Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Four - Missing Adian

Breathing heavily, I jumped up from a deep sleep, aware of sweat and tears streaming down my face.

"Adian" I whispered softly, turning in search of my phone.

Grabbing my phone, that laid on Adian's pillow,.where I left it last night, before falling asleep.

After seeing two miss calls from him, I redialled his number without checking the time.

"Hailey?" Adian answered on the second ring, "Hailey are you okay?" Adian asked while I tried to calm. myself down, not wanting to alarm Adian of my distress.

"I ... I just wanted to hear your voice" I stammered softly.

Realizing that I cannot fool Adian anymore, "I'm coming home now" Adian was saying as I heard rustling movements on the other end. "Excuse me" Adian continued in a harsh tone.

Forgetting my nightmare, "are you okay?" I asked Adian instead.

"Uh, no I'm not!" Adian admits. "We're not together, so how can I be okay?" Adian asks me and as corny as it sounds, I welcomed the sweet compliment.

"I miss you too." I admitted to him, "I'm sorry for falling asleep last night." I continued, "I don't know what came over me, but one minute I was holding the phone to call you and the next, I woke up scared, in sweat and tears." Without pausing to breathe, I continued. "I promise if you have to stay over another night, I'll have the laptop fully charged so we can Skype all night long into the morning." I apologized, adding promises, unaware that I was babbling until I heard the silence on the other end of the line.

"Adian?" I called out nervously, hoping Adian didn't fall asleep on me.

The light chuckle confirms that he's still awake listening as I chat my head of.

"Adian?" I said again, "I'm sorry for doing all the talking" I find myself apologizing once again.

"Hailey, I need you to be honest with me here" Adian says and I nod my head, even though he can't see me.

"Okay" I agreed, "what do you want to know?" I ask curiously.

"What was your nightmare about tonight?" Adian asks, stunning me into silence.

This is the first time Adian's ever asked me outrightly about my dreams. Even when he's lying beside me during one of my nightmares, he just supports me but never asks.

"Hailey?" Adian's voice reached out to me.

Smiling sadly to myself, "I'm not sure" I lied, "I .. I um.." stuttering, I couldn't decide what to say to Adian and I know, he knew, that I'm lying. "When you get home, we'll talk then" I compromised, hoping that with enough time, I could get my story together.

After a few seconds, Adian finally spoke, "I'll be home as soon as aunty relieves me from my uncle sitting duties.

Remembering the reason why Adian isn't with me tonight, or more likely, this morning, "how is Jerry?" I asked instead.

After another long pause, "he's had a good night" Adian says softly, probably because Jerry is near. "He hated your soup by the way" Adian chuckles softly.

"What?" I squeaked, "Why?" I asked in surprise because I placed more emphasis into making Jerry's dinner, than Adian's. "It didn't have enough salt, huh?" I asked, already knowing that it was tasteless, "he's got to remember that the main thing is keeping him out of the hospital, not in the hospital. He just has to do whatever it takes" I couldn't help but add.

Laughing louder than before, "then you love, will be the one to explain that a healthy meal is better than a tasty meal, to my uncle. So let me wish you good luck with that." Adian continues laughing, but lowered his tone.

Hearing Adian yawn I decided to feign sleepiness so that he could get some more rest.

"Maybe we should go back to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow without Jerry at the office." I suggested, hoping that he takes the bait, because I need to write down what I dreamt, as I continue my quest to find answers revolving around my mother's death and my missing father.

Adian released another yawn, before responding to my suggestion.

"Tired of me already?" He ask, without any sound of humor.

Feeling guilty, but needing some alone time now, "No, of course not" I defended myself, because I'm definitely not tired of him. "How could I be tired of you, Adian Knights, New York city's former playboy." I giggled. "You are a former playboy, right?" I had to ask, because other than hearing about Adian's past, I've never questioned him.

"Been googling me?" Adian asked, sounding surprise.

Now why didn't I think about that? "Of course not, but I promise you, I'm going to now!" I informed him, determined to find out about my husband's past.

A eerie silence followed my promise.

"Let me warn you in advance, don't believe everything you read and then there are somethings that you may not like, about the guy I used to be." Adian admitted and I have a feeling that he may not want me digging into his past.

In all honesty, I don't need to know about who my husband was, because all I need to know is who he is now.

"I won't!" I retorted.

Another silence followed, "you won't what?" Adian asked.

"I won't google you" I responded simply.

"Why?" He asked, "it's okay if you do, once you understand, that guy isn't me." Adian reminded me again.

Chuckling, I adjusted myself on Adian's side of the bed, "your pillow is so cold" I sighed. "If you're staying with Jerry again tonight, I'm also staying with you." I stated firmly, determined not to spend another night apart.

After another yawn, Adian continued speaking, "yeah, no, that's not happening!" Adian retorted just as firmly.

"Why?" I asked, hurt.

"In your present condition, I want you safe and comfortable in bed at nights." Adian explained his reasoning and I couldn't disagree with him.