Undeniably Yours, Reluctantly Mine
1561 Words
Elleri barely set foot inside before the words hit her like a slap.
"You can't stay here."
She blinked at her parents, trying to process. "What do you mean? Why not?"
They hadn’t even let her get comfortable before shutting the door on the idea. And to make matters worse, her belongings—every last suitcase—had already been sent to Adrian’s house.
She hadn’t seen them in years, and yet here they were, pushing her away. Why? Because she had a husband? That made no sense. They knew her marriage to Adrian wasn’t built on love. It was more of a contract than anything else.
"You have a husband now," her mother said, her voice clipped. "It’s only right that you live with him."
"Ma, come on," Elleri pressed, looping her arms around her mother’s. "I just got back. I want to be here. I want to spend time with you. Don’t you miss me?"
Her mother sighed, peeling her off gently. "Stop acting like a child. You have responsibilities now."
Elleri frowned, her heart sinking at the words. She wasn’t a child, but was it so wrong to want to feel at home? Chloe stood to the side, quietly observing the exchange.
"It’s late," her father chimed in, voice calmer. "I don’t think there’s harm in letting her stay for the night. Traveling at this hour isn’t safe. Chloe, you should stay too."
Elleri’s face brightened. "Not just tonight. I could stay here permanently."
Her mother opened her mouth, probably to shoot her down again, but another voice cut in.
"We have our own house. You should live there."
Elleri froze, the voice sending a jolt through her. She turned slowly, and there he was.
Adrian.
Dressed casually in a simple T-shirt and jeans, yet still effortlessly striking. Who would’ve guessed the relaxed-looking man in front of them was one of the country’s top basketball players? But she wasn’t focused on that.
How did he know she was here?
She hadn’t even told him she was back. Hadn’t planned on telling him, either. And yet, here he was.
"Adrian," she murmured, as if saying his name would somehow make this less surreal.
His lips curled slightly, a slow, sharp smirk. "Fascinating," he mused. "You still remember who I am."
His tone made her brows furrow. Was he... angry?
"Kuya, I told her," Chloe sighed, stepping closer to her brother. "But Ate Elle insisted on coming here."
Elleri turned to Chloe, narrowing her eyes. It wasn’t hard to piece things together. Chloe must have told Adrian where she was.
She exhaled, shaking her head. "Well, that’s because my parents live here."
"This isn’t your home anymore, Elleri," her mother interjected, her tone firm but not unkind. "You’re married now. You should be with your husband."
Right. Married. To Adrian.
She glanced at her mother, realization sinking in. So that was why they were pushing her away—why they had sent all her things to his house before she even had a chance to argue.
"You’re back," Adrian remarked casually, leaning against the doorway as if he’d been there all along. "If I hadn’t seen you on the monitor earlier, I wouldn’t have even known."
"I was planning to tell you—"
"When?" he cut in smoothly.
"After your game."
"But you didn’t wait for me."
Elleri hesitated. "There were too many reporters. What was I supposed to do? Stand there and look like a desperate stalker? And besides, Ester was—"
She stopped short, her throat tightening. Her parents didn’t know about Ester.
Adrian’s gaze sharpened just slightly, catching the slip. But instead of pressing the issue, he simply exhaled and ran a hand through his hair.
"Get your things. We’re going home. I need to rest."
"You don’t have to worry about that," her father said. "We already sent everything to your house."
"Then we should leave," Adrian replied, turning away. "I have early practice tomorrow."
"Can I at least stay the night?" Elleri’s voice softened, carrying a trace of pleading.
Adrian paused mid-step, exhaling slowly before turning back to her. He knew she had missed her parents—it had been five years since she last saw them. And yet, the thought of her staying behind unsettled him in a way he couldn’t quite name.
Still, he knew her too well. If he fought her on this, they’d be arguing until sunrise. She never backed down once she had made up her mind.
Without a word, he turned toward the stairs.
"Wait. Where are you going?" Elleri called after him, confused.
Even her parents looked surprised as Adrian started up the steps.
"Bedroom," Adrian muttered, already heading up the stairs. "Like I said, I’m exhausted. I need to rest."
