♞ Adrian: “Come in.” Rory’s voice answered from inside. My gaze dropped briefly to her assistant, who knocked and stepped aside. Gabriel's words from earlier rang continuously in my thoughts, and I fought hard to push them aside. Without a word, I pushed the door open and walked inside. The moment I did, my gaze locked on Rory’s. She was sitting behind her desk, a glass of water in hand, a thoughtful expression in her eyes. But the second her eyes met mine, something flickered. Something close to surprise at my sudden presence. I wasn’t sure. A warm feeling settled in my chest, and I spared her a small smile, which she returned, “Adrian.” The smile on my face vanished as quick as it came when I noticed the man sitting across from her, as he turned slightly, just enough for me to get a clear view of his face. My brows creased into a tight frown. What the fuck was he doing here? What was his name again, Nath? Norman? Noahm Actually, I didn't give a damn what his name was. F
♛ Aurora: Unlike the soft kiss from last night, this one was demanding in a different way. In an entirely different way. Adrian clung to me, pulling our bodies closer to each other as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. He nibbled my lower lips softly, demanding for access into my mouth. My eyes flickered open and landed on his closed eyes, like he was pouring out every single conflicted emotion he was feeling into the kiss. I opened my mouth slowly, giving him access and soon as I did, Adrian's tongue slid into my mouth, searching for mine. He looked like he wanted to say something to me, but was finding it difficult to voice and instead chose this method of clinging to one another like our lives depended on it. “Adrian,” I called his name, not because I wanted to stop, but because I wanted him to talk to me instead of bottling whatever he was hiding. I swallowed the words stuck to my throat, when his hands which had been on my waist slid lower to my backside.
♛ Aurora: My breasts pressed against his hard, warm abs and a shiver rolled through me. I wanted his shirt off. God, I wanted it off. He ran his face up and down my neck, as though savouring the moment. I had no idea when he reached for my buttons and slowly unbuttoned them. His large hands slid down my stomach, and trailed circles around my navel. I wanted him to go lower, but just as his fingers reached my trousers they slid back up. My skin burned beneath his palm when he touched the bare curve of my waist. His other hand cradled my thigh, my skirt bunched high. He pulled back just slightly, only an inch, resting his forehead against mine. My breath was unsteady. My hands didn't stop roaming. My lips didn’t stop aching. His erection pressed against the inside of my thigh, and if he would only step forward a few inches, it would be right where I wanted it, and needed it. I swayed, my eyes heavy-lidded, when a solid grip came to the side of my neck to hold me still whi
♛ Aurora: The air between us suddenly felt so tight. As if sensing my discomfort, Adrian released a deep sigh and his gaze dropped to where his fingers were. Without another word, he simply reached out and buttoned my shirt for me, after fixing my collar he pulled away from me and sat down on the other end of the couch. My gaze remained on the ceiling for a long moment. I couldn't get up. Rather, I couldn't bring myself to. The feeling in my chest was swallowing me whole and I couldn't do nothing about the ache. It was crazy, all these… I thought we were doing better, and that based on past mistakes that made us lose things we never wanted to, we weren't supposed to go through this path again. But somehow, Adrian still didn't trust me enough to be able to handle whatever he was keeping away from me. Different situations, same instances. I couldn't breathe. Suffocation wrapped itself around me, holding me so tightly. The same feeling and fear I didn't think I would ever f
♛ Aurora: Just thinking about the look in his eyes before he stepped out pulled my heartstrings. Not in a soft way, but in a cruel one. I gripped the steering wheel tighter and a deep breath escaped my lips. Adrian’s words played in my mind continuously. And then all he left me with was, ‘I’m sorry.’ Like that would do anything, or make it all better. No explanation. No assurance. Just that. I blinked hard, pushing the lump in my throat back where it came from. I shouldn’t have expected anything different. I knew Adrian wasn’t the kind of man who let people in easily, I had known that since I met him, he wouldn't let people know him that deep, especially not when he was hurting. But still... part of me had hoped. Naively.Foolishly. We’ve been together for more than half a decade, so all this wasn't supposed to be something we still bothered about. What was worse than being shut out was being almost trusted. As if I had earned enough of his heart to be touched
♞ Adrian: I scrubbed my hands over my face, fingers digging into my eyes until I saw stars. My phone sat on the passenger seat, and I glanced at it, fingers itching to pick it up and call again. The last call had gone unanswered. The one before that too. I’d sent her a message. And it was simple, stupid, and fucking desperate. ‘I’m outside. Can we talk? I just need five minutes.’ Nothing back. I glanced through the car glasses, and my gaze fell on the windows of her house. Maybe she wasn’t home. Or she was and she’d seen my message and rolled her eyes and tossed her phone into a drawer. God, I wouldn’t blame her. I was parked across from her house, my car engine off, with my hands gripping the steering wheel. I had brushed my fingers through my hair countless times that it was all disheveled. My fingers tapped on the steering wheel, searching for something to keep my concentration in check. It didn’t work. I was still unraveling. She hadn’t answered my calls. I co
