Page 36 of Darkest Love
So, because of that, I turn away from her.
“Adrien?” she asks.
“I have more work I have to do,” I say as I head for the door.
“Adrien,” she says again. I can hear the pain in her voice but I can’t comfort her. I can’t explain what I’m feeling because I barely understand it myself.
So, I walk away, leaving her behind in her confusion and pain.
Chapter Thirteen
Anastasia
Iofficially hate Adrien. First, he shows me more pleasure than I’ve ever experienced before and then just walks away like I mean nothing to him?
This is why I have to keep my distance from him. Why I can’t ever give him my body again. I know if we were to have sex, I would fall in love with him. I just know it.
I have to keep my head around him and the only way to do that is to have my family around. They’ve always helped to keep me grounded.
So, I bite the bullet and call my mom. “I need help,” I admit after she answers. It takes a lot out of me to do this. I so badlywanted to prove her wrong. To show her that I could have an adventure. That I could keep my head on my shoulders.
But I’m starting to drown.
“Help? Has something gone wrong?” she asks. “Has Adrien hurt you? It’s been killing me not being able to see you.”
“No, Adrien hasn’t hurt me. But…” Here we go. “You were right, Mom. About marriage. How it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. How I never should have rushed to say yes to marrying Adrien without getting to know him first.”
“Ok,” she says slowly. “What do you need?”
“I’m shocked you’re not telling me ‘I told you so.’ I was sure you were going to say it.”
“I can tell you’re struggling, Ana. I’m not going to rub it in your face. Trust me. So, what’s going on?”
“I miss you,” I admit, holding back the sudden tears that hit my eyes. “I miss you and my sisters. I never thought I would be homesick but here I am. I’m so homesick it hurts.”
“Then why don’t you come home?”
“Because Adrien doesn’t want me to leave. I… I tried once before. But he only brought me back home. And we had a bad run-in with one of his enemies. I can’t risk leaving the house. I’m not that naïve. It would help if you and my sisters could come here. You could stay with us. Even for a week.”
“I would love that. But… is your husband ok with it?”
“I thought you would never care what my husband thinks.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t. But I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
“Adrien won’t hurt me, Mom.” He’s only tied me up and spanked me but that was nothing, even if it still makes me angry to think about. I know though that he’s not going to physically hurt me if I bring my family here. “Just come.”
“It is his house. And he is in an alliance with all of your sisters’ husbands. Be careful, Ana.”
“I am being careful.” Careful guarding my heart from Adrien. There’s no way I can tell my mom about what Adrien I shared yesterday. It’s too humiliating. I never thought a man would ever be this cold towards me. When I dreamed of falling in love, he always reciprocated. Who knew real like would be this hard?
“I’ll try to come soon. I promise.”
Once I’m done talking to my mom, I know I have to tell Adrien that my family is coming. He’ll find out soon enough and it will be better if it comes from me.
I find him in his office – not shocking at all – and clear my throat, making him look up at me.
“Yes?” he asks. Damn him for looking so handsome. A part of his hair falls over his forehead just perfectly, making him look like a model on the cover of a romance novel. My body remembers how he touched me yesterday. How warm and good he made me feel. I want that again so badly I could cry.
