Twenty-one
Sophie, who seems so irritated, wakes me up.
“Alanna what happened last night,” I rise up opening my eyes, to see Sophie is right in my face. I lean back and she gets the hint and moves away too.
“What are you talking about?”
“I am talking about you, Katharine and two unbelievably gorgeous British guys, and the fact that there was a fight.”
“It wasn’t a fight,”
“Katharine told me that Adrian hit Michael, isn’t that his step brother?”
“Yes he hit him, but Michael deserved it.”
“What happened?”
“When we got to dinner Michael starting being rude to me and Katharine was no better.”
“Katharine said that it was you two that were being rude.”
“What, we only responded to their rudeness.”
“So what actually happened?”
“Michael called me a bitch, Adrian flipped out and hit him.”
“Never, why did he call you a bitch?”
“He started going on about me and Marco, and I really don’t feel like talking about it.”
“Alanna you never seem to want to talk about anything anymore.” “I guess I have just, changed.”
“I know what’s changed, it’s that you are now with Adrian, and everything revolves around him.”
“No, I am not like that; I just find it boring with all these little dramas that go on here. If they had real problems then it would be different.”
“What are you talking about?”
“New York and its people, their worries focus on the latest fashions shows, and if they look fat, or if there friends are talking behind their backs.”
“Alanna, you used to be one of them.”
“Maybe I pretended to be, but now that I have heard how hard a life Adrian has had, I can’t go back to pretending I care about all the silly little things.”
“What happened to him?”
“I don’t feel like I can talk about it, Sophie it’s not my story to tell.”
“But I am your best friend, or at least I used to be.”
“You still are, but Adrian told me all that in confidence. I can’t betray him by repeating it.”
“Okay, I understand but I want you to know that you can come to me anytime.”
“I know I can.”
I jump out of bed, get dressed, and head out into the hallway. As I do, I think of what Sophie said about Katharine, she actually said that I was the one being rude. I go over to her room and I knock on the door. Her brother Leo answers, he does not look too pleased to see me. Leo and I used to study together and he did ask me out once, but he was not too disappointed when I turned him down and we have been friends ever since.
“Leo, hey how have you been?”
“Alanna I am fine, are you here to see Katharine?”
“Yes, is she in?”
“No she’s not, she told me that you two had some kind of argument or something?” Leo is one of those laid-back people, who would never associate with any kind of drama, so he always judges when others do.
“The guys we were with did, it wasn’t so much me and Katharine. Did she say where she was going?”
“She is meeting up with that British dude.”
“Can you tell her I stopped by?”
“Sure babe.”
I walk away and I am a little glad she is meeting with Michael. At least I will not have to tell her that Michael is breaking up with her. As I walk back to my room, I see Marco over by the lockers. Therefore, I do exactly the opposite of what my head wants me to do but instead I follow my heart, and my heart is saying, how awful and depressed this guy looks. His hair is longer than usual and he has facial hair that I have never seen on him before. He is always usually dressed in finest Italian clothes, however today he has on pair of loose jeans and an oversized black hoodie. He looks a shadow of his former self and I cannot help but feel at blame for it. I walk briskly over to him looking down at the floor as I do.
“Marco, how are you?” I say as I look up at him. He looks down at me and says,
“Good, I suppose.”
“Marco I want to apologise for everything that happened.”
“You apologise, are you joking with me?”
“No,”
“What do you have to be sorry for, I am the one who assaulted you.”
“You didn’t assault me, Marco I pushed your buttons.”
“Alanna I was mad at you for not liking me, I was obsessed you.”
“Can we put this behind us?”
“I can never be your friend, it wouldn’t work I would want more.”
“We don’t have to be friends, I just don’t want there to be this awkwardness between us.”
“There won’t be any,” Marco reaches down and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I smile and turn to see Adrian standing there behind me.
“Adrian Hi,” I say smiling but I know that look on his face, he is not happy. He stands glaring at Marco. His hands are trembling and I fear what he will do. Trying to avoid an awful scene, I take him by the arm and lead him back to my room.
“Adrian, I know how that must have looked,”
“Don’t Alanna, just don’t.” Adrian looks so angry; I go over to him and take his hands in mine.
“I just wanted to clear the air with him, that’s all.”
“Why do you care Alanna?”
“I don’t like seeing people unhappy.” Adrian lets go of my hands and puts them on my face. He kisses me and I know he is not mad anymore. When I finally break free from him, I begin to wonder about Michael, knowing Adrian and how touchy he is about things; I decide to wait until he brings it up first.
“I don’t have long until my flight, is there anything you want to do?” I see him look at the bed but I pretend I did not. “Maybe we could get breakfast?” He laughs and says,
“Okay Miss Hart breakfast it is.”
We go to small café not far from my dorm. Adrian orders us a massive breakfast consisting of almost everything on the menu.
