27 - The Problem With Pretending

ADRIEN’S POV

The city lights outside the window blurred together as I replayed the night for what was probably the hundredth time.

Every single memory of June felt unfairly vivid.

June answering my father’s questions calmly.

June sitting beside me in that dress.

Dear God, that dress. It had to be made for her.

June defending me like it personally offended her that people underestimated me.

I don’t think anyone had ever defended me the way she did, definitely not in the presence of their first meeting with my parents.

Her boldness was… undeniably attractive.

I should’ve gone to sleep already.

Instead, I was standing in the kitchen at midnight , thinking about her like a complete idiot.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I heard Lucas say as he stood by the refrigerator.

“How about a thousand pounds?” I responded.

“Why are you awake?” He asked me as he typed away on his phone.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged.

“She’s smart,” Lucas admitted.

“Dangerously,” I agreed.

She was the smartest person I knew, not just in academics. The way she analyzed things, she noticed everything.

“You like her.” Lucas said so casually, interrupting my thought. It annoyed me.

“I brought her here as my girlfriend. Great observation skills Sherlock.” I replied sarcastically.

“No,” he said calmly. “I mean you actually like her.”

“No.” I responded too quickly.

“You smiled like a fool everytime she spoke.” He brought up.

“That’s slander.” I defended, feigning offense.

“It’s actually worse. Mum noticed too.” He added.

“You even kept looking at her when she wasn’t speaking.” He recounted, laughing at me in the process.

“That sounds made up, I was just making sure she wasn’t uncomfortable.” I explained, he passed me a look that obviously meant he didn’t believe me.

The worst part was how she naturally fit beside me, like she’d always belong there.

Like I wanted her there.

“She got angry for you.” He mentioned.

I leaned against the kitchen counter. “People get angry all the time bro.”

“Not like that though,” he replied with a smirk.

“The way she defended you, it was almost instantly.”

I stayed quiet.

“Most people laugh along first,” He continued.

I laughed.

“What surprised me the most was how impressed dad was. He actually listened to her.” Lucas said.

“You’d think he listens to his own child like that.” The words slipped out.

Lucas paused and looked at me like he was concerned.

“You looked happier with her tonight.” He said and walked to my side. I frowned, “That sounds disgusting, don’t ever say that again.”

“Don’t mess this up.” He said.

“Goodnight,” I said and began walking out of the kitchen with a glass of water in hand, hoping it would flush June out of my system.

The water didn’t work.

Everytime I closed my eyes, I saw her in that polka dotted dress and her curls.

The way she held my hand, the way she scolded me, and the way she looked at me like I was worth defending.

Most times, it felt like I was out of her league.

The group chat Theo created for just four of us, to discuss winning June over, was blowing up with messages.

MAX : how did the dinner go?

ELLIOT : did she survive your parents?

Theo started a group call and everyone joined.

“Good evening all, nice that you all were able to join this impromptu meeting.” Theo started.

“We’re in the morning airhead.” Elliot corrected.

“Anyways, how did the sinner go?” Theo asked.

I stayed quiet for a brief moment.

“Oh my God,” Elliot breathed dramatically. “He’s gone.”

I told them what happened at the dinner, excluding what happened in the garden, it felt personal.

I wanted that information to myself.

“So what now?” Max asked.

“What do you mean?” I responded.

“You clearly like her, what’s the plan?” Theo answered.

“There is no plan.” I said, they all let out a small groan of frustration like they were tired of me.

“You brought her to a family dinner mate, that’s basically psychological warfare.” Theo said dramatically.

“I don’t know man.” I breathed.

“The issue isn’t whether she likes you,” Max started. “The issue is whether she’ll let herself admit it.”

I blinked, “What?”

Theo sighed. “She defended you. In front of your parents like she was legally representing you.”

“I don’t think that would suggest-” they all ignored me and carried on.

“He can’t wait till then,” Theo said. “But he can surely help her.”

“Get a pen and paper.” Max instructed and I found myself doing it.

“Take her somewhere meaningful,” Theo suggested.

“She likes art, books.” I said absentmindedly.

They all paused, I imagined them staring at me.

“Can you guys hear me?” I asked, in the darkness of my room.

“Holy shit, he’s really gone.” Max said.

“If you write any poems, I’m ending this friendship.” Theo threatened and we all started laughing.

By the time we ended the call, I was already holding a list of different ideas.

Movies, flowers, physical affection, photographs, small gifts, handmade items, a lot of things on the list as I re-read it.

I stared at the picture I took of her while she was leaving, her back turned to me. I uploaded it to my story, with Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” playing over it.

She was beyond gorgeous.

I’d agree to this role in every lifetime if it meant getting to see her like this.

I silently wondered how it would feel when this was all over.

Would we just become friends or would we return to strangers?

I decided to just focus on just winning June Carter over, because losing her wasn't an option I was considering any more.

I wanted her to stay, not for strategy, just to stay with me.

I opened our messages again, then closed them then opened them again like an idiot.

The last message she sent was one confirming she had gotten home safely and expressing her gratitude.

With a red heart.

Maybe Theo was right.

Maybe I am completely screwed.