Chapter Eighteen –
I was plotting subtle ways to kill Adrian in his sleep without it looking like I did it. It would be easier now, you know, since I lived with him. But I’d be the primary suspect; so I wasn’t going to act on anything just yet.
“Is that the last of them?” Adrian asked once he finished bringing up all my belongings from my old, trusty apartment. I ignored his question and continued folding my clothes and packing them on the shelf of Adrian’s walk-in wardrobe; another thing he persisted me on using.
Adrian chuckled at my lack of response towards him, before I felt his familiar solid pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind while resting his chin on my shoulder. “Shortcake. We live together. The least you could do is show a little enthusiasm. And take your clothes off – just so you’re comfortable of course, I will receive no benefit out of it what so ever.” Adrian said in a reassuring tone, and I felt his lips lift into a smirk.
I continued to ignore him.
“Come on,” He whined, “I already received the threatening warnings from your family and weird best friend. Cut me some slack; I just saved you from moving back in with your family!” He pointed out.
I stepped out of his hold and glared at him. “You only did that so I don’t move away from you.” I snapped, keeping my glare firm to emphasise my point.
He smirked and shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right. Oh well, there’s nothing you can do about it now. I’ve promised your father that I’d take good care of you. That means I need to meet all your needs. So do you need anything from me? Food? Water? Sex?”
My eyes widened in shock at the last suggestion before I launched the sundress I was about to hang up in the closet straight at Adrian’s face. He caught it with ease while chuckling at my reaction, and I began blushing. “Get out of my room.” I scowled.
“Our room.” He corrected with a lop-sided grin, catching me off guard. I blinked back at him momentarily before turning away with a frown. “What is it?” Adrian asked, noticing the small notion.
“Nothing.” I mumbled, turning back to my clothes.
“Let’s go watch a movie. You can pack your clothes later.” Adrian said, before I felt my body being lifted off of the ground and thrown over Adrian’s shoulder.
“Adrian!” I squealed, making him chuckle. “You need to stop doing that. I know how to walk.” I huffed once he set me down onto the sofa in the living room.
“I know you do. I watch you walk from behind every day.” He smirked, making me roll my eyes and blush. “What movie would you like to watch today, roomie? I’m ordering Chinese.”
I glared up at him and crossed my arms over my chest, ignoring him once again. Adrian needed to know that I was angry at him for forcing me out of my own home and into his – and in front of my family, as well. Moving in with him was not a step I wanted to take with him; especially considering the fact that we weren’t even a couple and I had unidentified feelings towards him. Living with him was not helping my current conflicted emotions at the moment.
“Come on Shortcake, you can’t me mad at me forever.” Adrian pouted, suddenly appearing face to face with me.
I looked straight into his hazel irises and glared. “Yes I can.” I snapped, turning away from him angrily.
I heard a small sigh escape Adrian’s mouth before I felt myself – once again – being lifted out of my position against my will. Adrian sat in my previous position and placed me on his lap, trapping me there by circling his arms around my waist firmly. “Look at me. I don’t regret making you move in with me. I only regret not telling you before I told your family. To prove myself to you; I’ll do whatever you want for the rest of the day.” Adrian smirked then, and I instantly got the double meaning behind his words.
“Let go of me.” I demanded, still glaring down at his smug expression.
“Fine.” He grumbled after a moment of hesitation, retracting his arms from around my waist.
I tried to hide my smug smile as I got off his lap, blushing in the process before going back to our bedroom to continue packing my clothes.
Adrian stayed on my heel the entire time. “Do you want to watch the movie in here then? That’s okay, I’ll go pick something out the-”
“No, Adrian. What I want is for you to leave me alone for the rest of the evening. Don’t talk to me, or be in the same room as me. Let my anger simmer down a little before we talk again. You need to understand that you do not control me and that you can’t throw a little anger tantrum and sleep with 500 women every time something doesn’t go your way. So for the time being, I want you to go away. Go do some work, read a book, take a shower – I don’t care. Just don’t talk or be in my presence.” I finished, giving him a stern look while waiting for him to argue about my request.
Adrian just stared back at me, not saying anything for a while, before nodding. “Okay.”
“Okay?” I repeated in confusion. He wasn’t going to fight me on this?
“Stop trying to flirt with me like Augustus Waters, Shortcake. I said okay.” He smirked, making me blush and roll my eyes at the comment. “But just before I go – I haven’t slept with a woman ever since the week you quit Emily, because I don’t want anyone else anymore. I’ll leave you alone now.” Adrian closed the bedroom door behind him softly, and I stared at the white object blankly, processing his words.