“Adrian I think you have ordered too much.”
“No I haven’t, you can manage.”
“Are you trying to make me fat?” I say as I burst out laughing.
“No but I don’t like to see people go without food.”
“But I have plenty.”
“Yes but as a child I never had any.”
“I never thought,”
“That’s okay, why would you.” I look at him again feeling guilty for having it so good when I was growing up I try to shake off the feeling and say.
“Adrian, are you looking forward to going home?”
“I have to go, but no I wish I could stay.”
“Adrian with all this going on now with Michael, I don’t know how to feel about this whole situation.”
“You don’t have to worry Michael is fine, he will carry on protecting you.”
“So you sorted it out with him?”
“Yes Alanna.”
“I am glad that it was all just a misunderstanding.”
“It wasn’t, he told me last night that he loves you but he has agreed for your safety to stay here with you.”
“Adrian, that is going to be very odd for me,”
“I know, but there is nothing more I can do.”
“Can’t you stay?”
“You know I would love to, but the business needs me.”
“I need you,”
“If there were any other way I would do it in a second.”
“I know,” I agree, but the truth is I do not know, why he would put business before me, if he loves me. I also cannot help but dread the next time I see Michael. I cannot get immune to the fact that he says he loves me. I am just shocked to my very core about it. I have no words I have no explanation to why.
“Alanna it’s time for me to go,” I roll my eyes I do not want him to leave.
“Can’t you stay a while longer?”
<
br /> “No my flight leaves in an hour, and you know what traffic is like.”
“Okay then,”
I get up and follow him out of the café. I see the car waiting to take him away from me. I feel sadness rush over me, I will miss him so much. Even though we had arguments and fallings out, this has still been the most magical five days ever. I fell in love with the most beautiful man I have ever seen. I began to understand him more when he opened up to me about his past. He still never told me the secret he has, but I managed to look past the annoyance of that. I will miss his kiss, I will miss his cool British accent, I cannot think of waking up and him not being there. I do not know how I will cope; I love him so much that it actually hurts. I hurt every time I think of him so far away.
“My love, come here,”
Adrian takes me in his arms and holds me too tight. He slightly loosens his grip and kisses me. He lets go and gets into the car. As he does, he looks at me and says,
“Until next time, baby.”
As I watch him leave, I begin to cry, the tears are flowing as I walk down the street heading back for my college dorm. I think of Adrian as I walk down the cold bitter street. He looked amazing today in a tailored dark blue suit, with a white and black striped shirt. His eyes, as usual, were glowing green and his light chocolate hair was messy and undone, however I now realize that is my favorite way he wears it. I cannot describe his looks, I feel lost in them every time I look at him!
I finally get back to the room, I walked extra slow back, as I did not want anyone to see me cry. I enter the room to find Katharine and Sophie sitting on the beds. I feel a little awkward and Katharine looks upset. I want to sort this whole thing out with her, after all she is one of my close friends. I walk over to her and stand right in front of her, so she has to look at me. Her eyes are red and bloodshot, her cheeks are hot and stained from her tears, just like mine. I do not know if she is crying because she is mad at me, or because Michael ended things with her, either way I am about to find out, as I pick up the courage to ask her what is wrong.
“Katharine, are you okay?”
“Alanna please, I am not in the mood right now to have an argument with you.”
“The last thing I want is an argument; I want to clear the air.”
“Alanna, I know what Michael called you was terrible and I gave him hell for it, but I really don’t want to talk to you about this right now.”
Why was Katharine being so awkward? Did Michael tell her how he feels about me?
“Katharine you are my friend and we can’t let guys fighting with one another tear us apart.”
“Alanna it’s you they were fighting about.”
“What do you mean?” I say fearing what her answer might be.
“Michael broke up with me, he told me he has feelings for you and that he was jealous of Adrian with you. That’s why he got so mad.”
“Katharine even if that was the reason for Adrian and him fighting, we can’t let that ruin our friendship.”
“Alanna, you don’t understand.”
“Then tell me,” I say desperately.
“I really liked him, and he just chose you.”
“He didn’t choose me, I am with Adrian. I don’t feel that way about Michael.”
“Then if you don’t, why are you always with him everywhere he goes?”
“That’s for another reason that I can’t discuss, but believe me it’s not anything like that.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“Have I ever lied to you before? Sophie you know how I feel about Adrian, tell her I could never be with anyone other than him.” Sophie looks to Katharine,
“It’s true; she does only have eyes for Adrian.” Katharine sobs and sits back down on the bed. I go over to her and take her in my arms.
“Katharine, I am so sorry.” Katharine sobs even harder and chokes out, “I’m sorry too.”
