Aurelia The Others And Me Ch 00

Writer's note

: Dear reader, this is a cuckold story focusing on emotional masochism. If you don't like those, you should skip it. It's a prologue that introduces the themes and kinks for a wider story I've been thinking about for some time, and takes place a few years before the main action. I hope you'll enjoy it if you're still here.

***

Aurelia Lombardi had always been captivating. In high school, she was the girl everyone was drawn to, boys and girls alike. It wasn't just her beauty that caught the eye, it was the way she seemed to light up a room without trying. Tonight was no different. Even in the bar's dim lighting, she seemed to glow, her presence magnetic, pulling gazes toward her.

"It's so good to see you, Tom! I can't believe it's been three years!" Her smile was bright, inviting, and a familiar flutter of excitement I hadn't felt in years stirred in my chest.

I forced a shrug. "Yeah, it's been a minute." As if I didn't know the exact time and place we'd last been in the same room.

Her lips pressed into a playful pout, the kind that once had me bending over backward for her. "I bet you regret not telling me you were back in town."

It was hard not to feel guilty, but I had my reasons for staying away. We'd been inseparable throughout middle school and dated for much of high school. When she broke my heart, I fled across the country for college, hoping distance would dull the ache.

"Well, I'm only here for a few days, I'm catching a plane tomorrow." I was trying to make it sound final.

I'd kept my visit quiet, only reaching out to a few friends, but she must have heard I was back through the grapevine. My heart had stopped when I'd seen her name on the caller ID of my phone. When she insisted we needed to catch up it was like I was back in high school, unable to say no to her.

"What? No way!" The widening of her blue eyes made her look genuine.

"Yeah, I got approved for a scholarship to a school in the U.S." It felt great to see her hang on my every word. "I just dropped by to grab a few documents I needed, but I'm ready to go."

She giggled. "So that explains the huge bag. But you can't leave again! We barely get to see you as it is."

"You sound like my mom." With some other girl that would have sounded wrong, but Aurelia and I shared too much history. My words chased her pout away and replaced it with a big smile. "We got into a huge fight over it. She kicked me out."

"Oh that sucks I'm sorry." Her tone switched from concerned to teasing. "Don't worry, I promise I won't fight with you..." She flashed a smile that made my heart pound in a way it hadn't for a long time.

I had to rein myself in. Her lips were naturally sultry and she always flirted a little when she talked to guys, without really trying, it was just who she was.

"Appreciate it. Enough talking about me. What have you been up to?"

"You know, same old. Modeling, singing, and snagging any theater gig I can get."

"Still chasing your dreams, huh?" I tried to sound supportive. "Good to see some things don't change."

She gave a small shrug, her smile softening. "Yeah, I guess. You'd know that if you came back more often." I could catch a trace of actual hurt in her eyes.

I hesitated, glancing down at the drink in my hand. "Erm, train tickets aren't exactly cheap. I've only been back twice in three years, and even then, it was just for a couple of days."

Aurelia clearly had not thought of that, her parents were loaded. "Of course, I'm only teasing you." She put her hand over my forearm on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm just happy I get to spend some time with you."

Our conversation kept going for the rest of the afternoon, effortlessly picking up where we had left off years ago. And I found out that I still had my superpower. Every once in a while, I'd crack a joke, and she'd burst into that short, throaty, genuine laughter that seemed completely out of character, a thousand miles away from her usual grace and composure. I had only ever heard her doing that with me, and I was pretty sure that was the only reason we had dated in the first place.

We were in the middle of some random topic when I saw something click in her mind.

"Wait, you said your mom kicked you out?" Her tone sharpened, curiosity overtaking the previous lightness. "Where are you spending the night?"

I scratched the back of my neck, trying to downplay it. "I was thinking of getting a hotel near the airport, or I'll just crash on a bench in the terminal."

I had been so excited and terrified by the prospect of seeing Aurelia again, that I had not put much thought about where I'd sleep tonight. It was a stupid oversight, but she always had a way of making me stupid.

"Nonsense. I got a place near the river, you can stay with me." Aurelia leaned forward just slightly, her eyes catching mine, as if daring me to refuse. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

Her smile promised much more than a night crashing on her couch and I nodded sheepishly, absorbed by her lingering smile.

