top of the stairs. Should I say goodbye?
That little girl had been through so much already and the last thing I wanted was to expose her to horrors of Aaron's and mine's relationship.
Still though, I couldn't leave without a kiss. I snuck into her room, and gently smoothed back her hair, placing the lightest kiss on her forehead.
Then I crept downstairs, and placed my bag to the front door. He wasn't there but I could hear the faint noise of a glass clinking.
He was drinking, again.
Realising I left my phone in the kitchen, I slowly padded into the next room and grabbed it. The instructions for the desert were still bright on my phone, so I switched it off, ignoring the heavy magnitude of tears flooding down my cheeks as I realised that this was it.
This was goodbye.
I walked over to the silent man, noting the single cup of scotch in-front of him. He had his head hung in his hands, staring down at the floor.
"I know there is something else because I don't believe for one second that what we had was nothing. That you don't feel something for me. I want you to know that my love for you is real and it's proof that you can be loved. Don't ever forget how you threw this away, how you threw us away. Goodbye Aaron."
Taking a heavy breath, I walked over to the door and left, leaving behind the remains of my broken heart.
**
Walking to the nearest bar, I realised how desperately I needed my car with me right now. Especially in heels that made my ankles swell. When the rain started to drop, I knew it was time to hole up in the nearest building and thank god, that building turned out to hold a lot of alcohol.
Too bad I was broke and homeless. The only way I was getting drunk tonight was by flirting and getting them bought for me. Thank god, flirting was my specialty and I was wearing the exact dress for it.
The bar was filled with middle aged men who all looked like they were part of the same biker gang. They wore bandanas around their heads and scowls on their faces. At the end of the day though, they were men.
Strolling up to the one who looked the least likely to murder someone, I pulled down my dress a little exposing my cleavage and tried to ignore the pain of pain I felt when I remembered what Aaron said to me the last time I did this.
"You are not flirting to get us a table."
"Why not? I'm starving and you didn't get us a reservation." Aaron was supposed to take me on the date of a lifetime at the new restaurant that had just opened up but he clearly thought that he could just stroll in, forgetting that reservations were a thing of the present.
I eyed up the head waiter, and yanked down my dress a little to show off my cleavage. He grabbed the flimsy material and pulled it up, covering my perky girls up.
"Hey, what are you doing?" I whined, trying to pry his hand off me. He cupped my face and pulled me into him, my mind going completely blank as I stared hungrily at his lips.
"You don't need to show off your body in order to get a man to take an interest into you. All you need to do is be yourself. If you're going to show off anything, show off that big beautiful brain I love all too much."
I smiled and instead I covered my breasts up using my jacket, before flirting with the waiter. Aaron was right, I didn't need to use my body as leverage.
It was the best meal I had ever had.
I looked down at myself and sighed, pulling my dress back up. Even now, he found ways to plague my mind and influence my every decision.
Before I could approach him, a hand wrapped around my arm and tugged me over to the bar. I yanked it back from the stranger and turned around to kick him where the sun doesn't shine.
"What are you doing here Kiara?" I had to blink twice just to make sure, I wasn't just seeing things. No, he was here.
Wow, fate really is cruel.
**
A A R O N' S P.O.V
I was a fucking coward, just letting her leave like that without as so much as a word.
But this was right, this would be better. She wouldn't be in danger anymore, from Kane or from me. I don't know who I was kidding with this whole relationship crap.
I can't do emotions, or feelings, and especially not love. The word almost brought me to tears, just thinking about I broke my Princess' heart.
She said she loved me. In all my life, I've only ever heard those words from my sister and my mum. I don't know what came over me, kicking her out like that, breaking her heart when deep down I know I didn't mean what I said.
These past few weeks have been an emotional drain on me. Everyday I went to work, only to find another brown package on my desk and a video to watch. Every single one contained pictures and videos of my beautiful Princess.
After watching the videos, the only thing I could do to control my monster from being unleashed, was go to my bar and get drunk. Drunk enough to forget it
The videos were vile and a constant reminder how much I was failing at protecting my Princess. There was even footage of her changing in her bedroom, some sick perv was watching her undress. Just thinking of it caused my fist to clench so hard that the shot glass in my hand shatters completely.
I wince as I set the half broken glass down and study the shards of glass stuck inside my bloody hand.
Kiara would have rushed over to me and scolded me the movement she saw my hand. She would have forced me over to the counter and sat on my lap as she carefully removed every single piece, bandaging it up, before tenderly kissing every cut in the hopes of healing it quicker.
I smiled and then it drops
She's not here anymore, she's not here to dress my wounds, or kiss me better. I won't get to here the sweet melody of her singing in the shower or the kiss she plants on my lips every morning without fail.