♛ Aurora: “I can't do this,” I whispered, more to myself, but loud enough for him to hear me. I couldn't even concentrate on driving while I was on my way home. And it was all because of him. To make it all worse, Lucy's attempt at planting seeds of doubts in my head had somehow worked. I couldn't think. My heart felt like it was being shredded into tiny pieces, and it tore me apart. I was so tired of all this. And despite all the love I had in my heart for him, it was a pity that he didn't trust our love so much to be able to completely be honest with me. What on earth could he be keeping to himself that wasn't worth me knowing? Nothing, absolutely nothing serious. The only ever thing that had tore me apart in my years of living was my parents' death, because they left me all alone. Second to that was my divorce with Adrian. And third, was the child I lost. There was nothing else he could say that could destroy me so much that it would break our very fragile relations
♞ Adrian: I wasn’t planning to stop. I had every intention of driving straight home, taking a long-ass shower, and figuring out what the hell I was going to do to make things right with Rory. But the next thing I knew, my hands had turned the wheel and my car rolled to a halt in front of Leon’s place. My phone buzzed in my pants, and I stepped out of the car, closing the door shut behind me before I brought the phone out and checked who was calling. I halted in my steps when I noticed it was Christian. I slid the answer button before pressing the phone to my ear, “What's it?” I asked the moment I answered. There was shuffling from the other end, before he finally spoke out, “I got in touch with the guy for the tracking.” I ran my fingers through my hair and released a deep breath before asking, “And what’s the update on it?” Christian didn't answer immediately, and after a long quiet moment he finally answered, “I'll text you the details in five minutes.” “Alri
♛ Aurora: I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling the frustration bubbling down my nerves. I had no idea what to do. I couldn't even think. And this was the wrong timing for my brain to suddenly go blank. A deep breath escaped emu lips and I looked around, “You could have anyone do the inspection with you. I'm sure there was someone around that could have helped. An inspection or sign off shouldn't be done by you.” I already knew she was behind it all, but I couldn't just point a finger at her without proof, which is why I was drilling her with questions and watching her expression waver every passing minute. “If Dan wasn't around, and the safety officer wasn't too. Then I'm certain the security officer for the project was there.” Bonnie’s mouth opened, then shut again. She looked nervous now. Too nervous for someone who claimed it was just routine. “I… I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time. Everything checked out. I didn’t want to bother him when he was already swampe
♞ Adrian: I wasn't sure what got into me. Perhaps the fact that I've been sending messages to Rory consistently for the past three days and she didn't answer any of them. She didn't even open it so I at least know she saw them but didn't have an answer yet. I couldn't go to her office, because she said she needed space. And that meant she didn't want to see me. All I could do was send messages like an asshole, but she didn't respond to them. And somehow I found myself deliberately following the road to her apartment on my way to work instead of following the shorter road and getting to work fast. I packed my car across the street and looked up from the screen of my phone, my gaze trailed over to her apartment. It was already 2PM so it was only wishful thinking that I assumed I'd see her at home by this time of the day. I stared at the window to her apartment, even though I couldn’t see past the closed curtains. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t really expecting her to be home. I jus
♛ Aurora: My heels crunched on the gravel as I made my way towards the small crowd forming around the scaffolding near the eastern side of the site. The workers looked up to meet my eyes the closer I got. Their heads turned in my direction as I approached. The conversation they were having was hushed and I could barely hear them clearly, but what I couldn't miss was the serious tone in their voices. A few men had taken off their hard hats, while a few were simply wiping sweat that trickled down their faces. Some of them looked pale. The strong smell of dust and concrete lingered in the breeze, and just beneath it, there was a stronger metallic smell. I looked up at the scaffold building that just crashed, and fear slowly creeped into my heart as I slowed into a stop. “It's so bad,” Bonnie pointed out from behind me as she stopped walking too. I was beyond shocked and scared to respond to her words. I clutched the strap of my bag tighter and pressed my lips together