For the next, few hours Sophie, Katharine and I lie on the one bed and watch old movies, and that is just what the doctor ordered giving the circumstances and the pang of pain I have every time I think of Adrian’s last words to me. In addition, I do not want to go out into the halls, as I am scared I might run into Michael. I cannot walk around the city, as I fear that someone is following me. Staying in with my two best friends and losing ourselves in the world of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, seems like the only thing to do. Sophie and I used to watch that movie every Sunday. We would wake up early and call the other one to make sure they were coming. Each week we take turn to play host, I would always have the bagels and coffee out, and Sophie would steal her mom’s pearls, so we could wear them while we watched the movie. Every time I think, back on a happy memory from my child hood, one from Adrian’s always plagues it. When other kids his age were out playing on their bicycles, he was smoking marijuana. The thought and the sickness of it will stay with me forever. My mind suddenly goes back when I was at the beach and I saw Alice. Unaware that she was Adrian’s mother, how she seemed to have a lot on her mind. She looked distressed and I felt sorry for her. How wrong I was, I really wish that Adrian had not asked me not to go back and see her, because if he had not then I would. I would go her and ask her how she could do that to an innocent child. Why would she let a stranger who beat her, do it to her son? I have no words to describe the hatred I have to this woman for putting Adrian through all that. Then I have a sudden brain flash, I will go see her. Adrian does not have to know and I can keep it from Michael. I will just say that I am going to visit my parents, if he ever shows his face again. I am beginning to worry why he has not come to find me yet, perhaps it is because he knows that I am with Katharine, and he feels it would be to strange or maybe he is just boycotting me all together. All I know for sure is, tomorrow I will go find Alice, and I must make sure that Michael does not find out. Later that night when Katharine has gone back to her own room, Sophie pulls me to one side and has a very nervous look on her face.
“Alanna earlier today there was a man here looking for you.”
“Who was he?”
“I am not sure exactly, but he looked very weird.”
“What did he look like?”
“He was older, he had dark greying hair, and he wore a very smart suit and talked with kind of accent.”
“What did he say?”
“He just asked me where you had gone, who you were with and how long you would be.”
“Sophie did you tell him I was with Adrian?”
“Yes why? Alanna who is he?”
“I don’t know for sure, I think he is maybe one of Adrian’s clients,” I lie but the anxiety on my face shows Sophie that I am edgy about this.
“Alanna, is there something going on that you are not telling me?” I wish I could tell her, I really do but I fear not even, what she will say, I fear that I will get her involved and she may end up hurt.
“No Sophie, I think he was just looking for Adrian about business. He obviously knew Michael was here and figured that Adrian was too.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?”
“Yes there is nothing to worry about,” I look away thinking that she might see right through my lies.
“Alanna before I forget, he left you this.” Sophie hands me a little white envelope, I walk away from Sophie and start to open the letter it reads,
Your boyfriend is a murderer. If you do not break up with him, then you are as good as dead.
I am shocked so I quickly fold the letter up and put it in my jeans pocket. I say to Sophie that I will be right back, I open the door and I march down the hallway until I come to Michael’s room. I knock on his door and he answers straight away. I barge in without even saying, “Hi,” I take out the note and throw it to him. He catches it and says.
“Alanna what’s this?”
“Read it,” I say with no emotion. As Michael reads over the note, the look that comes to his face is terror. “Where did this come from?”
“The guy from
the other day dropped it off with Sophie, while I was out with Adrian.”
“He actually came here?”
“Yes today,”
“This is getting worse,” Michael, says rubbing his forehead.
“Why are they saying Adrian is a murderer?”
“I don’t know,”
“The look on your face says otherwise.”
“Alanna you have to talk to Adrian about that, as for now you have to stay here. I can’t let you go back to that room.”
“I can’t stay in here, what would everyone think?”
“I don’t care; god only knows what could happen to if you don’t.”
“I will be fine, I will lock the door.”
“Has none of this clicked in your head? There are people who want to kill you.”
“You don’t think I know all that, but you didn’t spend the last four hours with Katharine sobbing her heart out over you. What would she think if she knew I stayed here with you?”
“You think I care about Katharine and her little tragedies, your life is it at risk Alanna, and you will stay here.” The look on Michaels face says that I really should not protest any more.
“Okay, but I have to call Adrian and tell him everything first, okay?”
“Fine by me, I will go tell your friend that you are staying with me tonight.”
“What, no,” he shoots me another look of that I should do whatever he says.
“Can you at least make up an excuse of some kind? Make sure she doesn’t think that there is anything going on.” Michael rolls his eyes and slams the door behind him. I reach into my pocket and take out my phone. I dial Adrian’s number and wait as it rings. When he picks up his voice is rough,
“Alanna what’s wrong?”
“Don’t panic, but the guy from the other day showed up at the dorm today while I was out with you.” The phone is silent and I can only hear the painting in Adrian’s breath.
“Alanna I know things with Michael are strained right now, but go to him.”
Three Thousand Miles To You,(Three Thousand Miles, Series, Book #1) Page 16
