Read with BonusRead with Bonus

10

10

Lauren quickly pushed away from Aaron and stood, staring up at him with disbelieving eyes. Shit. It was him in that dream. It was Aaron's hands that had touched her... stroked her, felt how wet she was and made her cum.

"Oh, my God..." she whispered. Aaron looked down into her wide grey eyes before turning away from her. He couldn't bear to look at the disgust she regarded him with.

He clenched his jaw. What had he been thinking, putting his hands on her? Trying to comfort her, like she needed comfort from the same man who caused her pain.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, putting his hands in his pockets. "I shouldn't have touched you."

Even if I wanted to... and still want to, he thought.

Lauren turned away, her face heating. She was beyond grateful that he had no idea what was going on in her head at that moment. She couldn't believe she'd dreamed of him that way. How disgusting! The thoughts she had of him were bad enough, but now he was in her dreams?! He was the man who'd killed pops and momma!

She wiped at her tears, furious at their presence on her cheeks. Damn. She’d said to herself that she wouldn’t cry. What the hell kind of self-betrayal was this?!

"It's... it's fine," Lauren murmured. Aaron looked back at her. God, his eyes. Lauren now remembered the dream clearly. It had definitely been Aaron Spencer.

"Are you alright?" he questioned.

She slowly nodded. An expression of deep concern was etched onto his face. The sunlight streaming in through the glass behind him turned his eyes into crystal gold and illuminated the top of his thick blonde hair, creating a glowing halo. She felt like she was staring up at an angel.

But angels didn't have blood on their hands, did they?

"Are you going to tell me anything at all?" she asked quietly. "I'm not attacking you, Aaron Spencer. I'm not accusing you." Despite everything she knew that said he was a cold-hearted bastard. She just wanted to hear him admit it. "I'm asking you to tell me the truth."

Aaron straightened and regarded her quietly.

"I..."

Lauren swallowed and waited.

"I can't..." Aaron said and closed his eyes. Lauren frowned. Why did he appear to be in so much pain? Why was it so hard for him to just admit to something that everyone already knew anyway?

"Why not?" she asked in exasperation.

"Because you won't understand!" Aaron said. “It happened long ago.”

Lauren shook her head. "Just tell me whether you did it or not. Just tell me the truth..."

Aaron clenched his jaw and turned his back on her, looking out of the kitchen window to where his mother's rocking chair sat.

"No, don't turn away from me."

Lauren didn't know what possessed her to give her so much bravery, but she stepped forward and wrapped a hand around Aaron's arm. She felt him stiffen beneath her hand but didn't pull away.

"Look at me, please."

Reluctantly, he turned from the window to look at her. She was so beautiful. Her large grey eyes stared pleadingly up at him and her soft pink mouth was shaped into a sad curve. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and kiss her pretty little mouth till she begged for him, but he resisted. She deserved better than a man held back by darkness and secrets. She deserved better than him.

"I need to know. It kills me inside that I don't know! I won't tell anyone if you're worried about going to jail-"

"I'm not afraid of prison!" he cut her off harshly.

Lauren drew back, surprised by his tone.

"Then..."

"I'm not afraid for myself!" he said, jerking his arm out of her hand.

Lauren was taken aback by his words.

"What do you mean?” Lauren asked. "Are you covering for someone? Who are you protecting?"

Aaron stared at her, frozen from head to toe before he suddenly stalked away to the other side of the room. "I’m not protecting anyone."

"Aaron-"

He turned on her, his eyes blazing. "Me! It was me, okay! I killed them."

Silence.

It reigned around them and Lauren couldn't find the courage to break it.

Aaron's heavy breathing was the only sound she heard as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Of course, it was me! You really think I’d put my ass on the line for somethin’ I didn’ do?” Lauren could only stare at him. “Why'd you come back?" he asked in a strained voice.

Laughed scoffed out a laugh as tears slid down her cheeks.

"For the house..." she whispered, staring up at him. Aaron Spencer had just admitted to killing her mother and pops. "Huston said..." she trailed off when her throat closed.

Aaron turned to her with narrowed eyes. "Huston? Montgomery Huston?" he asked.

Lauren swallowed and nodded. He stared at her a while, stared at her cheeks and the tears drying on them.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Lauren... I'm sorry."

She laughed. "Are you?" Lauren held up a hand before he could answer. "Just tell me why. Why did you do it?"

Aaron put his hands on his head and dragged his fingers through his hair. "I can't..." he said miserably. "Lauren, please don't make me... I can’t."

Lauren felt her temper rise, but she battled to hold it down.

