The Secrets of Cedar Creek

40 : Adrian's Lips

Either way, I'm just glad that he's going to be ok.

"What the f*ck," is the first thing I hear.

I look up at Jones, who's starring at me wide eyed, then I look at Archer, with his mouth agape, eyebrows furrowed and eyes... open.

Archer is awake.

.

.

.

I end up having to leave the hospital. Archer sways in and out of consciousness but is progressing. He's going to be ok.

With all my friends drifting between the two hospital rooms, I can't stay out of sight so I have to leave.

I call Adrian and see what he's up to. He says he's checking out the mother's alibi remotely through a hacking system his FBI friend is 'lending' to him. I tell him I'm on my way over.

When I reach Shadow River Manor, I help Adrian in silence. We check the footage at the hospital that Mrs. Wittle stayed at and everything checks out. We find documents proving she stayed all night and was under heavy sedation. There's no way she could have left that hospital – unless she bribed a lot of people and somehow changed the date stamp on the video footage. Adrian and I agree that that is a stretch.

"The nanny is the next target," Adrian says. "Police reports said that witnesses saw her walking the family husky."

"That's an odd time to go for a walk," I think.

"Apparently not. She always had to wait until the kids were asleep and often walked them at that hour."

I think about Paige's huskies. Who walks them now? Her parents haven't been in town at all since I got back.

"Paige's family has huskies too. They're so beautiful. God, I love dogs." I mumble off topic. "Anyways, it's still suspiciously convenient that she was out of the house when the kids were... murdered." I lean back in my chair.

I look up at the tall study walls, the countless books and shelves.

"It could have been organised," Adrian nods slowly. "I'll contact my friend and see if he can find us an address for her. We can speak to her ourselves."

Adrian offers to make me a hot chocolate. It's particularly cold tonight so I say yes.

We move to the fireplace and sit on opposite couches as we discuss possible motives for the nanny. At one point, one of us suggests that she could have been a hired assassin all along.

This is what I dream of as we both drift off to sleep on his couch. It's a comfy couch; the cushions are fat and thick and fluffy. Everything is dark.

Then everything is ablaze.

I wake up to a roomful of fire. This is hell. I scream at the top of my lungs – so loudly that I hope God hears me.

Someone shakes me – but it's not God. It's Adrian. The fire vanishes and it's just me and Adrian and the living room. The fireplace isn't even lit anymore.

My breath quivers and I look up to Adrian. His worried eyes scan my face and I feel my cheeks heat up like a fire of their own.

He leans forward, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into him.

My heart rate refuses to settle. I tightly close my eyes and think about the scratchy aching in my throat.

He pulls back, just enough to look at me in the eyes. His expression is like a question: are you ok? What just happened? It reminds me of the first time I had a night terror with Avalon. She was half asleep and barely noticed, but I think the half of her that was awake had it's blood pumping.

I feel the adrenaline pumping through Adrian – or maybe that's just my own. Pumping so loudly that I can hear it in my ears, see it throbbing, feel it down in every inch of my body.

He's so close to me, still holding my arms. So close. My eyes drift down to Adrian's lips and I fight the urge to kiss him.

I suck in a breath. Is he leaning in closer?

"Is everything alright?" Alfred/ Atticus appears at the doorway. "I heard screaming."

I explain to Atticus about my sleeping condition, not able to face Adrian. I bite my lip and walk with Atticus to the front door. Adrian doesn't follow and I'm grateful, because my face is so hot I might start dripping with sweat.

I evacuate on the moped and go home. I toss and turn for hours. And then I fall asleep with Adrian's lips engrained in my mind. 

_____

ooh a bit of sauciness there...

hehe

what's your thoughts on adrian? any predictions for where the book is going? 

team adrian or team sylv? 

ship names please???

love you, keep reading!