***
It was almost 1AM by the time I was done folding, hanging and packing my entire wardrobe into Adrian and I’s now shared walk-in, and I had not seen nor heard from him since we talked last. I decided to throw on my favourite NYU shirt from college and a pair of yoga pants before leaving the room and entering the living room.
I found Adrian shirtless, slumped in a chair with a laptop resting on the dining table in front of him and illuminating his features in the dim lighting. My mind went back to his previous words, and my heart fluttered involuntarily. He hadn’t slept with anyone else ever since I quit because of me? My mind refused to believe it. It was Adrian Kingston – surely, I was misinterpreting his words. He didn’t want me; ‘anyone else’ could have been Adrianna or Anna.
I ignored my conscience momentarily and made my way towards him. He looked away from his laptop screen and his tired eyes met mine just as I stopped in front of him and shut the laptop softly. “Come on, let’s get to bed.” I murmured as I squeezed his tense shoulders in a massaging manner.
A loud yawn escaped from Adrian’s mouth as he got out of seated position and stretched his limbs; making me blush and avert my gaze from his shirtless body. “Did you finish packing your things?” He asked once we began walking back to the bedroom.
I nodded mutely, not bothering to formulate a verbal response. I was still angry with him; but I was also feeling a little sympathetic and guilty for kicking him out of his own room.
“That’s good. You won’t have to do any of it when we come back from work tomorrow then.” Adrian said, stifling another yawn.
“I’m sorry for kicking you out.” I mumbled as more guilt rushed through my veins.
“You had a right too, you were angry.” Adrian shrugged, before abruptly pulling his pants off. I gasp and covered my eyes in shock while blushing deeply, making him chuckle at my reaction. “You’re still reacting like that after you’ve been in bed with me how many times now?” Adrian smirked just as he pulled my hands away from my field of vision, deepening my blush even further.
“Shut up.” I grumbled, not liking the fact that he knew how to make me squirm. He chuckled again before giving a pointed look. “What?” I asked curiously, frowning slightly.
“It’s your turn.” He smirked, looking down at my yoga pants.
I pushed him away with a scowl. “Just get in bed. We have work tomorrow.” I pointed out, trying to cover up my blush.
“You only want me to get into the bed so you can take them off without me looking.” Adrian smirked knowingly, and I rolled my eyes in response.
“I’m glad you know me so well. Now, since you’re the one who brought it up, you can turn around now.” I smiled sarcastically and waited for him to do as he was told.
He shook his head. “If I remember correctly,” He began, still smirking, “I said that I’d do whatever you wanted for the rest of the day. It’s now 1:18AM, meaning that I no longer have to listen to you anymore.” His smirk transformed into a proud grin once I gave him a look of disbelief, and I threw the nearest object at him – which turned out to be one of his shirts.
“Turn around.” I scowled, blushing again.
“Okay, okay.” He laughed, putting his hands up in defence before slowly turning so that his back was facing me. I gave his figure a weary look before quickly shrugging off the pants and the bra underneath my shirt, before climbing into my side of the bed.
Adrian turned back around as soon as he felt the bed dip, and his arms were around my waist faster than I was able to blink. “I’ve missed this. For the record, my bed is way more comfortable than yours.” Adrian smirked, before sneaking a small peck on my cheek.
The mention of my previous bed instantly spiked up the anger within me, and I glared at him. “For the record, I liked my bed – you know; the one you forced me to move away from?”
Adrian let out an exasperated sigh before glaring back at me. “Get over it. I saved you from moving back with your parents. It’s not like that little shitty apartment meant anything to you anymore than-”
“It didn’t mean anything to me?!” I enraged, “I had to work three jobs throughout my entire senior year and college life just to save up for that ‘shitty little apartment’ that you were so adamant on ‘saving’ me from. Then, whatever money I had left over from all my hard work was put into my ‘uncomfortable’ bed and tiny sofa. So excuse me if those things are worthless to you because you had everything handed over to you wrapped in a pretty bow; but they were my hard work. They meant a lot to me; and you took me away from that.” I snapped, letting my anger take over again.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel guilty anymore. I turned away from shirtless figure angrily, shifting all the way to the other end of the bed as a tense silence filled the room.
I felt Adrian shift slightly before a small light illuminated the dark room – I didn’t have to look over to know that it was his phone.
