Adelina Celine Torres
Today I am at the library.
I have a buttload of assignments I am supposed to be keeping up with over the break, and I have done zero of them. Oops.
I have spent the last two hours doing assignments and catching up, my eyes feeling like they're about to pop out of my head.
I have not missed studying or doing work.
The past few weeks have been amazing. Greece, hanging out with Nick, hanging with Ronny, Alyssa too. It's only the end of November, so I have another month of relaxing. Relaxing and doing assignments.
Isn't this supposed to be winter break? Break meaning no school? Meaning no school work?
Apparently not.
I sigh and put my head forward on the desk, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. "You alright?" A voice makes me lift my head. The man I ran into that one night stands next to the table I am at, looking down on me.
He shaved his stubble a little bit shorter, but it's still a decent length like a beard, and he wears nicer pants and a sweater.
"Hi, yeah I'm great." I smile to him.
"May I sit?" he asks.
Not wanting to be rude, I just nod. "Ah studying?" He says, looking to the pile of papers and books in front of me. "Unfortunately."
"I'm Peter." He offers me his hand. "Adelina," I shake it.
"Pretty name." He smiles to me, "Do you think you could help me with something princess?"
Princess...?
I feel slightly creeped out by this guy, but at the same time I get the vibes he is just a chill dad who has no intention of making me feel creeped out. "Sure?" I say, although it comes out like a question.
"Would you read me a little of my book? I left my glasses at home." He takes a book out from a bag. Pride and Prejudice.
I freaking love Pride and Prejudice.
"Of course." I smile at him, seeing a wedding band on his left ring finger and feeling a little guilty I had been creeped out by him. I take the book and go to where his bookmark is. "I only have like fifteen minutes, though, then I need to go home." I tell him, he nods.
I read him two chapters until I have to go. "Thank you so much," he says to me as I hand him his book back. "Yeah, I love that book." I give him a smile.
Before I leave he stops me by grabbing my arm, "Maybe I will see you again?"
I hesitate, unsure how to answer. "Um...I don't know I am really busy." I say, trying not to sound like a jerk but not exactly wanting to regularly hang out with this random man.
"You can't make time?" He says, his voice getting a little scary now, no longer nice older man-like. His grip tightens on my arm, "I want to see you again."
"Sorry..." I shrug his arm off of me, "I really have to go." I tell him, which is true. Ron is supposed to pick me up at 3:00 and its now 3:04. My phone dings on the table and I see Peter's eyes look at it. "Boyfriend?"
I pick up my phone, "Yeah, and he's big and scary so leave me alone." I say to the man, feeling a little guilty but remembering how I ignored things with Mr. Edwards and that turned out...badly to say the least.
I brush past him and sling my backpack over my shoulder, feeling a pit at the bottom of my stomach at that interaction. I feel at ease when I see Ron's car, and walk over and climb into the passenger seat.
Once I am in, I turn my head and look at the library entrance to see if the man followed me out: he didn't.
"What happened?" Ron asks me, not driving. "Just drive, please?"
He stares at me for a minute like he is debating listening, but then he does. He drives us to his house then parks and looks at me, waiting for me to explain.
"It's nothing, just some guy." I explain, giving Ron a smile. His face hardens at my words, "Bothering you?" he asks.
I nod, "I think he didn't mean to, I just take things the wrong way sometimes. I told him I have a big scary boyfriend, thought, so I bet he's hiding right now." I smile to Ron, but he doesn't smile or anything.
"What did he look like?"
"Ron, you aren't gonna hunt him down or anything." I say, unsure why he wants to know. "Its ok, that's just the second time I have seen him, and I flat out said to leave me alone so I'm sure it's fine."
"Adelina tell me what he looks like." He repeats himself, completely disregarding what I told him.
Fine. "Black hair, probably six feet tall, little beard, he kinda has your eyes not gonna lie."
I can see Ronny visibly clench his jaw and tense at my words, "Fucking hell." He mutters under his breath. "Ron?" I ask him, "Do you know him?"
He doesn't look at me, "Aaron..." I say.
"When did you first see him?" He asks.
I shrug, "I don't know, like a week ago."
"Where."
"Aaron what is going on?" I ask him. He doesn't respond, he just looks at me like he is waiting for me to answer him. "I was buying ice cream one night and I ran into him outside the convenience store." I say, "Now tell me what the heck is going on and why you look like you're about to murder someone?"
He sits for a little bit, not saying anything. "My father." He finally says, and my heart drops.
His father?
His father who left scars all over his body?
"I thought you said your father was--"
"He was. Now he's here, and you aren't leaving my sight." He tells me. I give him a look, "You told him we were dating?" He asks.
I nod, "Well I mean I threatened him with my big strong boyfriend, so I guess yeah."
He mutters the f word under his breath, "Ronny what is happening? Why is he here and why is he coming up to me?" I ask him, knowing it's probably a sensitive subject but also needing to know.
"I don't know why he's here." Ronny admits, "Just promise me you won't go anywhere alone, just until I get him the hell away from here." He asks me. I frown at this, does Ron think his father is going to hurt me?
"Alright." I say, trusting him and trusting that if he is this worried, his father is very dangerous. And I have been alone with him. Twice.
"What are you going to do?" I ask as we get out of his car. "I will handle him." Is all he says. "Ron, you really need to stop being so cryptic when you answer my questions." I grumble. He sighs, "I have a meeting tomorrow."
"With him?" I question, he nods.
I feel a pit form in my stomach at this, since Ron had just flipped out just from me speaking with him. I don't know anything about their relationship past the scars on Aaron's body, and I feel uneasy at them having a meeting together.
"Aaron?" I ask him as we walk inside. He turns to me, "Can you tell me what happened with you and him?"
His whole demeanor shifts at my question and I can instantly tell it is a sore subject, but I don't retract my question. I want to know.
After a few seconds where it looks like he is trying to think of what to say, he sighs. "My whole childhood he tried to make me tough and able to take over his company." He says, "I haven't seen him since I found him with my ex girlfriend." He tells me, and I can't hide my surprise at his words.
That's why Vivi threatened to kill me if I slept with their father. "He would hurt you." Aaron adds, "So please, don't go anywhere without me."
My brain feels like it is going to explode at his words, is his father a criminal? How can someone be so cruel to someone like Aaron, how could someone hurt him like he did?
"I won't." I say to him, my heart melting when he holds up his pinky to me. I pinky promise him, thinking how deep down that the other night I was so close to Aaron's father, and I had a knife in my waistband.
I should have stabbed him.
Stop. Why am I thinking violent thoughts?
Cause he hurt Aaron.
"Tomorrow," I say, "At your meeting, be careful okay? You say he's dangerous and I really don't want anything--
"I will be fine." He cuts me off, "But it's cute seeing you so worried." he smirks down at me.
I sigh, only Ronny can make me scared that he's seeing his abusive father into something to smile about.
"And if he does anything, I have a knife." I add. He raises an eyebrow, "Don't go at him with a knife."
"Why?" I question.
"He will disarm you in half a second, and be pissed you tried to stab him."
I huff, "You are that doubtful in my attack abilities?" I am a little offended he has no faith in me. "Remember when you punched a countertop instead of a guy?"
I roll my eyes, "I actually have no recollection of that whatsoever. In fact, I think you are just making that up because it does not sound like something I would do."
Eye roll.
1621 words