Chapter Sixty Seven - New Family

Hailey's POV

I look down at the short soft pants that I was wearing that Adian wanted me to change.

Normally I won't wear a shorts this short in public, but darn you Adian, for making me challenge you. Tugging the hem of the pants, self-consciously, hearing Adana chuckle beside me as we follow her angry brother downstairs for a late dinner.

When Basil joined us on the landing, "nice move" he chuckles softly, tensing up as an angry Adian turns to glare at us. We continued following Adian as Mr. Bradford led to us the dining room, where a few people sat drinking in teacups and glasses, already having had their dinner, since there were no dishes on the table.

"Why was AD so angry at my post" I heard Adana whisper to Basil.

After, too long of a pause, Basil finally responded to Adana's simple innocent question.

"Maybe it was exposing his wife's legs to the world" Basil say casually, as we stopped at a six seat table with only four chairs, spread with too much dishes for a late meal. There was nothing casual about Basil's tone.

Basil whistles, "Is this what small town folks call a light dinner?" Basil asks rather loudly, tapping his stomach, taking a seat, while Adana took the vacant seat next to me, leaving Adian to sit beside Basil. Wrong move!

He sits across from Adana and I with a smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes, looking like Satan himself.

Ignoring him, I started dishing out from the dishes spread out on the table.

I took a piece of fried chicken, a piece of potato pie, adding, salad and dressing, while the others following me, helped themselves to larger portions of every dish on the table.

Adana and Basil bantered back and forth at the table, while I chose to remain silent, needing to be lost in my own thoughts. These guys may not know it but I've learned to read people's fast moving expressions and tone of voices. I know there were more to removing Adana's post other than my legs.

Adian on the other hand ate with a frown creasing his forehead as he seem lost in thought and whatever he was thinking about seemed to be troubling him deeply.

I took up the paper from the straw, fold it as fine as possible and flicked it across at him, looking down at my plate instantly moving the remaining salad around.

"I didn't do it" I heard both Adana and Basil say at the same time. "F**k that leaves me.

I looked up with a confused expression, staring at Adana, Basil and then Adian, who all stared at me.

Guilty? No, not me! " What?" I question their stares.

With a smirk, Basil looks away and Adana starts running through her phone again, but Satan didn't remove his eyes from me.

There's still some remaining food on the table so I took a second portion, not because I was hungry, but because I needed to do something so I won't look at the man sitting opposite me.

I started eating the tasty chicken and pie and suddenly I was hungry. I look at my empty drinking glass to realize I had nothing to drink.

"Can get anyone anything extra?" I lifted up my head from my plate at Mrs Bradford's smiling face.

"Some water?" I asked hopefully.

"Sure" she kept smiling. "Are your rooms comfortable?* she asks, looking at Adian and Basil.

Basil the serial flirter, if that is even a word, smiles at Mrs Bradford, " sweetheart, the rooms, the service and the food? Wow, let me tell you this, we are definitely having our three meals here for the next week" he chuckles as he winks at Mrs Bradford , who smiles.

"Make sure you do" he tells him, "I'll be right back" she said, to me.

"We're staying the week?" Adana asks excitingly.

Adian didn't answer, he simply nodded as Mr Bradford returned with his wife, carrying a bottle of wine.

"On the house" he places the bottle in front of us as his wife, puts down three wine glasses a soda and a water, which she placed in front of Adana and I respectively.

We thanked her as Basil continues with his flirting in front of a laughing Mr Bradford.

They are staying the week and didn't tell us, although with Adana's post and Adian's anger and dinner, there was no time.

Basil opens the wine and starts pouring, "Hailey? " he says, but his eyes are in Adian.

"Over here" I said pointing to myself.

Adian looks at me with a deep piercing look, turns and nods to Basil, who, only then starts to pour me a glass of wine.

I immediately picked up my glass, ready yo drown it,

"Wait" Adian stops me mid air. "Chubbs" he said looking at her with the same smile but somehow I felt a tinge of sadness and a glint of tear in his eyes.

Adian raised his glass, "to family and the beginning of all our firsts" he said, reaching across, clinking our glasses one by one.

Basil was thoughtful for a few seconds before joining in with a genuine smile.

Something is definitely off here and I'm determined to find out and it somehow has to do with me. Adian was so angry that he told me to leave. Then he followed me. Made sure the children's home had their lunch and then the picture of the birthmarks angered him once again.

Is it me or something about me? Why can't he talk to me about it? I will ask him, I promise myself.

The chatter around the table was lighter as Adian started, loosening up. We decided to go on a tour tomorrow with Mr Bradford as a guide, while Basil ordered a picnic lunch from his newest crush Mrs. Bradford.

As we went back upstairs, my room, being the base, Adian looks at Adana, "I'll...."