Page 68 of Worship Him

"What are you doing here?" I ask again, sinking into the armchair across from him.

He leans forward, elbows on his knees. "I saw the news about your crash. I rushed to the hospital, but you weren't there."

My eyebrows shoot up. "You went to the hospital?"

He nods, running a hand through his hair. "When I couldn't find you, I called Barrett. He didn't know where you were, but mentioned your parents were visiting."

"So you called them," I finish, realization dawning.

He nods. "They told me you were here." His gaze locks onto mine. "I had to make sure you and Avery were okay."

The concern in his voice catches me off guard. I look away, unable to bear the intensity of his stare.

"We're fine," I mutter. "It wasn't even a real crash. The paparazzi car went off the road, not us."

His jaw visibly clenches. "Those fuckers. I'll make sure they pay for this."

I look back at him. "Don't," I say, shaking my head. "It'll just make things worse."

Silence falls between us, heavy with unspoken words. I fidget with the hem of my shirt, unsure what to say next.

After a moment, he exhales sharply, his eyes still locked with mine, making a shiver run down my spine. "Jesus, Destiny. You could've called me back."

"I'm sorry," I say, guilt gnawing at me. "I didn't check my phone. I just wanted to get away from everything."

"Everything including me?" he asks, his gaze piercing.

I look away once more, fearing what I might see in his eyes. Anger? Hate?

When I look back, all I see is Adam, and his eyes are searching for something as well. For a long moment we simply look at each other. The tension between us intensifies, filling the room with unspoken words and lingering regrets.

"When you didn’t answer my calls or get back to me, I thought you had taken Avery and left the country." His expression becomes unreadable, as it does when he’s being serious. I always hated that even after being with him for so long,there are moments when I don’t know what’s going on in his head.

I frown, trying to process everything he just said. The silence between us stretches, and my heart thuds in my chest.

"So, you thought I'd taken off with your child on a whim or something?" I finally ask, my voice almost cracking.

He leans forward, his eyes intense. "When I saw those photos of you at the airport, I jumped to conclusions. I couldn't reach you, and my mind went to the worst-case scenario."

"But why would you think I'd do that?" I ask, hurt coloring my voice.

"I wasn't thinking straight," he admits. "And then the media circus... they twisted my words completely out of context."

I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"That statement they're plastering everywhere. I wasn't talking about you," he explains, frustration evident in his tone. "I was referring to the paparazzi's behavior. The way they've been hounding us, invading our privacy. That's what I'm not condoning."

My shoulders relax slightly. "Oh." Well, that’s a relief.

"Destiny," he says, his voice softer now. "All of this chaos... it's made me realize something."

I watch him, waiting.

"I love you," Adam states, his gaze unwavering. "I never stopped loving you. And I don't want our story to end like this."

My heart skips a beat. "What exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying I want us to try again," he replies, determination in his voice. "I want us to restart. We've both made mistakes, but I believe we can learn from them. We can build something even stronger than before."

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