Love Me Without My Name

Chapter 4 — About Last Night

Adrian lay sprawled on the couch in his room, fast asleep. Veronica had spent the entire night in his house, snoring loudly like a cow.

As she slowly regained consciousness, she stirred and sat up on the bed, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar room in confusion. Where the hell is this place? She wondered. The place looked nothing like her luxurious mansion.

"Where am I?" she murmured inwardly, her gaze drifting across the walls. Framed pictures of famous musicians hung neatly around the room together with a cheap looking guitar. The owner of this place must be a total music freak.

Her eyes continued scanning the space until they landed on Adrian, who was lying shirtless on the couch. She glanced down at herself and froze. She was wearing an oversized shirt, completely different from the outfit she had on the previous night.

"Wait... this isn't what I wore yesterday," she whispered. "Where the hell am I?" The words finally escaped her lips.

A slight headache throbbed at her temples, most likely the aftermath of the alcohol she had consumed at the bar. She tried remembering the last series of events, but nothing.

Veronica slowly lifted the duvet, praying it wasn’t what she feared. But her suspicion was confirmed, she was half-naked underneath, wearing only the large shirt and a pair of shorts that clearly didn’t belong to her. A loud scream tore from her throat, jolting Adrian awake.

Adrian snapped out of his sleep, looking utterly confused by her outburst. He quickly sat up, trying to calm her down.

"Miss? Are you okay?" he asked gently. "You need to calm down. You're safe here."

"Who the hell are you? And what am I doing here?" Veronica demanded, her voice loud and aggressive.

"Are you serious right now?" Adrian replied, surprised by the questions.

"Start talking, or I swear I’ll call the police!" she snapped. "Why am I in your bed?"

Adrian tried to explain, but the words came out in broken, hesitant sentences. Suddenly, realization hit Veronica like a bolt of lightning. She gasped.

"Wait, did you...?"

"No!" Adrian frowned, raising his hands defensively. "Hell no. I’d never do something like that."

"Then what am I doing in your bed? In your room?"

"You don’t remember anything? Nothing at all?"

Veronica remained silent, staring at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"Okay, you really need to calm down, woman," he snapped, losing his patience.

"What?" Veronica gave a slight, sarcastic grin. He doesn’t get to be rude to me. I’m the victim here, she thought.

"You were drunk last night," Adrian continued after a deep sigh. "Some goons attacked you at the bar. They tried to rob and harass you, but I stepped in and saved your ass. So right now, what you need to do is get up, get your things, and get out!" He sounded clearly annoyed.

Veronica was stunned. She could hear his words, but all she could focus on was how fine he looked standing in front of her. For a brief moment, the wildest thoughts crossed her mind, but she quickly composed herself and behaved like the refined woman she was.

"That’s no way to talk to a woman," she murmured, her voice suddenly low and surprisingly calm.

"Oh, now you want to lecture me on how to speak to you?" Adrian shot back. "You’ve been rude since the moment I first saw you."

"You removed my clothes…"

"No, I didn’t," Adrian cut in quickly. "My mom did."

"Your mom?"

Just then, the door creaked open, and Adrian’s mother, Soraya, stepped into the room.

"Our visitor is finally awake," she said warmly, looking between the two of them. "How are you, my dear?"

"Good morning, ma’am," Veronica replied hesitantly.

"Morning, Adrian told me you’re a friend of his. You looked pretty wasted last night, is everything okay at home?"

Veronica glanced at Adrian, surprised by how kind this stranger was being to her, even as far as claiming to be her friend.

"I’m... so sorry for the trouble" she said politely.

"Oh, don’t worry about that. Anyone who’s a friend of Adrian’s is family." Soraya leaned in closer, as if sharing a gossip. "You know, I keep telling Adrian it’s time for him to get a girlfriend. He’s never dated before…"

"Mom!" Adrian groaned, embarrassed.

But Soraya ignored him. It wasn’t every day she got to see such a beautiful girl in their home.

"Since you two are already friends, why don’t you turn things up a little? I mean, take it to the next level," she suggested with a mischievous smile.

Adrian coughed violently, choking, as if something had gone down his throat the wrong way. "Mom, please… I’m embarrassed."

"Embarrassed? Oh, stop it. She’s really pretty!"

Veronica sat on the bed, smiling like a fool. She felt strangely relaxed and welcomed, something she rarely experienced in her own family.

"But he said he had an ex. He even wrote a song for her," Veronica added mischievously, feeling surprisingly comfortable around his mother.

"Jesus—no, we are not doing this," Adrian muttered, covering his face, though a small part of him seemed to be enjoying the chaos.

"An ex?" Soraya laughed. "He’s definitely lying. This boy has never dated in his life." She lowered her voice to a whisper, like someone about to clock some tea, but the tea was loud enough for Adrian to hear. "Sometimes he makes me wonder if he’s gay…"

"Mom?" Adrian called out with a chuckle. "I’m not gay."

"I’m not saying you are. Besides, it’s 2026, anybody can be whatever they want to be," Soraya replied cheerfully.

"Ma’am, thank you so much for your hospitality," Veronica said, "but I really have to get going now."

"No, no, no. I’ve already cooked breakfast. You must join us."

"Mom, come on," Adrian muttered under his breath. But Soraya was already pulling Veronica gently out of bed.

"There’s a new toothbrush in the bathroom. Freshen up and come downstairs, okay?" She gave Adrian a playful, silly smile before heading downstairs to serve the food.

Adrian stood speechless for a moment, then slapped his palm against his forehead, the air between them turned awkward, thick with silence as they both avoided each other’s eyes.

“I’m… sorry about that,” he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “My mom, she’s always like that.”

Veronica said nothing. She didn’t even know what to say, she just lay there, staring at him.

Adrian hesitated for a second, then gave a small nod to himself and turned away. Without another word, he walked out of the room, leaving her some privacy. The door creaked softly as it shut behind him.

Veronica clutched the duvet tightly to her chest, smiling and blushing at the same time. The mere thought of Adrian as her boyfriend sent butterflies dancing in her stomach. She felt a deep sense of peace and happiness—something she hadn’t felt in so long. With a soft sigh, she stood up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.