|Chapter 14|
|Old habits die hard|
No amount of annoying alarm clocks, random phone calls or early Monday mornings could even compare to the hell I was feeling right now. The complete and utter sluggishness sided with a throbbing headache truly perfected the shitty morning with a cherry on top.
"What is it with me and alcohol?" I groan before rubbing the wasp nest known as my hair, trying to dull the ache from the aftermath of yesterday. Slowly, I step out of my bed, but stop when I fully focus to see it wasn't my bed, but the very uncomfortable couch.
I understood that I had a rough night, but what exactly did I do to cause such a rough night? Hell, what in Gods green earth even made me take a sip of alcohol? Confused of what happened last night, I run to the bathroom down the hall before shutting it in a haste. The stench of vomit, alcohol and perfume hitting me full faced as soon as I take a breath through my nose, making me recoil at the mixture.
Quickly, I look in the mirror and almost gasp at the sight of my distraught self. My mascara was not only smudged, but run all down my face, along with the tangled heap of hell on top of my head. Luckily due to the shortness of my hair and non-waterproof of my mascara. I just fix everything with a quick run of my fingers in my hair and wipe of blackness off my cheeks.
Something catches my attention on the side of the bathtub when I hear a loud vibrating. Looking over, I see it's my phone and almost fall from running over to grab it.
I figure since I can't say for myself what happened last night, at least someone can. In such a haste to answer, I don't even look at the caller I.D and answer it.
"Hello?" I answer almost panicked.
"Thank God, Luna. I thought he murdered you! Why haven't you picked up your phone?! I've called you like twenty times already!" Trying to get a grip on what was happening, I shut my eyes when I realize the deep voice belonged to Blake.
"Uh, I'm sorry. I just woke up," I say in a croaked tone before pulling back to look at the time, almost shitting a brick when I saw that it read 1:35 on the screen.
"Holy shit!" I mouth before putting my ear back to the phone.
"Past 1:30 in the afternoon?!"
"Hey, when I had my old job, I got up at six in the morning and worked until 4 in the afternoon. So I think I deserve a little peace in that department." I start to speak up a little louder, but not loud enough for anyone outside to hear. Hearing a sigh on the other side before getting a legitimate reply.
"Okay, but I just wanted to be sure you were okay. He didn't hurt you or anything, did he? Because the way he drug you out like that, I wasn't sure exactly what happened. I swear, Luna, he may be my boss, but if he laid a finger on you, I'll kill him cold blood."
"Blake, what in the hell are you going on about? Who was trying to hurt me?" I was starting to get more on the edge of my seat as we spoke. He was speaking as if my life was in danger or something. As if whatever happened last night almost cost my life.
"Wait, do you even remember what happened?" Bitting my thumbnail, a sway from side to side in nervousness. He can't be mad at me for not remembering, can he? I mean, the last thing I remembered was walking into the club with Blake's arm around my waist.
"Will it be less painful if I say yes?"
"Luna, I swear, you're gonna be the death of me," he says with a sigh, but slight humor sounding as he spoke, making the frown on my face turn into a small smile in relief. The conversation stops there when I jump to the sound of a loud banging on the door.
"Uh, thanks for being there for me last night, I'll talk to you later! Explain what happened later, okay?! Bye!" I whisper yell before quickly hanging up. Shoving my phone in the pocket of the basketball shorts that I don't remember wearing at the club, I quickly walk to the door before opening it. Rolling my eyes when it's exactly who I expected to see standing at the door. Ruffled brown hair, disheveled appearance and plain white shirt that showed off his rippled arms, stood right at the door while staring down at me with his warm blue that could make any girl, or even guy melt at the scene.
"You could've just used your own bathroom," I say before trying to walk past him, but take in a breath in shock when he blocks me with his arms on both side of the bathroom door, barricading me in from both sides. Glaring up, I see how he's trying to intimidate me with the proximity of his face to mine, but I push past his facade and just cross my arms before turning my expression cold.
"I hold your hair back as you vomit into a toilet, change your clothes along with sleep on that uncomfortable lounge chair, all night. And all the thanks I get is a glare?" My cold expression falls into one of confusion when I pull my eyebrows together and let my arms fall from the crossing position. A slight tint showing on my cheeks from the fact he changed my clothes.
"Y-You. What? Why?" His scary expression turns humor filled as he pulls away from my face.
"Why? What kind of friend would I be if I just left you to deal with a hangover by yourself?" I could tell he was holding back his laughter, which just made my slight appreciation fall into one where I wanted to slap him instead. Feeling him shove my arm playfully before finally letting out the stifled laugh.