As the afternoon faded, we left the bar to make our way to her place. We rode the subway, which was not too crowded yet. I gripped the bar, and Aurelia held my arm. She was not wearing heels so I was slightly taller than her, and she had to tilt her head up every time we talked.

She groped my bicep and grinned. "You've grown into yourself nicely. Not so scrawny anymore."

"I hope that doesn't ruin my math geek aesthetic."

Again, she burst into that familiar unrestrained laughter, the one I knew was just for me. In that instant, I felt like I was on top of the world.

"You have no idea, high school me would be all over you."

I wasn't sure how to compliment her back without coming on too strong, so I went for a joke.

"Ah yes, my target demographic: school girls."

We both cracked up this time and she pressed her forehead to my shoulder, still catching her breath. "I've missed you."

She stared up into my eyes, biting her lower lip. A few years ago, I would have seized the opportunity and kissed her, no hesitation. But I had more experience now. Building up the anticipation would make it so much sweeter later. I was spending the night at hers, I had all the time in the world.

Besides, we were a little too old to be making out in the subway.

The train pulled into a busy station, and the wave of new passengers cut the moment short. The carriage grew crowded, and I found myself with my back against the wall, Aurelia tucked up against me. She still held onto my arm, but her other hand came to rest on my waist, steadying her uneasy position.

It felt strange to talk too loudly in a packed subway, so we started whispering, leaning into each other to be heard over the noise of the train and the buzz of other passengers. She smelled heavenly, just like I remembered, fresh, with that subtle hint of something sweet.

Every once in a while, the train rattled just hard enough, and she would end up flushed against me. In those instants, I was eighteen again, relishing the thought that all the other guys around were jealous of the pretty redhead pressed up against me.

We'd been in that exact same position thousands of times before, on our way to school, or back to one of our places, before our parents got home, stealing moments together wherever we could. And we had no trouble slipping back into the practiced comfort with each other.

Too soon we had to get off the train. Her apartment was in an old building, right in the middle of a trendy neighborhood. It was spacious and richly decorated. I knew her parents had to foot the bill, her artistic endeavors would never cover the rent, but I was not about to point it out and ruin the mood.

I dropped my heavy bag by the door, and we made our way to the kitchen.

"Let's make dinner!" Aurelia's eyes sparkled with excitement as she tied her long red hair up into a ponytail.

She pulled out a recipe jotted down on an old piece of paper, started to gather ingredients and utensils, before plopping a cutting board in front of me.

"Onion cutting duty," she teased, handing me a knife. "Try not to cry too much."

"Onions? You hate onions."

"I don't hate onions," she replied, but the look I gave her made her laugh. "Okay, granted I'm not a big fan. But this is Lance's mom's risotto recipe. It's his favorite."

My knife froze on the board. "Who's Lance?" I was trying to keep the panic out of my voice, as I turned to look at her.

"Oh, did I not mention him? Must've slipped my mind." She was not facing me anymore, too focused on cleaning mushrooms in the sink. "He's my boyfriend. He's at work, but he'll be home in time for dinner."

The word boyfriend hit me like a punch to the gut, but I tried to stay cool, as if the room wasn't tilting on its axis. She'd spent the entire afternoon making me feel like the most important man in the world, and yet it had been naive to imagine that a woman like Aurelia would ever be single. Her casual tone made it clear. To her, it was obvious that I shouldn't feel weird about it, as if there was nothing romantic left between us.

"Right," my voice was just a little too tight to sound casual. "Guess I missed that part."

She smiled at me over her shoulder, as if nothing had changed.

"It's no big deal. You'll like him."

I gave her a nod, but I could feel a hand squeezing my heart. She had not brought me home for one last romantic reunion before I left the country. We were cooking dinner for her boyfriend. I was glad the onions could provide me with an excuse for the sting in my eyes.

Aurelia remained as cheerful as ever as we kept working on the risotto. She still touched my hand as she passed ingredients, her fingers lingering for just a moment too long. It felt like a tease, like some part of her was still playing the role we used to share, but now it was just confusing.

