Chapter 17
seventeen
Adelaide
“OH. MY. GOD,” I gasp. The bag of donuts I’m holding tumbles to the floor, my hand flying to my mouth.
Luckily I manage to hang onto the takeout iced coffees in the cardboard holder or I’d be wearing them.
The unceremonious sight of seeing Hannah standing in Denver’s entryway at all, let alone dressed in a trench coat and her underwear, is too much.
Way, way too much. I gape at her, hardly daring to believe this is real.
“Fuck, Adi. This isn’t what it looks like,” Denver says when I finally peel my eyes away from the half-clad bikini model that is Hannah.
“It isn’t?” I murmur, suddenly feeling a sting of hurt and rejection, even though I know for sure this isn’t Denver’s doing.
“I was just throwing her out, and reminding her we’ve been over for a long time. Unfortunately, she acquired a key.”
I stand there speechless, wanting the ground to swallow me whole. My eyes flick from Denver’s back to Hannah who is pouting in her usual fashion, but there’s also a glimmer of sass because she honestly still thinks she has a chance.
“Not you again,” she mutters.
“You didn’t get the hint the first time?” I somehow manage to keep my cool, vowing to not douse this woman in cold coffee—nice coffee isn’t cheap after all, it would be a waste— “You just don’t give up, do you?”
She runs a finger over her bottom lip. “Funny that he calls me to get the job finished.” She makes no bones about the fact she means a blow job.
“That’s bullshit!” Denver practically shouts. “For fuck’s sake, Hannah. You’re taking needy to a whole new level. Nothing happened,” he tells me.
“I know,” I whisper. This woman is just the pits.
“Believe what you want,” Hannah goes on.
I want to believe him, I really do.
I shake my head. “You are just pitiful, aren’t you?” She opens her mouth to give me another barrage of insults, no doubt, but Denver hoists her by the arm and shoves her outside, just as I step in. Her face is a mix of rage and embarrassment.
“Stay away from me, stay away from Adi or you’ll regret it. I don’t want to see your face around here or the fucking police will be the least of your problems, got me?”
“Whatever,” Hannah huffs just as Denver slams the door in her face.
“Oh man, please tell me she’s finally gone.” I turn back to Denver whose eyes are practically burning a hole into me.
“Adi, I’m so, so sorry about that.”
“Look, Denver. I’m not sure I can do this right now.
” I bend to pick up the bag of donuts and turn on my heel.
The tears fringe around my eyes, and I want to safely get out of sight before I let them spill.
Was I an idiot for believing that I could compete with someone that looks like Hannah? He says it’s over… but why is she here?
He wouldn’t do that to you, he wouldn’t.
Again, my walls are coming up. I know I shouldn’t compare Denver to Cam, but I’ve been lied to and cheated on before.
I feel Denver’s hand on my wrist and I turn, keeping a steady hold on the coffee.
“Adi, wait! She just showed up here with a key she never returned,” he says, his eyes pained and his face contorted. It pulls at my heart strings immediately to see him look this way.
“Sh-she broke in?” I garble.
“Yes, she broke in. I was on the couch with Bodhi and she just appeared in my fucking den. She obviously cut a spare key.”
“Do you know how that sounds right now, and how it looks?” My words wobble, but I try to keep breathing and keep them in a straight line.
“I know exactly how it must sound and look. In all seriousness, I was just throwing her out. I’ve got security footage, I’ll show you if you don’t believe me. I swear to you, I wouldn’t lie about this.”
I nod. “I know, but I think I need to go, Denver, just to clear my head. This is a lot.”
I’m not used to dealing with other woman dramas.
“Please, Adi. This isn’t what you think. I have no interest in her. You saw that the other night. I don’t want her, I want you!”
“Then why does she keep showing up?”
“I’ve no idea. She was bombed the other night, she obviously didn’t get the message. But I think that’s the last we’ll be seeing of her.”
“I think I just need to process this, D. I’m sorry.”
He blinks like I just struck him across the face, and it pains me that he thinks I don’t believe him. I mean, I do, but it’s pushing a few too many buttons for me right now. I just need to breathe.
I hand him his coffee and the bag of donuts. “I know we had coffee earlier, but I thought an iced latte would hit the spot. And I missed you, so I came over earlier to surprise you.”
“I missed you too,” he says, not taking his eyes off me.
“Later,” I say. “I need to think, okay?”
“Okay,” Denver replies, his voice quiet and full of regret.
I walk to the elevator. Thankfully Hannah is long gone. She better not be hanging around outside, otherwise I may just have to accidentally see if that trench coat is stain resistant.
