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I’m not supposed to know his dad. There’s no way I could.
At least, not until last night… But I can’t lie to Adrian, not even to help him and Gideon repair their relationship. Can I?
“I know your dad wasn’t always there for you as a kid,” I say, my pulse racing as I ponder all the ways this could blow up in my face.
Adrian snorts as he studies his folded hands. “He was never there. He couldn’t get rid of me fast enough. He sent me home early from almost every visit.”
“Okay,” I say, deciding the fact that his mother was manipulating things behind the scenes is something Gideon should explain to him. “But that was a long time ago. You’re an adult now, and it seems like your dad really wants a relationship with you. I um, I talked to him a little last night. At the party.”
Adrian’s head snaps up. “You did? God, why? I knew I should have told him not to speak to anyone. He’s always so damned extra.”
I frown, fighting the urge to leap to Gideon’s defense. If I’m going to win Adrian around to the idea of giving his father a chance, I have to tread lightly. If Adrian doesn’t think I’m on his side, he’ll push me away. “I didn’t find him extra. He was nice. And he seemed to really care about you.”
“He doesn’t even know me,” Adrian mutters, his shoulders sagging.
“But he wants to,” I say softly. “He flew in to support you and to help celebrate your success. He’s ready to be there for you. All you have to do is…let him.”
Adrian sighs, a pained sound that hurts my heart.
“Come on,” I wheedle after a beat. “What do you have to lose? Maybe he’ll have some good advice. At the very least, he can be a shoulder to lean on while you figure out a way forward with Gigi.”
He swallows and the way his throat works reminds me of Gideon. He has his father’s build and Gideon’s wild, but perfect wavy hair. But it’s his mother’s dark eyes that lock on mine as he whispers, “But what if he still doesn’t like me? What if he spends two days with me and bolts again? I couldn’t handle it, Syd. Maybe I should be tough enough to let things like that roll off my back, but…I’m not.”
“Oh, Adrian,” I say, my chest aching as I wrap an arm around his shoulders. “That isn’t going to happen. He loves you. So much. I could see it in his eyes. I know it’s scary to put yourself out there, but if you reach out to your dad, he’s not going to let you down. I promise.”
He arches a brow. “Wow. He really got to you, didn’t he?”
You have no idea, I think. Aloud, I say, “He made a good impression. Yes. But I think I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
“Yeah, you are. That’s why you broke up with me,” he says, his lips twitching a little at the edges.
I smile. “We’re obviously better as friends. But you trust me, right? That’s why you came to me with this, instead of someone else?”
Sobering, he nods. “I do. Even though you lied your face off about being the richest girl in Nepo Babyville.”
“You saw the society page.” He nods, and I wrinkle my nose. “I’m not a nepo baby. You’ve seen how hard I work. My father pushes me harder than any of his other employees.”
He grunts. “You still lied.”
“I did, and I shouldn’t have,” I admit. “I just didn’t want you to hate me for something I couldn’t control.”
“I could never hate you,” he says with an affection that makes me feel warm and worried at the same time.
Surely, Adrian doesn’t still have those kinds of feelings for me. He can’t. If he does, the path forward just got even harder for Gideon and me.
“You’re one of the good ones,” he continues in that same soft voice, making my empty stomach start to burn. “I wish I’d had my shit together when we dated.”
“It’s better this way,” I say. “Friendships don’t have expiration dates. Most college relationships do.”
He laughs, easing my fears. “No doubt. And you being perfect all the time would have driven me crazy, eventually. No offense, but no one should be this perfect, Syd. It’s annoying.”
I arch a wry brow. “Thanks.”
He laughs again. “You’re welcome. And…you’re probably right. Again. I should at least try reaching out to Gideon. He’s in town for a few more days and wanted to talk anyway, so…”
I nod, excited and nervous at the same time. “I think that sounds smart. I’m sure he’ll have better advice for you than I will. I have no idea how I’d handle being a mom right now. Becoming a parent is a huge deal.”
His expression sobers. “Fuck, I know. I’ve been reeling since Gigi texted last night. It just gets scarier and scarier.”
