"Good morning, kid."
You shift in your bed, sighing in content as you curl up and pull the heavy blanket further up. The mattress dips as the source of heat laying beside you scoots a little closer. A soft smile tugs at the corners of your lips when you feel your boyfriend's touch. He wraps a strong arm around your waist, pulling your back against his bare chest. Adam leans in, his lips grazing the lobe of your ear. You giggle and roll over to face him, staring lovingly up into his honey-brown eyes.
"Sleep okay?" You murmur, reaching out to run your fingers through his dark hair.
Adam nods, smirking as you trail your fingers down his broad chest. He watches your hands glide over his skin, gently touching every beauty mark and freckle. "I had fun last night."
You chuckle, propping your head up. "I should hope so."
Adam leans in and presses his lips against yours. You fall back into your pillow as he braces his elbows over you, hurriedly trying to deepen the kiss. He grips your jaw and pulls away for a moment to tease, "fucking morning breath."
"Dickhead." You laugh, lightly slapping his arm.
With a mischievous glimmer in his eyes, he climbs on top of you and reconnects your lips. "Up for round two?"
You run your fingers through his hair, pulling him down further. Just as Adam reaches down to the waistband of your panties, you grab onto his wrist and stop him.
"I have work soon. The alarm clock should ring any minute now. I need to get ready." You brace your palms against his chest.
Ever since you had moved to New York City, you had been lucky enough to start the career of your dreams. You worked for a high fashion magazine. You weren't a designer just yet but you helped to arrange runways and intern for other designers. Now that it was February, New York Fashion Week was swiftly approaching. September had been a hassle for you but your dedication during that time helped you get promoted. You couldn't afford to be late or make any mistakes now. Your boss was strict and you wanted to prove to her that you could handle an ever higher position.
Adam's smile falters. "Work? I thought you weren't working until tomorrow."
You furrow your brow. "I told you last night."
"Shit," he murmurs. Adam glances up at the clock and immediately scrambles off of you. "Fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't set the alarm."
Everything comes to a screeching halt. You quickly sit up, eyes widening. "Adam! What time is it?"
Adam shifts. "Half past eight."
"Eight?" You exclaim in horror, throwing the blanket aside. "I was supposed to be at work by half past seven."
"I'm sorry-" he slowly tags behind you as you rush to get up. "-baby-"
You whirl around, clutching the door frame. "We'll talk about this later. Can you make me a bagel or something? I'll eat it in the cab."
Adam nods stiffly. He knew how badly he had messed up this time. As he treks into the kitchen to make you at least some form of breakfast, he hears you practically flying around the apartment, trying to get everything together in time. Adam winces when he hears the bathroom drawers getting slammed. You weren't usually too upset with anything until it came down to your work. He knew how important your work was to you and how dedicated you were to getting that second promotion. If you could do that, you would be set for a long time. That promotion didn't just secure your future; it also gave you and Adam a future. And that future was an extremely touchy subject.
You hop out of the bathroom, trying to slip your left foot into the sleek black stiletto. Your hair was pulled out of your face in a low ponytail--it was all you could manage throw together quickly--and you were wearing one of the black dresses Adam liked so much. He steps forward in nothing but his boxer briefs, holding out a toasted bagel.
"Adam," you sigh as you stuff your belongings into your purse. "This can't keep happening. You need to start listening to me. You have a horrible case of selective hearing. If this keeps up, I can't let you spend the night with me when I have work in the mornings."
"I don't want to go back to my apartment." Adam shifts, swallowing thickly.
You pause for just a moment. "I know..."
"That's why I wanted to talk to you." He presses his full pink lips together. "I'm tired of moving back and forth. I don't want to walk ten fucking blocks to see you every day."
"Can't we talk about this later?" You dig out your house keys and brush loose strands of hair out of your face. "I'm kind of in a rush. I'll see you after work if I don't get fired for this shit."
Adam catches you by the wrist quickly. "I want to move in together."
This brings you to a screeching halt. "What?"
"You heard me." He slowly releases you.
You chew on the inside of your cheek. This conversation was one you had had many times before and it never ended well. "I keep telling you that I would love to. But this isn't about me. This is about you sorting out your problems."
"What problems?"
"Don't play dumb." You scoff. "Fucking Hannah. She's not over you and every time she 'needs' you, you go running back to her. I sick of it. It's hard to deal with that enough as is, but I can't have you disappearing every two seconds when we're living together. Deal with her or I'm gone, Adam."
"Gone?" Adam echoes. "What do you mean gone?"
"I-I've been avoiding it for a while. But Hannah is ruining this relationship. You are ruining this relationship every time you go back. I need you to figure this out or I won't be able to do this with you anymore. Figure it out or-" you take a breath "-we're done."
As you pull the door open, Adam reaches over you and slams it back shut. He ignores your furious expression as you twist to face him, hand still on the doorknob. "Done. You want to end this relationship because of issues with Hannah? You're fucking unbelievable."
You scowl. "I don't have time for this. Move. I need to go to work."
"Fuck work!" He shouts suddenly, his strained voice hurting your ears. "Hannah fucking hates you. And I defend you every single time. I love you. C'mon, you don't even mean a word of what you're saying."
