Page 54 of Nothing Without You
“I’ve never slept with her,” his brows pinched in severe focus. “Nor will I ever.”
“I didn’t ask,” I replied.
“I know.”
“Then why tell me?”
“I don’t know.”
While that answer wasn’t the best, it was good enough for now. Gone were the teary misunderstandings. “Does this mean we can be… friends?” I asked.
Christian’s finger feathered over the diamond. “If that’s what you want.” His hand lightly brushed mine, but I couldn’t fully feel it. Only a slither of it, a whisper of it—apromiseof it.
There was a time when I was the yapper, while he was the listener.
Now we seemed to bask in silence, and it was comforting knowing we were both feeling the same way instead of suffering under it alone.
Christian’s nostrils flared with a deep inhale. “Adelaide,” he spoke thickly.
Howhad I lived so long without hearing my name on his lips?
Three syllables, one word, and it belonged to him.
“Christian,” my pulse quickened.
Forgetting about everything.About the others a couple of feet away from us, about the child barred to his hips, Christian tilted his head down with parted lips.
I wanted him toeviscerate?—
The doorbell rang.
Stumbling backwards,what just happened?
Our chests heaved as we stared at each other.
It reminded me that night when I first kissed him and pulled away, he looked just like this. Heaving and speechless.
Disappointment flooded my stomach.
Being attracted to him couldn’t mean forgetting how he treated me all those years ago.
With a final glance at Christian and our newly labelled friendship, I walked into the kitchen to find Umaima munching on fries.
“Are you expecting someone?” A piece of potato fell out of her mouth, and she blushed sheepishly, picking the piece, and eating it again.
Osama was also stuffing his mouth with fries.
These two…
“Everyone, this is Detective Rowlen. He’s gonna be helping us.” Christian walked in with an extremely dashing man behind him. Buzzed head, grey eyes, and a smile that could melt any girl’s panties.
Not mine,obviously.
A scruff bracketed against his dark skin. “You guys can call me Jake.”
Andhe was British.
Jake Rowlen looked over at me, showing off his pearly whites. “Adelaide Mikael. I haven’t seen you since you were a kid.”
