Survived Me: a Shatter Me fan-fiction (Warnette)

Chapter 68 - Disturbances

⚠️TW⚠️
Insomnia
Mention of trauma/PTSD
Betrayal
Family issue
————
JULIETTE'S POV:
I hear Aaron come into the bedroom, I've been in the bathroom - trying to make it look like I haven't been crying - for about a quarter of an hour.
"Love," he calls, his voice soft and gentle. "Are you in here?"
"Yes!" I call back, walking out of the bathroom with a wide smile. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
He comes over to me and cups my cheeks in his hands. "I know you've been crying."
I laugh, mousing away from his embrace on my cheeks.
"Ugh, all that work for nothing." I flop down on the bed.
"You don't have to tell me until you're ready too. Unless, of course, it puts your life at danger, in which case, it's of utmost importance you let me keep you safe and we'll."
I shake my head. "No, it's nothing like that, don't worry."
He softly smiles, it isn't a happy smile, nor is it a sad one - it's somewhere in between. "Okay, as long as you're okay."
I nod, "I am".
He comes and takes a seat next to me on the bed. "If I can do anything to help, just let me know."
"Thank you, Aaron, but there really isn't anything I can think of, I just need you to be here, next to me." I look up at him.
He leads closer to my ear and whispers, "always".
———
It's the next morning and I've just 'woken up'. I have been in and out of sleep all night, like always, so when I move to get up it doesn't wake a sleeping Aaron who, previously, lay next to me. Because of my tossing and turning all night, when I get up nowadays, he doesn't wake up. He's so used to me moving around that he doesn't know the difference between when I turn over and get up.
I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower, the water pouring down against my arm, that's reaching to turn the water tap on. It's cold, it needs time to heat up.
So, in the meantime, I walk over to my, out of the two sinks in the bathroom, and brush my teeth.
After I've coated my teeth with mint paste and then rinsed my mouth out with strawberry flavoured mouthwash, I put my hand under the running water, it's hot.
I adjust the dial until the temperature is just right, then I take off my clothes and pick a towel ready for when I get out of the shower.
—
I step out of the shower and wrap my body in a towel.
I brush my hair then apply some face creams, then walk out the bathroom and into the bedroom. I see Aaron still fast asleep in our, well his, bed. I sneak past him and into the walk-in-wardrobe, pulling on a little, black skirt and a white top, a black blazer and black slip on, flat shoes. Finished off with a small, circular handbag.
Once I've gotten changed, I walk back into the bathroom and pull my hair back, into a high-ish ponytail.
I go back into the bedroom and look at the time,  7:28. In two minutes Aaron's alarm will go off, therefore he will wake up and we can go down to breakfast, once he's gotten ready as well.
I decided to pick up a book for the time being. The Secret Garden. I haven't gotten a chance to read this book yet, so now is a better time than ever to start reading it.

I'm on page four when Aaron's alarm blares, he stirs and then slowly opens his forest, green eyes. "Morning, sweetheart."
I smile, peck his soft, gentle lips. "Morning."
He sits up and says, "did you not sleep well, again?"
"No, I just kept falling asleep then waking up again, it's alright though, at least I got some sleep." I say.
He frowns, "I really wish you'd wake me up when you feel like that, if you ask, I can help you".
I shake my head, slowly. "No, no, you need your sleep. Just because I can't sleep, shouldn't mean that you can't either."

He sighs, deeply. "You needing me is much more important to me than sleep, darling."

I stand up, and stand at the far end of our bed. "Come on, get up so we can get to breakfast before all the bacon and pastries run out"

He laughs and then lifts himself up off the bed and walks past me, not before kissing me on my forehead, then he walks into the closet.
—
We arrive in the food hall and rush over to see what scraps of food are left, we manage to get both a pastry and two rations of bacon.

We sit down at the table, I start to eat with a smile on my face, we'll... that's until I hear Leo and Annie's voices.

"Juliette" Annie spoke in a quite, questioning voice.
"Annie." I say, sternly. Refusing to look up from my plate of food.

Aaron clears his throat. "Juliette? Is everything okay?"

I forgot that I didn't Aaron what happened between me and my siblings yesterday.

"Huh, oh, I'm alright." I stutter, giving away my whole 'playing it cool' facade, as a load of shit.
"Like we'd believe you if you say it like that." Kenji chimes in, still munching away at some toast with a poached egg on the top.
I roll my eyes. "Whatever, it doesn't matter."

Aaron rests a hand on my back and kisses my ear. "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about something?" He whispers into the same place he just kissed, my right ear.
I nod, slowly and apprehensively.
"Would you excuse us for just a moment?" Aaron says as we both stand up, heading towards the food hall's exit.
"No, wait!" Leo shouts after me.
"Jules, let us explain, please." Annie begs with me.

They both come over to me and Aaron, standing right next to the door. I decided to just let them come along with me and Aaron back to our room to 'talk'.
I do want them both to explain everything to me, I want them, so badly, to not be on Sebastian's side. I also know that when Aaron hears that they admitted it, and the whole 'diary and records' thing wasn't a scheme to turn me against Leo and Annie, I don't know what he'll do, nor do I know if I will stop him.
————
Word count: 1170

(A/N): (Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I have had massive writers block. I'm trying my hardest to post as much as I possibly can.)

(Thank you all so much for over 2.5k reads! That's insane! Also, thank you to the people who have voted for this book as well. And thank you all for reading, I'm so exited to write more of this story!)