Chapter Five
1128 Words
Alessia.
I knew I was staring and I knew it was wrong and I should quit it very soon, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so. I kept my eyes peeled on the man just a few feet away from me, my mind reeling with a million and one emotions.
What the hell was happening here? How was this even possible? In all of my five years after that day, I'd never imagined I would see Adam again. Yes, he haunted my thoughts and I cried for weeks on end, but I never thought I would bump into him again, and at the most random place at that too.
"Mia." Someone's voice cut through my thoughts and I flinched. I didn't know which hurt more; the fact that he wasn't even looking in my direction or the fact that he didn't even recognize me anymore. " My coffee. Stat."
You literally dyed your blonde hair ginger and changed your name, my subconscious screamed in my ears but I wasn't listening. How could I exactly?
"Yes sir." The receptionist bobbed her head up and down before scurrying behind her chair. I watched closely as the scene unfurled before me. In less than a minute, Adam got a cup of coffee, piping hot too. " Here you go."
"Cancel all my meetings today." He rasped as he took a huge gulp. I scrunched up my nose in disgust as the strong scent of dark hit my nose. When did Adam start taking Black coffee? " I won't be in till tomorrow."
"But the investors…"
" Cancel. All. Of. My. Meetings. Today." His icy voice sent shivers down my spine. " Is that clear?"
" Yes sir." The receptionist nodded immediately, her ponytail swinging behind her.
I still didn't know why I stood there. I should have left a long time ago but somehow I couldn't bring myself to do so; the scene that had just unfolded in front of me was too big to walk out on.
This wasn't Adam. The Adam I knew was never like this. A pang in my chest had me choking on my words. If I was being honest, I was the last person expected to let those words slip out of my lips. I never forgot, no matter how hard I tried to, it just wasn't possible. If he could cheat on me with his friend Sam, then I was a hundred percent sure this meant nothing.
"You." I was suddenly aware of my surroundings again. " What are you staring at?"
" I.." My hold on my envelope tightened. I swallowed a huge gulp as my words suddenly began to fail me. " I…."
"Speak." Adam was in front of me with no less than three strides. A strong musky cinnamon scent rolled off of him and wafted through my nostrils and I found myself cringing. This wasn't his signature scent. He smelt like hardwood with a little bit of fragrance, this wasn't Adam's signature scent at all. " Or are you suddenly dumb now?"
I wanted to speak, at least say something, even if it was the tiniest of sounds, but it never came. Instead, I stood rooted to my spot as I stared at the remains of the sweet man I once knew.
" I think I know what to do." The moment the words slipped out of his lips, a scalding hot pain shot up my arm. I jerked back in pain as the remains of his black coffee rolled down my white shirt, a few drops staining the white tiles. Tears pricked the back of my eyes as I fought to keep them at bay. I felt hot all over as the hot coffee seeped into my skin, literally burning its way through. That was sure to leave a scar, I knew that for a fact but I couldn't quite tell why the hell Adam did what he just did.
"What the hell!?" I shrieked, pain evident in my voice. " What did you do that for?"
" You were staring." He tossed the empty styrofoam cup to the ground before crunching it up under his feet. " I hate it when people do that."
" You could have just said so!" I spat, anger boiling up in me. I wasn't sure why I was mad, but I could easily narrow it down to the stoic expression he wore on his face or the fact that he wasn't even sorry. " Was all of this really necessary?"
" Don't ever question me, young lady." He took two more steps towards me and I took a step back. He tilted his head towards me before whispering.
" No one does."
" I think it's high time that changed." I knew I shouldn't have said that, something in me told me I shouldn't have but another part of me refused to believe this was really Adam. Adam would never hurt a woman intentionally, he would never hurt me.
But right now, I wasn't Alessia Donna, I was Sydney Asher.
" You have no idea who I am do you?" Adam tilted his head closer, his menacing voice too close for comfort. " If you did, you would be shaking right now."
"You're an asshole." I spat slowly, and I'd be damned if I said I didn't hear the receptionist gasp behind her desk. Something ticked in Adam's green eyes as I stared at them. My eyes roamed his face as I searched for anything, anything at all to prove he was still the Adam I knew. " A f*****g aashole who has no manners."
" You will pay for this." I shuddered at the intensity of his voice. " I promise you."
He was no longer next to me in a matter of seconds and I blinked back a couple of times as I tried to adjust to his warmth leaving my body.
Without a word, he spun on his heels and started in the direction of the exiting revolving door.
I shouldn't have said it, I knew I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have even tried to push him or test him like I just did, but I did, even with the dangerous aura that was radiating off of him. Like that wasn't enough, my stubborn self convinced me to do something stupid.
"Sydney," I yelled out loud and he stopped abruptly. " My name is Sydney Asher."
Without a word I watched Adam resume his long strides. He was out of the office complex in a matter of seconds but I knew this was far from being over. If anything, I'd just started a war, a war I wasn't quite sure I was up to the task for.
- Writer
