Chapter 29 - Day 11 Next Time #3
Elena started telling me about a girl in her class who had committed what sounded like a serious crime involving a purple pencil case.
"She copied me."
"She bought the same pencil case?"
"Yes."
Luke looked over.
"It wasn't the same."
"It was!"
"It was darker."
"It was purple!"
"There are different purples."
Elena looked at me.
"Tell him."
I looked between them.
"I wasn't present at the scene of the crime."
"You're on my side."
"When did that happen?"
"Now."
I laughed.
She wrapped both hands around my arm.
Luke frowned.
"Why does she get Angelica?"
I blinked.
Elena tightened her grip.
"Because she's my friend."
Something warm settled in my chest.
I looked down at her.
"Well. Apparently I've been claimed."
Luke immediately moved closer on my other side.
"You can be my friend too."
"I thought I already was."
He considered that.
"Okay."
Problem solved.
I laughed.
Then looked up.
Adrian was sitting across from us.
Watching.
Not talking.
Not smiling.
Just watching.
His gaze moved to Elena wrapped around my arm.
Then Luke beside me.
Then me.
I suddenly became very aware of where I was.
In his home.
With his children.
Both of them pressed against me like I'd been sitting here every Saturday for years.
My eyes met Adrian's.
He didn't look away immediately.
Neither did I.
Then Elena started pulling at my arm.
"Come."
"What?"
"I want to show you something."
She dragged me inside.
I followed.
Mostly because apparently I no longer had authority over my own movements.
And when I glanced back-
Adrian was still watching us.
Later, Luke convinced me to play cards.
Elena changed the rules whenever she started losing.
"That is cheating."
"No, it's not."
"You invented that rule ten seconds ago."
"No."
Luke looked at me.
"She did."
"Traitor!" Elena yelled.
Adrian looked over.
"Elena."
"He betrayed me."
"He told the truth."
She crossed her arms.
I leaned toward her.
"Rough day."
She nodded seriously.
"Very."
I laughed.
At some point Elena decided she needed to inspect the wine-red highlights in my hair under direct sunlight.
She stood behind me, lifting pieces carefully.
"This one's really red."
"It's burgundy."
"What's burgundy?"
"Fancy red."
"Oh."
She accepted that immediately.
Luke came over to inspect too.
"It's purple."
"It is not purple."
"It looks purple."
"Get away from my hair."
He laughed.
Elena continued examining it.
I looked across the terrace.
Adrian was watching again.
He had been doing that all afternoon.
Not constantly.
But enough that I noticed.
When I laughed with Luke.
When Elena held my hand.
When both of them sat beside me.
When Elena played with my hair.
Sometimes I caught him.
Sometimes I only felt it and looked up to find his eyes already there.
And every single time, something about his expression made me nervous in a way arguing with him at work never did.
Because I could fight Adrian over architecture.
I could tell him his design was ugly.
I could tell him he was wrong.
I could call him Your Majesty in front of half the office.
But this-
His home.
His children.
Him quietly watching me with them.
I didn't know what to do with this.
So I never asked.
By evening, the sunlight over the Atlantic had softened.
The food had been put away.
The grill was cold.
The cookie box was considerably lighter.
And the sunflowers and red roses were still sitting outside in their white vase.
I checked the time.
I should go.
I didn't particularly want to.
That was probably exactly why I needed to.
I stood.
"I should probably get going."
Elena looked up immediately.
"Why?"
"Because I've been here all day."
"So?"
I smiled.
"So I have a home."
"You can stay."
"Elena," Adrian said quietly.
She looked at him.
"What?"
"Angelica has to go home."
She frowned.
"Why?"
"Because she lives somewhere else."
Elena looked at me.
Then at Adrian.
Then back at me.
"Why can't she live with us?"
Silence.
Complete.
Absolute.
Silence.
Oh God.
I looked at Adrian.
Adrian looked at me.
Neither of us said anything.
Elena continued, completely unaware that she'd just detonated something in the middle of the terrace.
"We have lots of rooms."
Yes.
I had gathered that.
Probably enough rooms to lose a person for several days.
"Elena," Adrian said.
"What?"
He stopped.
I had never seen Adrian Vale look like he genuinely had no idea what to say.
I wasn't doing much better.
"I have my own apartment," I said.
Elena frowned.
"But you can live here."
"I think my apartment would miss me."
Luke looked over.
"Apartments don't have feelings."
Thank you, Luke.
Very helpful.
Elena looked pleased.
"See?"
I pressed my lips together.
Do not laugh.
I made the mistake of looking at Adrian again.
His eyes met mine.
And suddenly the sentence was sitting there between us.
Why can't she live with us?
Nope.
Absolutely not.
I looked away.
"Well," I said, reaching for my bag, "on that extremely uncomfortable note, I think it's definitely time for me to leave."
Luke laughed.
Elena still looked confused.
Adrian stood.
"We'll take you home."
The drive back was quieter.
Not silent.
Nothing involving Luke and Elena was ever completely silent.
But quieter.
Elena was tired.
Luke spent most of the drive looking out the window.
I sat beside Adrian.
I thought about the day.
The barbecue.
The cookies.
The flowers.
The kids.
The ocean.
The picture I hadn't taken.
And one five-year-old asking why I couldn't simply move into her father's enormous penthouse.
I stared out the window.
I was never recovering from that.
When we reached my apartment, Adrian pulled up outside.
I unbuckled my seat belt.
"Thank you for today."
He looked at me.
"You're welcome."
From the back seat-
"Don't forget my cake."
I turned around.
"Your cake?"
"Our cake," Luke corrected.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Apparently I've accepted an order."
"Chocolate," Elena reminded me.
"With chocolate frosting," Luke said.
"Yes. The specifications have been made extremely clear."
Elena smiled.
"Next time."
There it was again.
I smiled at her.
"Goodnight, monsters."
"Goodnight!"
I reached for the door.
"Angelica."
I stopped.
Turned back.
Adrian was looking at me.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow."
"For groceries?"
"Yes."
Right.
My Mustang was still being repaired.
"You really don't have to."
"I know."
Of course he knew.
I looked at him for a second.
"Okay."
"What time?"
"I'll let you know."
He nodded.
I opened the door.
Then looked back at the kids.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight!" Elena said again.
Luke waved.
I stepped out.
Closed the door.
Then looked through the passenger window.
Adrian's eyes met mine.
"Goodnight, Angelica."
"Goodnight."
I stepped back.
The Tesla pulled away.
I stood there for a moment watching it disappear.
Tomorrow.
Apparently I had tomorrow too.