do I know him???

As I sat in Adrian's car and closed the door behind me,, I heard him say,, "Thank you." I turned to him,, confused. "Why?" I asked.

He glanced at me,, a small smile playing on his lips, before shaking his head... "Nothing. Let's go."

Without another word,, he started the car and pulled onto the road... As we drove,, I gazed out at the stunning view of New York City,, the skyline glowing under the evening sky... The city always had a certain magic about it, but tonight,, sitting beside Adrian,, it felt different—more alive, more intimate...

"Are you afraid of love??" Adrian asked suddenly,, his voice breaking the comfortable silence.

I didn't respond. Instead,, I continued looking outside,, pretending not to hear him. But he wasn't one to let things go so easily...

"Or are you waiting for someone??" he pressed.

I turned to face him,, narrowing my eyes. "How do you know?" I asked,, my voice barely above a whisper.

He kept his eyes on the road but smirked. "I don't know... I just feel like you are."

To cover my sudden nervousness,, I replied quickly,, "Well, I'm not interested in love."

He let out a soft chuckle. "You're not interested in love, or.... in me??"

I tried not to blush at his teasing tone.. "No,, Adrian... I'm not interested in love."

"That clearly means you're interested in me then,," he said confidently.

I turned to argue,, but my gaze locked onto his deep brown eyes.,, They were hypnotizing,, pulling me into an unfamiliar yet thrilling warmth. My heart skipped a beat.,, I quickly shut my eyes and turned away.

"Adrian,, first, keep your eyes on the road... And second,, I'm not interested in anything," I muttered,, feeling my pulse quicken...a

"Okay," he said,, his voice softer this time. "Then tell me,, who are you waiting for?"

I hesitated before whispering,, "Adrian.… my neighbor... My childhood crush."

The moment the words left my mouth,, I stiffened,, realizing I might have spoken too loudly... I turned to Adrian,, but he didn't react immediately... His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched slightly,, but he remained silent.

"So, you are waiting for someone,," he finally said,, his voice unreadable... "I understand. But… can you tell me who he is?"

I eyed him suspiciously... Did he hear me? No,, he couldn't have... I felt relieved. But before I could change the subject,, Adrian spoke again.

"Rimi,, make me your boyfriend... I will never leave you... Never."

I turned to him, startled. "Adrian, what's gotten into you?? You've known me for only four days!!"

He smiled,, a knowing smile that made my stomach twist... "Are you sure? That I've only known you for four days??"

I frowned,, trying to place him somewhere in my past,, but nothing came to mind. Before I could ask,, he abruptly stopped the car. He unbuckled his seatbelt,, gently placed the kitten in the backseat,, then turned to me. Taking my hands in his,, he looked straight into my eyes.

"You don't remember me,, do you??" he whispered. "How could you forget?? You know me,, Rimi. You always have..."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. I searched his face for answers,, but all I saw was raw emotion. "Adrian….what are you saying? If I knew you before,, why can't I remember?"

His grip on my hands loosened,,. His expression darkened, and he turned back to the road, putting his seatbelt on... "Forget it," he murmured, starting the car again. ,,,

I watched him closely,, noticing the sadness in his eyes. Was he….holding back tears? What was he trying to tell me?? My childhood crush,, Adrian, had always been the one I dreamed about,, the one I never truly moved on from... But now, sitting beside this Adrian,, I couldn't understand what he was trying to say.

We arrived at the florist shop,, and he opened the door for me... As I stepped out, my eyes widened at the luxurious shop adorned with fresh,, beautiful flowers... Adrian followed,, holding our kitten like a baby.

Inside,, Lily and Mike were speaking with a gorgeous woman...

"Come, Rimi!" Lily called excitedly. "Meet Meira. She's designing a beautiful tiara for you,, made from fresh flowers."

Meira turned to me,, her eyes wide... "Ma'am, you're the CEO of Mirain Company?? I'm your biggest fan!!"

I laughed,, touched by her enthusiasm,, and hugged her. "You're so sweet!"

"Please,, one autograph?" she asked shyly.

"Of course!" I signed for her,, and she beamed. "And call me Rimi... No 'ma'am,' please."

"Okay, Rimi Ma'am!" she giggled. "I'll make the best tiara for you."

"Thank you so much!" I smiled...

Lily placed her order for wedding decorations,, and Meira asked us to wait in the garden while she prepared things... The garden was breathtaking—filled with red roses,, a swing draped in pink and white roses. As we sat,, Adrian asked, "Do you like black and white roses??"

I looked at him,, surprised. "How do you know that?"

He didn't answer. He just kept staring at me with that soft, knowing smile. My heart raced.,, I forced myself to look away,, afraid that if I kept staring into his eyes,,, I would fall for him completely.

Just then,, Lily asked about Luka. Adrian scoffed, "Why ask us?? Go ask your big brother."

I shot him a glare. "Lily, let's call Luka."

Luka answered, "Lily, I won't make it today... Important work. See you tomorrow."

Lily looked disappointed. Adrian, on the other hand, looked… satisfied?

I sat back on the swing,, confused. Adrian smirked,, muttering, "He's a child."

"Who?" I asked...

"No one," he said,, shaking his head.

Meira returned,, handing me a bouquet of red roses. "A gift from me."

She spotted our kitten and gasped... "She's adorable! Is she yours?"

"Yes," Adrian answered instantly... "She's ours."

I blinked, surprised at his choice of words. Meira grinned mischievously... "Rimi Ma'am, is he your boyfriend?? I won't tell anyone,, promise."

I blushed furiously. "No!! He's just a friend."

"Oh," Meira said, clearly not convinced. "I thought so because he cares about you so much. Even now,, he went to get the kitten for you."

I bit my lip, my heart betraying me by pounding wildly. Adrian handed me the kitten,, and together we placed the tiny tiara and bracelet on her... She played happily, making us all laugh.

I turned to Meira. "Can you make fresh flower jewelry for my kitten for Lily's wedding?"

"Of course!" she said excitedly... "Thank you, Rimi Ma'am!"

Lily called me. "Let's go!"

"Wait, I'll get Adrian." I turned to find him deep in conversation with Meira. The moment they saw me,, they stopped talking.

"Adrian, let's go," I said, my voice soft...

He glanced at me,, then smiled. "Let's go."

As we left,, I couldn't shake the feeling that something about Adrian was deeply connected to my past... And if he was,, why couldn't I remember? But more importantly.… why did it feel like I was falling for him all over again??