𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

Hope Ashford

I didn't even ask Adrian why he was there, but that's not the important thing. Besides, it's pretty obvious, that he most likely followed us. I could've died if it wasn't for him. All the horrifying moments that my younger self lived came back to me. It felt like deja vu. I still can't believe no one but Adrian helped me.

"Where the hell is my phone?" I whisper to myself as I pace around my room. Then I remember, it's still in Nicolas's car. Speaking of Nicolas. He didn't help me either. He left. He left me there with a bunch of strangers that I didn't know. He claims that he misses me, that he cares about me but he left me there alone. There are three light knocks at my door. "Come in."

The door opens revealing Adrian. He's looking at me with sympathy. Too much sympathy. I shoot him a weak smile and look down at my hands. "Are you feeling better?" Adrian asks. I nod my head without looking up at him. Then I remember that I haven't even gotten the chance to thank him.

"Thank you," I blurt out.

He's silent for a few seconds before speaking, "It's my job, Hope."

"You had the afternoon off," I point out. "You could've done anything else but you chose to follow me to make sure I was safe."

"I care about you," he says. My heart beats faster. I want to smile but then I remember the cold way he rejected me. I don't say anything and fiddle with the sleeves of the dry shirt I just put on a few minutes ago. "I hope that Nicolas leaving you there by yourself didn't hurt you."

I laugh.

"I've been hurt worse trust me," I say, referring to him but I don't even think he knows. Although, judging by the look in his eyes... I think he does know. He got the reference.

"Don't confuse platonic feelings with romantic ones Hope," Adrian says sternly. "Maybe you care about me. As a friend, but you don't love me. You throw that word around like it's nothing."

"When have I thrown that word around?" I demand.

"Probably with your one-week-lasting boyfriends."

I let out a humorless laugh. That's really what he thinks? "I've never said I love you to anyone in a romantic way." I inhale sharply. "And for my fucking misfortune, the first guy I said it to had to be my bodyguard. Screw you, Adrian. You're so quick to assume shit about me like you know me. You know basic information about me because my dad told you but you don't know me."

He opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off, "No don't say anything. I know you don't like me, even less love me. But don't worry, I don't care. Besides, I have Nicolas."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "The guy that abandoned you at a party right?" Asshole.

"Get the fuck out of my room," I snap. I angrily walk towards the door and open it. I gesture for him to leave but instead of leaving, he shuts the door and places his hands firmly on my waist. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you weren't lying to me that day that you took me to the park," he says. The way he's looking at me is sending electricity through my entire body. I sigh nervously as I keep the eye contact going.

"I wasn't lying," I say reassuringly. My heartbeat gets faster when he pulls me closer.

"I shouldn't be doing this," he mutters.

Before I can even ask or say anything, his lips meet mine. That's when I melt. I melt into him, into the kiss. My heart beats faster each second. One of his hands is on my waist, and the other is grabbing the back of my neck to deepen the kiss. His lips are so soft, oh my God. I'm pulling him closer to me in desperation to get more of him.

One knock.

He pulls away from the kiss for a second just to whisper, "Don't open it." And he claims my lips again. I do as he says and I respond to the kiss just as fast.

Two knocks. Louder this time. It's Nicolas's voice saying something like Hope can we talk? But I ignore it. I'm too busy. Adrian has all of me right now. He can have all of me forever.

Three knocks.

Adrian groans as he pulls away and walks towards the door, opening it angrily. "What the hell do you want?" Adrian demands. I walk over to the door and stand next to Adrian.

"What was he doing in your room?" Nicolas asks. I stay silent. He laughs and then scoffs. He starts clapping and nods his head. "Now I understand. All the looks you were giving him back at the ice cream place and you," he points at Adrian. He noticed. "You were so insistent on coming with us. You followed us there. I saw the car when I walked out of the party."

"She could've died because of you," Adrian says before grabbing Nicolas's shirt collar and shoving him.

Nicolas looks at me with anger in his eyes. "Didn't know you screwed around with your employees, Hope. Didn't know you were such a whore."

Adrian lunges himself at Nicolas and shoves him against the wall. Before I can react, "What the hell is going on!?" my mom's voice echoes in the hallway. "Newman get your hands off of him!" Adrian releases Nicolas. "Hope! How can you stand around and let your bodyguard hit your boyfriend!?"

"He's not my fucking boyfriend!" I shout. "He just called me a whore!"

"Can you blame him!?" My heart hurts. My mom just agreed with him. Agreed that I'm a "whore." I wasn't surprised that Nicolas said it but my mom?

Adrian goes in front of me and says, "Ma'am with all due respect—"

My mom lifts her hand and snaps, "You shut the hell up! You're nothing but an employee here so you can keep your opinions to yourself!"

"Did you know that he's been fucking your daughter?" Nicolas blurts out. What the hell?

"That's not true!" I say in defense, but I can tell my mom doesn't believe me.

"Get your things." No, no, no. "You're fired, Newman!"