Chapter Four

Slowly they all left the hospital and she went back to her dorm. Jayden offered to stay with her while the others went ahead to class.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that Adriel. You didn't deserve it." Jayden started as he watched Adriel

sit on her bed.

"Thank you, Jayden. You being here really means a lot." She said.

She was feeling much better. He got her a cup of coffee from the brewer. Adriel took it, looking up at him. His small acts of kindness really touched her.

"Why are you being so nice to me? You didn't have to do all this but here you are in my room looking after me." She smiled lightly.

His lips tugged up in a smile as well and she had to remind herself that she needed to breathe to live.

"I know it's only been a couple of weeks we met but you got me hooked since the first day I met you. I want to be here and you don't owe me anything for that."

Adriel couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks.

"I'm glad we met." She said. There was a twinkling in his eyes as he stared at her and for a split second, they seemed to darken as he leaned close.

She was mesmerized and she couldn't look or move away. He was less than a breathe away until his lips met hers.

"Adriel." She heard him murmur as he kissed her. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

Electricity surged through every inch of her body. It was bliss and she didn't want it to end. Her hands got lost in his locks as she pulled him closer.

His lips left hers to travel down her neck. She was lost in the feeling of his lips on her until she felt a slight prick against her neck. She withdrew yelping.

"Ow." Adriel touched her neck then withdrew it.

She exhaled.

It hadn't drawn blood. Jayden rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away. You bring out the kinky side of me." He smirked teasingly and she blushed.

"Yeah well, no more biting. I have very fragile skin if you haven't noticed." She joked. Jayden chuckled already leaning in to resume the kiss.

"Duly noted." The kiss quickly picked up pace and she found herself losing all abandon to his touches.

And she happily welcomed them with unrestrained abandon.

{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶}

Adriel had to get home that weekend. A lot had happened since her mother dropped her off to school, a month and a half ago.

She needed someone to talk to and her mother had always been a good listener.

She packed a small bag for the weekend and ordered a taxi. The school had a car park that had vehicles that conveyed students wherever they wished to go on the island.

There was even a helicopter pad for those willing to travel out the island.

Though she didn't have to take a chopper or a ship, her house was still far from the school. It was located on the other side of the island.

Her phone buzzed with a message.

Jayden

Hey baby.

Adriel couldn't help the blush on her face. Yeah, Jayden and her were together.

After the electrifying kiss the other day Jayden had asked her out and she'd said yes and things had picked up from there.

Adriel

Hey.

Jayden

I know you're on your way to the garage, but I still wish I could come with. I want to make a good impression on your mum.

Adriel chuckled. They've been exclusive for only two weeks now and he already wants to meet her mum.

Though he's been nothing short of amazing and she knew her mum would no doubt like him, or she hoped she would. You never know with her mum.

Me

I'll see you in two days Jay. Don't miss me too much<3

Jayden

Me? Pfft. Miss you? I think I can survive two days without you. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Jayden

Love you Dri.

Her phone slipped from her hand. She stood frozen eyes wide. He what?

Had she just seen right?

She picked up her phone from the ground and flagged down the nearest taxi she could find in the park.

Once she was in the confines of the taxi. She checked the message again.

He'd really texted the words.

She squealed in triumph.

"22, Crowford Street, Maroon bay." She happily instructed the driver. The driver tipped his hat nodding.

"Okay, Miss." She couldn't help her grin even all the way to her house. The journey was a long one but Jayden kept her company every minute of the way.

The island had a reputation for housing the richest of the rich. It had a community of its own that was sustained by the people.

She'd attended the renowned primary and secondary school that practically all her friends attended. Everyone knew everybody. But the academy had been a breath of fresh air.

Familiar houses and planes began appearing in perspective. She felt a fuzzy feeling sweep through her. She couldn't believe it. She missed home.

Most of the houses they drove past belong to her friends but a lump formed in her throat when she realized how easy it had been to push everyone away after the incident.

The cab passed the tallest residential house of fifty stories. Yeah, the people here were stinking rich.

Feeling suddenly sad, she leaned against the window. She sighed.

She wondered how home was now. Was Dad even home yet?

Ten minutes later, they reached their father's estate. The driver drove through the gate and soon reached the fountain up ahead.

She admired the well-maintained trees as they drove past.

The driver packed in front of the entrance. She got down the cab and was immediately greeted by Lucy, her long term family house caretaker.

She was a woman in her early forty's.

"Welcome, Adriel. It's been a while. How have you been? How is school?"

Adriel managed a smile for the woman who's been more present than her own parents. Lucy's been around even since before her brother was born.

Adriel's heart constricted at the memory of her brother.

Adriel only mumbled a quick 'fine' to her before heading in, leaving her bags.

Lucy sighed, knowing exactly what was wrong.

"It's going to be okay dear." She said looking at her with sad eyes.

Adriel entered the living space. It was exactly as she'd left it. Immaculate mahogany furniture stood everywhere with artifacts on every available shelf and pillar.

Artworks scattered the wall and at one point she'd been fascinated by them. But most days now she saw the world in black and white.

Though the house was big they'd always made the most use of it having fun to their heart's content.

It was never too big or lonely.