We had been best friends long before we dated, so I put on a brave face, pretending we were just two old friends catching up, nothing more. But, if earlier in the afternoon I had felt like the carefree teenager with the cute, artsy girlfriend, now I was back to being the insecure mess she had left behind after the breakup.

Eventually, we finished cooking and moved to the living room. Like the rest of the apartment it was sleek and modern, the furniture betraying the expansive tastes of whoever had decorated it. As we sat on the couch, a collection of black and white photos on the wall caught my eyes.

They were full-body shots of naked women, their faces carefully cropped out, leaving only their exposed forms in abstract poses. They weren't truly explicit, the photographer had played with the lights and shadow to create strange shapes, rather than focusing on the nudity itself.

My eyes were drawn to the last one of the series. The model had a mole on the top of her right thigh, my breath caught in my throat. I turned towards Aurelia who was watching me intently.

"You like these?" Her voice was curious, as if she genuinely wanted my opinion. "Lance took them. He's a professional photographer."

I nodded. "Yeah, they look cool." I paused, building up my courage. "That's you on the last one right?"

Her smile grew larger, playful. "How'd you guess?"

I glanced down at her clothed thigh, where I knew the mole would be. "I don't know," I said, trying to keep my voice light. "What about the other pictures, Lance's exes?" It was a lame attempt to break the tension.

At least it got a chuckle out of her.

"No, it's a pretty recent series, just models." She shifted, leaning slightly closer, her voice taking on a teasing edge, not the slightest put off by the idea of having her naked body hanging in the living room.

"I'm flattered you remember me so well."

I looked back at the picture for a moment. The intent was clearly artistic, an exploration of shapes and light. Despite that, Aurelia's hourglass figure and generous curves could not help but give the image an erotic charge, a sensuality that felt strange to witness now, as if through someone else's eyes.

Once, I'd been the only man who'd ever seen her like that.

"This is Lance's place right?" I'm not sure why I asked this question, maybe I needed to know that this space in which I felt so out of place was not of Aurelia's design, that I would have been at home if she had furnished her own place.

"Yeah," she replied, untying her hair, letting it fall loosely around her shoulders. "My parents cut me off when I refused to go work for my dad's company." There was no sadness in her voice, only pride in her defiance. "So I can either stay in a minuscule studio on my own dime, or here with my boyfriend."

"I would have never imagined your parents doing that." Aurelia had been my favorite person for years, but even I had to recognize that she was a bit spoiled growing up.

She smirked, tilting her head as she looked at me.

"Of course you'd say that. They loved you." Her eyes flickered with something deeper, something almost nostalgic. "You remind me of my dad a little, actually. He also thought I should get into a 'serious' career, like you and your fancy college. But I still want to pursue art, follow my passions, you know?"

I nodded slowly, her words settling uncomfortably in my head. Being compared to her father wasn't exactly flattering. Another reminder of the fundamental differences in how we saw the world.

Coming from a poor family, I'd done everything I could to secure a stable future. Aurelia's carefree attitude, her ability to chase her dreams without fear of consequence, had always left me feeling like I was watching her from the sidelines.

She must have caught the melancholy on my face because she quickly started back.

"I don't mean that in a bad way, my dad's a super successful man." She reached for my hand. "I'm so proud of you, Tom. A scholarship at a top school across the ocean? Promise me you'll still think about me sometimes, when you're a big-time businessman one day."

To my surprise, tears began to form in Aurelia's eyes. We had spent years together and I was leaving the country. For a moment, the weight of it all, the finality, hit me harder than I expected. I squeezed her hand and pulled her in a hug. She buried her nose in my neck and I could feel her wet eyes against my skin.

I heard keys in the door and she sprung to her feet, quickly wiping away her tears with her sleeve.

The man who walked through the door was tall, with broad shoulders and arms that filled out his sharply tailored shirt. His hair was short, accentuating his chiseled features. To my surprise he must have been in his mid thirties, at least.

After breaking up with me, Aurelia had spent the remaining months of high school dating one stud after the other. It seemed that hadn't changed as well. She still had a type. I just wasn't it.

