Chapter Six

Adriel didn't know how long she laid on her bed thinking, thinking about how bad things have turned out over the last few months.

Not long and true to his promise, Jayden arrived thirty minutes later distracting her from her thoughts.

She ran down the stairs to get the door. She was so excited to see him. It felt like ages since she last saw him.

"Jayden." She opened the door—but it wasn't Jayden.

The phone she'd been holding slipped from her hand to the floor. The man standing in front of her had a beautiful head of red hair and beautiful baby blue eyes.

"Alex." She gasped.

The visitor's lips tilted up a bit in a smile. She never expected they'd meet again— here, now. He was the last person she'd expected to see.

"Adriel."

His voice—she didn't know how much she'd missed it until then. He'd left shortly after Luke's death.

He never told her why all she remembered was the pain he'd caused her when he left.

Adriel wanted to hug him and cry at the same time.

His face barely had on any expression, to anyone else it'd have seemed rude, but she knew him too well to not know that he was also glad to see her.

Ahe knew from the way his blue eyes lifted ever so slightly.

"How-How are you here?" She choked out.

Without breaking eye contact he answered.

"I just got back. I'm coming back to the academy." He said.

That was right, he was already in year three when he left home and school altogether.

"Why are you here?" Adriel asked bluntly.

Alex had known Adriel since he was three and she was just a baby.

He knew what colors she loved, her favorite music, her favorite books. He also knew what she felt when she felt them. And right now she was angry—at him.

"I came to see you. I haven't seen you in eight months."

"And whose fault is that?" She bit back.

Adriel couldn't help the bitterness that seeped through her words as she looked up at him.

"Adri-" He looked downcast as he reached out to her but she pulled away from him folding her arms.

"You left Alex. That might not mean much to you but it meant everything to me." She shook her head, taking a step back but he didn't let her leave.

He held her hand and she couldn't explain what she felt.

Yes, once upon a time, she'd liked him, a lot but he left and she didn't know if she was ready to forgive him.

"Adri, I know I have a lot to explain. But please, don't push me away. I can't lose you too. I have so much to tell you." He pleaded.

Ariel was all too aware of his touch and a part of her that missed him wanted him to hold her and tell her that everything would be okay and another part of her that was hurting wanted to tell him off.

She opened her mouth and was about to answer him when a car pulled over in front of the house.

It was Jayden. She knew by his dark brown hair.

Jayden got out of his car and paused only a fraction of a second when he saw them before resuming his ascent up the stairs.

"Well, who do we have here? Alex, it's good to see you again." Jayden greeted.

The way he said it, one could tell he didn't feel good in the slightest.

Adriel saw Alex's eyes narrow at him.

Adriel's brow creased in confusion.

"What's going on? You two know each other?" She asked confused.

"Yeah, Jayden, why don't you tell Adriel how I know you." Alex taunted.

Adriel gasped as Jayden returned Alex's words with a glare.

She'd never seen Jayden look that way before. It was scaring her.

"Come on Adriel, let's go." Jayden grabbed her hand and started leading her to the car.

Alex's hold on her hand tighten.

"She's not going anywhere with you," Alex said.

Suddenly for reasons unknown to her, Adriel got angry at him.

Adriel pulled her hand away from Alex's hold.

"He's my boyfriend," Adriel said glaring at him. She saw the flicker in Alex's blue eyes ever so slightly. She realized that her words had shocked him.

"Adriel, he's dangerous. You don't know him." Alex tried to reason with her.

"I don't know you either." She said.

Adriel thought he looked hurt before but for the first time since she'd known him, she saw the blatant pain in his eyes.

She ignored it as best as she could and got into Jayden's car.

"Adriel." She heard him faintly call out her name as she got into the car.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as Jayden drove off ignoring the growing guilt in the pit of her stomach.

{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶}

"Who does that guy think he is?" Jayden seethed as he drove. Adriel held a hand to his arm.

"Jay relax." She soothed.

She saw him visibly relax under her touch. He exhaled closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry Dri but the guy's a pain in the a*s." His voice made her chuckle.

Alex was many things and he'd definitely been called many colorful words in the past. He was reckless, cocky, arrogant and the typical kind girls usually fell for. She would know, she'd been one of them.

Well, that was until she met Jayden. She definitely didn't feel that way about him anymore, she told herself.

Before long, they got to campus. Jayden dropped her off.

"Thanks for coming to pick me up. You didn't have to." She blushed.

Why was she blushing?

He was looking at her that way again that reduced her to a bumbling mess.

"Really Dri. It's nothing. I'm glad I came. Being your night in shining armour felt great." She smiled.

"Thanks, Jay." He stared affectionately at her for a few seconds before leaning down and kissing her and like all his other kisses she felt her toes curl and felt like she was on cloud nine.

He was like a drug that she couldn't get enough of and she was slowly getting addicted. The kiss lasted longer than expected and when he'd pulled back, she was breathless.

His eyes were dilated and his breathing was ragged. She was glad she wasn't the only one who got flustered.