"Oh come on, I'm just teasing you. Now come on, we've got to make it to the Termination Society Building before 3 o'clock. We're speaking to the old man about what our plans for you are today." Already walking off before he was even finished, I slightly throw my hands up before walking to follow him.
"Wait, what is there more to discuss about me? I thought we were done with that portion?" I say following him back into the living room, trying to keep up with his long strides as he finally stops before picking up a leather jacket.
"Yeah, so did I," he mumbles almost inaudibly before shrugging on his jacket and running his hands through his long dark brown hair.
"Wha-"
"Go and get dressed before we're late. Hurry!" He interrupts me with a demand before I could question anymore, making me glare at him before slowly walking away to my room. Leaving in a huff upstairs since I know there was no more questioning when Adriano was already done with the conversation.
• . • . •
Pulling into the same parking lot that read the same letters at the top of building as last time when we came. He turns off the ignition before jumping out of the car and already walking quickly up to the building, leaving me behind as he does so.
Ever since whatever happened last night, he's been quiet and snappy again towards me. The whole car ride we rode in silence with nothing but the car radio music to fill the silence. And even when I questioned what happened during the ride over here, he wouldn't tell me and replied with, 'I don't remember." And of course whenever I called him out on the stupid answer and asked for the truth, he just snapped back with the same answer, but more stern and told me to stop asking. So in the end, I gave up.
Before I knew it, I was already walking into the building, hot on Adriano's tail so I didn't get lost. The same noise of people rapidly tapping on keyboards and loud mumbles hitting my ears before finally making it into the main lobby.
Seeing that Adriano scans around before walking straight towards another door, leading into a main large hallway that lead to one large wooden door. Finally making it to the end of the hallway, Adriano buzzes a button on the side before hearing a voice come from the sides of the door.
"Central Headquarters, Who is it?" I hear a voice out of no where say, making me look around in confusion at where the voice could have came from.
"It's your hot date. Oh wait no, that was left back in 1998. Now open up!" He yells loud enough for the old man on the speakers could hear, and that he does when you hear a loud chuckle before seeing the large door loudly click open. Jumping slightly at the feeling of Adriano's arm resting lightly on my lower back enough to guide me into the room.
As we slowly walk in, I'm shocked at the sight of how big the office is. Stunned even more when I see Blake standing by the giant desk with the old man in a the regular suit the men that worked there wore. Seeing him look over, I blush slightly when he gives me a small smile in greeting, embarrassed that I got caught staring at him.
What is it with me and my staring issues? It's as if I don't have enough will power to just LOOK AWAY.
Feeling Adriano's loose grip on waist tighten, I look up at him to see his jaw clenched and eyes in slits. Shaking my head in confusion, I glare back before we both snap out of our state off to the sound of someone clearing their throats. Snapping our heads forward, we see the old man with the same salt and pepper hair smirking at us while corking an eyebrow.
"I can see you two are getting along swell," he says gesture between the both of us, making us both snort before mumbling different incoherent yeah rights. Getting a loud chuckle from the man as he straightens up in his seat before standing up and walking towards our direction.
"Alright, I'll take that as progress. Now, let's talk about you, Luna. How are things going with training?" He says with a genuine smile, making me question onto how genuine it really was.
"Good, I guess. I mean, it's exercising. How good can it get?" I say with a shrug, making the mans smile fall and eyebrow cork up once again. Hearing the sound of a stifled laugh next to me and seeing Blake squeezing his lips to suppress it, I realize that that probably wasn't the right words to say. Looking next to me when I see the old man glare in that direction, I see Adriano's facial expression turn from humor to stern with a clear of his throat.
"Well, you better get use to it young lady, because you're in for more than you think." He was no longer smiling, and I was no longer getting that comforting vibe anymore as he kept taking closer steps. Right now, I was glad to be in Adriano's arms in fear of the man before me. Knowing the fact that Adriano has got everyone beat on intimidation and scaring the shit out of people. I slightly scoot over closer to Adriano, and I'm guessing he notices that when he pulls me completely into his embrace with one arm before glaring at the man in front of us.
"We came here so you could explain our next plan, and that's what we're going to do, Quest," Adriano spits out the mans last name in venom, making a smirk begin to appear on his face as he begins to back away.
"And that we'll do," He says before going back to his desk to gather some papers. Wavering us over, Adriano lets go of his grip before walking over with me in tow. Looking down at the papers, I see a a chart that has my name on it and dates printed on it. The old man then points at the first date before Illustrating the rest.
