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He sits up. “What are you doing? Why’s the window open?”
“I wanted some fresh air.” Warily, he rolls over on his side.
His naked torso is exposed, tanned, toned, and marked with visible scars of a past life. The scars on his back are from wounds long healed. He throws the cover to the side, fully nude when he stands, but he grabs a sheet from the bed and wraps it around his waist as he walks over. I shift out of the way as he reaches over me and shuts the window, locking the humid air outside.
In that time, I get up from the chaise, pacing back and forth as the rays from the waking sun touch Adrian’s skin.
“What’s wrong?”
His words sound more like an accusation than a question.
“Is this worth it?” I ask, my voice trembling.
“Is what worth it?”
“This...us... Brianna. Your daughter,” I say, reminding him that my dad won’t be our only detractor. “We’venevergotten along. She’s going to goddamnrage.”
“Brianna is a grown woman. So are you.”
“We won’t be met with open arms when we get back to town,” I ramble off. “I just... I’m trying to protect my... my heart.”
He towers over me, not knowing what to say. I pace back and forth in front of the bed, my bare feet softly thudding against the polished hardwood floor.
“Protecting your heart is my job now,” he says finally. “We talked about all of this.”
“We head home in a few hours. How do we find clarity in this chaos?” I ask, teary-eyed.
“There’s no chaos. Calm down.” He watches me circle the room.
“My dad is going to fucking kill you.”
“He might try.” Adrian shrugs as if he thinks it’s kind of funny.
“I don’t want to blow up your friendship. I love my dad so much; I cannot hurt him,” I murmur, my voice breaking slightly.
“Hey.” He cups my face tenderly. “Your dad loves you, Chy. You and Chantelle are the most important things in the world to him. Don’t think for a second that there’s anything you or anyone else could do to change that.”
Sunlight filters through the window until the room comes alive with the realness of morning. I take a deep breath and search for a glimmer of clarity. Adrian wraps his arms around me and presses his lips to my forehead.
“It will be fine,” he whispers. “I promise.”
