All Chapters of His Lost Playlist: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Adrian Beckett caught the dazed look on my face.A playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he flicked my forehead. "Why aren't you saying anything? Too happy to speak?"In the three years we had been together, he had rarely introduced me to his friends on his own, much less taken me to meet his parents.I was genuinely caught off guard. It took me a moment to find my voice. "I already told my parents about New Year's. They—"They had set me up on a blind date."Then don't go," Adrian cut in without a second thought.He was always like that, uninterested in anything that concerned me and never patient enough to let me finish.Maybe my reaction was not what he had expected, because a flicker of irritation crossed his face.He offered me a perfunctory "happy birthday," the words sounding obligatory and routine.Then he grabbed his jacket and stood without taking a single bite of cake. "I'm heading out."I responded with a quiet hum.For once, I did not cling to him o

Adrian arched an eyebrow and asked in a mocking tone, "Who? Some guy you just met at the bar?"His gaze swept over me from head to toe. "Hayley, can you please stop being so childish? Dressed like that and out there alone, do you have any idea what a guy is after?"If I hadn't shown up, some stranger would have taken you home while you were passed out drunk."If you want me to care about you, can you stop using such a stupid method?"There had been a time when I got myself drunk on purpose just to catch the faintest trace of concern in his eyes. But I was not that foolish anymore."Adrian, you're reading too much into this," I said.He clearly did not believe me. His frown only deepened. "You know I hate it when girls drink. I don't have time to babysit you."Maybe the alcohol had numbed my nerves, because his words did not hurt as much as they should have. Or maybe I truly had stopped caring."If there's a next time, even if Jeremy calls me, I'll pretend I never saw it.""Fin

I did not explain.In truth, that coat was a style my father had casually mentioned wanting a couple of days earlier. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and finding winter clothes that fit him had never been easy.It was simply a coincidence. The man I had dinner with that day also happened to be tall.Rachel, probably worried I had not heard, lightly tapped the screen with her fingertip.The speakerphone switched on, and Adrian's cold voice filled the air. "Fine, Hayley. If you really want to use the guy from that dinner to provoke me, you don't have to put on a show in front of Rach."The next second, his tone softened noticeably. "Rach, don't pay her any mind. I'll come pick you up."The call ended. Rachel put her phone away and gave me an apologetic smile. "He has a bad temper. Don't take it to heart."I said nothing. I simply took Kelsey's hand and turned to leave.…By the time we walked out of the mall, snow had already begun to fall. New Year's decorations lined the str

I pretended not to notice. It was not until I had finished washing up and settled into bed that Kelsey called me on video."Hayley! What is going on between you and Adrian? Why did he ask Jeremy about your blind date?"I was a little surprised myself. In the past, I had always been the one asking them for information about Adrian. He had never once gone to them asking about me.I leaned against the headboard, my expression calm. "Maybe he doesn't believe what I say. He probably only believes what you and Jeremy tell him.""Don't even get me started. He didn't believe us either. He was convinced you and I made the whole thing up together." Kelsey shook her head in exasperation. "It's honestly bizarre. Wasn't he the one who never cared about you before? Why does he suddenly care now that you've broken up?"I smiled faintly. "It's not caring. He's probably just annoyed."I still understood Adrian well enough. Right now, he simply felt as though he had lost control over me. It was a

After I came out in my changed clothes, Rachel was already gone, probably having stormed off in anger.Adrian, however, was still leaning against the hallway wall, smoking with obvious irritation.When he saw me, he pressed his lips into a thin line. "Are you... okay?"I tried to walk past him without a word, but Adrian stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Hayley, can we talk this through properly?""There's nothing between us worth talking about." My voice was cold. "Please move. Thank you."Adrian stayed where he was. Instead of moving aside, he took another step toward me, his gaze fixed on mine. "Do you really have to treat me like this?""Then how do you want me to treat you?" I almost laughed. "Like before? Throwing myself at you? Clinging to you?""That's not what I meant." As I tried to leave again, Adrian caught my wrist in a tight grip. "Hayley!"Before I could pull away, another hand, slender but strong, closed over Adrian's wrist."Let her go." Benedict's voi