Adeline's Ροv
“Lucius.” I run to him and crush my face into his chest, clinging to him with a death grip.
I don't look at anyone else in the living room but from the whispers I can guess they're all worried about my strange behavior.
My father immediately brings his arms around me and returns the hug. He didn't mind as I wet his suit. He understood I needed comfort and I was glad he was ready to provide that.
Ever since mom died, I thought I would never be able to have such understanding and connection with anyone. But I'm grateful that I have a family who cares for me.
Even if I haven't gotten to that point of comfort with them yet, I know I gradually will.
“Why does every bad thing happens to me?”
My voice came out muffled as I pressed my face harder on him, wanting to stop the pounding in my head.
“Sweetheart, what happened?” He asked, rubbing my back soothingly.
“Reign,” I sobbed. “He knows.”
I pulled back and looked at him as I wiped my tears away. He was so confused and so concerned. I'm sure my babies must be equally panicking because of my stupid worrying.
I grab his hand so he understands the urgency of the situation. “You have to talk to him. Tell him to keep it a secret. I don't want anyone else to know. Please do something. If he-” He cuts me off.
“Relax, Adeline. Nothing will happen.” He assures.
“You'll talk to him?” I sniffled.
“Yes, I'll talk to him. Everything will be fine.”
I barely know the guy who found out my biggest secret. I don't know which morals he does follow. Though it didn't feel like he would but I can't know for sure that he wouldn't decide to publicize what he knows.
It would be the perfect revenge for breaking his heart. He holds the piece of information that can make my worst nightmare come true.
All the media would eat up my family's dirty secret like hotcakes.
I nod still not believing that everything can indeed be fine in my life.
Even if Reign doesn't tell anyone, this will come out one day. I haven't even built up the courage to tell Josh and George about it, I don't know how I'll face the world.
“Is that why you're so worried?” He asked softly.
Tears keep flowing from my eyes as I try to get a grip of myself. “Yes. He knows and now he'll start hating me, he’ll be disgusted-”
“Did he say that?” Cyrus asks, sounding offended.
“No, but… Why would he like me now that he knows I'm pregnant.”
“It doesn't matter because you don't want him to like you.” Altas shrugs.
I scowled at him. “But he shouldn't just leave me because I'm pregnant.”
“See Addy,” Adam brings my attention to himself. “He liked you but now he knows he can't get with you so he left. I think it's great that he isn't making your life more difficult.”
“But it doesn't make sense.” Why does no one ever get me?
“What doesn't make sense?”
“That…” I trailed off.
Taking a deep breath I tried thinking why I'm so affected by this incident. Because the reason isn't just the fact that he found out something so personal about me.
I don't like the circumstances under which he left.
I'm hurt by his sudden withdrawal.
“He said he wants to be friends first and we can still be friends. Why does it matter if I have a couple of kids?” I finally put my emotions into words.
“Because he doesn't just want to stay friends forever, he… wants more intimacy. And he realized that you won't give him that chance. Trust me it's for good, he wasn't the right friend for you.”
Of course he would say that. Among all my brothers, the twins have been the most against me going to the same workshop as the heir. They don't like a single thing about him.
“But it's not fair.” I argued. “It's not my fault that I'm pregnant, I didn't even consent to it. He can't leave me for something I didn't do.”
I don't know why I was arguing with him, Adam didn't do anything to break off our nonexistent friendship. I shouldn't take out my frustration on my family. But that's exactly what I was doing at the moment.
“That's what I've been telling you all along, Addy.” Cyrus interjects. “It's not your fault. Even if you were dealing with the consequences of a poor choice, no one still has any right to judge you for it because it's your life.”
“I know.” I mumbled not fully understanding where he was getting at.
“So fuck everyone's opinion and do hell with the people who leave you.” He adds.
“It’s not that simple.” I throw back.
“It is if you just think about it-”
“You don't know how the world works.” I raise my voice so he hears me over his own thoughts. “Not everyone is as confident as you are to not care about their image in other people's eyes.”
He sighs. “I’m not your enemy, love. I want what's best for you. And stressing about what anyone thinks is not good for you or your babies.”
I gulp the discomfort and try to speak clearly. “I can't control what I think. It just happens. It's natural, you can't tell me to alter my thinking to fit what you believe in. If I want to hide something for as long as I can, I will. Why do I have to come out because you think it's the right time?”
I knew he was right. I wasn't a fool. But I didn't like his persistence. And I don't like that he doesn't even try to understand where I was coming from.
“Because you will have to do it eventually. So the earlier you accept it and understand that you don't have to be ashamed of it, the better it will be for you. You have to prioritize other things over your fear of judgment.”
I've really had enough. I keep forgiving him thinking he's on my side but he just wants to do what’s right. He doesn't care how much I'm hurt.
Family is supposed to be biased.
“You don't understand. You never do. No one will understand because none of you is in my place.” I spit the words at him. “It's so embarrassing to be pregnant and knowing what people would be thinking about you. But you just don't consider any of it. You're so focused on proving me wrong.”
“I'm not trying to prove you wrong-”
“Lucius!” I called for help.
“Why do you always drag him in our debates?” Cyrus asked, pissed off.
“Because you don't look like you're planning on ending this argument.”
“Do you even understand why I'm-” He gets cut off by our father.
“Cyrus, she's already stressed. You're the older one, try to understand.”
They both looked at each other like they're silently communicating something —probably about how bratty I've become.
I know my brother wants to continue the topic but he gives up shaking his head, realizing that I really don't want to deal with another problem today.
“And Adeline,” Lucius turns to me. “Cyrus is right. It doesn't matter if he found out because his or anyone else's opinion doesn't matter.” He advised in the most gentle tone.
