Chapter 37 - I Got You #2
"I asked what happened."
His voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Everyone heard it.
Something had failed above us.
Something that should never have been able to fall into an occupied area in the first place.
And Adrian wanted to know exactly how.
He wanted the area cleared.
He wanted to know who had inspected it.
He wanted every temporary support and overhead component checked before another person walked underneath anything.
And when someone tried to explain that they could isolate that section and continue-
"No."
One word.
Done.
"We're shutting the site down."
The supervisor started to respond.
"Until I know this site is safe, nobody from my company is working in it."
Oh.
He was angry.
Not normal Adrian angry.
Not your fa?ade is ugly and I hate your design angry.
Actually angry.
The kind of angry that came from fear that hadn't completely left his body yet.
Nobody argued with him after that.
While Adrian dealt with the site team, I went to Emma.
She was standing beside Maya now.
"Hey."
She looked at me.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You're sure?"
"I'm fine."
She said it quickly.
Too quickly.
I frowned.
She didn't look fine.
But then again, neither did I.
"You scared the hell out of me."
Emma gave me a small smile.
"Same."
"You moved so fast."
"Apparently."
"Seriously. Another second-"
I stopped.
No.
Neither of us needed that sentence finished.
Emma looked down.
"Yeah."
A few minutes later, I heard footsteps behind me.
I didn't need to turn to know who it was.
Adrian stopped beside us.
His eyes went directly to me.
The anger was still there.
But underneath it-
Worry.
Still.
I smiled at him.
"I'm all right. Don't worry."
He didn't answer.
He reached for my hand.
Just took it.
His fingers closed around mine, then brushed slowly over my fingers.
I looked down at our hands.
Then back at him.
"You're still trembling."
I hadn't even noticed.
I tightened my fingers around his.
"I'm okay. Just a little aftershock."
His eyes stayed on mine for another second.
Then another.
Finally, he looked toward Emma.
Like he was only now allowing himself to check beyond me.
"Are you okay, Emma?"
Emma looked at him.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
A pause.
"Thank you for asking."
Something about the way she said it made me look at her.
Her eyes weren't on Adrian's face anymore.
They were lower.
On our hands.
On Adrian's fingers still wrapped around mine.
She stared at them.
And suddenly-
I remembered.
The crash.
Adrian screaming my name.
The pull.
His arms around me.
Maya and Ethan running toward me before seeing Adrian already had me and turning toward Emma.
Five minutes.
Six.
Adrian hadn't let me go.
And I couldn't remember him asking Emma if she was okay.
Not once.
Until now.
Oh.
Emma looked up.
She smiled.
But I'd seen enough of Emma's wrong smiles by now to recognize one.
And this one-
This one was very wrong.
The drive back to the office was quiet.
Very quiet.
Emma and Maya were in the back seat.
I was in the passenger seat.
And Adrian had asked me if I was okay four times.
Four.
The first one had been before we even left the site.
The second at a red light.
The third approximately seven minutes later.
And now-
"You okay?"
I turned my head.
"That's four."
Adrian kept his eyes on the road.
"I didn't ask how many times I've asked."
"I'm okay."
He nodded.
I watched him for a second.
Both hands were on the steering wheel.
His face had returned to something much closer to normal.
But not completely.
I looked down at his right hand.
The same hand that had been trembling against the back of my head less than an hour ago.
"Are you okay?"
His eyes flicked toward me.
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Should I ask again in seven minutes?"
Maya made a small sound from the back seat.
Adrian ignored her.
I smiled and looked out the window.
Five minutes later-
"You're still shaking."
I looked at him.
"Oh, come on."
"You are."
"It's adrenaline."
"You should go home."
"I don't need to go home."
"I think you should."
I turned toward him.
"Adrian, I'm fine."
He was quiet for a second.
Then he looked at Emma through the rearview mirror.
"Actually, I think both of you should go home for the day."
Emma shook her head.
"I'd rather stay."
"Me too."
Adrian was silent.
I waited for the argument.
It didn't come.
"Fine."
That was it.
I blinked.
"You're not going to argue?"
"You both said you want to stay."
"Yes."
"So stay."
Well.
That was unexpectedly easy.
Then he added-
"If either of you feels dizzy, nauseous, develops a headache, or feels anything unusual, tell me."
"Yes, Dad," I said.
Maya laughed.
Adrian gave me a look.
I smiled sweetly.
And for the first time since the accident, something in his face almost relaxed.
Staying turned out to be perfectly fine.
Mostly.
I worked.
Emma worked.
Everyone slowly returned to whatever they'd been doing before ten people left the office that morning and two of them nearly got crushed.
Adrian, however, had apparently developed a new hobby.
Checking whether I was alive.
Around one, he came through our area.
He stopped beside my desk.
"You okay?"
I looked up.
"Yes."
He nodded.
And walked away.
That was it.
At two-something, he came through again.
This time he didn't even ask immediately.
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
"Still alive."
"Good."
He kept walking.
Ben watched him go.
Then looked at me.
I ignored him.
Around three-thirty, Adrian came out of his office again.
He stopped at my desk.
I stared at him.
"No."
His eyebrows pulled together.
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going to."
"I need the revised Solara elevations."
"Oh."
I handed them to him.
He took them.
Then-
"You feeling okay?"
I pointed at him.
"I knew it."
His mouth twitched.
Barely.
Then he walked away.
When I looked up again, Emma was watching me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She looked back at her screen.
Then, after a second-
"Lucky you."
I frowned.
"Why?"
She shrugged.
"Nothing."
That was becoming Emma's favorite word.
Before I could ask what she meant, Maya called my name from across the room and the moment disappeared.
At five, I shut down my computer.
My body had finally stopped feeling like it had electricity running through it.
Emma was packing up too.
I looked over.
"You feeling okay?"
"Yeah."
"Actually?"
She smiled.
"Actually."
"Good."
Then Adrian appeared.
His eyes moved between us.
"You both okay?"
"Yes," Emma said.
"Still alive," I said.
Adrian gave me a look.
Then he looked at Emma.
"Do you need a ride home?"
Emma shook her head.
"No, I'm okay. I can drive myself."
"Okay."
Then he looked at me.
"I'm dropping you home."
I stared at him.
"That sounded considerably less like a question."
"It wasn't."
"I can drive myself too."
"I know."
"Great. Then Candy and I will see you tomorrow."
"No."
I stared at him.
"Adrian."
"Angelica."
"I've been completely fine for hours."
"I know."
"Then why can't I drive?"
"Because I'm taking you home."
"That's not a reason."
"It's the one you're getting."
Oh, for God's sake.
"Candy is literally downstairs."
"She'll survive one night."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Don't bring Candy into this."
His mouth twitched.
Barely.
"Your car can stay here tonight."
"And how exactly am I getting here tomorrow?"
"I'll pick you up."
Of course he would.
I crossed my arms.
"You're being ridiculous."
"Probably."
I paused.
That was annoyingly difficult to argue with.
"Fine."
Something in his face relaxed.
Just slightly.
I picked up my bag.
"And you're buying my coffee tomorrow."
"Yes."
"And breakfast."
Adrian looked at me.
"You're exploiting the situation."
"Absolutely."
A pause.
"Fine."
I smiled.
"Let's go."
I looked at Emma.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
She smiled.
"See you tomorrow."
Adrian and I walked toward the elevator.
I pressed the button.
The doors opened.
We stepped inside.
Just before the doors closed, I looked out.
Emma was still standing beside her desk.
She was watching us.
I smiled at her once more.
She smiled back.
Then the doors closed.
Adrian pulled up in front of my apartment.