Adrien #5
“And I hate myself for it every single day,” I add, but regret it instantly, because once again, it just sounds deeply unfair.
“How could you leave me?” she croaks, her voice so quiet I almost miss it.
“I couldn’t,” I whisper, my eyes watering. “I haven’t. Not really.”
“Six years?”
She whispers the number into the darkness, one hand covering part of her face while she keeps staring through the glass.
Moonlight spills across the deserted highway ahead of us, and I can’t force out any words. A dozen different explanations line up neatly in my head.
I was lied to. I was made to believe you were happy. I was convinced this was the best thing I could do. I was told you were with someone else. I was told you were married.
“You don’t have to forgive me,” I say at last, my voice barely holding together. “Just stay in this reality with me, please.” I force out. “I can’t take it anymore without you in it.”
She glances at me through her lashes, then turns away back to the window.
The drive back is gut-wrenching. No more words come, no more shouting, no more anger. I’d take any of those over the silence settling between us now.
The tires crunch over the gravel as we pull into the garage, and the moment I kill the engine, she’s already moving.
The passenger door flies open and she’s out before I even have the chance to reach for her.
The slam of the door echoes through the concrete space so violently the whole car shudders beneath me.
By the time I climb out, she’s already disappearing through the door leading into the lobby without looking back even once.
I hurry after her, but the second I step inside, I find Kasien standing there, looking like he’s one wrong sentence away from passing out when Natalya stops right in front of him.
“You,” she says, letting out a humorless little laugh. “Another liar,” she grits out.
“Natalya…”
His hand lifts instinctively, hovering between them as though he wants to pull her into a hug. She knocks it away without hesitation and storms past him, heading straight for the staircase.
“House full of fucking liars!” she shouts over her shoulder.
The slam of her bedroom door echoes through the entire house with enough force to make both Kas and me flinch. His gaze immediately lands on me and for one utterly baffling moment, the bastard actually smiles, probably just happy she acknowledged him.
That’s when I notice Kiara standing beside him, arms folded across her chest, watching me with unmistakable suspicion.
“Oh, God,” I mutter, already rubbing a hand over my face. “Not the police.”
“We weren’t supposed to take her out,” she says. “She could’ve had another episode.”
Frustration floods straight through me.
“You know what, Troubles?” I sigh dramatically. “I’m starting to not like you anymore.”
Somewhere behind us, Kasien snorts before casually wandering off toward the kitchen, apparently deciding he’s far too mature to involve himself in whatever this is.
Kiara’s mouth falls open.
“Excuse me?” she says, genuinely offended. “I’m just trusting the process we were told to follow.”
“Yeah, well, my process is better,” I shoot back.
“I’m trying to do whatever is best for her,” she argues.
“Trust me, I know her better than any of you. You can leave that to me,” I bite back.
“I know what it’s like to wake up in your ex-boyfriend’s house after he pretended he was dead for six years. And trust me, it’s not very pleasant!”
“Oh c’mon,” I roll my eyes. “First of all,” I hold up a finger dramatically. “I’m not just some ex-boyfriend. I’m her fucking soulmate. And second of all, aren’t you supposed to be my friend and help me out?” I accuse her.
“I am! I’m just trusting the psychiatrist over you.”
“I’ve put my heart and soul into getting you and Kas back together. Aren’t you supposed to return the favor?”
She snorts. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t think your methods would work in this case.”
My brain takes an embarrassingly long moment to catch up.
Then it does.
“Oh.” I wince. “That. I didn’t mean that.”
“By the way,” she adds with suspicious calmness, “as soon as she’s okay, we should tell her.”
“What?” I nearly choke.
“Yeah.” Her lips press into a line.
“No! Don’t you think the list of things I’ll eventually have to repent for is already long enough?”
“Not telling her would be breaking the girl code.”
I drag a hand down my face, coming to terms with the fact that I’m thoroughly, catastrophically fucked.
“Is that really necessary?” I ask, beginning to pace around the lobby like a caged animal. “I barely remember it, to be honest.”
“I couldn’t keep something like that from her. It would be weird.” Kiara says quietly. “I’m so sorry.”
I stop in the middle of the room.
“Can we at least postpone it until she’s in love with me enough that she won’t care?”
A laugh escapes her, then she nods. “Of course.”
“Fine,” I mumble. “Thanks.”
With that, I turn and head for my room.
The moment the door closes behind me, I let myself collapse onto the bed, replaying every second of tonight’s date over and over until another stupid smile finds its way onto my face.
I think it worked.
She’s almost back.