Elleri watched him go, confusion knitting her brows. He moved through the house so effortlessly, like he had lived there his whole life. Even her parents showed no sign of surprise. They weren’t questioning his presence, weren’t telling him he was overstepping.
It was as if this was normal.
"I’ll start preparing dinner," her mother said, heading for the kitchen.
"I’ll help," Chloe added, trailing after her.
Elleri stood frozen for a moment before turning to her father, desperate for clarity. "Pa—"
"Go to your husband," he said simply, patting her shoulder before stepping away.
Elleri opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Her parents were treating Adrian like he belonged here more than she did. She was their daughter, yet she suddenly felt like the outsider.
"Seriously?" she muttered under her breath, throwing a glance toward the kitchen where her mother and Chloe were working together like everything was perfectly fine.
She huffed. There was no changing their minds now. And Adrian? He wasn’t the type to be stopped once he decided something.
With little choice, she headed upstairs.
Pushing open the door to her bedroom, she barely had time to process before—
"Oh my—"
She immediately slammed the door shut behind her, heart hammering in her chest.
Adrian stood near the bed, stripped down to only his boxer shorts.
Her face burned.
"What are you doing?" she snapped, turning her back on him.
Adrian arched a brow, utterly unbothered. "Why are you facing the wall?"
"Seriously? You’re asking me that?" she sputtered. "Look at yourself! My goodness—what were you thinking?"
He glanced down at himself, still entirely unconcerned. "What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?"
Elleri chanced a glance over her shoulder—bad idea.
Her stomach flipped.
The years of basketball had sculpted his body into lean muscle, all sharp lines and effortless strength. She had known him forever, but never like this. Never this… exposed.
"My god," she breathed out, snapping her gaze away again.
Adrian let out a low chuckle, clearly amused. "You’re overreacting."
"I am not," she shot back, voice too quick, too flustered.
He smirked, running a hand through his hair before settling onto the bed. "I’m going to sleep. What do you expect me to do? Keep wearing my clothes from earlier? It’s hot."
Elleri groaned. There was no winning with him.
"You don’t have any clothes?" Elleri asked, still stubbornly facing the wall.
"They’re at home," Adrian replied, stretching lazily. "But someone here insisted on staying."
She almost turned to glare at him but caught herself just in time—remembering exactly why she shouldn’t look.
"Excuse me? I never forced you to stay. You invited yourself," she shot back.
Adrian let out a dramatic sigh, his voice carrying a teasing edge. "Five years apart, and the moment you’re back, you don’t even want to come home with me."
Elleri stiffened.
Was he—was he actually upset?
Just hours ago, he had looked completely at ease with Aster. He had gone straight to her instead of coming to see Elleri first. She could only assume that meant he had missed Aster more than her. And honestly, why wouldn’t he?
She wasn’t the woman he loved.
If their families hadn’t forced this marriage, Adrian wouldn’t have chosen her.
The thought made her chest tighten. She exhaled slowly, pushing the feeling away.
Her gaze flickered toward the wardrobe. Right—she had left some clothes in there before leaving the country.
Maybe there was something Adrian could wear. Because if he was staying in her room, there was absolutely no way she was sharing a space with him dressed like that.
She moved cautiously toward the wardrobe, side-stepping as if any sudden movement might somehow make Adrian less shirtless.
Adrian watched her, amused.
"What are you doing, silly girl?" he asked, the laughter in his voice unmistakable.
"Shut up," she muttered, reaching the wardrobe and flipping through her old clothes.
Her fingers brushed against a pair of pajamas, and for a brief moment, she hesitated.
Would he even wear them?
She sighed to herself, shaking her head. "Better this than having him standing half-naked in front of me."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously talking to yourself now? Did your brain finally give out on you?"
She shot him a glare over her shoulder. "Haha. Very funny," she deadpanned before inhaling deeply, squeezing her eyes shut, and turning to face him.
Adrian frowned at her posture—eyes squeezed shut, hands tightly gripping the fabric, feet moving hesitantly toward him.
- Writer