The thought is very vengeful, but it perks me up enough to keep walking away.
A few hours later
I spent the afternoon catching up on laundry, changing my sheets, and doing a general once-over of my apartment to get it spick and span again.
There’s something therapeutic about cleaning and having a tidy space.
I still have some moving boxes taking up some space in the spare room, but I’m slowly working through those.
I’m just making some rice cakes and ricotta cheese for a snack, as well as a big mug of English breakfast tea, when my phone rings. I walk over to the breakfast counter to see who it is. My heart is in my chest thinking it could be Denver, but it’s my mom.
“Hey, Mom,” I say when I swipe to answer.
“Hi, sweetie,” she replies. “Did I catch you at a good time?”
I don’t have the heart to say that she didn’t, and I’m still going over what happened in my head at Denver’s place and that crazy ex of his. A few red flags have certainly started to pop up, and I’m not liking any of it. “Yeah, I’m just tidying up.”
“Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine, Mom.”
“You know you always do a big spring clean out when something is bothering you. Is it that, sweetheart, or are you really just settling in?”
My forehead scrunches for a moment while I think about that statement.
It only takes me a second or two to realize she’s right.
“Well, I still have a bit to unpack. You know I believe in the therapeutic qualities of tidying, just like Marie Kondo,” I say.
“Helps clear the mind and everything. The move has been pretty full on.”
“I don’t know who Marie Kondo is,” Mom laughs. “But if you need to talk, I’m here. Moving is always very stressful, honey. But you know we’re glad to have you back in Chicago, right?”
“Yeah, Mom. I’m glad to be back, too. Just the late nights at the bar are messing with me a bit.” And Denver Banks has a lot to do with that.
“Well, Daryl is back in a couple of days and I was thinking we could all get together soon and have a little family housewarming for you?”
I gulp even though it sounds like a good idea. I haven’t had a proper sit-down with my family since I got here last month, only a weekend here and there.
Having thrown myself straight into work and getting my apartment sorted out hasn’t left me much time to catch up with my family and I feel bad. “I’d like that,” I say. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I spoke to Daryl last night and he’s onboard. Oh, that reminds me, he asked Denver to come, too. You’ve been seeing him at the bar I hear?”
Another gulp. Good news travels fast in this family. “Yes, he walked me home from work… on Daryl’s instructions,” I quickly add the last part. “And I’m sure he doesn’t want to come to my housewarming get-together.”
“Nonsense. Denver is practically part of the family. Of course he’d want to be there.”
“Mom,” I sigh. “There’s something I need to tell you.” The words are out before I even register. I didn’t plan on telling Mom like this.
There’s a pause down the line. I need to get it out, the whole shabang… well, obviously not the sordid parts, but the PG version at least. Mom has always been a good listener, and I know her advice is always solid and comes from a good place.
“What is it, Adi?”
“I’ve been seeing Denver,” I blurt. “As in, romantically.”
“Denver?” she repeats, surprised. “Really?”
“Yes, and Daryl has no idea, so you can’t say anything until he gets back. We’re going to tell him. But it’s new, and we’re just figuring things out.” Then I proceed to tell her about the bar that night, and the whole Hannah business, plus what happened just a few hours earlier for good measure.
“Sweetheart, if there’s one thing I know to be true, it’s that Denver isn’t a liar.
If he says nothing happened, then I believe him.
Some girls are just vindictive, they don’t want to see their ex be happy for whatever reason.
Remember, he pulled you out of a window as a toddler and saved your life.
That’s the Denver we know and love. I don’t believe he would ever lie to you. He’d have no reason to.”
Tears brim my eyes again because she’s right. She is so, so right. “I get that, Mom. He’s a good guy, but it doesn’t make him a saint, well, maybe it does. You know what I mean. It’s just this is a lot of drama. I don’t know if I can deal with that woman anymore.”
“Take a breath. Your feelings are valid, but I think you’re reading too much into what happened. He showed you who he was when he was twelve years old—believe him.”
Her words send a shiver through me, so much so, goosebumps rise all over my arms.
“You’re right.” I sniff. “If he was still into his ex, he’d be with her.”
“Exactly right.” She pauses. “You two make such a cute couple. I can’t wait to tell Dad.”
“Mom!” I chastise. “You can’t tell Dad until Daryl knows, alright? Just a few more days.”
“Mom’s the word. And I’m thrilled, Adi. But take things slow. You don’t want to ruin a good friendship by rushing in too soon.”