13. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
Anastasia
I officially hate Adrien. First, he shows me more pleasure than I’ve ever experienced before and then just walks away like I mean nothing to him?
This is why I have to keep my distance from him. Why I can’t ever give him my body again. I know if we were to have sex, I would fall in love with him. I just know it.
I have to keep my head around him and the only way to do that is to have my family around. They’ve always helped to keep me grounded.
So, I bite the bullet and call my mom. “I need help,” I admit after she answers. It takes a lot out of me to do this. I so badly wanted to prove her wrong. To show her that I could have an adventure. That I could keep my head on my shoulders.
But I’m starting to drown.
“Help? Has something gone wrong?” she asks. “Has Adrien hurt you? It’s been killing me not being able to see you.”
“No, Adrien hasn’t hurt me. But…” Here we go. “You were right, Mom. About marriage. How it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. How I never should have rushed to say yes to marrying Adrien without getting to know him first.”
“Ok,” she says slowly. “What do you need?”
“I’m shocked you’re not telling me ‘I told you so.’ I was sure you were going to say it.”
“I can tell you’re struggling, Ana. I’m not going to rub it in your face. Trust me. So, what’s going on?”
“I miss you,” I admit, holding back the sudden tears that hit my eyes. “I miss you and my sisters. I never thought I would be homesick but here I am. I’m so homesick it hurts.”
“Then why don’t you come home?”
“Because Adrien doesn’t want me to leave. I… I tried once before. But he only brought me back home. And we had a bad run-in with one of his enemies. I can’t risk leaving the house. I’m not that na?ve. It would help if you and my sisters could come here. You could stay with us. Even for a week.”
“I would love that. But… is your husband ok with it?”
“I thought you would never care what my husband thinks.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t. But I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
“Adrien won’t hurt me, Mom.” He’s only tied me up and spanked me but that was nothing, even if it still makes me angry to think about. I know though that he’s not going to physically hurt me if I bring my family here. “Just come.”
“It is his house. And he is in an alliance with all of your sisters’ husbands. Be careful, Ana.”
“I am being careful.” Careful guarding my heart from Adrien.
There’s no way I can tell my mom about what Adrien I shared yesterday.
It’s too humiliating. I never thought a man would ever be this cold towards me.
When I dreamed of falling in love, he always reciprocated. Who knew real like would be this hard?
“I’ll try to come soon. I promise.”
Once I’m done talking to my mom, I know I have to tell Adrien that my family is coming. He’ll find out soon enough and it will be better if it comes from me.
I find him in his office – not shocking at all – and clear my throat, making him look up at me.
“Yes?” he asks. Damn him for looking so handsome. A part of his hair falls over his forehead just perfectly, making him look like a model on the cover of a romance novel. My body remembers how he touched me yesterday. How warm and good he made me feel. I want that again so badly I could cry.
“My family is coming.”
He pauses then sits back in his seat. “Your family? No. No, I don’t want to host your family for however long they’ll be staying for.”
“Well, too bad. They’re going to come. I miss them. I want to see them again. You’ve taken me from my mom. Tricked me into a marriage.”
“I never tricked you. You agreed to marry me.”
“But you didn’t give me all the facts and you can’t deny that. I want to see them again, Adrien. I need to see them again. Please.”
“I thought you wanted to get away from your family.”
“I thought so too but now I miss them. I am not going to beg you again. They’re coming. Don’t put up a fight to it. Let me have this. I’ll stay in the house where it’s safe. That’s all I can do. But give me this.”
He stares back at me steadily. There’s an emotion in his eyes I can’t quite figure out. A mix between desire, hope, and sadness? I’m not sure but all I know is that it’s confusing to me.
“And need I remind you,” I say, “that you just left me yesterday after you… You know .”
His eyes darken. “I know I did.” That’s all he says on that.
No apology. Not explanation. “Fine. Your family can come for a few days. But they better not get me into trouble. It will be good though to see Mikhail, Nico, and Liam. We can talk more business in person. I’m assuming they’re coming with their wives. ”
“Yes. Because they are husbands who actually care about their wives. Who actually want to be around their wives.”
He flinches. Good. Let him feel bad for how he’s treated me. “Fine. Now, I have more work to do. Leave me.”
“You always have work to do,” I grumble but I walk away. I’m too excited knowing my family is coming to dwell on Adrien’s confusing moods.