“Why can't any of you understand what I'm saying?” I was shocked that he picked Cyrus’ side without even giving me a chance to explain myself.
“Then help me understand.”
“It’s not about people judging. Reign left me because I'm pregnant. This is what's gonna happen now. Everyone will leave when they get to know what I'm desperately hiding. No one wants to be with a problematic teen.”
“You're not problematic, Addy.” Ewan says, coming to stand next to me. “He is. He’s an arrogant asshole and a bloody entitled brat.”
“Atleast he’s not pregnant.” I mumble.
We weren't getting anywhere with the conversation so Julian changed it to restore the peace in our family. But the only problem was, he picked the wrong topic.
“Where did you meet him?”
“At the store.”
“And you told him you're expecting?”
I shook my head. “He saw my bump.”
There was a silence for a minute before he spoke again with pure confusion. “How?”
“He came into my changing room-” I couldn't complete the sentence because five voices cut me off at the same time.
“He saw you changing?”
“Were you naked?”
“I'm gonna kill that bastard.” Of course Ewan's reaction would be more extreme than the twins.
“He’s fucking stalking you?” Cyrus asked, looking like he's seconds away from throwing fists at someone.
“That bitch really needs to be taught his limits.” I didn't know I would hear Julian so livid. He's usually so calm and nonchalant.
“She meant the private room to which the changing area was connected. She was fully clothed but the dress was figure hugging so he saw the bump.” Valerie explained.
The whole ride back home she's been consoling me but I haven't stopped crying. I don't know what I'm so sorrowful about but I know I'm feeling pathetic.
“Where were you during all of this?” Rhyett asked Valerie in a voice so cold and expression so deadly calm that I felt scared looking at him.
Her face pales as she looks back at him and answers. “I got a call from work and the store didn't have signal-”
“So you left her all alone.” He states.
“It was an emergency-” He cuts her off again.
“Why take a fucking responsibility if you can't fulfill it?” Rhyett grits through his teeth.
“I didn't know he would come there, if I had any idea-” She tries to argue again but he's adamant on not letting her talk.
“I fucking told you to not leave her alone at all cost.” He shouts at her. “That's one thing I asked from you, Val.”
“I'm so sorr-”
He steps up towards her looking terrifying. “You know I don't trust people.” He spoke slowly, getting calmer each second. “But I trusted you with my sister; my baby. And what did you do?” She stays silent. “Do you have any idea what else could’ve happened? She’s the only girl of the Storm’s family. Our honor. Our weakness. She could've been kidnapped. They would’ve hurt her and her unborn children. Do you realize you left her all by herself? How worse could that have turned out? For fuck's sake, she could’ve gotten fucking killed but your priority was your work.” He snaps at her.
“I’m sorry, I didn't think it through. One of our men got shot and was sent to the clinic in a really critical condi-”
“Do I look like I care?”
She sighs. “I'm just saying I made a mistake and I'm really sorry for-”
“Save it.” He says and looks away.
Valerie doesn't make an effort to speak to him again. Instead looks to the other side avoiding eye contact with anyone.
“It's not her fault. Reign shouldn't have come there.” I mumble.
“But if she stayed with you-” Rhyett argued but I stop him midsentence.
“It's happened now and-” I gulped. “I just want you to tell him to forget what he saw...”
I can't call him, I can't start the chapter I just ended.
I have to keep my distance from him so I don't encourage any feelings. Not that he’d want to come anywhere near me anymore. He doesn't want me.
Valerie gave me a side hug and squeezed my opposite shoulder. “You don't have to worry, Addy. I don't believe he will tell anyone. If you want I can give him a call-” Rhyett spoke over her again.
“You've already done enough, Valerie. It's our family matter, we’ll sort it out as we deem fit.”
Valerie's lips thinned as she looked at her boyfriend. Everything about him screamed how pissed he was. From the stiffness in his shoulders to the way he avoided looking back at her.
“Rhyett, please. She didn't do anything. None of us knew he’d come there.” I repeated.
“You won't understand, Adeline.” He dismissed the conversation.
I was about to argue when Altas spoke. “If she had stopped being the great saviour for one day and prioritized you over her goddamn patients then that fucking heir hadn't gotten a chance to meet you all alone.”
Rhyett's head snaps to him and his eyes turn fierce. “Watch how you speak about my woman, Altas!” He says with his voice dripping with anger.
Altas drops all signs of annoyance and quickly mumbles, “Sorry.”
“Don't apologize to me.”
He turns to Valerie like an obedient puppy. “Sorry, Valerie. I didn't mean that.”
“It's okay.” She replies and nods to him indicating she accepts his apology.
My already horrible mood worsens the more I stay here with everyone so I decide to leave. I don't want to get lectured about everything I'm doing wrong, nor do I want to see any one-sided fights.
“I'm going to my room.” I tell Lucius.
“You haven't eaten since lunch.” Valerie tries to stop me but I don't. I feel sick. I can't eat.
“I'm not hungry.”
There's nothing a good sleep can't fix. And that's exactly what I'm relying on right now. I don't have any other options.
I want someone to cuddle me to sleep and stay by my side to ensure I don't stay awake overthinking. But I didn't ask for help.
I don't have a mother anymore. I should start taking care of myself on my own. She isn't here to unconditionally support me and console me when I’m hurt.
Maybe I'll gradually stop depending on other people.
And maybe I'll one day forget the comfort of a mother's arms.
———
Hi guys!!!
Thank you so much for all the love you showed to the last chapter.
I didn't realize so many people are actually invested in the plot and aren't just casually reading.
Stay tuned for next week because it's gonna be a double update.
And there's a POV you guys asked for. Any guesses?