Safeguard

Chapter Nine

"I know it is Adelaide, but don't shut them out. They don't deserve that," he said. "Especially your mum, she's no hand in all of this at all."

"I don't know what I'm meant to say to her," I sighed. "We have nothing to talk about and I can't be dealing with her asking how I am."

"I really don't think it matters Adelaide, you could ramble on about the rain shower we were caught in yesterday and she wouldn't care. Tell her about Ed or something."

"She'll just go all mumsie on me," I smiled.

"So it'll bring a bit of normality back," he commended. "She really is worried about you. She's called me, she hasn't heard from you in over two weeks."

"I know," I mumbled. "What about your family?"

My question appeared to throw him off guard, his jaw clenching as he averted his gaze slightly. "I don't see much of them anyway," he stated simply. "So I'm the last person that can be lecturing you right now, but if you don't go and call your mum, she'll be on my back again. And I don't think I'd want to get on the wrong side of her, not after seeing you in a bad mood. Jesus."

I shoved him with a laugh, but his body failed to flinch in the slightest. He smiled, handing me a phone and giving me little choice before he heaved his body from my bed and stalked out onto my balcony to provide the room with some privacy. Only as he left did I realise that he had already dialled the number, with my father's voice beckoning my attention from the other end of the line.

"Adelaide?" My father called, his voice appearing somewhat urgent. "Adelaide is that you?"

"Yeah, it is. Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not," my father replied blatantly. "I'm glad you called. I need to speak to Luke."

"Can I speak to mum first please?" I requested hesitantly, only to have my father's hostile voice silence me in return.

"This can't wait Adelaide. You'll have to speak to her another time."

I heaved my body up in anger, riled up to an unexplainable point at my father's lack of interest. He had a job to be doing, I understood that completely, but he discarded my presence without a second of hesitation and considering the fact that I hadn't spoken to him since I left England nearly three weeks ago, it didn't help the pang in my chest in the slightest.

Luke watched me in apprehension as I approached him, his hands being swift to pull the door separating us open. I motioned to the phone, throwing it into his palms as he took it hesitantly, but answered nevertheless.

"Boss?" he said as I observed from a distance, feigning interest in the scene below the balcony. "No, nothing. I haven't heard a peak." Luke paused, listening intently to my father but allowing his eyes to drift over to where I stood, shooting an apologetic smile toward me. "Yes, I'm sure," he sighed. "You'd have known about it if there was anything- wait what?" Luke stilled, listening intently to my father's voice before he excused himself, leaving the terrace and heading downstairs in a haste. I dragged myself behind him, making it half way down the stairs as the doorbell rang. Luke flinched for a second, requested that I waited a moment but I was already certain whose presence was outside our door, leaving him to resume his conversation in his office.

"I'm really sorry to swing by like this-" Ed blurted as soon as the door had been swung open. He drew his eyebrows together in confusion, a small laugh escaping his throat. "Sorry, I thought it'd be Ryan."

I smiled inwardly at his comment. The two had been around each other's company regularly recently, but Luke had still chosen to keep his distance whenever Ed had visited the house. "You got lucky this time. Are you stopping?"

"Afraid not," he said, pointing toward his suit clad body. "Dad's got this corporate meal or something that he's forcing me to go to. I just wanted to pop by and see if you were free tomorrow?"

"Kate," Luke called as he began advancing toward both Ed and I.

"Ryan, just in time," I smiled, but Luke was quick to note that it wasn't full hearted. "I was just about to invite Ed over for dinner with us tomorrow?"

"You were," he uttered through a tight grin.

"I'd be up for it. If it's okay with you Ryan?"

"I guess it will have to be," he retorted, sharing a brief exchange with Ed as he gripping the door handle, clenching tightly onto the metal in an attempt to conceal his evident displeasure. "I'm sure Kate can text you the details."

It was silent for a moment, the tension thick enough to taste, before Ed realised that Luke's statement was an indication for him to leave.

"I'll be off then," he mumbled quickly, already pacing his feet down the front steps. He was gone in an instant, Luke slamming the door shut as soon as he was out of ear shot.

"Really Adelaide? You didn't think to inform beforehand?" he sighed, leaning against the solid wood.

"I knew you'd say no."

"I wonder why," he trailed off tiredly. "Adelaide, I punched the guy and now you're expecting me to have dinner with him?"

"Yeah I guess I am," I replied confidently. "Look, I think you two just got off on the wrong foot. You shouldn't have a reason to hate each other. There isn't a need to go acting like some jealous jocks."

"We don't-"

I raised my brow in question, knowing there was nothing else I needed to say. Luke didn't have a voice in the matter, he was aware of that. Ed was coming round whether he approved or not.

"Adelaide, about your dad-"

"Don't even go there," I sighed, carrying my body into the kitchen. "The guy couldn't even take one second to say hello to his own daughter."

"I'm sorry," he replied softly. "You didn't deserve that."

I waved him off, "Pretty typical of him really. I just don't get why he wouldn't ring you if he needed you that urgently instead of waiting for me to call."

"Oh he's been trying to get hold of me all right," Luke laughed. "He's been calling all afternoon."

"What? Why the hell didn't you answer?"

"We have a separate line for emergency calls. If he needed me that badly he could have just used that. Besides, I had a much more important matter at hand," he commented nonchalantly, throwing a mocking wink at my impassive face and falling into in his contagious laughter shortly after.