"Don't make you...? Don't make you?! I'm the one who had to live all my life without momma! Do you know what that's like?! You disgust me!" Her voice shook with rage as she stared at him.

Aaron dragged out a chair and slumped onto it, his handsome face troubled.

"Aaron?" came a voice from another room.

Both of them looked at the doorway.

"Aaron, dear?" called the delicate voice again. "Where are you?"

Aaron quickly got up and turned to leave. Suddenly, he halted and turned to her.

"I need to look after my mother," he murmured and left the room.

Lauren stared at the empty doorway with resentment rising in her. He got to have his mom and look after her, yet Lauren couldn't even sit beside her mother's grave.

And he thought it was alright? Like hell. She dragged out a chair and planted her butt down. She'd wait for him until he was ready to open his tightly sealed mouth and talk. Her phone was fully charged, she could call for help if he tried anything. And Grayson knew where she was. Lauren nodded to herself, more determined than ever.

She huffed and pulled off her hairband before tying a tighter ponytail. Her hair, thick and silky as ever, of course still managed to ease out of the tightest of ponytails.

Lauren was studying her nails with a concentrated frown on her face when Aaron came back into the kitchen. He stopped short when he saw her seated at the table.

After a short pause at the door, he walked past her and filled a glass with water at the sink before disappearing into the house again.

Lauren huffed and remained seated. She was angry but refused to allow it to block her brain. All her life, she'd believed that Aaron Spencer was the man who'd killed pops and momma. Aunt Abigail had made sure she believed it.

And now, she sat here, doubting the stories. Now that she'd met him and saw the uncertain tremble on his mouth whenever she asked him a question and his hesitance to respond, she couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story. Sure, he’d killed her family, that part was certainly true as he’d just admitted... but why? Lauren knew there were secrets. She had to know why.

Montgomery Huston had told her that she would learn a lot that would change everything here in Woodfair. What had he meant?

And how does Aaron know him?

She sighed. Nothing was making sense anymore.

Aaron walked back into the kitchen and looked at her with an unreadable face.

"You're still here?" he asked looking down at his hands as he rubbed them together.

Lauren leaned back in her seat. "How's your mother?"

He dug his hands into his pockets. "She's fine."

Lauren nodded, standing up. "Nice having her around, isn't it?"

Aaron grimaced. "I think you should leave now. Please."

Lauren crossed her arms stubbornly, ignoring the pain rising in her chest.

"Aaron?"

Lauren turned to the doorway. There stood a woman. Slim and delicate, but rather strong looking. She had straw-colored hair and beautiful blue eyes, eyes that were focused curiously on Lauren.

Lauren straightened. The woman from the photograph.

His mother. Lauren felt like an idiot. She’d thought the woman was a girlfriend.

The woman smiled, raised a gracefully aged hand and waved it at Lauren.

"Hello. Who are you?"

Lauren glanced at Aaron and gulped. "Uhm..." she said.

Aaron stepped between her and his mother, cutting off her speech.

"Come on, ma. I'll take you back to bed," he said, laying a hand on her arm.

She waved his hand away. "Oh, stop it, Aaron, treatin' me like an invalid."

With a disapproving cluck of her tongue, she waltzed around her son to approach Lauren.

"Are you his girlfriend, dear? Aaron never brings nobody home," she said with a smile.

Lauren gasped. "Oh, n-no. I'm Lauren. Aaron's... friend." Lauren spat the word “friend” out like it was bitter and wrapped in rusty barbed wire.

Aaron's mother smiled at her son from over her shoulder before turning back to Lauren, misty-eyed. "I'm Selena Spencer... Aaron's mother. You can call me Selena."

Lauren said nothing, only nodded at Selena. The older woman lifted a hand and patted her cheek affectionately. "You're very beautiful, dearie," she said quietly.

Lauren swallowed around the lump in her throat and nodded. "Th-thank you," she whispered.

Selena tilted her head, studying the tears in Lauren's eyes. "What's the matter, dearie? Why do you have tears in your eyes?" She lifted her other hand and Aaron caught it.

"Come now, mom. Let's go. You need to rest."

He looked at Lauren, saw her eyes spill over. Without hesitance, he began to steer his mother away, but she struggled in annoyance with him and turned back to Lauren.

"But... dear...do I know you from somewhere?" she questioned, struggling to grasp onto the thought fading off into her hazy mind. She couldn't remember. Oh, she was just so forgetful these days. All she felt in her gut was that she knew this girl with the saddened mouth and the tearful eyes. "Have I seen you?"

