Chapter 317
“Hey, hey… it’s okay,” Adrian whispers softly. “I’m here p>
His arms tighten around me, one hand cradling the back of my head while the other presses firmly against my back, holding me together as sobs rack through my body.
I can’t stop crying.
Everything I forced myself to hold in all evening finally pours out of me in violent waves.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs again, his voice calm and steady against my ear.
I cling to him like a koala, my fingers twisting into the fabric of his shirt as if letting go might make me fall apart completely.
For a moment, nothing else exists. Not the house or the chaos of the day… He’s the only one that exists. Just the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek and the warmth of his arms wrapped around me.
Seconds later I feel him carefully shift.
He moves us inside, one arm still locked around me as he nudges the door shut with his foot. The soft click of the lock echoes faintly behind us.
He guides me toward the couch.
“Easy,” he murmurs.
I barely register it when he sits down and gently pulls me with him, settling me on his lap like I weigh nothing.
My face buries deeper into his chest as his hand moves through my hair in slow, soothing strokes.
“There you go,” he whispers. “I’ve got you p>
My breathing is still uneven, but the storm inside my chest begins to ease little by little under the rhythm of his touch.
For several minutes, he says nothing. He Just holds me and lets me cry, and somehow that makes it easier.
Eventually my sobs begin to quiet, fading into soft hiccups.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper hoarsely.
His hand stills for a brief moment.
“For what?” he asks gently.
“For ambushing you like this… and soaking your shirt,” I mumble, gesturing weakly at my tear-streaked face.
He pulls back slightly, his fingers tilting my chin up so he can see me. There’s no irritation in his expression. No frustration. Just concern.
“Sierra,” he says softly, brushing a tear from my cheek with his thumb, “you never have to apologize for falling apart with me p>
Something in my chest tightens at those words.
I hate comparing, but this right here… this is something I never had with Noah.
My tears never bothered him. My pain was always brushed aside. My heartbreak never meant anything to him… But with Adrian, things are different. He cares about every tear, every ache, every little thing that hurts me.
“Bad day?” he asks quietly.
A weak laugh slips out of me. “That’s… one way to describe it p>
His brow furrows slightly. “I haven’t talked to Kerry yet, but didn’t the case go the way it was supposed to p>
“It did,” I answer, still resting against his chest. “I won against both Bio-Renew and Jocelyn p>
“Then why are you crying, Princess p>
Just thinking about what happened a couple of hours ago makes my eyes sting again.
Honestly, I don’t even know if it’s because of what happened, the hormones or a messy combination of both.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asks a moment later.
I hesitate.
Not because I don’t want to tell him, but because I don’t want to burden him, and explaining what happened today means opening the door to the messy history I have with Noah…I’m not sure I’m ready to do that just yet.
He doesn’t push. Just watches me patiently, his hand still resting protectively over my back.
“No pressure,” he adds gently. “We can just sit here, and I can continue holding you if that’s what you want p>
I stare at him for a long moment before whispering the only words I can.
“They know p>
His brows pull together. “Who knows what p>
I swallow. “My baby daddy’s parents found out today that my baby is their grandchild p>
Adrian’s face clouds with confusion. “Didn’t they already know p>
I shake my head. “No, they didn’t.” I take a deep breath. “I’m close to his family. Have been since we were kids… but when he found out I was pregnant, he told me to keep my mouth shut and that no one should know about the baby p>