Adrian
1271 Words
“Aurelia?”
My heart stopped, cause I recognised him instantly.
It was Adrian, Kael's stepbrother and Vivienne's son. He looked exactly the same since I remembered.
Same brown hair and brown eyes. The same face I hadn't seen for three years.
And judging by the look on his face, he was just as shocked as I was.
“Aure…”
Before he could finish I pressed my hands over his mouth. “Shhh!”
His eyes widened.
“Do you want them to hear us?” I whispered.
For a second neither of us moved as Gideon and Vivienne came out looking confused.
My heart was beating. Adrian looked from my face to the library door and immediately understood.
And something sharp settled in his eyes, slowly he nodded.
Only then did I realise his hands were wrapped around my waist. Not in a weird way or intentionally, I had practically crashed into him.
If he hadn't caught me I would have landed face flat on the floor.
The realisation barely registered before I realised Vivienne was coming towards where we were.
I froze.
Adrian pulled me slightly closer without thinking. The movement happened so naturally it startled me.
Neither Gideon or Vivienne noticed us. It seemed they had concluded no one was there and continued talking.
“Just do something about it.” Vivienne said almost in a whisper but I could hear her.
“I know.” Gideon replied faintly.
“Dont take too long.” Vivienne's voice was colder.
“I said I know, stop panicking.” He adjusted his tie impatiently.
Vivienne shot him a warning look. “Lower your voice.”
The two of them disappeared down the corridor.
Only when their footsteps faded completely did I finally lower my hands from Adrian's mouth.
The silence that followed felt strangely awkward. Adrian stared at me like he had a lot to say.
Neither of us spoke then finally I turned to leave to avoid that. “You're alive.” I heard him say.
“No.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“Eliora.” I said. He continued staring. “My name is Aurelia.” I crossed my arms.
He was still staring. “Oh my God.” I muttered.
“That's not true.” He said so sure of himself.
I glared at him but he just smiled. “See?”
“See what?” I asked immediately.
Before he could say anything else, another voice echoed through the hallway. “Adrian.” She yelled.
It was Vivienne. The smile vanished from his face immediately and he straightened.
A second later, Vivienne came right in front of us. The moment she saw Adrian her expression softened.
“Adrian.” she smiled widely.
For the first time all day, she looked genuinely happy. She walked forward immediately. “You're finally home.”
Adrian hugged her briefly. “Hi, Mom.”
“When did you arrive?” She asked softly. “Hannah said you came this way.”
“About twenty minutes ago,”he replied.
“And you didn't come to see me first.”
“I was coming.”
“Were you the one who dropped this vase?” She asked, glancing at the vase.
Adrian looked nervous. “Yes,Mom. I was looking for you everywhere, I mistakenly did.”
“Okay.” She said softly. “You've been gone for almost two months.”
“I know.”
She sighed dramatically. “You work too much.”
Adrian laughed. “You say that while living with Kael.”
Fair point. Even Vivienne couldn't argue with that. Her gaze shifted and landed on me then she looked at me like she hadn't seen me there at all.
The warmth vanished immediately. She looked cold and hostile now, the way she had always been.
“Adrian.” She said sharply.
“Yes?”
“Stay away from her!”
The silence that followed was uncomfortable.
I wasn't even offended by what she said, at this point I was honestly impressed by how openly she disliked me.
Adrian frowned slightly. “Mom…”
“Stay away from her!”
Adrian changed the subject instead. “How have you been mom?” He said, dragging her down the hallway.
Vivienne blinked. “It's been good and…”
Their voices drifted down the hallway as they left.
I quietly slipped away back to my room. The moment the door closed behind me I thought about everything I heard.
I sat on the edge of the bed. My mind replayed every word I had overheard.
“..she shouldn't be here.
The more I thought about it, the worse it sounded.
Were they talking about me?
Nothing made sense anymore and somehow I couldn't remember anything and I didn't know why.
I only had flashbacks and nothing else, I was getting frustrated.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
I frowned then it came again. “Come in.”
The door opened and there he was.
Adrian.
“What are you doing here?” I said flatly.
“I asked Hannah which room you were staying in.”
I blinked
“What?”
He smiled nervously.
“You asked Hannah?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to find you.”
I stared.
Closing the door behind him he glanced around the room then his gaze returned to me.
“You sound like her.”
I sighed.
“I don't.”
“You do.” He said immediately.
“You really do.”
I glared wondering if I had to deal with him too.
“You glared like her too.”
I froze. “What do you want?”
“You talk exactly like her too.”
“Stop.” I muttered.
Instead he smiled. “You're Aurelia right?”
“No.” I replied. “All this is just a coincidence.”
“Sure.” He sounded unconvinced.
“People can have similarities.”
“Of course.”
“It's normal.”
“Absolutely.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You're impossible.”
“You used to say that too.”
“Adrian.”
“There she is.”
I guess he caught me even though I knew that wasn't the plan, he saw right through me.
I threw a pillow at him immediately but instead he caught it.
“Get out.” I said giggling.
“No.”
“Adrian.”
“Aurelia.”
I pointed toward the door. “Leave.”
“Not until you tell me the truth.”
“What truth?”
“That you're Aurelia.” I groaned then started pushing him physically to the door.
“Out.”
He was laughing now. I pushed harder but he barely moved.
My foot caught the edge of the rug, the world tilted.
Everything happened so fast, one second I was standing, the next I was falling.
Strong arms wrapped around me immediately.
Adrian steadied me before I could hit the floor.
One of his arms was around my waist while the other was against the wall behind me.
His eyes widened slightly and mine probably did too.
“Are you okay?” He said panting.
But before I could answer the door opened and a familiar voice spoke. “Aurelia..”
I turned slightly, Kael stood in the doorway.
His tie was slightly loosened like he had just rushed home from work.
Then his gaze dropped to Adrian's arm around my waist.
The room went completely still. Kael looked at Adrian and Adrian looked at Kael.
Neither of them spoke then finally. “Adrian?”
- Writer
