Chapter fourteen
~ELANA~
I step out of the main office building, the soft breeze sweeping over my face.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and look around, my eyes scanning for any signs of Adrian.
It’s been a whole day since I last saw him, and the silence that followed his departure from the kitchen last night feels deafening.
Apart from leaving a note thanking him for the sandwich I forced myself to finish, we haven’t said a word to each other.
Not that it hadn’t been delicious, but after what had happened, I had trouble finding my appetite again.
I’d woken up this morning to find him gone, leaving no traces of his presence.
Throughout the day, even Ryan couldn’t distract me from his absence, the conversation from last night replaying in my mind. When I finally mustered the courage to send him a text inviting him to lunch, the silence that followed was almost unbearable. He’s definitely ignoring me.
Lost in my thoughts, I make my way towards the waiting car, where Mac stands by the door.
“Good evening, Miss Elana.” His smile is comforting as he opens the door for me.
“Hey, Mac.” I offer him a smile in return as I climb into the backseat. I wait for him to circle the car and hop into the driver’s seat before clearing my throat. Maybe he knows something?
“I haven’t seen Adrian all day. I sent him a message, but…” I hesitate. “Do you think he might be ignoring me?”
Mac meets my gaze in the rearview mirror as he starts the car, tenderness in his eyes.
“No, Miss Elana,” he replies gently, his voice reassuring. “He’s been in quite the mood today.” A gentle chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. “Mr. Morgan has just been really busy. It’s nothing personal, I’m sure.”
“Yeah.” I nod, feeling anything but assured.
“Do you mind if we stop by my apartment on our way? I need some textbooks for school.” It was a half-lie.
I needed those textbooks, but what I needed more was the scent of my home with the traces of Ethan’s presence here and there.
I needed to be in a place that didn’t have Adrian’s name written all over it.
Two hours later, as I rummage through Adrian’s stocked fridge, my mind drifts back to him. I’d spent more than an hour at my apartment, and when Mac refused to drive back to Adrian’s penthouse without me, I invited him upstairs for tea.
As I retrieve a spoon from the drawer, I look up at the digital clock on the wall.
Adrian should have been home a while ago, yet there’s no sign of him.
His words from last night replay in my mind, gnawing at me as I reach for a yogurt container and a bowl of fresh fruit.
It was definitely the reason for his absence today.
I would ask myself why if I didn’t already know the answer.
He didn’t want to put me in the middle of his friendship with Ethan, and I understand that more than anything.
I know how much Ethan cherishes Adrian, and I would be stupid to think he would be happy with the way Adrian has been touching me and looking at me, and he definitely won’t be happy with the way Adrian talked to me last night.
I shouldn’t be either, but the fire that burned in his eyes as he spoke had pinned me in place. The only thing going through me was the sparks of electricity dancing in my lower tummy, the pool of desire making the place between my legs throb.
Just as I’m about to open the tub of yoghurt, my phone lights up with Lilly’s name flashing across the screen. A smile tugs at my lips as I answer the call, eager for a much-needed distraction.
“What’s up, Lil?” I greet her with cheer in my voice.
“Promise you won’t say no.”
“If it’s about taking that road trip to Vegas, then it’s a no,” I tease, spooning some yogurt into a bowl.
“You know I’m dying to see Elvis.” Her giggle echoes through the kitchen as I put her on speaker and place my phone on the counter.
“In that case, I have some very bad news for you, Lil.” I laugh and grab a strawberry from the bowl. “So, what’s up?”
“Same old, same old,” Lilly replies, her tone dripping with faux nonchalance. “Except for the fact that there’s a party tonight at Jason’s, and we’re going.”
“Who’s Jason?” I furrow my brows at the unfamiliar name.
“Who cares? There’s a party at the frat house he’s in.”
“You want me to go to a frat party?” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise as I stir the yogurt. “No.”
“Elana.” Her whine sounds like a fork sliding down a plate. “Don’t be dull. You’re in college. Do you need me to explain what being in college means?”
“I have an exam tomorrow, Lil. We both do,” I say as if that will make her reconsider.
“Do I seriously have to beg you every time I want to do something together? You know I would gladly do it, but let’s just save ourselves the time and skip the begging and convincing since we both know I’m not hanging up without you saying yes.”
“Can I think about it?” I scoop some blueberries into my hand and sprinkle them over the yogurt.
