Rebellious Aurora | ✓

twenty-two | smiling like you do

I returned home after an hour or so later, allowing Cayden and Millicent to drop me off at home. I squinted closely at the tiny words and almost stopped breathing when I read the handwriting that belonged to my sister.

Our parents are taking me out to dinner. They said not to wait for you because they knew you wouldn't be home until midnight or something. If you do come home early though, I've made lasagne for you and it's in the fridge.
Love, Dakota. x

I looked down at my wrist-watch and groaned when I saw the time was now around five in the afternoon. I'd admit, again, that my heart broke whenever I was left out of family outings. It really did. This has just proved my point again, the point that my parents didn't care about me.

I sighed and ripped the sticky note off the door before tearing it into pieces. I threw them to the ground before stepping inside the foyer where I found the enormous house...empty.

It felt so lonely to be in my own home, so lonely that I wanted to put the mansion into flames.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed the door behind me before sauntering over towards the kitchen, approaching the fridge before taking out a bottle of water. I took a swig of it as I walked up the stairs towards my room.

As I stepped inside my room, I was immediately taken aback when I found three boxes of pizza and two tubs of ice cream sitting on my bedroom floor. My stomach growled at the sight as I cautiously scanned my room, my heartbeat increasing as I took a step forward.

I balled my hands into fists before taking another a couple of steps forward, my head snapping to the side to see my window wide open, my curtains gently blowing to the sides.

"I swear on my life, Jiao, if you don't come out of your fucking hiding place, I will cut up all your credit cards and bully your dog," I threatened, my mind kicking itself into overdrive. Maybe it was some random stranger who has broken into my room.

"What did the dog ever do to you?" a familiar masculine voice questioned amusedly as my heart skipped a beat once it seeped inside my ears. I gulped and halted in my steps when a tall figure emerged from the shadows in a pair of black sweatpants and a crimson red jumper. "Aurora, the sleeping beauty."

I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily as I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot impatiently. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, gesturing towards the food on the floor. "I brought a meal to you."

I raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that my parents and sister was going out to eat?"

A knowing smile crossed his lips. "That's a secret I'll never tell."

"Okay, then just get out."

Ashton's eyes slightly widened in shock at my bluntness. "I-"

"I'm exhausted," I lied, shaking my head as I ran a hand over my face, trying to look exhausted.

Ashton scoffed, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh, so you're tired after talking to my brother and sister?"

I frowned before sighing in frustration, knowing that Cayden and Millicent would obviously tell Ashton that we were hanging out. I glanced over to the food and mumbled something incoherent under my breath before stalking over to the food and plopped myself down on the floor.

Ignoring Ashton's satisfied smile, I dug into the pizza, a smile tugging at my lips when the deliciousness consumed me. I noticed Ashton in the corner of my eye plopping down beside me as he fed himself.

We ate in silence.

I reached for the tub of ice cream and opened it to find a spoon inside. I bit my lips nervously seeing as we haven't spoken to each other for ten minutes.

"I'm not sleeping with Ruby or anything," Ashton confessed quietly as he leant back onto his elbows and stared out my window, the gentle breeze carrying itself inside. "Don't get the wrong idea."

Inside, I was relieved. "I don't care."

He chuckled. "Okay, whatever you say, love."

My heart fluttered at the last word that escaped his lips as I clenched my jaw from releasing a sigh before stuffing my mouth with chocolate ice cream. A wave of deja vu washed over me as I thought back to the night when I was feeling upset and Ashton had shown up at my front door with a Disney movie and ice cream.

"It was Dakota, wasn't it?" I questioned him, glancing over my shoulder for a brief second to see him smiling at me before I turned my head back to the front.

He chuckled softly. "Yes, it was. She contacted one of her friends that were related to Jiao and Jiao told Landon then Landon called me."

I couldn't help but smile at my sister's fear of Ashton. "Of course."

"You two seemed close when you were younger," Ashton brought up, curiosity dripping from every word that escaped his lips. "What happened?"

My stomach clenched and I exhaled a shaky breath. "My parents favoured over Dakota more than me. I mean, I'm not being childish. I've accepted the fact that I'm basically an outcast of this family because of my bad reputation. I don't mind it at all."

Beside me, Ashton returned to his seated position and sighed. "You do mind. You crave for their love."

I scoffed, a lump rising in my throat as I cursed at myself. "I don't. I love myself enough for the three of them."

Ashton shook his head amusedly. "Dakota loves you."

I sighed, knowing that he was right. "I know."

He nodded in agreement. "Your friends love you."

I turned my head to the side to look at him, a wide boyish grin that made my insides melt stuck onto his face. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I raised a confused eyebrow at him. "Why are you always looking at me like that?"

His smile didn't even falter. "Like what?"

"You know, smiling like you do."

He chuckled before draping an arm around my shoulders. "How can I look at you and not smile, love?"

There it went again.

My heart skipping a damn beat as my stomach churned at his sweet words. Licking my lips, I reached over and grabbed a soft pillow before throwing it at Ashton's face. I earned a playful glare in return as I let out a genuine laugh.

His stupid face and stupid but sweet personality managed to charm me.

I needed to be cautious because if I wasn't then I knew that my feelings would soon be out of my control.

a/n: Ashton be my boyfriend, please, thank you.

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Ariella XO