"Hey honey! How was your day?"Aurelia moved quickly toward him, her tone softer, almost deferential.

He grunted and leaned down for a quick kiss which felt like a knife twisting in my chest.

"This is Tom, from high school," she said, turning back toward me with a small smile. "I told you about him. He doesn't have anywhere to sleep tonight, so I offered for him to crash here before his flight tomorrow."

"Sure," he held his hand out for me and I got up to shake it. He was towering over me. "Always happy to meet one of Aurelia's friends. You're welcome to stay." He turned back to Aurelia, not waiting for my answer. "Dinner's ready?"

"Yes, I made your favorite." I was surprised by how subdued she seemed with him, a far cry from the fiercely independent person I had known.

"Good. I'll take a shower, you can set the table." Lance barely glanced in my direction as he walked past, already unbuttoning his shirt, like I wasn't even worth the effort.

Aurelia waved me over to help her set the table. As we laid out the plates I could not help but ask in a hushed tone.

"How old is this guy?"

She blushed. "Forty five..." Damn, he looked good for his age.

"And how long have you been together?"

"A little under a year."

I blinked, trying to process it all, I was twenty one and Aurelia was a few months younger. Lance was more than twice as old as the girl he was dating. Combined with the fact that her parents had cut her off, and the strange dynamic I'd just witnessed, something didn't sit right with me. Was Aurelia with him just to have a nice place to live?

As if reading my mind, she sighed. "I know what you're thinking. But he is actually a really nice person..." She paused for a second before continuing. "And um... by the way, he doesn't know about us. So, please don't mention anything that would, you know, get me in trouble."

The bravado she had shown when it had been just the two of us had disappeared, and she was barely able to look at me anymore. For tonight I would not be Tom, the boy who had shared all of her firsts. I was just Tom, from high school.

"Sure," I muttered.

An awkward silence settled between the two of us, but it did not last long. As soon as Lance reappeared, Aurelia slipped back into her perky, bubbly self, as if nothing had changed.

I should have hated Lance. The age gap was unsettling, and part of me wanted to dismiss him as just another one of Aurelia's temporary distractions. But she had been right, despite the initial stiffness, I found myself warming to him. He wasn't overbearing or dismissive, in fact, he was polite, even charming. It was clear he didn't see me as any kind of threat to his relationship with Aurelia, I was too different, too far removed from her life now to be a rival for her affection.

Still, as we talked, I noticed something. Whenever I spoke about school, about my ambitions, or my life while I was away, Aurelia's gaze was fixed on me, her eyes bright with interest. She hung on my words in a way that gave me comfort, like there was still a connection between us. Lance asked questions, too, taking an interest in my plans, and I realized he was genuinely curious, not just being polite. That softened my jealousy a little.

In his low voice, Lance shared stories about his day, spent organizing an exhibit at one of his friend's galleries. When he said something that was supposed to be funny, Aurelia would chuckle politely. I was still recovering from the desperation I felt when I first learned she had a boyfriend. Sure, nothing would happen between us tonight. But now I knew something for certain: he couldn't make her laugh the way I did. That genuine, throaty, unrestrained laugh was mine, and mine alone.

After dinner, we moved back to the living room. They sat on the couch, Aurelia curled up against Lance's side, her arms draped around his torso, her hand absently tracing lines on his chest. I sat alone in the armchair, trying not to focus on how her body fit so easily against his.

At the table I had managed to constantly attract her gaze, but it seemed the physical contact with her boyfriend made him the center of her world and left me forgotten. This meant Lance and I had to keep the conversation alive, though after a few minutes of idle chit-chat, he got up.

"Alright, time to go to bed, I'm beat." He moved towards the bedroom before realizing she was not following him. "Aurelia?" There was a clear expectation in his tone.

"I'll be there in a bit, babe. I want to catch up with Tom some more. We've not seen each other in years."

Lance sighed, his eyes flicking between the two of us. "Don't be long. I need to get up early." With that, he disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Aurelia patted the seat next to her on the couch, and I joined her, we settled back into our interrupted hug from earlier. It felt a little risky, what with her giant boyfriend right in the next room, but having her soft body around me was worth it.