Courting Trouble: Adventures with a College Wildcard

Chapter 5: A Rescue With Consequences

ADRIAN’S POV

I opened my eyes and found myself in a strange place. This wasn’t the abandoned game room anymore. It was brighter… cleaner… and it smelled like disinfectants.

Then it hit me…I was in a hospital. How did I get here? I wondered.

I looked to my right and saw a girl sitting in a chair. She looked exhausted, with dried blood on her white top. Did she save me? Did she bring me here? No… she couldn’t have overpowered those men. But that blo—

“Oh, you’re finally awake, Mr,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. I had been so lost in my head that I didn’t notice her approaching. She sounded frustrated — like she’d rather be anywhere but here.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice coming out colder than I intended.

“Whoa… that’s a rude way to speak to your savior, you know,” she snapped.

She was the first person to ever speak to me like that, without fear, without flirtation, without respect or hesitation. Her voice was sharp and bold. Completely unlike the gentle tone women used when speaking to me back at the estate.

Clearly, she didn’t know who I was. That had to be it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare talk to me like this. Girls had many tricks to get close to me, perhaps this was another one.

“What happened?” I repeated, louder than expected.

She flinched slightly, intimidated by my tone. “I saw you tied up on a chair and decided to save your life!” she yelled back, clearly fed up with my attitude.

“How did we get here? And why are your clothes stained?” I asked again.

“Argh! You’re really dense, you know? I dragged you here.......! and yes, it’s YOUR blood,” she snapped.

My head was pounding from her volume, so I told her to shut up.

“What?? Is this how you treat your savior? You know what, that’s your problem! You should at least compensate me for my clothes! And I can’t even leave until someone else comes — but I don’t know who to call!” she said, sounding… worried.

Worried? About me?

“Where are your parents?” she asked.

“Dead,” I replied flatly.

“Do you have any friends?”

“No.”

She stared at me, eyes wide.

“No wonder you’re so cold and unapproachable,” she muttered, loud enough for me to hear.

“Who am I supposed to call then?!”

“Get me a pen and paper.”

“Why should I liste—”

“Just do it,” I cut her off. She’s unbelievably stubborn.

She left the ward and returned with the items and a deep frown. I took them and wrote down a string of numbers.

“There. Call that.”

She snatched the paper and headed to the hospital phone booth.

“They said they’ll be here in one hour,” she announced when she returned.

“Hm,” I replied, closing my eyes.

TESSA’S POV

Oh my gosh, he’s so unbelievably rude, I thought as I headed back to the booth to call Elasa. She was probably freaking out.

She picked up after two rings.

“Hello, Elasa—”

“TESSA!!” she screamed. “Where on earth are you!?”

“The hospital near the arcade,” I answered quietly.

“Hospital?? Why?! What happened? WHAT DID YOU DO?? You know what, I’m coming over. What ward are you in?”

“Ward 26.”

She hung up instantly.

Five minutes later, Elasa burst through the door, practically hyperventilating.

“What happened?! Whose blood is that?? Don’t tell me it’s yours!! what did you do this time?! Why are you so reckless, why didn’t you take your phone!! why did you leave me alone in the bathroom—!!” she rambled in one breath.

It took forever to explain everything to her.

Her facial expressions shifted through shock, horror, disbelief.

She finally looked over at the patient bed, and the color drained from her face.

“T-Tessa…? What is HE doing here?”

“That’s him — the rude stranger I saved,” I said.

“That’s not just a stranger, Tess. That’s ADRIAN XANDER!!!”