I closed my eyes in an attempt to sleep away my anger and get some rest before work tomorrow, before my phone vibrated on the small nightstand beside me.
I picked it up to find a text from Adrian: Hi :)
I ignored the text and locked my phone before placing it back onto the nightstand loudly to convey my anger.
My phone buzzed again: I have a strong feeling that you’re ignoring my text.
I ignored it again just as another buzz erupted through the quiet room before I even had a chance to lock my phone again: I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was that important to you. I’d offer the apartment back, but… I don’t want you to move out; so that’s not an option. What can I do to prove how sorry I am? Not talking to you today was hard enough. I can tell you another thing that’s pretty hard right now as well…
I let out a surprised choke at the end of the message, making Adrian explode in laughter beside me. I put my phone back down onto the table before turning around to glare at him. “Say it to my face.” I demanded once his laughter died down.
“Say what to your face? That I have a hard-on for you? Well, you’re really sexy when you’re angry so I couldn’t really control-”
“Not that!” I exclaimed, blushing furiously. “Your apology. Apologise to my face, not through text. Then you’ll be forgiven for good.”
Adrian looked uncomfortable, and I smiled smugly at the fact that our roles were reversed. “I’ve apologised to you already.” He mumbled.
My eyebrows shot up. “Oh really? And when was this?” I asked, feigning curiosity.
“You know… before… When you were on my lap in the living room and I told you I’d do whatever you want-”
“You didn’t apologise. You only explained that you don’t regret making me move in and offered me something I took advantage of. I want a full-fledged apology – no texts, no re-worded sentences – a proper apology.” I crossed my arms in an attempt to look serious, but ended up looking awkward due to my laying down position.
I watched as Adrian opened and shut his mouth multiple times before giving up and turning back to the other side of the bed so that my back was facing him. I wasn’t going to crack at his inability to apologise until he found the courage to own up to his actions.
I don’t know how many minutes passed as I began to find myself slowly drifting off to sleep. Just before the blackness fully consumed me, I felt Adrian’s familiar arms wrap around my waist and pull me into him again. “I’m not good with these kinds of things… and this is the third time I’ve ever done it in my lifetime… so, I’m sorry for… I’m sorry for…” Adrian trailed off, and I watched as a deep frown of thought consumed his features in the dim lighted room. “I’m sorry for taking you away from something you worked so hard for against your will, and I hope that you will find a place in your heart to forgive me.”
I stared back at him in shock for a moment before blinking rapidly and nodding in response while processing his words. He sounded genuinely sorry, and I accepted them quietly. “Okay.” I mumbled, smiling slightly.
“There you go with the flirting again. This is getting out of hand Shortcake, if you want me, all you have to do is ask.” Adrian smirked, making me roll my eyes in response once again while trying to hold back a smile. And just like that, Adrian was back.
“Let’s go to sleep for real this time.” I suggested while yawning.
“Okay, after I get my kiss.” Adrian said with a smirk.
“You’re an idiot.” I grumbled before placing a soft kiss on his cheek.
“No, no. Not there. I want it on my lips.”
I gave him a flat look in order to cover up my flaming cheeks. “Goodnight Adrian.”
He chuckled before pulling me into the crook of his neck. “Night Shortcake.”
***
“How are we even best friends?! I can’t believe you still haven’t slept with him!” Amy exclaimed in disbelief over the phone.
“Amy shut up! She and I are sometimes in the same room and I can’t talk about that around her.” I tried to cover up subtly, briefly glancing over to Adrian to see if he heard Amy’s loud voice from his desk.
Amy laughed before responding. “All the more reason to jump him while you can, Em! Honestly Hun, you’re growing old, and sometimes, the muscles in between your legs need to-”
“THANK YOU FOR YOUR CALL, I WILL SPEAK WITH YOU LATER. GOOD BYE!” I squealed before ending the call abruptly while blushing deeply from her words. My eyes widened as I looked at the phone in horror before I looked up to meet Adrian’s amused gaze.
“Are you okay there Shortcake?” He asked with enjoyment at my blushing face.
“Yep, yep. I’m good. Just… you know… business-ing it out and all…” I let out a nervous laugh before growing redder at the realisation of how stupid my words sounded.
Adrian chuckled and got out of his seat before making his way towards my desk. “What did she say? Clearly, it involved me, because you’re refusing to make eye contact with me right now.”
