Page 87 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“Hold on. Verena,what?” The words are sharp, and he’s just as frustrated as me now. “Ididask you to the dance. A rumor spread throughout school that you liked me, so I built up the courage to ask you out, then you told me to get fucked in front of all of my friends. You want to talk about humiliation, there you go.”
“I heard you laughing with your friends about me. Your words are scarred in my mind.You should have seen the look on her face. What a loser.”
“Verena, the only reason I said that was because you embarrassed me in front of everyone, right after I’d put myself on the line for you. I’m not saying it’s right. I just want you to understand where the comment came from.”
Suddenly, the dark nook we’re standing in feels too tight, and it’s like I can’t breathe. I slide halfway down the wall, crouched over with my head in my hands. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Verena, talk to me.”
“I can’t. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’m so confused that I don’t even know what’s real. I need time to comprehend everything.” I stand up, not brave enough to look Adrian in the eyes. “I need to be alone right now. I’ll find my own way back to the resort.”
Adrian takes me by the hands before I have a chance to leave, pulling me in close to him. “Don’t leave,” he says with a fierceness in his eyes. “This is real, right here and now—me saying I love you. Verena, after all these years, we’ve finally found our way back to each other. I can’t lose you again.”
Those are the words that break me, making my tears run freely. “Let me be alone right now, Adrian. Please.”
ChapterTwenty-Eight
The sun is almost rising by the time my bodyguards escort me back to the resort. I bang on the front door of Darius’ bungalow, begging for him to wake up and let me in. He answers the door like a zombie, with bed hair and eyes only half-open.
“Shit,” he says once seeing my teary face, and pulls me into his arms. “What happened?”
“I need a place to sleep.”
“Things didn’t go well on the date?” he asks. I shake my head, unable to answer the question. “Robe Time?”
“Not even Robe Time will fix this.”
Darius welcomes me inside. “Come to the bedroom.”
As soon as I enter the front door, I see Zac asleep on the couch. “Trouble with Penny?”
“I think this might be the end of their marriage, but we don’t need to talk about them right now.”
I crawl into bed with Darius, telling him the whole story of what went down between me and Adrian tonight. If what Adrian says is true, I’ve been living a lie for most of my life. My perception of reality is warped. I’ve spent so many years hating the one person I could have been blissfully happy with.
Even if Adrian is telling the truth, that doesn’t magically erase years of trauma and anger. This is why I wanted to forget about the past and start with a clean slate. But now, there’s no avoiding old scars.
What about Isabelle? How does she fit into all of this? As a pawn? I hope she isn’t hurt.
Several hours later, I wake to my phone vibrating off the bedside table and clattering to the ground.
“Are you going to get that?” Darius mutters from beside me with his head buried in a pillow.
I check the screen and swear. Tory is calling.
“What were you thinking?” she scolds as soon as I answer. “There are photos all over the internet of you kissing Adrian at a street festival last night.”
“Dammit,” my voice croaks, groggy with sleep. “I was hoping the photos wouldn’t spread so fast. But don’t worry. No one knows I’m on this island. This won’t impact the wedding at all.”
“Think again. I’m having a breakdown on my wedding day because there is an insane number of fans and photographers that security is holding off from barging into this resort.”
“What?” I sit up, suddenly wide awake. “How do they know I’m at this resort?”
“You tell me? Someone must have followed you back here and spread the news.”
“Tory, I’m so sorry.”
“Verena, this is exactly why I asked you to keep a low profile. My wedding day is not meant to start off like this. I should be enjoying a nice breakfast with my fiancée, not cleaning up your mess.”