The family was welcoming and free enough among themselves to let friends and family over but things have just never been the same since Luke died.

Her mum was still at work. She would just wait in her room.

Adriel walked down the hallway where most of Luke's artworks had been hung.

He'd attended the same academy she was now attending, studying Applied Arts and he'd been excellent.

And Luke's art would have taken the world by storm if only—she swallowed.

If only he had lived.

Adriel took a step up the stairs. Tear sprung up to her eyes.

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

She gripped the railings of the stairsase she'd begun climbing. She looked at the pictures frames lining the wall and saw her brother's picture grinning down at her.

It was an old picture of Luke and his best friend—Alex. She'd been in the middle separating the two, the biggest smile on her face.

The three of them had been inseparable. Adriel unhooked the picture from the wall and clung to it.

Quietly she began to sob before sinking down to the floor.

"Luke." She cried out as if it would bring him back. She clutched the picture tighter.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed. She sat there for what felt like hours crying, until she cried herself to sleep.

{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶}

Adriel woke up the next day in bed. She furrowed her brow in confusion. She was wearing the same clothes from the day before.

She moved a bit and found the frame still tightly clutched to her chest.

Exhausted she placed the photo frame on the bedside shelf and went back to sleep.

She awoke to a nightmare an hour later, sweating with her heart pounding like it would fly out her chest. She needed to see a doctor.

Why was it always that she never remembered her dream?

She got out of bed and brushed her teeth before taking a much-needed shower. She knew her mum deliberately hadn't woken her.

She smiled a bit.

Her mother had always been a worry wort. She could already smell the food cooking downstairs. Her stomach took that time to growl.

Breakfast it is.

She gingerly walked down the stairs from her room. The smell of the food became even more enticing as she got closer.

"What's cooking mum?" She teased smiling as she walked down the stairs. Her mum was humming to herself dancing to upbeat music.

She turned at the sound of her daughter's voice.

Her mother was a very beautiful woman and he could see why her dad had gone for her, her brown skin shown beautifully and her dark curls framed her head like a veil.

Her dad was caucasian and Luke had taken nearly all his genes. People rarely believed they were siblings because he had her dad's blond hair and blue eyes and her, her mum's curls, and warm brown eyes.

"Is that my Adri?" Adriel rolled her eyes playfully coming to hug her mother.

"Why do you still call me that mum? I'm twenty." She pouted as her mum pinched her cheek fondly.

"Yes. But you'll always be my baby." Adriel kissed her mum on the cheek.

"So mum, what's cooking?" She asked again staring hungrily at the delicacy frying in the pan.

Her stomach growled again.

Her family had seasoned chefs who made the meals but her mum always took it upon herself to make her favorites.

"Why don't you sit down dear. I'm almost done." Adriel noticed that there were three plates set on the table.

"Are we expecting someone?" Her mother's lips turned wide into a grin.

"You're father's coming home." Adriel's eyes widened.

She saw her mother check her wristwatch.

"And he'll be here in five minutes."

"What?" Dad was coming home? It'd been almost three months since she last saw him. A lot of thoughts passed through her mind. How was he?

Was he fine? She gulped.

Did he miss her?

Adriel settled into her seat and the cooks were about setting the table when she heard the familiar hoot of her father's car.

Adriel felt the urge to run to the front of the house to meet him.

She and her brother would always run to the front door at the sound of his car when they'd been younger.

But she ordered her limbs to stay put. She wasn't a child anymore.

So when her father came through the doors, she stayed seated where she was, though her arms longed to hug him. They used to be so close. Now she didn't know anymore.

Her mother came to welcome him. He beamed kissing his wife briefly on the lips and her heart lurched painfully that he couldn't spare his own daughter any affection.

He was already on his way up to his room when her voice stopped him.

"Dad." He froze. He seemed surprised to see her.

"Adriel. How are you?" He finally asked unsurely. For some reason, his hesitance hurt her more than she'd expected.

Adriel's hands tightened on the fork she'd been holding. How was she? He wasn't even around to find out, to know.

"How was I?" The anger that boiled inside of her felt foreign.

"Honey-" Her mother tried to calm her down but she pulled her arm away.

"You haven't seen your daughter in three months. Not a call, not a text. You didn't even know when I left for school. How do you think I am?"

"Adriel-" Her father said her name with a sigh.

"Do you hate me so much that you can't bear to look at me or stand to be in the same room with me?" Her voice broke already knowing the truth.

She continued heartbrokenly when he said nothing.

"It's not fair that you keep pushing me away." She said, her voice cracking. Her father stood rigid, jaws clenched.

"I miss Luke too, but you're forgetting you have another child, don't lose her too." She grabbed her car keys from the rack before walking past him.

Her father didn't utter a word. Even her mother was trying to make her stay but he just stood there looking at the wall opposite them, where one of Luke's paintings hung.

It was of them as a family. It'd been masterfully crafted and one could see the raw talent in each brushstroke.

She felt her eyes prickle with tears.

Was this what her life had become?

Did her father truly still blame her for Luke's death?

She couldn't take it anymore. She walked out the door. She felt the soft patter of rain on her cheeks as she entered the car driving off into the now pounding rain.

And though the rain had started it, her tears continued its painful trail down her cheeks.