"Mom, please," Aaron turned her to face him with two gentle hands on her shoulders. He couldn't let Lauren speak to his mother for too long. He couldn't risk it.

"Oh, fine, fine," Selena said, glaring at him. "Why aren't you at work anyway? It's getting late."

"I'll leave soon. Let's get you seated in the living room so you can watch TV, is that okay?"

Selena nodded uncertainly. "B-but it’s dark in there," she complained.

Lauren felt her heart tug painfully at the sight of the disconcerted older lady. She wished she could hold her mother's hand like that... and argue about little things.

"I'll open the curtains," Aaron promised as he led her away. "Don't worry, momma, nobody's gonna bother you from outside the window today."

Selena nodded with a quiver in her lip. Those nasty children would always give her a fright, sneaking up to the windows and startling her with strange little chants. She never understood what they wanted from her.

Luckily, her son was always there to chase them away.

Smiling, she looked up at him and patted his cheek adoringly as he settled her into her favorite chair. He put the TV on for her and on the screen played a nice drama.

Soon he'd pulled the curtains open and light flooded the room. Selena clapped her hands happily.

"Light," she whispered with a twinkle in her blue eyes.

"Do you need anything, momma?" Aaron asked, kneeling by her side. She smiled at him and shook her head, slowly turning back to the TV.

He swallowed and stood, his heartbreaking as it always did when she began to slip away from him like she was doing now. Sometimes she was better and remembered quite a few things, but other times, she seemed more confused than before.

With a sigh, he turned back to the kitchen.

He found Lauren leaning against the sink.

"Your mother is absolutely beautiful," she said.

Aaron nodded. "Thank you. She is." And so was your mother, he wanted to say and thanked God for the control he had on his tongue.

The silence stretched on and Lauren pushed away from the sink. He wasn't going to tell her anything else today, but she would be back. She would find out what happened, whether he liked it or not.

"I'll take my leave now," she said.

Aaron looked up and met her gaze, sighing in discreet relief.

Silently, he turned around and began leading her back to the front door. Lauren followed in silence.

They reached the living room and Selena looked up as they passed.

"Oh," she said. Lauren stopped and regarded her. "Aaron...who's this again?" Selena asked, looking at Lauren.

Lauren glanced at Aaron in puzzlement until she remembered what Grayson had said.

Right. Selena Spencer suffered from Amnesia... but was it that severe?

Aaron looked at his mother with eyes of tenderness, but said nothing, slowly moving on towards the door. Lauren didn't move.

She smiled sadly at Selena. "I-I'm Lauren... Aaron's... friend." she repeated, choking out the word “friend” again. She could never imagine herself as Aaron Spencer’s friend.

"Lauren, come." she heard Aaron say but didn't obey.

This lovely lady seated in the chair captured all her attention. Lauren couldn't imagine the pain she would feel if her mother was in this state. Selena tilted her head adorably.

"Aaron's friend? But Aaron only has but one friend. Grayson!" her eyes lit up with the memory. "Grayson’s such a good boy."

Lauren nodded. "Yeah, he is. He's my friend too."

Selena wasn't listening, she was paying her attention to the TV show and clapping her hands in excitement.

"Oh, look." She laughed. "That woman was unfaithful to her husband and has been caught! Very naughty," she whispered to Lauren conspiratorially.

Lauren bit her lip, blinking back tears.

"Secrets are very, very bad, dear," Selena warned Lauren. "You steer clear of 'em! Brin' nothin' but trouble, they do. I tell my Aaron every day to get rid of 'em."

Lauren frowned. Selena's eyes became sad and she suddenly began to shake her head.

"It's not true, you know!" she cried.

"Mom," Aaron said, hurrying back in to calm his mother.

"It's just not true! My Aaron is a hero, he is! Saved that poor girl from the evil clutches of a monster! His hands hold no blood, they're to be kissed by an angel, they're so pure!"

Lauren watched, stunned by Selena's rapidly darkening mood. What did she mean? What girl and what monster?

"Momma, stay calm, please," Aaron said, lifting her out of the chair to hold her.

Selena sniffled away her tears of distress and hugged her son. "I'm tired, Aaron. I want to rest."

Aaron avoided Lauren's gaze and led his mother out of the room.

She watched them leave, her mind racing.

Aaron’s mother apparently wasn’t always in her right mind, but … No.

Lauren had to stop whatever thought that would have become.

Selena Spencer wasn’t well. What she said couldn't mean anything.

And as for Aaron Spencer, his hands definitely couldn’t be as pure as his mother thought.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter