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Chapter 8
"Your foster brother is hot."
"Huh?" I mumbled around my coffee the next morning. River was sitting across the table at the college's cafe with those hazel eyes wide in exclamation.
"Adriel? The cranky guy from yesterday? He's smoking like a bon-fire."
I let my lips pull into a small smile. "Yeah, the guy's hot."
River raised a pale brown brow suggestively. "You two ever bump uglies?" Despite the completely disgusting way to ask if Dri and I ever had sex, I couldn't ignore the heat licking at the back of my neck. Thinking about Adriel and sex made my insides do funny things.
I forced the embarrassment down. "No."
"But you want to, right?" He wiggled his brow, which earned him a swift smack on the back of the head by the artsy goth at his side.
"Ow! Siena, you bitch!" He grumbled at his best friend.
"Stop asking questions that are none of your business." She snapped and set her heavy shoulder bag decorated in Dracula pins on the floor.
"She doesn't have to answer if she doesn't want to." River snapped back and ripped what looked like a blueberry muffin out of her hands.
"I licked it already."
"Ew!" The skinny kid shrieked and dropped the breakfast pastry back into her hand. "You're nasty!"
"No, you're just a germaphobe."
"Am not." He muttered and wiped both palms against his black skinny jeans. Siena rolled her eyes.
"He refuses to eat or drink after someone. If their saliva has touched it, he'll vomit."
"Don't be dramatic." River grumbled in distaste and eyed the muffin like it tried to kill his dog.
"Says the theatre major."
"Whatever. Unless its during sex, no one else's saliva needs to be in my mouth." That had a laugh bubbling pass my lips-a real one. Not my usual forced ones. "Speaking of sex..." Those hazel eyes were back to the wide suggestive look he had been giving me all morning.
"Look, it doesn't matter if I do, alright? He doesn't want to, and I'm not about jumping someone who doesn't want me." In any sense of the matter. I was just another person he felt responsible for. Had to take care of. That was Adriel. The ever observant, over-protective, caring golden boy. Whoever he ended up falling in love with better be worthy of him, and realize how special he was. Or I would make them.
"Honey," River paused and leaned over to rest a reassuring hand on my arm. "Listen and listen really good. You're gorgeous. The only reason a guy isn't going to want to fuck you is if he's gay--and that smokestack doesn't make my gay-dar go off at all. Which is very tragic, might I add, but I digress."
I smiled through the heart ache. "Thanks River, but it would ruin everything." Everything we were now, everything he did for me because he cared, that would all go away. I would lose him. I couldn't lose him. I refused to.
Ignoring Siena's scowl, River sat back in his seat with a small shrug, though the excitement had left his eyes. "Your call, but I'll bet my Apple Watch he wants to sleep with you." A part of me wanted to argue, but a larger stronger part had to let the conversation die. The less I thought about Adriel rejecting me, the better.
It was Wednesday, all my classes were done by noon and I went home shortly after our conversation. I used the excuse that I needed to find Raf a babysitter, and ignored the fact that I was running away from another feeling I didn't want to face. I did, however, spend the rest of the day combing through babysitter websites. Not that I didn't love the kid, but I wasn't going to be able to get her every day and her brother wasn't supposed to be home until six.
The house was creepy when I was alone. Its vacant hallways and dark corners reminded my over-active imagination far too much of the deadly nightmares that haunt my thoughts. I could have sworn I heard soft ghost-like whispers hiding before corners as I sat at the end of the dining room table with my face buried in that damn laptop. It sent a nasty shiver down my spine. I had to play music on my phone to drown out the eerie creeks of the old manor.
"Ah!" I screeched as a loud 'bang!' suddenly sounded throughout the entire first floor. "Adriel, you moron!" I shouted at the beyond smug male standing beside me-an arrogant and satisfied grin pulling across his handsome face.
"Hi to you too."
"Not cool." I snapped and shoved at the large toolbox he had slammed onto the table. He laughed, and the sound did nothing to settle the nerves raging beneath my skin.
"Awe, don't be mad." Adriel cooed in fake sympathy as he reached over to tug on the end of my hair.
"Prick." I muttered loud enough for him to hear.
My racing heart sounded vicious in my ears. So not what I needed. He knew how creeped out I had been lately-if the motion detectors on the front and back door were anything to go by. Unless he was purposely trying to give me a heart attack that was so not cool.
Adriel's chuckle shook through me as he plopped his heavy body onto the chair at my side. "What are you even doing here?" I grumbled, and tried-emphasis on tried-to turn my attention back to the babysitter add I had been studying.
Dri shrugged, and his red flannel hugged those toned arms nicely as he did. "My lunch was at one. I figured we could eat together." His dark blue eyes were almost warm as I cast him a sideways glance. My anger dissipated as his smug look disappeared, but I kept my face hard. No matter how sweet he suddenly decided on being.
"Yeah, well, I don't want to eat with you." I closed the laptop and stood quickly to my feet.
"Oh, stop. Don't be like that. I was just having a little fun." Adriel groaned as I turned towards the kitchen. Arrogant, cocky, good-for-nothing, jerk. I kept my internal grumbling to myself, but it wasn't long before a loud sigh sounded from the overly obnoxious male and the scraping of his chair against the hardwood floor reached my ears.
I was already making mac n' cheese when he entered the kitchen, but that smirk pulling on his lips made me want to stop. "I'm only making you food because you let me live with you." I narrowed my eyes and held the wooden spoon up threateningly.
"If you say so." I ignored the way those blue eyes made my chest clench, and turned back to the slowly boiling water. It was becoming more than a little hard to not stare at the straining muscles hidden beneath his clothes. And then he had to go and lean against the doorframe with his arms crossed-which only gave me the insane urge to kill him. Or jump him. I couldn't be held accountable for either.
"I'll make some sandwiches."
"Oh, is my mac 'n cheese not good enough for the oh-so-mighty Adriel Markos?" I grumbled but kept my back to the infuriating man as he went to the fridge.
"You know I can eat four of those little boxes by myself. I'm going to need more. You probably should too, and that is pure carbs, Lark. Aren't you the one always trying to get us to eat better?"
I bristled at the chuckle in his tone and my grip on the spoon tightened. "It's the middle of the day and you have to go back to work. You'll be able to work off the carbs before your body rests-"
"Alright, alright, relax. I'm just messing with you." His laughter filled the kitchen, and I had to suck in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I had no idea what was wrong with me. Adriel's teasing usually didn't bother me his much. It had to be the lack of sleep.
We fell into a quiet lull where I finished the cheesy noodles and he made sandwiches. It wasn't until I was draining the water from the noodles that he spoke, and scared the shit out of me again in the process.
"Hey..." Strong arms were suddenly circling around my waist as I stood over the kitchen sink, pasta strainer in hand.
"Fuck... Can you stop doing that?!" I snapped as the noodles precariously sloshed in the strainer. "I almost dropped the pasta."
His low chuckle sounded directly in my ear and made every nerve ending beneath my skin strum to life-like they were guitar strings waiting eagerly for him to play. It took all I had in me not to panic as those strong hands circled my waist and pulled my back against his chest in a hug I was so not prepared for.
"I just want to say I'm sorry... for the other day." His handsome face was pressed against my neck and shoulder, and those strong arms were wrapped so tightly around my waist I couldn't move. Not that I particularly wanted to.
This was--new. Adriel and I didn't touch much, especially not like this. He saved hugs for important things, like nightmares and other terrifying matters. He didn't use them to say sorry, not that he often apologized, and he never hugged me like this before. I could feel my heart thudding like an anvil in my chest as his mouth brushed my skin so softly I wasn't sure even he realized what he was doing.
I just continued holding the strainer and pasta out awkwardly in front of us as he cocooned me into the warmth of his hard body. "I was only trying to tease you, and I took it too far." I had no idea what he was talking about, nor did I care. I would pretend to be completely torn apart inside forever if he kept holding me like that. "You are dedicated, and intelligent, and driven, and you don't just try, you do."
Oh... That's what this was about. I had almost forgot about that whole conversation, except for the slight twinge of pain in my chest that had formed because of it.
"I know you can have a job and do your school work perfectly at the same time. I just don't want you to have to do that."
"Dri..." I started on a soft sigh and finally set the strainer down in the sink. Those arms tightened around me as I rested my hands against the fabric of his flannel. "I can't express how grateful I am for you, for your family-but I can't let myself depend on you all the time. That's why I want a job."
He didn't say anything for a moment, but he didn't let go either, and as my hands gripped lightly at his forearms, he rubbed his face against the exposed skin of my neck. The guitar strings beneath my skin turned to butterflies shooting straight for my stomach.
"Is it that bad?" Adriel finally muttered, though his voice was much softer than before. "Depending on me?" I was surprised at the quiet sadness pulling in his voice, and even more surprised at my immediate need to make him feel better.
"What? No, of course not." I tried to turn to face him, but those arms were iron around my waist and wouldn't let me budge. "I didn't mean it like that, Dri. If I let myself always rely on you, then I'm not going to be prepared for the day I can't."
For the day he's gone. For when he finally gets fed up of taking care of me, of forcing himself to believe I'm a part of this family. Because no matter what he said, or maybe convinced himself to believe on the surface, how could he ever accept the person that got his parents killed? How could he ever love them? Love me?
His arms went stiff around my waist, and my breath caught in my throat as he pulled his face away only to press those mind-numbing lips against the shell of my ear. "Why are you always trying to leave me?" Something dark had crept into his voice, and his palms felt like fire through my shirt as he suddenly pressed them against my stomach. I wasn't sure what to do, or how to react as his strong arms shook slightly beneath my fingertips. "Stop trying to leave me."
Then he was gone, his touch disappearing like it was never there to begin with. I spun on my heel and stared at him with wide, bewildered eyes, as he picked up his plate of sandwiches and turned for the doorway. "Hurry up with that mac n' cheese. I'm starving." He shot me a wink before walking casually from the kitchen. Like the entire interaction hadn't just happened. Like that over-active imagination of mine was at play again. If it wasn't for the heat lingering on my neck and stomach, I probably would have believed it was all in my head.
I hesitated in the kitchen for a few moments. My hands were resting against the sink behind me, keeping my suddenly very heavy body standing as I forced my lungs through a couple of deep breaths. What in the hell just happened?
I stayed there a while longer, not really sure if I should play it off like nothing happened or go storming in there. But then a disgruntled, "Lark, hurry up I'm starving! And I got to be back in twenty minutes!" Sounded from the impatient male in the dining room. I let out a heavy sigh and turned backed for the noodles. Play it off like nothing happened for the win.
"I found Raffie a babysitter by the way." Adriel announced as I sat down beside him with the noodles. He was the picture of innocence, no indication of whatever just happened showing anywhere on his person.
"You could have told me that earlier. I've been looking for one all afternoon."
"I know, I saw your laptop. Honestly though," He continued at the narrowed look I shot him, "It just didn't cross my mind to tell you. I'm sorry." The tone in his voice was genuine enough, so I let my accusing stare fall away. Three apologies in one day? He must have put something in his coffee.
"Who's the sitter?" I mumbled around the bite of sandwich I shoved into my mouth. If he wanted to pretend nothing happened then fine. I'll show him what a great pretender I can be. Those blue eyes flickered to mine, and the smile pulling on his lips wasn't at all arrogant. I felt my heart clench.
"A high school junior who lives a few doors down. I ran into her this morning when I took Raf to school. She seemed nice enough." He shrugged and sat back once he had annihilated three-quarters of the food.
Oh, yeah, I'm sure. What high school teenage girl wouldn't be 'nice enough' to him? He was one of the most attractive men I had ever seen, the only one capable of making me blush. I've seen girls throw themselves at Adriel before. Girls my age, a few years younger than me, and more than a handful older, but he would always politely decline no matter how pretty they were. Then he would turn to us and roll his eyes before mumbling something about 'female hormones' under his breath so Rafael wouldn't hear. I would be infuriated at the disrespectful assumption if it wasn't true. He was hard to resist.
"She doesn't, like, worship Satan or anything, right?"
A slow amused smile tugged on the corners of his lips. "No."
"Well, that's good then." I nodded but kept my gaze glued to the now-empty paper plate. Our little embrace was still fresh on my mind, and River's words from earlier were pounding in my ears-putting very vivid, explicit, thoughts in my brain. I was terrified Adriel would be able to see every single one if I glanced at him for too long. I guess I wasn't that good at pretending.
"She starts tomorrow." He began a few quiet moments later. "But has to leave early for some band recital. So, I need you here by four."
"Yeah, I'll be here don't worry."
"Good." Then he sighed and stood slowly to his feet, completely ignoring the distasteful look I shot his way. "I need to get going."
I tried to shove down the panic that shot through my chest. I didn't want to be alone, no matter how irritating he could be. I didn't look at him as I grabbed the empty mac n' cheese pot and took it to the kitchen. Hanging out with River and Siena between classes helped a lot with being away from the siblings. It was times like this, when I would be alone until Raf came home, that the fear crept in.
"You alright?" I didn't realize he had followed me into the kitchen until his voice sounded from the doorway. There we were again, in that little space, almost the exact same position as before. I turned on the hot water and reached for the sponge to try and ignore the thousand different emotions swarming through me-and totally not an invitation for him to hold me like that again.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be? Is there anything specific you want for dinner?" I asked before he could answer my first question.
He was silent for long while, but I could feel those dark eyes staring like hot embers into the back of my head. It wasn't until he walked slowly over, leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to my cheek that the panic faded away. "Whatever you want is fine, Angel. I'll see you at six." Adriel spoke softly and turned for his forgotten toolbox.
"Yeah, have a good day." I mumbled after him, as that heat turned my cheeks into an inferno.
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Hope you all enjoyed!