Corrupted hearts || 1

02

CHAPTER TWO ❦ AURELIA
I wake up to a scream, what a great way to start the day, I blink a couple of times as my vision clears and confusion rattles through me for a beat before memories come rushing back to me.

Oh god, my eyes uncontrollably flit around to find the source of it, It's no one other than the gentleman of their group, my eyes narrow as he continues grinning from ear to ear while staring down at his phone.

"Can anyone explain a single word to me?" I offer lightly trying to be polite but my manners will be gone in a few minutes if no one fucking answers me. "Aurelia." My brother's familiar sober voice pulls me back to his direction, as my eyes flit to him.

He brushes his wet damp hair out of his face, that's currently sticking to his forehead as his green eyes meet mine, my brows furrow as I wait for an explanation, "Come with me, sis." He mocks, I huff out a breath and walk towards him.

We descend along a narrow hallway and my eyes flit to him as we do so, "Where the hell did you get the money for such a huge apartment?" I ask, my lips parting in awe, we finally arrive at the end of it, "I work, and you will too." He arches a brow and I roll my eyes, already knowing the second part.

"Yeah? And what do you work as?" I ask, out of curiosity not that I actually give a fuck, "Is that really your greatest problem right now?" He asks dryly, running a hand through his hair.

I shake my head and wait for him to speak, "Okay so the guys you saw outside, they're my friends from college if that's not obvious." He starts and I absorb his words, nodding as I breathe out.

"The gentleman is called Rowan, if your impulses somewhat force you to befriend one of them, choose that guy, and I said befriend not be his fucking girlfriend 'cause your history with my guy friends isn't on the good radar, Aurelia." He warns, emphasizing a couple of words.

I roll my eyes but I can't help wracking my mind as I remember the guy I dated when I was in third grade, his friend was in fifth grade, so I don't understand why this relationship makes him so annoyed.

"I was a kid." I defend instantly, he narrows his eyes "You still are." He deadpans and I glare, but I wait for him to continue explaining things further, "The one who showed up and didn't talk to you is Silas, he's sharp-tongued, harsh, and not the type you'd love to chitchat with." He warns and I nod, surprised by how much he remembers, hence I don't even know the amount of alcohol he had in his system.

"Elias—" he starts, rubbing his thumb over his lower lip as if he's trying to find the right words, "Just stay away from him, he might appear collected and quiet even, but he's not like that from the inside, stay away from him, Aurelia, Do you understand me?" He narrows his eyes.

I roll my eyes at his dramatic act, nudging his shoulder, "Do you really think that I'd be friends with such people? I don't want to talk to any of them again don't worry." I assure you, "Yeah." He replies and confusion rattles through me.

"Yeah, what?" I protest, "Yeah you'd be friends with such people." He has a point but I ignore it as I narrow my eyes, "It was a metaphorical thought, I don't want an actual answer, the thing is, I will stay away from them, I won't see their faces again either way so I don't particularly understand why you'd think that I'm going to search for them or something." I shrug as I speak and his expression transforms into something else.

Brows furrowing as he scratches the back of his neck, and maybe a part of me expects what he's about to say but at the same time I get shocked as he speaks, "They come over almost daily, and it's a routine we've grown into, I won't be able to just stop it because you came here, you have your own room either way you can stay in it when they come over, or go out or something." He suggests, and my anger spikes.

Narrowing my eyes as I take a step towards him, "You knew I was coming." I state, he nods, huffing out a breath as my irritation spreads through my whole body, "Why don't you just stay over at any of their houses?" I ask, genuinely confused.

"I can't tell you the answers to those, they're not my secrets but trust me, if I had the chance I wouldn't waste it." He says and I absorb his words, "So I'll live like this for the next three years?" I ask, I don't know if I have the right to complain or not, but well I'm forced to do this as well.

Since switching majors in the middle of college isn't on my side in this, so I'll have to attend the university here cause it's cheaper than the one back in our country, it's both depressing and interesting.

Something new, a whole new experience, new friends and places, "It's not my fault that you couldn't adapt to your fucking college, Aury." He groans, frustration clear in his voice.

My stomach dims but I don't let it away as I raise my chin up, staring into his eyes, "Yeah okay, I get it." I force out, my throat clamping down as he strolls away, leaving me in the long hallway with hundreds of thoughts clouding my mind.

You know those siblings you see on the tv? The brother who's extremely overprotective and loving to his little sister? Yeah, that never fucking happens in real life,

It's all fake, or maybe that's just my life.

I try to force the negative thoughts away but I can't help it as his words come back to me, I switched majors because I couldn't adapt to the studying environment around there, I was in Computer Engineering, according to my parents' wishes of course.

I didn't have a single opinion in that, I tried to adapt there, tried to follow everything the professors said, and work exactly the way my friends did, it just didn't work out for me, it took too much effort for one single information to stick in my mind, unlike any other normal person who'd probably take a minute before this information is stuck in their memories.

If we're excluding the fact that I didn't like the major, I couldn't study it, I was in denial for a long while, trying to ignore my parents' comments and comparisons that never stopped, but the truth is just that I can't study shit that I don't like even if I have the ability to do it.

If I loved it maybe I'd have put more effort, and maybe loving it would've helped a lot with studying it even if I struggled, so last year, which was my first year in college, my parents finally gave up on me.

Said that I should go to the college that I'll succeed at, so here I'm, I'll start studying Graphic Arts, in a couple of weeks, something I've always loved and looked forward to doing and since my brother's university was cheaper than mine, they decided that because I couldn't even study while they spent a lot of money on my university there.

They said that the best decision is going to Dylan so that it'll be cheaper and a better alternative than spending "lots of money for nothing in return" Their words exactly, it broke my heart first, but right now, I can't deny that I'm happy, that I'll finally do something that I love.

Without my parents ruling it, only my choice.

So whether I like it or not, I'll have to live with the assholes who supposedly come over daily, god help me.

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