“No, you can be excited about it and start getting ready.”
“Lilly, the exam—”
“Oh, the exam!” The excessive drama in her voice mocks me. “Whatever shall we do?” I can almost see her roll her eyes at the same time I do. “Can you please be a college student for one night? Or do you prefer locking yourself up in that room?”
I weigh my options. A party and being surrounded by people my age definitely sounds better than locking myself upstairs and avoiding Adrian since he’s trying so hard to avoid me. I know myself well enough to know that if I stay here, my night will be full of studying and self-pity. Screw this.
I sigh. “Fine, you win.”
Lilly cheers, making me thankful I don’t have the phone beside my ear. “I’ll come pick you up in an hour and a half. Please don’t change your mind. Even Mr. Sexy Tycoon’s security won’t be able to stop me from dragging you out of that gilded prison.”
“Alright, I got it.” My laugh is genuine as I shake my head. “I’ll see you later, then.”
After a final goodbye, I hang up the phone and keep stirring the yogurt in the bowl, the colors of the fruit already mixing in.
I scoop a little of the yogurt, fruits peeking out, and place the spoon in my mouth.
Maybe a night out is exactly what I need to take my mind off things, even just for a little while.
“Good evening.”
My heart skips a beat as I whirl around to face Adrian, quickly taking the spoon out of my mouth and tossing it back into the bowl.
He’s leaning against the wall, his arms folded in front of his chest, making the cords of muscles in his forearms stand out.
His hair looks as if he’s been running his hands through it over and over.
The top buttons of his shirt are undone, so his collarbones and the lines of his chest peek out.
There’s not a single detail about him that doesn’t look sculpted, as if Michelangelo himself had spent years making him. How long has he been standing there?
“Adrian! I didn’t hear you come in. I… I thought you weren’t home.” I hesitate before speaking again, “I didn’t see you all day.”
He looks at me with a neutral expression, his gaze piercing as he responds, “I’ve been busy. Needed some time.”
I bite my lip, unsure how to respond. When he doesn’t say anything else, “Oh,” is all I manage to say, feeling a pang of disappointment at his curt explanation.
“So, a party?” Adrian’s voice breaks through the silence, and I can sense the skepticism in his tone. He’s going to try to stop me.
I take a deep breath, gathering my courage. “Yes, I’d like to go,” I reply, meeting his gaze head-on.
Adrian furrows his eyebrows in disapproval. “Going to a party the night before an exam wouldn’t be the wisest decision.”
I hesitate, weighing my options once again. “I won’t stay past 2 am,” I assure him, trying to sound convincing. He stares at me long and hard. I can see the storm in his expression. “I don’t want you to go,” it says. But after avoiding me all day, the sweetness of defying him is tempting.
“I hope you have fun.” His response surprises me. I expected a bit of a fight, or at least a few of his clever remarks, but this…
“I will,” I scoff, feeling a surge of frustration at his nonchalance.
His eyebrows twitch upwards, followed by the corners of his mouth.
He remains quiet, simply standing there with his arms folded and those intense gray eyes pinned on me.
He’s not trying to stop me, even though his expression screams protest and irritation.
“Well, then,” I lift my chin, scrambling for whatever bravado I can find, “I’ll go get ready.” I walk past Adrian and into the living room. Just as I reach the stairs, his voice stops me in my tracks.
“Elana,” he calls out, and I turn around to see him holding the bowl of yogurt I had forgotten on the counter. “You forgot something.”
“Oh, right,” I mutter and start pacing towards him, but freeze in place.
Adrian, without hesitation, takes the spoon and scoops up a spoonful of yogurt and fruit, lifting it to his lips while not breaking eye contact. I feel my cheeks flush as I watch his lips close around the spoon, the spoon that he saw me put in my mouth first.
With a smug smirk, Adrian places the spoon back in the bowl and extends it towards me.
“Here,” he says casually, his eyes dancing with mischief.
I walk back towards him and snatch the bowl from his outstretched hand, my heart racing as I feel the heat of his gaze on me.
That throbbing sensation between my legs returns, and I try my best to ignore it.
Without meeting his eyes, I mumble a quick “Thanks” before hurrying out of the kitchen, feeling flustered and off-balance.
I half-run up the stairs and into my room.
I close the door behind me, the wave of heat washing over me once again as I look down at the spoon, the marks in the yogurt from his lips staring back at me.