"First things first, you need to get a regular everyday job like every other outsider. We can't have you looking suspicious with all the things you'll be doing since you've already have a resume of other jobs you've had. Federal government can track down that you're off the radar and we don't want that. So you need to find one before next week." I give him a look of confusion before shaking my head. There was no way I could find a job to hire me with the type of resume I have. I mean I was a waitress at a poor diner making minimum wage. Who's gonna hire that?
"How am I supposed to find a job within that amount of time?" He looks at me with a dead cold look, already knowing his next words, I let out a breath.
"Figure it out," he says before going back to the demonstration on the paper, making me bite my tongue. What was I expecting? For him to take pity? This is definitely not the type of man to have any type of sympathy on anyone.
"She can work at Holinda's with me," I hear Blake's voice cut through the air, making us all snap our heads in his direction.
"Really?" I ask surprised but also enthusiastically, scared that he could change his answer at any given second. He looks at everyone before smiling and nodding his head.
"Yeah, it's no problem. I'll just have to move around some things for you to fit in. But you can start tomorrow morning if that'll work for you. We already have your records so you're already set to go." With a appreciative smile on my face, I mouth a 'thank you' before looking back at the chart on the mans desk.
"Alright, last but not least, we have the test," the man says making everyone stiffen in their spots.
"Test?" I ask completely confused.
"Yes, it's a series of events we put you through and you'll have to pass every single one of them in order to be approved in this industry," the old man says, making me furrow my eyebrows at his vagueness. There was a loud sigh that escaped the mans lips before picking up the scattered papers that were jammed in the folder. Walking over, he slams the folder against Adriano's chest before finally speaking.
"Pretty boy will explain the rest more in detail later. And if I were you, I'd get over that fear of exercising before the test, because that is going to be the least of your problems when you truly start it." He gives me cold look before smirking and walking off with a wave his hand.
"Dismissed. You all may leave." Before I knew it, I was being doggy dragged out of the office by my arm and was already tripping my way outside before I could even say slow down. Until finally, I pull out of his grip, getting his attention.
"Wait, what the hell was that back there? Test?! Job?! I don't know about you, but I wasn't given the memo," I speak up over the loud San Fransisco traffic, making Adriano just stare at me with a blank stare.
"Get in the car," is all he says gesturing to the car two feet behind him. Tired of being told what to do by Adriano every second of the day, I stand my ground and don't move.
"Did you not hear me?"
"I heard you, but I'm not doing it," I say with a humorless chuckle before crossing my arms. The look on his face was somewhere around deadly and scary, but nothing I couldn't handle myself. He walks up to me with steps that look like he was about to come at me, but I still stand still.
"You are really fucking stubborn. You know that?" he says looking down at me, only making me smirk in reply.
"I'll get in if you promise to answer any questions I have." With a loud sigh and groan from Adriano, he ends up giving in. Probably due to my annoying behavior.
"If you pepper me with questions non-stop, I swear, I'm throwing you out the car window," he says before wavering his finger at me and hopping in on the drivers side.
"He doesn't know me at all, does he?" I smirk to my self before triumphantly walking to the car.
• . • . •
"What in the hell is a 'test'?" I immediately say as soon as I get in the car, making Adriano take a beat to breath in before starting the ignition.
"Don't be fooled by that man in there. The test is very aggressive and very underrated in this industry. In the test, you have to go through these almost impossible stages where you do different survival tactics. And no one but yourself is to keep you alive, so you have to be by yourself during all of it." He finishes, making the subject more clear as we pull out onto the busy highway.
"Don't worry, that's what all the training is for. I won't let you go through with anything that you're not ready for. I got the old man to bump the date for the test up a bit for the time being," he adds on, almost as if he read my thoughts as soon as they came to mind.
"Okay, moving on. What was it with you this morning? It was as if our whole friends agreement vanished into thin air. You were totally being an ass even after we made that agreement of sticking together. And shouldn't I of been the one who was pissed this morning? You were the one who left me last night," I say as he continues to drive with an expressionless face.
"Look, I didn't mean to come off as a dick this morning. I just shouldn't have- what I did yesterday was wrong an-"
"That's the thing, Nightmare! What in the hell happened last night? All I'm sure of was that you left me and Blake came, and I ended up drinking... A lot," I finish, making him sigh before getting more comfortable in the drivers seat.
"Well, you saw me with a woman at the bar I was having a conversation with, and then you came stumbling over with Blake trying to grab your arm to stop you. And before I knew it, you were yelling something about leaving me leaving you when you needed me. In which I didn't." He grips the steering wheel in frustration before finally finishing.
"Anyways, that's all. And then I took your stupid drunk ass home," he finishes, making me roll my eyes at his last retort. It frustrated me because no matter how hard I tried to remember, I just couldn't, it was as if my mind took a break and all the things never happened. Maybe if I wait long enough, the blank will become clearer. But there was something else I knew he wasn't telling me, I knew it wasn't just that, there had to be something else.
"Whatever, last question."
"Thank God," he says with a sigh, making me glare at him before looking back at the window in front of me.
"Why did you get upset when I smiled at Blake back at the office?" The loose grip on the steering wheel soon tightened slightly again as he blew out a breath.
"I told you to not trust that guy, Lune. He's bad news." I knew I was gonna blow up. I tried so hard to hold in the burst of word combustion that was about to explode, but there was no holding it back.
"Well he was the only guy that was a loyal friend last night!" The breaks automatically take place when we both jolt forward. Luckily already in the driveway to the house and not in the middle of the street.
"Alright, give me your phone." Confused and not believing him, I laugh right in his face as he says those words.
"You're joking, right? I'm not gonna give you my pho-"
"No, you keep saying I left you and mentioned something about ditching you for some kind of business deal and I want to show you something." Tired of hearing his yapping, I give in and hand him my phone. Regretting the fact I don't have a passcode at times like these. Quickly, he clicks on messages before coming across the one that I saw last night.
"What the he-" he begins to mumble but stops as he clicks on the message and begins to read the whole thing. The anger beginning to boil up once again, I snatch up my phone from his hands before looking straight into his blue eyes filled with confusion.
"Maybe it isn't Blake that's bad for me," I say with emotion before snatching my phone, storming out of the car and slamming it closed.
"Luna, wait!" I hear along with footsteps but I keep walking to the door that I forgot was locked. Hurriedly, I get the key from under the mat before slipping it in the hole. Almost making it inside, I close my eyes in defeat when I feel his hand grab my arm, making me immediately snatch it back before staring back into those same ocean blue eyes filled with guilt.
"Luna, I never-"
"Look, Adriano. We're friends and partners, so I'll get over it. But I guess I just thought there was-" I stop myself before looking down in embarrassment, making sure to not say anything that shouldn't be said to humiliate myself anymore than I already have.
"I thought you were different. And I was stupid to think that because I started to actually like the person you pretended to be. But I gue-"
"Luna! Will you please shut up for one second and let me explain!" He yells, but not in a rude or bitter way. Still, I just ignore him and roll my eyes before starting to walk off.
"I've heard all the explanations to exist, Adriano. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a work tom-" I make it fully in the house, but the next thing I know, I'm shoved in the house completely with my back against the other side. And to top it off, Adriano's lips were on mine with his body pressed as a barricade. I try my best not to respond, but I couldn't help it when the feel of his teeth lightly biting my bottom lip made me open my mouth to let his tongue slide in. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. I was kissing Adriano.
I was kissing Adriano Russo.
After snapping back to reality, I was the one to pull away. Only to look down at he floor in embarrassment in the end. I hear a chuckle come from Adriano as well as feel it before feeling him grab my face to meet his eyes.
"I never would have left you, Fiore. That text wasn't from me and I'm sorry for being an asshole about it this morning. It's just-" he pauses.
"I felt bad about kissing you while you were drunk last night and I couldn't... I couldn't meet your eyes. And I'm sorry, no more douche guy, okay? That's not who I am, not anymore." The look of sincerity in his eyes made goosebumps ride up on my arms. Opening my mouth to speak, nothing comes out as result of no words to says. In which only made him laugh once again.
"Go prepare yourself for tomorrow. It is your first day back to work after all," he says with a roll of his eyes before stepping away from me. Slowly I smile before stepping away.
"Uh, thanks," I say before starting to walk upstairs to my room, but stop halfway when it comes back to me.
"Wait, Nightmare!" He stops in his tracks to look up to me, making me smile before saying it.
"Drunk words are sober thoughts," I state with a smirk before continuing my way up to my room. Leaving Adriano down stairs with an untamable shellshocked grin on his face.
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A/N Holy crap, 4000 freaking words... I think that's the most I've EVER written. I'm so proud *cries in Spanish*
GUYS!! I'm not big on casting celebrities for my books, but I so picture Alex Pettyfer as Blake! Yes? no? Meh, whateves.
Anyways, thank you if you read the whole way through, you've made me a proud author and here's a cookie for your determination...🍪
Btw, Do you guys like them shorter or longer? Please pick lol
Don't forget to keep reading and love ya' book dragons💕