"I'm not tired. I just don't want to be awake." —unknown
THE DRIVE TO Adrik's mansion was silent. Avelina had to mute her phone to end the numerous number of messages and calls from Miss Paola. She knew Miss Paola was probably worried, but Avelina didn't want to hear about how wrong of a decision she was making. She also didn't have enough energy to explain how it was more for the baby than herself.
Throughout the entire drive, she kept stealing glances at Adrik, the father of her baby. It was strange to see him that way. It was strange to see him at all after so long.
By the time they arrived, she was too tired to even think. Maybe the move could have waited for tomorrow, she told herself. However, it was already too late. They were already parked right outside Adrik's mansion.
Adrik got out of the car and opened the door. She instinctively placed her hand over her growing belly as she placed her feet on the ground. If she didn't need help, she wouldn't have let Adrik grab ahold of her and help her out of the car. However, carrying a heavy baby in her uterus was too difficult to not accept help whenever possible.
The moment she was out of the car, she moved away from Adrik. She didn't want o be near him any second longer than she had to. It scared her the way the need to be with him clung to her. She wanted to blame it on the baby. The baby, who knew their father and wanted to be with him, was the reason why her heart yearned to be in Adrik's hold just like before everything went up into flames. However, even she knew that wasn't completely true.
At the familiar aroma of an earthy scent caused by the flowers and trees surrounding them, a bit of nostalgia lurked in Avelina's mind. Nothing could stop the outpouring of memories as she thought back to all the smiles, laughs, and happiness. Even a feeling that she fought so hard to keep away resurfaced. It was the unique feeling that she hadn't known existed until she met Adrik. The purest form of love entangled with the hope that despite everything that happened in their pasts, there was beauty to exist in their futures.
Bringing her back to reality was Adrik who stood beside her with his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to continue walking. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes just be carrying on toward the front door.
"You must attend a doctor appointment tomorrow. I would like to accompany you," Adrik said once they made it to the door. She didn't want him to, but the baby was just as much his as it was hers. Her conscious wouldn't let guilt surpass her if she turned him down.
"Fine," she muttered reluctantly.
Just as Avelina reached to pull open the door, Adrik grabbed ahold of her arm. She harshly snatched her wrist from his hold with a glare.
"If you touch me again, I will be throwing more than just objects at you, Adrik. I meant what I said about wanting to be left alone," she threatened.
"Will you be 'throwing that ass back?'" Adrik asked, completely taking Avelina by surprise. Her eyes widened as her jaw dropped.
"What did you just say?" she questioned. Adrik tilted his head as he seemed to recall what he had told her.
"Will you be throwing that ass back?" he repeated. "I was scrolling through my social media yesterday and I saw a post that referred to 'throwing that ass back' as very pleasurable."
Her mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. After opening and closing her mouth again and again, trying to figure out just what to say, she ultimately gave up.
Adrik pulled open the front door and Avelina quickly walked in.
"I guess the answer is no?" he asked. She turned to him with a raised brow.
"Yes, Adrik, the answer is no," she said. He nodded his head and followed behind her as she made her way through the house.
She didn't want to show it, but she missed the place. Once it began to feel like home, it was snatched away from her. Now, as she looked around the place, taking in everything she hadn't seen in so long—she almost wanted to smile. Avelina never expected to be right back to the place where she experienced love and she experienced heartbreak. It's where she learned the mightiest lesson to be free and feel. She followed her heart and it led her straight through a dark cliff that whispered sadly ever after.
Avelina slowly walked up the stairs, grasping ahold of the rail for just in case. She always hated walking up and down the stairs with a swollen belly. Not only was it difficult and awkward, but the thought of missing one step and falling was enough to worry her.
Adrik placed his hands on her waist to make sure she stayed steady. By acting as a guide, he forced butterflies in her stomach.
"Can you stop?" she asked.
"Okay," he said, removing his hands.
He stood behind her very closely as if he was making sure she didn't fall. It felt good having someone care about her. Of course she had Miss Paola, but it was different because it was Adrik. He was the person who was supposed to care.
When they reached the top of the stairs, Avelina turned left, making her way to her old bedroom.
"I presume you are going to your bedroom. However, I prefer if you do not do that," Adrik said, stopping her dead in her tracked.
"What are you talking about?" she asked him, turning to face him.
"I am talking about your bedroom," he answered.
"Why can't I go in my room, Adrik?" she questioned, folding her arms across her chest as she awaited his answer.
He sighed. "Stress is not good for our baby, so I do not want to answer your question. Instead, I am going to ask you to come to join me in my room for now."
He only succeeded in tripling her need to know what was behind her door. With narrowed eyes, she walked up to Adrik and stared him straight in his eye.
"You either tell me what's going on or I'll leave. It's bad enough that I don't trust you. And I'm most certainly not sleeping in the same room as you," she said.
"If you join me in my bedroom, I will answer all of your questions," he told her. She contemplated it for a while. What if he tried to get her into his room so he could murder her—no, he wouldn't go through all the trouble of checking up on the baby. What if he was planning on kidnap her, wait until she had her baby, then kill her?
"Are you going to kill me?" Avelina asked.
Adrik stared at her blankly. "No."
He never showed any sign of lying, so she took his word and followed him to his room. The moment he told her what she needed to know, she would get out. She'd sleep on a couch if she had to.
Once they were in his room, Adrik shut the door. Avelina stood in the corner with her arms crossed over the other while she waited for him to explain. He began to remove his suit jacket before neatly placing it on a rack. Avelina watched him cuff the sleeves of his shirt until it was folded at his elbow.
"Adrik, why can't I go to my room?" she asked.
"It's occupied," he said.
Her shoulders fell. He had given her room up. No one had ever lived with Adrik before, why now? Could it have been a woman? Did he never expect her to come back? Did he have some routine of bringing girls to live with him just to get rid of them after three months?
"By who?" she asked him.
"I do not want to say," he answered. She wanted to open the door and look for herself, but she wasn't sure if she was prepared to break her own heart again.
"Is it that model that you were with?" Avelina questioned, thinking back to the gorgeous woman he had on his arm. She wasn't trying to sound hurt, but it weaved through my words.
"I am not aware of the model you are referring to," he said.
There was nothing more that she wanted than to yell at him and ask him a million and one questions. However, he was right about one thing... stress was harmful to their unborn child. She could feel a pounding headache making its way back. There was also the consecutive yawning that just wouldn't stop. At any minute, she was going crash. So instead, she nodded her head.
"I want to go to sleep. I'm tired," she told him.
He pointed toward the bed as if the answer was obvious. She glared at him but walked over to the huge mattress that was calling her name. Avelina lifted the blanket and grabbed a pillow just before placing it down where she planned to lay.
She could feel Adrik watching her every move as she laid down on her side and grabbed another pillow to tuck in between her legs.
"You can sleep on the floor," she told him, throwing down a pillow. Then, Avelina shut her eyes and the moment she did, sleep overcame her.