“You? Why would we talk about you? Amy was just telling me about her encounter with an ex-boyfr-”
“No, she wasn’t. You tried to cover up the fact that she was talking about me by saying ‘she’ instead of ‘he’ and looked at me once you finished the sentence and thought I wasn’t looking. I was.” He smirked before lifting me out of my seat and pressing me into his torso.
“I- What? N- No I wasn’t.” I stuttered as I felt my blush increase in colour.
“You’re a really bad liar, Shortcake.” He smirked down at me, and I watched as his eye briefly flickered to my lips.
I didn’t respond as my own eyes moved down to his lips unconsciously, and I licked my own lips which were suddenly feeling dry.
Adrian let out a throaty growl before I felt his arm push close the space in between us even more than before as he looked down at my lips again.
A knock sounded at the door, breaking the haze Adrian and I were in, and I pushed him away softly, blushing again.
Adrian took a step back and cleared his throat before speaking up. “Come in.” He called out in a raspy voice, making my eyes widen in shock as they looked down to his crotch area and found a bulge sticking out of his navy coloured pants.
I rushed and stood in front of him to cover the obvious body part that was sticking out just as Suzie entered the office. My hand accidentally brushed against his area and Adrian let out another groan, making my eyes widen even further. “I’m not going to be able to do this much longer Shortcake.” Adrian murmured into my ear before directing his attention back to Suzie. “What is it?”
“Good morning Mr Kingston, Emily.” She nodded and smiled in our direction and I smiled and waved in response. Adrian ignored her greeting completely. “Your father suggested that we host a charity gala dinner in order to raise money for our cancer foundation this Saturday. I have already begun the preparations and just need your signature of approval…” She trailed off as she looked at Adrian, then myself, then back at Adrian again. “I’m so sorry if I’ve interrupted anything…” She breathed with wide eyes.
“No, no! You haven’t interrupted anything Suzie! Adrian and I were just discussing the final marketing plan developed for the hotels in the Australian region.” I made up quickly, smiling.
Adrian cleared his throat. “Just place the papers on the table in front of you and I will send them back to your office later. Emily, you’re going to be my +1 for the Gala. Mrs Brown, please make sure everybody knows that, and seat her in between Allen and myself. Is there anything else?”
Suzie looked in between Adrian and me again with an uncertain look on her features before clearing her throat slightly. “Did you want the dinner to be themed in any way?”
“No. Just make sure everyone is dressed to a high standard. If that is all, you can leave now.”
“Adrian!” I exclaimed, turning around to him with a frown. “Stop being so rude.” I mumbled, looking up at him with a stern look. He ignored my glare completely, and focused his gaze on my lips again, making me blush.
“Okay, thank you sir.” Suzie called out softly, before we heard the door shut once again.
My blush deepened as I looked away from his intense gaze. “Why am I your +1 this time? Do I even have a choice in the matter?” I asked in an attempt to change the tension in the air.
“No, and because I want you to be. You can’t complain. I’m putting Allen next to you. Having said that; I don’t want anything unnecessary happening between you two.” Adrian snapped, glaring down at me.
I rolled my eyes at his sudden mood swing. “Okay Mr Bi-Polar.”
“I mean it. And get your weird friend to pick out your dress this time. Rita will do your hair again and I don’t want you wearing a lot of makeup. You already attract too much attention as it is.”
“Yes Boss. Is there anything else Boss?” I asked sarcastically, mock saluting him.
“Don’t call me boss Shortcake, or I will not hesitate to kiss you this time.” Adrian warned in a low voice, smirking down at my short figure.
I looked up at him with wide eyes as my cheeks began to flame up again at his comment, and I cleared my throat. “S-Sorry.” I stuttered.
Another event. I did not have a good feeling about this one.
---
Hello!
Yay another update! Sorry for any mistakes!
How are you all my beautifuls? I’m super tired and so over school at the moment. One more assignment and one more test left until the holidays, yaaaaaaaay! Can you guys believe it’s already December? This year has gone by so quickly! I’m sad :(
So what did you guys think of this chapter? Thank you to allllllllllllllllll the lovely people who voted and commented on the previous chapters, & fanned! I love you all so much! You guys made this #26 on the Non-Teen Fiction List and #43 on the Romance list :O! My biggest achievement yet! Thank you all so much, really!
This chapter is dedicated to YasmineJ for the lovely banner on the side. Thank you beautiful human! :)
I’m going to watch Catching Fire tomorrow! So no spoilers! Ahaha :)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! (See, I didn’t say it was bad this time! :P That doesn’t mean I liked it though LOL :P)
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In memory of Paul William Walker IV.
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