♛ Aurora: “Oh My God. I'm not even surprised! I told you from the start that I absolutely do not trust her at all!” Mia said in a displeased tone. I released a deep breath, recalling the severe number of times she had seriously wanted me to be careful with Bonnie. But I hadn't listened. I needed someone effective back then and Bonnie was exactly what I wanted. So I hadn't even thought about the consequences at all. I easily trusted her when she displayed her clean ways of handling situations and making my work a little easier for me. “Yeah, I remember when you were warned me about her,” I said, tracing a path along the pocket of my pants as the car drove past the bustling city of New York. “But you didn't listen. Now see.” “I did listen, Mia. I just couldn't let a good employee go just because you had a bad feeling about her.” I said down the line. “Well, the signs were from the start that she’s not someone to be trusted.” “If a lot of employers simply removed their workers j
♞ Adrian: Leon didn’t say a word. Nothing at all. He didn’t move either. Not even an inch. The only sign he’d even heard me was the slight widening of his eyes. For a moment, we just stared at each other. I ran my fingers through my thick dark hair, because the longer it took to say a word, the more the turmoil in my head swallowed me slowly. Because what on earth do I do? Most importantly, how do I tell Rory? I sighed, when would this space she needs be okay? I don't even know. Finally, Leon let out a slow breath and leaned back into the couch like everything I said were finally settling in. “Say something,” I muttered roughly, fighting back the urge to run a finger through my hair and tug it. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “You’re serious about this?” he raised a brow and asked, like he was hoping I would say it was all a joke. Honestly I wish it was. It wasn’t a question. I nodded once, and tight. “Jesus Christ, Adrian.” Leon dropped his head back agains
♛ Aurora: Her question was so sudden and completely random from the conversation we had been talking about, that I was caught off guard for a moment. Trish’s brows were squinted tightly as she waited for a response from me. After a quiet moment I finally answered with a shake of my head, “Work.” “Work?” She didn't look like she believed me but after a while she nodded, “Alright. I made dinner before falling asleep earlier. Have you eaten?” she asked, completely changing the topic, and I felt light hearted that she did, because I wanted to get my mind off the message. I shook my head and let out a breath. I had been so occupied that I didn't eat anything today. I doubt I would have even been able to eat anything with the way my stomach has been tied in knots since morning. “I haven't,” I answered, before asking, “What did you make?” I turned around and made my way down the hallway, before making a turn and walking over to the kitchen, with Trish trailing right behind me. I
♛ Aurora: “The simplest misunderstanding could crack even the strongest of relationships. At times it's just better to let things go than go round and round. Rough.” My heart dropped to my stomach when I read the first message. I staggered on my footsteps as I rushed out of my room, hitting my shoulders on the wall but hardly feeling any pain as I turned down the hallway and rushed towards Trish’s room. Before I could get there another message came in, and this time it stopped me dead in my tracks. “Did you ever try to find out the person behind the wheels? Not your accident. I mean, hit and run with your mom, or don't you think it’s important to seek justice for her dead poor soul?” The last sentence felt like a bucket of water had been splashed on my face, as it knocked me back to the image of my mother being rushed to the hospital with blood on her clothes, her face, her fingers. There was blood everywhere. My fingers gripped my phone tightly, trying to hold myself back to t
♞ Adrian: I wasn’t planning to stop. I had every intention of driving straight home, taking a long-ass shower, and figuring out what the hell I was going to do to make things right with Rory. But the next thing I knew, my hands had turned the wheel and my car rolled to a halt in front of Leon’s place. My phone buzzed in my pants, and I stepped out of the car, closing the door shut behind me before I brought the phone out and checked who was calling. I halted in my steps when I noticed it was Christian. I slid the answer button before pressing the phone to my ear, “What's it?” I asked the moment I answered. There was shuffling from the other end, before he finally spoke out, “I got in touch with the guy for the tracking.” I ran my fingers through my hair and released a deep breath before asking, “And what’s the update on it?” Christian didn't answer immediately, and after a long quiet moment he finally answered, “I'll text you the details in five minutes.” “Alri
♛ Aurora: “I can't do this,” I whispered, more to myself, but loud enough for him to hear me. I couldn't even concentrate on driving while I was on my way home. And it was all because of him. To make it all worse, Lucy's attempt at planting seeds of doubts in my head had somehow worked. I couldn't think. My heart felt like it was being shredded into tiny pieces, and it tore me apart. I was so tired of all this. And despite all the love I had in my heart for him, it was a pity that he didn't trust our love so much to be able to completely be honest with me. What on earth could he be keeping to himself that wasn't worth me knowing? Nothing, absolutely nothing serious. The only ever thing that had tore me apart in my years of living was my parents' death, because they left me all alone. Second to that was my divorce with Adrian. And third, was the child I lost. There was nothing else he could say that could destroy me so much that it would break our very fragile relations