I won't get to run my tongue over every inch of her naked body, or pleasure her until the sun comes up. I won't get to do any of that because I lost her. I pushed her away.
I could blame my father for being a bastard, or my mother for taking the easy route out and leaving me in the hands of a mad man. I could do all of that and more but it wouldn't change the fact that this is my fault.
Even if I say it was for her protection, I know I did it because I was scared. Because she made me feel again and got my dark cracked heart to start beating. She made me smile, and laugh and learn to love.
She made me love. She made me live.
I got up, and raced to the front door, grabbing my jacket off the hook and quickly unlocking the door.
"Aaron," That one sound made me still. "Aaron, what are you doing?" I turned, only to see Caitlin padding down the stairs in her purple pyjamas. She was rubbing the sleep away from her eyes as she walked down towards me, stopping right in-front of me.
"Are you leaving me?" I shook myself out of my trance and hung my coat back up. Caitlin was my priority, she always would be, and in my heart, I knew that Kiara would be better off without me.
A man who couldn't give her a safe home, stability, a family, love.
At least now she would be safe from Kane, and once I permanently eliminated him, she would be free of me and this criminal world forever.
"Of course I'm not leaving you. Come here," I swooped her up and walked her back up to her bedroom.
I tucked her into bed, switching on her fairy lights that light up the whole room. This girl was why I kept the monster at bay and these past few weeks I had been neglecting her.
"Where's Kiara?" Crap, I knew this was coming. Caitlin was a smart girl too, I couldn't just tell her some bullshit story. She deserved the truth.
"Well, she left. Because I was very very stupid and I made her upset."
"You hurt her feelings?" Caitlin spat out, and I felt a tiny bit of pride in the fact that my little sister was protecting my Princess just as much as I want to.
"Yeah, I'm dumb Caitlin."
"Boys are so dumb, that's why I don't like them." I smiled at that, at least my huge mistake had put her off boys. At least for a little while. "So, when will you get Kiara back?"
"What?"
"Get her back? Aaron, are you really that dumb that you don't know how the story is supposed to go? Boy gets girl, boy hurts girl by being dumb, girl and boy break up, boy chases after girl, boy confesses love for girl and apologises. Then they get married, have lots of babies and live happily ever after."
"Not everyone gets a happily ever after Caity." Especially not me.
"You have to at least try Aaron! I love Kiara, and she loves me and she loves you and you love her."
"I don't love...uh, just go to sleep okay." I stood up abruptly and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before storming out.
Was Kiara right? By denying myself love and a family, was I really letting my father win?
You're really letting a ten year old get to you. Yes I am, because she's right. Fuck, I've screwed everything up.
Step one, get rid of the Serpents. Step two, win back my girl.
Because she's the only one who will put with our stupid ass.
**
K I A R A ' S P.O.V
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" He smirked, his forrest green eyes lighting up as he sat down near the bar and pulled up a stool for me.
I warily eyed him, taking the seat, and fighting to hide my smile when he ordered my favourite drink. He handed the bartender a couple of crisp bills and pushed the drink over to me.
I downed it without fault.
My eyes roamed over Tristan's attire, a shiny leather was hugging his muscular figure with a blue shirt underneath, matching with a pair of dark jeans and chunky boots.
"So, are you going to tell me why you're in this biker bar? A girl like you shouldn't be here." I scoffed.
"I can handle myself." Tristan's smirk grew and I shuffled closer to him, feeling protected and safe by his mere presence.
"I know you can. This is the bad side of town though, and your dad has a lot of enemies. I just don't want you to get hurt." He always was the knight on the shining armour.
Fuck, that only reminded me of my dark knight. My love.
"Well, I have nowhere else to go." He urged for me to continue. "My dad kicked me out. He forced me to choose between Aaron or my family. I chose wrong."
"Wait what? That's crazy! Your dad may be overprotective but he wouldn't stoop as low as kicking his only daughter out onto the streets."
"Well believe it, because he did." I ordered another drink even though I had no money.
"Why do you think you chose wrong? Did Aaron do something to you?" He bawled up his fist and grabbed the bar, as if trying to control his anger.
"No, he didn't do anything to me. I just couldn't stay there anymore so I left. Now, I officially have nowhere left to go."
"You can always stay with me? My apartment is like a block away from here." I realised then that I didn't even know where Tristan lived. Of course he gave up his old apartment when he left but I hadn't once stepped foot in his new one.
God, I was a terrible friend.
"Why do you live so far away from the mansion?" I couldn't call it my house anymore, considering I didn't even live there anymore.
