Page 58 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“Your other option is to act like an adult and talk about your feelings with Adrian.”
“That’s not an option. I don’t want to get all emotional and messy with him. He’s broken my heart once before and I can’t allow that to happen again.”
I check the time on Darius’ Rolex. It’s one in the morning and Adrian hasn’t returned from his meeting with Isabelle. What if he’s not returning? My stomach sinks at the thought.
I try to rationalize the situation by telling myself Adrian hasn’t been gone forthatlong. Maybe he thinksIneed more time with Darius? Perhaps he’s trying to be considerate? Whatever the answer is, I can’t wrap my head around how one moment Adrian and I were having the most amazing sex of my life, thenthis.
I close my eyes, resting my head on Darius’ shoulder as I try to avoid negative thoughts. But they’re too hard to ignore. Come morning, there might not be any need for fake relationships.
ChapterTwenty
It’s morning when I wake next to Darius on the hard bedroom floor. My neck is cramped from using his thigh as a pillow, and I’m sore all over from stand up paddle boarding. Along with the body aches, I have this cloud of doom hanging over my head because of Adrian. I don’t remember what time I fell asleep last night, but I never heard him return to the bungalow.
With Darius still asleep, I fasten the belt of my robe and sneak out of the bedroom. I brew a jug of coffee in the kitchenette, miserable as I wait for the kettle to boil because there’s still no sign of Adrian’s return. Nothing is out of place from the way I left it last night.
I stare at the couch Adrian and I had sex on, reminiscing about how he touched me, how his lips adorned me in kisses, and the way his raspy voice said,Fuck, you’re beautiful, and,Are you trying to drive me insane?Some childish part of me hopes that if I continue staring at the couch and focus on the heated memory, I’ll turn into an X-Men character with the ability to turn back time and prevent Darius from arriving at the moment he did. Or at the very least, I’ll get some mutant power that allows me to manifest my heart’s deepest desire and bring Adrian back to my side.
A distant cough interrupts the thoughts. I glance around the living room for the source of the sound, expecting Darius to have joined me, but he’s still asleep on the floor of the bedroom. I step out to the back garden, and wow, maybe all that wishing and hopingdidturn me into an X-Men, because there Adrian is,aloneon a daybed.
I rush back inside and grab two cups of coffee, then return to Adrian with the biggest smile on my face. I should have known to look out by the pool before getting my hopes dashed over the empty living room. His presence has to be a good sign. Why would Adrian return to the bungalow if things went so well with Isabelle? Perhaps she turned him down when they were on the beach last night. Better yet, maybe Adrian realizedI’mthe one he wants, and he ended all ties with Isabelle.
When I sit beside him, Adrian stirs from the change of weight on the mattress and blinks a few times before looking up at me. He clears his throat and wipes a hand over his face, rising to one elbow. “Hey, Vee. What time is it?”
I bite my bottom lip, caught off guard by how deep and crackly and amazing his sleep voice is. “Eight o’clock.” I pass him a coffee, trying not to appear too desperate as I ask, “What time did you get in last night?”
“I dunno. It was late.”
“What did you get up to?”
“Walk on the beach.”
Well, at least he’s not flat-out lying to my face.
“Yeah, I saw you with Isabelle. How did things go between you guys?”
He shrugs and takes a sip of his coffee, giving no elaboration. “I’ve heard the rumors about you and Darius but didn’t realize you two were actually a thing.”
“Oh, um… we’re—” I’m about to tell him Darius and I aren’t together but remember Darius’ plan to find out if Adrian and I are more than a one-time hookup. “We’re not together. We’re just… It’s complicated.”
“I didn’t take you to be the type for casual sex.”
My cheeks grow heated. Man, this conversation is awkward. Can we please return to how good we were together without our clothes on? And… hang on a minute. Is he using the termcasual sexto describe our hookup last night, or his perception of me and Darius? For goodness sake. Can nothing be straightforward with Adrian? I’m not fit to keep up with the intricacies of this conversation.
“Were you and I casual last night?” I ask.
He looks at me for a long moment, trying to figure something out in my eyes, then gazes out to the ocean and drinks his coffee. “I’m not sure what last night was. Whatever came over us, I had fun.”
“So did I.”
That eases the tension from Adrian’s face, and I earn the tiniest smile when he looks back at me. “It probably shouldn’t have happened, though. You have Darius and I…”
“Have Isabelle?”
His brows pinch together. “Right. Isabelle…”
I wrap my robe tighter around my midsection, hating every second of this stale interaction.
“I’m glad we’re friends again,” Adrian adds. “I’ve missed you.”
