𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

Adrian Newman

"You can't do that!" Hope shouts at Mrs.Pierce. I'm trying to let the words sink in. You're fired, Newman. I risked my job and didn't do it properly once again. But at least now I know that Hope feels just as much for me as I do for her. I saw it in her eyes. They were genuine and sincere, that's why I risked everything.

"I just did," Mrs.Pierce snaps her head in my direction and glares at me. "Did you not hear me, Newman? Get your things. You're fired. I'll write you your last check, and then you're out of my house!" I nod as I start to walk but Hope grabs onto my arm.

"Please don't leave." This is gonna hurt. So bad. I turn around to look at her. I can feel both Mrs.Pierce and Nicolas's eyes on me, burning me. But Hope is my only focus right now. Only her.

"I can't stay," I say softly. I want to pull her into my arms and hold her more than anything else right now. I want to kiss her again, I want to relive every feeling I got the moment my lips met hers, but I can't do that. Not right now. "I promise you, we'll figure this out," I whisper so Mrs.Pierce and Nicolas don't hear me. Hope nods, but barely.

I turn away from her and start walking to the employee's hall. I get inside my room and try my best not to shut the door out of anger. Nicolas ruined everything. I feel even angrier when I remember what I heard earlier.

"So if you don't want her to know that we're not actually her parents and that both of her biological parents are dead... I suggest you don't start filing for a divorce, James."

Mrs.Pierce is such a horrible person. I know Hope is nothing like her, which is why I hate knowing that Hope has to have her as a mother. She has to. It makes sense. Hope is nothing like her because she's not her mom. I feel terrible knowing that Hope knows nothing about her biological parents. I would tell her but it isn't my place. It needs to be Mr.Ashford who tells her. He's the only parent she has. The parent that cares about her.

I've already changed out of my uniform and into regular clothes. I finish packing my things and open the door. Mrs.Pierce is standing there, holding a check in her hands. "I don't ever want to see you near my daughter again." My daughter. I want to laugh but I don't. She doesn't give a shit about Hope. I know a mother doesn't always have to be a biological one. A mother can be someone who raises a child and loves them unconditionally even if she didn't give birth to them, but Mrs.Pierce doesn't care about Hope. "Out. Now!" Mrs.Pierce hands me the check and steps aside for me to leave.

I do as she says. I walk past her, I start to walk towards the exit. Just as I'm about to leave, I stop. I stop because I can feel her presence. I turn around and look at Hope who's standing on the stairs. Staring right at me. I stare back at her, and I want to say something else but I know Mrs.Pierce is somewhat near. I walk out and I see Jeremy leaning on a car. He shoots me a confused look when he sees my duffle bag. "You're leaving?" he asks.

"Yeah," I reply. "Mrs.Pierce just fired me."

"Oh," he says as stands up straight. "What'd you do?"

"It's a long story."

"Do you need me to take you somewhere?"

"No, it's fine." I sigh. It's a disappointed sigh. "I don't want to cause your problems. You could get fired too." I said goodbye to Jeremy. I would've said goodbye to Katherine too but Mrs.Pierce wanted me out of her house. Her husband's house to be exact. Everything hurts once I walk out the gates, but I also feel relief. Relief because at least I know that Hope loves me. She wasn't lying. I got to know what her lips taste like. I know she feels what I feel when I'm near her.

I know I can find a way to talk to her. My phone vibrates in my pocket so I pull it out and look at the screen. It's an incoming call from an unknown number. I narrow my eyes but I answer the call. I normally don't but it doesn't say it's a scammer.

"Adrian?" I sigh in relief when I hear her voice.

"Hope," I say.

"I just got my phone back from Nicolas's car, and I remembered that I had your number," Hope explains.

"How'd you get my number?" I ask.

"So uh, a while ago," she starts. "I snuck into my dad's office and I got it from some notebook that he had, I think it was an agenda or something." I'm so happy she did that. I was planning on sending her a letter or a note with someone who knows her but this makes things so much easier.

"We have to talk," I say.

"Yeah," she sighs. "I have to talk to my parents first. I'm eighteen, they can't make choices for me. I know my dad won't oppose, it's my mom who's the problem." I disagree. I think Mr.Ashford will oppose because I'm a bodyguard. I can't give Hope the lifestyle she's used to. "Adrian?"

"Yes?" I ask.

"Do you think they'll hire another bodyguard for me?" Hope asks. I haven't thought about that. They will. They'll probably give that bodyguard strict instructions to not let Hope speak to me.

"It's most likely," I say.

"Meet me tomorrow at the park where we got ice cream twice." I smile at the memory. "I'll find a way to sneak out. Be there at eleven am."

"I'll be there," I assure. "Goodnight, Hope."

"Goodnight, Adrian."

—

I knock twice. The door opens shortly after. Leah rubs her eyes, I think I woke her up. "Adrian?" She then looks down at my duffle bag. "Wait. Did you—"

"Yep," I confirm. "I got fired." Leah steps aside for me to walk in so I do. I set my duffle bag down. "Is it okay if I spend the night here? Tomorrow I'll take Sophia back to my apartment." She nods and then turns the light on.

"What happened?" Leah asks.

I sit on the couch, "It's a long story." Leah sits across from me on the other couch, showing that she's willing to listen. I sigh before speaking, "I was talking to Hope and then I kissed her. I couldn't resist and then her stupid ex-boyfriend twisted things saying that I've been fucking Hope when that's not true!"

"Wait, pause." Leah puts up her index finger in front of her face. "You kissed Hope!? As in, the girl you couldn't stand?" I slowly nod my head. "Why didn't you ever tell me that you had a thing for her?"

"Because I wasn't gonna act my feelings," I say. "Until now."

"And you changed your mind because?"

"When I was talking to her, it started as an argument," I explain. "The anger she was showing, it looked like she cared like it was real jealousy when she was talking about an employee that has some sort of crush on me— I didn't tell you that she confessed her love for me did I?" Leah shakes her head no. "Well she did not too long ago, and at that moment I didn't believe her," I admit. "So today when I asked her if she wasn't lying about her feelings, she told me she wasn't. Leah, she looked so genuine and sincere. The way she looked at me. So I kissed her."

Leah and I turn our heads when we hear Sophia's voice, "Can I meet her?" Leah and I look at each other for a few seconds.

"How long have you been standing there?" I ask.

"A while..."

I groan. I know Sophia. I'm about to get asked, one million questions.