"Well, when your dad found out you left to go to Paris with Aaron, he went crazy. He tried to kill me, almost did as well, but your mother saved me just in time. She really is a godsend." I nodded in agreement, downing another shot and feeling the alcohol starting to take effect.
"She is. I miss her." His large hand clapped over mine, squeezing it tightly.
"What did Aaron do? The truth Kiara, I can see the pain in your eyes. I know he broke your heart." I inhaled a sharp intake of breath, leaning over the counter.
"He told me he doesn't love me, that he couldn't possibly love me. You were right. He did break my heart and it hurts even more than it did last time."
"Aaron's the kind of guy who bottles everything up. He's been hurt, more times than he can count but he won't admit it. Caitlin was the only person who he would show affection for, who he would literally die for. Then, you came along. I can honestly say that he cares for you, more than he knows. Aaron blames himself for everything bad in his life, and yours and Caitlin's. He just needs time."
"How much time? A week, a month, a year. I can wait for him but it's killing me inside. I gave up everything for him, I chose him and I really thought he would be my happily ever after."
"There are no happily ever afters in Aaron's world. He doesn't believe in them."
I snorted. "I know. He thinks he's a monster."
"You know he saved me right? That's how we met." I turned to face him, curiosity clouding over me.
"In all the years I've known you both, neither of you have told me how you met."
"It's a long story." I smiled.
"I've got nothing but time." He ordered us both another drink and we moved, settling in the booth towards the back of the bar.
"You know I'm an orphan right?" I nodded. "Well, I was in and out of foster care for a while then eventually I decided to just cut my losses and escape. I was on the streets from age 14."
I knew all this before. Tristan had gotten very drunk one night and broke down in-front of me. He told me all about his addict parents and how he suffered years in foster homes and forced to stay with weird strangers. I took my family for granted, but hearing Tristan's story made me realise how lucky I was.
"One night some guys were attacking this lady, mugging her. I stepped in and tried to help but they were stronger than me. I was beaten bloody and one of them pulled out a gun. I thought that was it, but then my guardian Angel stepped out of the shadows and shot them both. Aaron was only 16 at the time, but he looked so much older. Like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He saved my life, gave me a place I could call home and people I could my family. I owed him everything..."
"And I screwed it all up. I fucked up your friendship, I destroyed you both."
"No, no me and Aaron had problems way before we met you. He's a control freak, always has been and I guess Aaron found it hard to differentiate between being my boss and my friend."
"I'm so sorry. I screwed up your old life and now, I've screwed up your new one too."
I can't help but imagine their lives without me in it. Tristan would probably still be a Ghost and Aaron's right hand man. The both of them would be unstoppable together, sheer perfection. I was the darkness that tainted them. The evil that ripped them apart.
Maybe Aaron realised that? Maybe he wanted to get out before it was too late?
God, I was like a black widow sucking the life out of all my lovers. Maybe the only way to make it stop was to leave? At least they would have a shot at happiness then.
"No you didn't. You can't blame yourself for my actions and definitely not Aaron's. We are big boys who make mistakes all on our own, but loving you, choosing you, was never a mistake babygirl."
"I've missed you. I've missed you calling me that too." I smiled, despite the single tear trailed down my cheek, but Tristan caught it before it could even fall.
I looked up, finding myself getting lost in his emerald eyes. The tiny flakes of black swirling inside his dazzling orbs put me in a trance. I found myself leaning in, until our noses were gently brushing against each other's.
My mind was spinning, and my body was complete intoxicated by the large consumption of alcohol I had tonight, but all I could think about, all I could dream about were his lips.
His perfect, soft, luscious li...oh, fuck.
He was kissing me softly, as if testing the unknown waters, but once my hand slipped around his neck, he wove his hand into my hair and dove his tongue deep inside my mouth.
I moaned, my eyes falling shut, as I swung a leg over his lip, preparing to straddle him.He pulled back though, just before I could.
Sultry eyes staring deep into my soul, hair mused and messy and lips swollen and parted slightly. God, I wanted him bad.
"Are you sure?" You've already made one mistake today by confessing your love for a man who could never love you back, you really want to make another one by sleeping with the man who does love you?
"Yes, I want you. Tristan, I need you." The alcohol was in effect and I let lust and desire take over my mind, stripping away any sense of reason.
"Good, because I can't wait to ravish you all night long." And he did.
________________________________
A/N: Sorry to Aaria shippers, you're welcome for Triara shippers!!
Honest thoughts on this chapter? I'm guessing people's have mixed feelings based on who they ship Kiara with!
Bring a smile to my face and please press that vote button. Also feel free to write a comment, I love hearing from you guys! ❤️