Mated To My Stepbrother-Chapter 33

Aria’s POV

"I’m sorry the whole trip had to end like that, Aria," Timothy said as he placed a tray of biscuits and milk on the stool before me.

"It’s alright", I muttered under my breath, adjusting my lying position on the couch, "you had no idea that it would turn out this way. You only wanted us to have fun, like good friends would"

"You haven’t eaten anything since we arrived Aria and that’s really bad" he gestured to the tray in front of me, "I made these specially for you, ginger and honey biscuits, just the way you like them"

I shrugged dismissively and closed my eyes to keep the burning tears trapped inside. I can’t believe this was happening, I can’t believe Jaxon left me at the camp without a word. He neither answered my calls nor sent text messages. It’s been two days now, two days without him, two days of dying and resurrecting in pain.

"Here", I was brought out of my thoughts when Timothy suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me to sit up, "you should eat something so that you can have strength. You haven’t done any of your assignments and we have to prepare for school tomorrow"

"I’m not exactly hungry Tim. I just need to relax" he helped me stay balanced on the chair and then he put a pillow behind my back

"You’ll relax after we’ve prepared for school", he picked the blue mug off the table and raised it to my lips, "drink up, it’s warmth will make you feel better"

I was going to move my mouth away but he pressed the cup to my lips before I could move, "You’ll be fine Aria"

"I can’t believe Jaxon is treating me this way"

"He’ll come around", he picked two biscuits off the plate and put them in my mouth. I was savouring the buttery soft chocolate taste in my mouth when my phone suddenly beeped

"I’ll get it", Tim said, springing up to his feet before I could stand up from the chair

"Is it a message from Jaxon?", I asked as he unlocked my phone and glanced at its screen

"No, it isn’t" he answered, swiping the message off my screen, "it’s your data balance notification"

"Oh"

"Yeah"

"But why is Jaxon acting like this"

"He’ll come around Aria", he plugged my phone into the wall socket and came to sit beside me on the couch, "he probably just needs space"

"But why does he need space from me, What have I done to him"

Tim lifted his shoulders in a light shrug and rested his head on the cushion, "Jaxon has always been an erratic person, you just need to slow down for him"

We didn’t say a word for the next couple of moments and I decided to let my thoughts wander around as I continued to eat the food. What was Jaxon doing? And why isn’t he saying anything to me?

"I think it’s best you remain here until Jaxon arrives Aria, my parents are not coming around until next month and I could really use your company"

"What about my own parents, they were due to arrive from their trip yesterday but their flight was delayed"

"Stay here until they arrive, that’s all I know. We’ll stop by your house and pick the rest of your belongings after school tomorrow, is that okay?"

"Yes it is", it took all my strength to mutter those words and I didn’t say anything more until I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

★★★

I didn’t see Jaxon in school the next day as I was hoping to and this came as a huge shock because he wouldn’t skip school if he had been resting in a motel all this time. I searched the parking lot for his car thinking that he had decided to come with public transport but I couldn’t find it.

"You’re not concentrating Miss Aria, are you there Miss,..."

All of a sudden, someone shook me from behind and I snapped out of the trance I had gotten into, "I was talking to you Aria"

For a moment there, I’d forgotten that I was in class and in my dazed eyes Mrs Reinsdale, the history teacher was looking rather strange until she prodded me with a long wooden ruler.

"I am talking to you Aria", she shrieked, "what is your problem" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"I don’t know Ma’am", My head had suddenly grown heavier on my shoulder and my eyelids had suddenly grown hot, not to mention the weird taste that was on the back of my tongue. "I’m not feeling well Ma’am," I said again, "I’m... I’m a little tired"

"Well if that’s the case I’m going to have to send you to the clinic".

"It’s okay Miss Reinsdale", I said, sitting up and wiping my eyes with the back of my hands, "I’m fine now Ma’am. I’ll check into the clinic later"

Mrs Reinsdale didn’t look all that convinced by my words but as she squinted and opened her mouth to object, I hurriedly flashed a dismissive smile at her. "I’ll be fine Ma’am", I tried to stifle a yawn and it brought tears to my eyes "I’ll check into the clinic after the class Mrs Reinsdale, thank you very much"

As Mrs Reinsdale turned around to walk away, a voice snickered in the back of the class and said mockingly

"Aria is probably feeling sick, because she’s been drinking her father’s alcohol"

"What!"

My eyes narrowed into slits and bile rushed to my throat at the sound of those words. I hurriedly shook the drowsiness away and turned to face her but the class had already burst into a peal of hysterical laughter

"She’s going to become an alcoholic too" Maya Atwood continued, pointing her index finger at me as she laughed harder, "and she’d end up in jail for robbing a liquor store or attempting to fake a visa"

"Shut up Maya" Mrs Reinsdale shouted, waving her hands in anger, "shut up all of you"

But her voice only drowned in the sea of laughter the class had become filled with, while I shrank on the inside with sheer embarrassment. I felt naked and the coldness in their voice seeped into my veins as tears gushed out of my eyes. An open secret is no secret and it seems time cannot erase it, the ugly truth will always haunt me.

"Where is her defender", Cecelia, one of Maya’s retinue asked, "Where is Jaxon Cross?"

"He’s probably gotten drunk too and is having a nasty hangover"

All of a sudden the door burst open...