Hurts so good

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE|| AMARIS

I wake up to Aiden's big arms wrapped around me and as much as I like to cuddle with him, it's getting hot, so I wiggle out of his arms to go pee and turn up the AC. I can't find my panties from last night, but I know the boys have always kept some of my clothes in their rooms for when I have nightmares and decide I want to get out of mine for a few days. I walk over to check the nightstand beside his bed, but I find files instead. I groan and look over at him. He's so cute when he sleeps, I don't want to wake him.

I'll just go get one from my room. I go to close the drawer, but something catches my eye. There's a red file with a tab poking out that reads one word "AMBROSE". I pick up the file and open it to find information on my father.

I flip through the pages and my heart stops when I find images and dates. Pictures of my mother's dead body and pictures of my father meeting with the yakuza. The dates on these files are stamped as a few years ago but I tell myself this can't be right because this would mean Aiden has been looking for my father for years now. The same father who I just found out was alive.

"Princess?" Aiden calls out and I turn to look at him. He looks down at what I'm holding and the look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know. I force myself to breathe and tear my eyes away from him. He calls out behind me, but I can comprehend anything he's saying. My feet are taking me away and my mind is racing.

He knew.

He knew and he didn't tell me.

My father killed my mother, and he didn't tell me.

My father is alive, and he didn't tell me.

Did they all know? Aiden catches up to me and grabs me by the arm. Unlike my mind, my face reflects my soul.

Empty, blank, vacant, expressionless.

I break my hand free and punch him in the nose. He curses and I turn to walk away. He tries to stop me again but all I see is red. This time when he grabs my arm, I grab onto his and pull him in, headbutting him in the forehead. He stumbles back and I sweep my legs, knocking him on his ass. I step on his chest, and he growls out in frustration "Princess, fucking listen to me. Let me explain."

I love him. He's my best friend. I want to give him a chance to explain but I can't. My head is pounding and my heart hurts. It feels like someone is squeezing me and I can't breathe. I want to scream.

Aiden puts up his hands as if surrendering and says something, but I can't hear him. Why can't I hear him? He looks terrified. Why does he look terrified?

Someone's arm spins me around and shakes me. "Amaris breathe!" Oh. Yeah. Right. I take a deep breath and the world starts moving again. I cough and Cassius hugs me to his chest. "Aiden what the fuck is going on?"

Aiden is coughing too. Oh no. I didn't mean to hurt him. I just-

"Amaris?" Milo and Sam walk out of their rooms and hurry towards me. Milo cups my face and looks at Cassius who shrugs and looks back at Aiden in confusion. "Come here, love." Milo whispers, pulling me into his arms.

"She found the red file. She won't let me explain." Aiden says.

Milo stiffens a little and I close my eyes. That's all the conformation I need. The rest of my world falls away and the rest of my heart turns to ice. I pull away and look up at him "How many times do you think a heart can be broken before the pieces no longer fit?" I ask him curiously.

He looks at me with sad eyes "i- baby we were trying to protect you." He says with a pained expression on his face. "I am so so sorry."

"We wanted to tell you, but we were scared. There's only so much hurt someone can take and you were broken enough as is." Cassius says and I spin my head around to look at him.