ADRIANI heard the knock again, firmer this time. I frowned, pushing away from the kitchen counter and heading toward the front door. It was almost 10 p.m. and I wasn’t expecting anyone. Nova was asleep, finally, I had my private time with Lena.I checked the peephole and opened the door. "You again?"It was the pizza delivery guy from before.He looked sheepish, holding out a small bag. "Sorry, man. We forgot your garlic knots. They just came out."I took the bag, nodding. "Right. Thanks.""Have a good night.""Yeah. You too."I shut the door and turned to head back into the house. I was halfway through tossing the bag on the counter when I heard the soft footsteps behind me."So," Lena said, arms folded, leaning against the doorframe of the hallway. Her voice was low, curious, not quite accusing yet. "We’re hiding daughters now?"I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I wasn't hiding her.""You never mentioned her."I looked at her. She was still in the outfit she wore earlier—si
LENAI couldn’t get last night’s phone call out of my head.Adrian had hung up so abruptly, without warning. One second we were talking about Ava’s reaction, the next… silence. It was eating at me. Did something happen? Did he regret calling? Or worse—regret us?I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Had I said something wrong? Was he regretting our relationship? The uncertainty gnawed at me, making it impossible to focus on anything else.Determined to find answers, I decided to visit Adrian. Maybe seeing him in person would provide the clarity I needed. I dressed casually in jeans and a soft sweater. As I made my way to the living room, I found Ava lounging on the couch, engrossed in a playboy magazine.She looked up as I entered. "You're up early. Everything okay?"I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I just... I need to see Adrian. After the way our call ended last night, I want to make sure everything's alright."Ava's expression tightened. "Lena, you know how I feel ab
ADRIANI heard the knock on the door and I didn’t need to check. I knew it was her.Evelyn Grant. My ex-wife. The woman who could turn a sunny day into a thunderstorm with one flick of her perfectly manicured hand. The woman who made me swear never to get married again.She stood there on my front step, her sunglasses too big for her face and her attitude too loud for the neighborhood as usual. Behind her, clinging to her suitcase, was the only reason I tolerated her presence—Nova.“Adrian,” Evelyn said, a fake smile already in place.“Evelyn,” I muttered, stepping aside so Nova could rush inside. She dropped her little suitcase and wrapped her arms around my legs.“Daddy!”“Hey, my baby,” I whispered, scooping her up into my arms. Her hair smelled like strawberries, just like always. I held her tighter than I meant to. God, I missed her.Evelyn cleared her throat. “She’s been a handful lately. Good luck with that.”I looked her dead in the eye. “She’s five, Evelyn. Not a parolee.”Sh
LENAMy heart practically slammed into my ribs as soon as I saw Ava standing by the door. Adrian and I jumped apart like we’d been burned. I could feel my face heating, my lips still tingling from the way he kissed me—desperate, rough, like he hadn’t touched anyone in years.Ava blinked, her eyes darting between us. "Shit—sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just wondering... what's keeping you?"She didn't sound angry, she looked confused. Hurt, maybe. I didn’t know what to say. Neither did Adrian.I grabbed my bag and stepped away from him. "I'll be right there," I said quickly, my voice sounding way more breathless than it should have.Ava gave me a tight smile and turned away.Adrian reached for my hand. "Lena—"I shook my head and gave him a tiny nod toward the door. "We'll talk later."I chased after Ava, my boots clicking down the hallway. She was already out the front entrance, walking fast."Ava, wait!" I called.She slowed but didn’t stop. I finally caught up to her and
ADRIANShe walked into the room like she didn’t just haunt my every goddamn thought.Her hair tied up, casual jeans, and a loose white shirt that did everything but hide the way her body moved when she walked.Lena fucking Hart.I didn’t say a word when she took her seat. Didn’t have to. Her eyes met mine for a half-second too long. Her lips parted slightly, just like they did when I had her pressed up against the bookshelf last week, whispering things I shouldn’t want to say out loud.I hated how good she was at pretending. Like she didn’t know what she did to me."Alright," I said, grabbing a marker. "Pop quiz today. Take out your notebooks."Groans erupted across the room. I didn’t care. I wasn’t teaching to be liked.I watched her the entire time. The way her brows furrowed in concentration, how she tapped her pen against her lower lip and bit her lips occasionally when she was thinking. I wanted to taste her. Remind her exactly how she sounded when she moaned my name.Lena didn’t
LENAI opened the door quietly, praying Ava wasn’t in the living room.No such luck.“Where the hell have you been? Who's the ‘him’ you texted me about?” she asked, spinning around on the couch with a raised brow and a spoon halfway to her mouth. “It’s 11 PM.”“Fuck,” I muttered checking my phone, I can't believe I told her I was with a ‘him’ it freaking skipped my mind.“It was a typo, babes, I was at the… library,” I blurted out, dropping my bag by the door and heading straight for the fridge to avoid her piercing gaze. “Group project. Took longer than expected.”“Group project, huh?” Ava stood and followed me into the kitchen. “You smell like cologne and when did we get assigned group projects?”I laughed nervously, grabbing a bottle of water. “It’s called sweat and caffeine. Talking about group projects, we’re not studying the same course bitch.”“Lena.” She crossed her arms. “You missed dinner, you missed our Gossip Girl rerun and you look like you just walked out of a GQ shoot w