"Stop looking at me like I'm asking you to shut down a nuclear bomb. This isn't complicated. Tell Hannah it's over and then we can go back to this. If not, you know where the door is because you're blocking my way. Move." You rip the door open.
"Don't fucking leave. We're not finished. Hey-"
His voice is muffled when you slam the door shut in his face. You rush down the stairs of your apartment complex, making a beeline for the front door. To your luck, you manage to hail down a taxi and climb into it. The driver pulls away from the curb and takes off down the busy streets of New York City. Your phone begins to buzz in your purse and you dig it out, sighing when you see a screen filled with texts from Adam. This wasn't the time for you to deal with his stubbornness. You quietly silence your phone and shove it back into your purse, praying that your boss wasn't in a terrible mood already.
~
The sun was slowly disappearing from the sky and dipping down behind the towering buildings of the city. It paints the sky with streaks of orange, pink, and purple. The vibrant colors reflect off of the shining windows in the skyscrapers, basking the city in a peaceful ambience. You only wished that peace was something you were carrying throughout your day. Your boss had cut you a break--after a sit down and a stern talking to--but she made you work harder than ever to finish the spreads. With Fashion Week approaching, this would have to be your very last slip-up.
Around your lunch break, Adam had called you completely drunk. He was an absolute mess because of the fight and what had happened after it. He had been so determined to keep you that he stormed Hannah's apartment and picked a yelling fight with her. Apparently Hannah was trying to seduce him or some shit and she started saying some nasty things about you. That was when Adam lost it and got himself wasted. You couldn't even do anything about it because you were stuck at work all day. Although you would have normally appreciated his effort, him getting drunk wasn't something you wanted to deal with. Especially not with how many times he had been trying to call you.
Just as you climb into your cab, your phone begins to vibrates once more. With a heavy sigh, you accept the call and raise it up to your ear. "Adam, I'm not in the mood for this right now. I just want to go home."
"Then I'm coming over." He sounded a little better, but some of his words were slurred.
"No. Please don't." You pinch the bridge of your nose in frustration. A pause of silence. "Adam don't you dare come over. You're drunk. Stay home and I'll come over to you if you really want to talk about this."
Adam scoffs. "I'm fine, kid, I can handle my alcohol. I'm coming over now."
"Adam, don't leave your house! Do you hear me? If something happens to you I swear I'm going to kill you. Adam?" You groan when you hear the line go dead on the other end.
You set the phone down in your lap and lean your head back against the seat of the car. All you wanted to do was go home, but traffic in New York around this time was a nightmare. Truthfully, you were better off just walking but your heels would kill you. Fifteen minutes drag by and you find yourself still stuck in a sea of honking cars and angry drivers. You run your fingers through your loose hair, closing your eyes for just a moment. As if on cue, your phone starts to vibrate again. You pick it up and answer without even bothering to look at the Caller ID.
"Adam? I told you to stay home I really-"
"Is this (Y/N) (L/N)?" An unfamiliar voice interrupts.
You pause, your heart dropping. "Y-Yes. Who is this?"
"I'm calling from NYC Hospital/Bellevue on behalf of a patient here by the name of Adam Sackler. I'm afraid you need to come down here at once." The voice replies.
Immediately, your palms go sweaty and your throat dries up. "What? What happened?" Your breathing starts to quicken.
"Ma'am, I need you to stay calm." The woman says flatly. "Mr Sackler has been in a car accident and I-"
You hang up before she could even get the words out. Practically flinging the cab toll at the driver, you push the door open and spring out of the car, ignoring his shouts of protest. Your heels clomp against the concrete ground as you push through the crowds, tears stinging your eyes. You weren't too far away from that hospital, but if you kept up this pace you would get there even quicker.
With adrenaline and fear pumping through your veins, you manage to get to the hospital just as the sun disappears from view. You sprint through the doors, coming to a screeching halt at the front desk. The receptionist looks up in alarm and you tell her Adam's name. She gives you the room number and you disappear within the blink of an eye. Your stomach twists and you felt as though you were going to be sick. You must have looked insane sprinting through a hospital with your hair wild and tears shining on your cheeks. With a loud bang, you burst into Adam's room, your wide eyes falling onto his bed.
He looks up at you in shame. His face was paler than ever and his hair was messier than yours. There was a large gash above his eyebrow and some patches covering cuts on his torso. His left leg was in a cast, but other than that he seemed alright. You practically fling yourself at him, fighting back the urge to beat him with your purse.
"Are you fucking insane?" You demand, cupping his face. "I told you to stay home, you crazy drunk."
"I'm sorry." Adam says hoarsely, tears welling in his eyes. "I couldn't fucking lose you. I'm sorry. Stop crying." It was more of a demand.
You smash your lips against his. "Don't do that to me ever again. What the hell happened to you?"
His sad eyes lower. "I shouldn't have gotten into that car. After what happened with Hannah I couldn't deal with the stress of losing you too. I didn't get you fired, did I?"
"Forget about that." You run your thumb across his cheek. "You're safe now and that's all that matters. If you ever pull this again I'm going to break both of your legs, you hear me?"
Adam laughs weakly, his dimples flashing. You lean in, planting another kiss on the tip of his nose. "I love you, Sackler."
"I know, kid."