Chapter 270
Since Adrian cancelled on me again, I didn’t expect to see him standing on my porch. So when I open the door and find him there, my brain stalls for a second, like it needs time to catch up with reality.
“Hi,” I say stupidly, my eyes grazing over him.
He’s dressed in a black V-neck T-shirt and black jeans, and he looks unsure. It catches me off guard because this is the first time I’ve ever seen him like this. Like he’s hesitating. Like something heavy is pressing down on him.
What unsettles me most is that his eyes aren’t on me. They keep drifting toward the road.
I follow his line of sight, my heart stuttering for reasons I don’t fully understand, but there’s nothing there. Just the quiet street, a parked car and the glow of a streetlamp.
When I turn back to him, his brow is furrowed.
I wave a hand in front of his face. “Adrian p>
He blinks like he’s waking from a dream. “Sorry p>
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he says quickly, then hesitates. “I thought I saw a car I recognized. Guess I imagined it p>
I shrug, folding my arms loosely over my chest. After everything today, my nerves are shot and I don’t have the energy to dissect shadows.
We stare at each for a beat too long
It’s been weeks of half-made plans and last-minute cancellations. Weeks of sorry, something came up and rain checks? Weeks of me telling myself I’m being understanding while quietly wondering if I’m an idiot for waiting.
So yes, seeing him here, now, throws me off.
“Hi,” he says slowly.
“I thought you couldn’t make it,” I say instead.
He gives me a small, almost sheepish smile. “I thought I could stop by p>
“After saying you couldn’t make it p>
He shifts on his foot before lifting the bags in his hands. “Can I come in p>
I hesitate.
It’s not about him. It’s about the day, about Noah, about Jocelyn, about the emotional wreckage I’m still standing in, and honestly, I’m not sure I have the strength to face whatever storm he might be carrying with him.
I should turn him away. Tell him we can talk tomorrow. Tell him he can’t just show up at my house after canceling on me. Give him a piece of my mind… But I don’t do any of that. Instead, I step aside because when have I ever done what I’m supposed to do?
“Yeah,” I say softly. “Come in p>
I lead him to the living room and for some weird reason, it feels warmer with him in it.
While Noah’s presence felt like a disruptive hurricane, Adrian’s feels like the calm after a storm.
He sets the bags down on the coffee table and glances at me. “I hope you haven’t eaten… I wouldn’t want to eat by myself p>
“You’re in luck, because I haven’t and I am starving p>
“Good. I brought Chinese p>
He knew exactly what he was doing when he showed up with food, because is there really a better way to calm a pregnant woman than good food? And not just any food, either. The really good kind.
I head to the kitchen for cutlery while he unpacks the food. Everything feels almost normal, domestic even, but my heart is racing because I know this isn’t a casual visit… And the fact that he still hasn’t told me why he’s here only confirms it
We eat at the coffee table, knees brushing occasionally.
The conversation is easy at first. Just small talk and light comments.
“How was work?” he asks.
I snort. “Define how p>
He chuckles. “That bad p>
“Worse,” I say, but I don’t elaborate.
I don’t want to get into what happened with Jocelyn. It’s not that I don’t trust him or anything like that, I just don’t want to talk about how I easily lost my nerve.
After we’re done, he insists on helping me clean up. We move around each other in the kitchen with quiet ease, like this isn’t new even though it kind of is.
When everything’s put away, we head back to the living room and immediately the silence settles between us. It’s not uncomfortable, exactly… Just weighted.
Then I decide to break it.
“Adrian p>
“Si p>
We speak at the same time.
He gestures toward me. “You first p>
I take a breath, feeling my heart press against my ribs. “Is… is something wrong? Or did I do something wrong p>
His face softens immediately. “Why do you ask p>
“Because it feels like something’s changed,” I say quietly. “You’ve been cancelling a lot more than usual. Almost feels like you’re avoiding me p>
I honestly thought things were going great between us, well, that’s until he started pulling away. Communication thinned and cancellations piled up.
I’ll admit, it fucking hurt and for a while, I convinced myself I’d made another mistake when it came to relationships. I even blamed myself for opening up, for letting my guard down and giving him a chance.
He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry p>
Honestly, I can’t bring myself to accept his apology. It feels too much like he’s been toying with my feelings.