Chapter 6

Adriana suddenly felt claustrophobic, as almost visible beads of sweat started to form around her hairline. She could not let Piper see this.

"What?" Addie asked when she saw Piper staring at her with her left brow arched in anticipation.

" Well go on, open it. I wanna know what it is. You haven't gotten any mail in a while, whatever's in there must be pretty important."

Piper said cheerfully, like finding out if you're pregnant or not , when you have no boyfriend or fiance or even a good paying job, was the best thing that could ever happen to anyone.

"Trust me, it's not important." Adriana said, before heading to her room. She got in and locked the door. She sat on her bed, she was so nervous her palms had become sweaty. She wiped them on her jeans as she wiggled her hands.

" Come on Adriana, just open it, you took the morning after pill, you cannot be pregnant." She slowly reassured herself out loud.

She unwrapped the envelope quickly, before she would change her mind. Now holding the folded tests result in her head, she shakily unfolded it and read through. Positive. She was two months and 9 days gone.

" No no no no, this isn't possible." Adriana said, the brim of her eyes now filled with tears. How could she be pregnant? She had taken the morning after pill that same day, when she got home. Her period never even ceased, she's gotten her period for two months now. How could she be pregnant, it's scientifically impossible.

Adriana was confused, she didn't know what to do. She can't have a baby for a total stranger. She was so scared. Piper always sang it to her, about how useless she was. How was she going to tell her this? How was she going to tell anyone this?

Adriana couldn't sleep that night, she tossed and turned. Subconsciously clutching her stomach, now thinking about it she just might be pregnant. She had been feeling bloated for a while now, her breasts were sore and appeared bigger. How could she not have noticed this? Maybe because I menstruated for two months like every normal person! She was panicking already.

She had to leave. She could not stay at Piper's house anymore. Piper was going to be unbearable. Her mother is late, but her father still lives in Texas. She has never been on good terms with him, but she was sure Piper was on good terms with him. If Piper gets to know about this, she would tell their Father no doubt. She wasn't ready, not like this. She had made up her mind to run away. But where exactly? She had no money except for her entire life savings. She had no other relatives she could think of.

Bright and early, Adriana got up. Amidst all the swirling thoughts she had last night, she decided going to niklaus was her best bet.

" Morning Piper." Adriana greeted, as she reached for a banana at the kitchen counter where Piper stood.

" Good morning sis." Piper replied. " You look like you didn't get much sleep last night." She pointed out.

" I'm fine."

"No work?"

"Taking a break. I don't feel so good." Adriana replied.

"Except for your lack of sleep, you don't look sick. What's wrong?” Piper asked.

" A fever maybe." Adriana said nervously. Dropping the half eaten banana back on the counter, she headed for the door.

" You're headed out? " Piper said, wiping her hands off on a napkin.

" Yeah, I have a thing." She replied as she walked out, closing the door behind her.

"Mm ‘kay."

Adriana breathed in harshly, tucking her hands into the pockets of her coat. She was so nervous. She barely knew Niklaus. She hollered at a cab as she got in. She told the cab man she was headed for Niklaus' house. She kept sighing, she sighed a lot whenever she was tired or nervous. The familiar huge gate of Niklaus’s mansion was getting nearer so she asked the cab man to stop a few feet from his house. She didn't want to draw any attention, besides this house looked like the kind that only welcomed expensive cars. Any other class of vehicle would raise suspicious brows.

"Thank you." Adriana said getting out of the cab after paying the cab man. She strolled quietly towards the gate. She noticed two black cars, one behind the other, parked not too far from the gate. The windows were tinted. Adriana hid behind the street light in front of the gate as she watched. Two hefty men got out of one of the tinted cars. They conversed a little then one of the men, who had dark hair, opened the car door and lazily dragged out a frail looking man. He was drenched in his own blood.

Adriana gasped, but she couldn't look away. The opposite side of the same tinted car, the two bodyguards got out from, opened again. Adriana could only see his back features. He had a broad back and he was really tall, he had jet black hair too. He walked round the car, to where the bodyguards held up the half dead man.

She really tried hard to see the mysterious man's face. She squinted and moved a little closer. The man bent over the half dead man, part of his hair falling into his face. A sudden punch from the mysterious man to the man drenched in his own blood, made Adriana clasp her hand over her mouth in shock.

Curiosity gets the best of Adriana as she moves closer now. Towards the huge, voice activated gate as she continued to watch whatever was going on, unfold.

The mysterious man runs his sleek and veiny fingers through his hair, before his head tilted upwards, the most sultry, yet devious laughter— void of any emotion— Adriana had ever heard coming from any human born of a woman, emanating from his mouth.

A loud gasp.

Tears welled up in her eyes as Adriana gasped and clasped both her palms this time, one over the other, over her mouth. In an attempt to muffle any sound. Bright blue eyes. But it was too late. The man’s gaze shot up towards the huge gates in suspicion.

With all the strength Adriana had left, she ducked into the slim gap beside the wall, flattening herself against it. Her breath held without even realizing it. I have to do something. She realized she had to make a move, so she ran. She ran so fast.

Was that… Niklaus?