Chapter 2
622 Words
I didn't plan to talk to Adrian Sinclair.
I planned to avoid him like I had been doing all week.I did this by turning my head at charity luncheons. I also pretended not to notice how people adored him so much. I stuck close to Noah as he was someone I felt safe with.
But fate had something else for me.
I was standing by myself on the terrace of the Devereux estate. The city lights of the estate were shining brightly beyond the iron rails. Then I heard a voice behind me.
“Still running away from me, Nat?”
I froze.
The tone of his voice was really calm and amused, with a bit of teasing in it.That tone hit me harder than I thought.
I turned around slowly.
Adrian stood steps away from me, his hands were in the pockets of his nice suit pants. He looked different. Not just because he was older,more handsome or taller. He seemed more in control and that felt kind of dangerous. The happy smile he used to have as a kid was gone and now he had this smile. It was sharper which made him look more serious.
“ I'm not running. I just don't have anything to say to you.” I said, my chest tight.
His lips curved slightly. "Really? Well that’s new. You used to have a lot to say about things back then as a kid."
I really didn't like that he was able to remember that.
“You used to enjoy annoying me,” I replied. “Has that changed too?”
He looked at me. I mean he really looked at me, like he was searching. "I was only eight years old and silly " he said in a low voice. "You were the only person who didn't treat me like I was special because of my family name Nat.”
I paused.
Before I could say anything Noah showed up next to me. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his hand touching my arm
Adrian looked at Noah for a second in an unsettling way.You couldn't tell what he was thinking.
“We're just talking."
Noah smiled.The smile looked forced. "What are you talking about exactly?"
”The past”. He said calmly.
Noah's grip got really tight. He said "Some things are better left there" and then he started pulling me out of the scene when something inside me just snapped.
I pulled my arm free. I was surprised by how irritated I felt. "I can speak for myself, Noah." I said, quite disgusted.
There was this uncomfortable silence that followed.
Adrian broke it.
"I didn't come back to cause trouble. He turned to me while his gaze softened. He continued, "I came back because this city was never finished for me.
Without thinking,I asked"And what about me?". Then I wished I had not said that
His gaze softened."especially you".
My heart skipped a beat.
I caught Noah with a side eye— his jaw getting tense. Just then, one of the servants came to me. “Miss Natalie, your dad sent for you.”
“Ok… I'll be there soon” I replied
Adrian turned to me. “Maybe some other time then.” Then he brushed a strand of my hair.
I gave him a faint smile.
As he walked away I knew something didn't feel right.
The boy who used to annoy me was gone.
I turned to Noah again. He was smiling, but something about his smile didn't seem right. It was like that of possession.
“You shouldn't trust him, Natalie” Noah said softly.
I nodded.
But for the first time, I wasn’t sure If I believed him.
- Writer