She got down the car before she said something stupid like he should take them back to his place.

She found that the more time she spent with him, the more her resolve to take things slow was weakening and that honestly scared her.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Jayden asked, a wide smile on his face.

She managed a smile as well and nodded.

"Yeah."

"I love you Dri." Then he was gone while she was left alone to pick her jaw from the floor.

She hadn't hallucinated it. He'd really said it.

{¶{¶{¶{¶{¶}

Jayden had appeared out of nowhere and was slowly creeping his way into her heart and life, and she gladly let him.

Adriel loved his smile, his laugh, his attentiveness, and how he seemed to be completely taken by her.

And she was completely taken by him.

Now it was her birthday and he'd stormed one of her lecture halls in the middle of a lecture.

Her cheeks had gone aflame as he showered her with compliments and affection.

He'd confiscated the microphone from the lecturer and had begun reciting the poetry he'd written for her.

"For years I wondered what it felt like to love someone so much that you think about them every waking minute of every day. I wondered if I would ever have that if the woman I would eventually love would love me back. I wondered if she would be able to put up with me." A chuckle rippled through the crowd.

"She came in the form of an angel— hair as enchanting as the waves and eyes as beautiful as the sun. I love all of you baby, every d*mn part of you Adriel Dawson."

Every student in the hall was silent as he poured out his feelings. She was speechless and her bright eyes were rimmed with tears.

"Jayden." There was a rise of emotion in her voice.

"Baby you're her, the woman of my dreams. I don't want anybody else."

"Happy birthday Dri, I love you." He whispered making sure she didn't look away as he did.

It was safe to say that she broke down in tears then.

A round of applause broke through the hall, even the professor seemed impressed as he was clapping silently beside him.

Jayden walked up to where she sat, which wasn't very far as she always sat in front. And he leaned down and kissed her.

"I wouldn't trade you for anything Dri." He whispered. He pulled her close till his head was touching hers.

"I don't want to ever lose you. I—" He started but she beat him to it.

"I love you too." She whispered her heart fluttering as she did. She saw the surprise in his green eyes before he smiled.

"You do?" He asked almost stunned. She nodded her head with a smile.

She realized that she did. She was in love with him.

"Yes." She breathed.

A second later, Jayden leaned in for another kiss that left her breathless.

Good thing the lecture was over because he carried her out the hall followed by a bundle of excited shrieks and screams.

He took her out for the pre-party celebration at her favorite café.

Adriel hadn't seen that many people gather in one place because of her before, though she hardly knew any of them.

But Jayden was there and that was enough. He didn't leave her side all day, making sure she was comfortable and okay.

"You okay babe?" He noticed her fidgeting.

"Yeah, I'm fine." But anyone could tell that she wasn't. Luke had been there for her last birthday and so had Alex and her parents.

The party was wonderful but it wasn't the same without her family.

Jayden ran his hand up and down her spine in comfort but she could feel the tingle that ran up and down along with his hand. A

She saw some of his friends present, the same ones that had been with him at the grocery shop.

She now knew them as Jake, Ian, and Tyler.

Jayden had told her to be careful of Jake because he was a player and a certified ladies man.

And all four of them were drop-dead gorgeous. Often she'd wondered what Jayden saw in her.

Adriel wasn't someone who believed in plainness as she saw beauty in everyone but the problem was, she couldn't see the beauty in herself.

Ever since she was a kid. Whenever her mum would gush over her and tell her how beautiful she was, she wouldn't believe her.

As a child, you're supposed to believe it when your mum compliments you.

"She's zoned out dude."

Adriel blinked. Were they talking?

"Are we really that boring?" It was Ian, the blond who spoke.

"You are, we're not." Jake, the lady killer answered pointedly at Ian who in turn flipped him the bird.

All the while, Jake was making out with another girl— making it the third girl in the last ten minutes.

"Really Jake?" Jayden deadpanned. Jake only shrugged.

"What?"

They all had completely different personalities but they got along pretty well. She couldn't help but wonder how well Alex would have fit in with them.

Her eyes widened slightly realizing her thoughts.

Jayden and Alex had seemed to know each other. She wondered how.

It was already getting late but there were still a few hours to her birthday party. She'd protested against it at first, as it wasn't her scene but Jayden had been incredibly persuasive and she had caved the moment he used those beautiful green eyes on her.

Making him happy had been all she'd cared about at that moment.

"So Jayden, how did you and Alex meet?" She asked taking another slurp at her slushie.

Man do they make the best slushies here.

All five of them were seated at a reserved section of the porch café.

What she didn't notice was how the guys had stopped talking and were now looking at her.

Tyler turned to a brooding Jayden.

"He's back?" He asked. Jayden only answered stiffly with a nod.

"Well shit." Ian sighed running a hand distractedly through his blond hair.

What? Adriel wondered too.

"Do you guys know him?" She asked confused.

"No, we don't," Ian answered.

Adriel furrowed her brow.

"But you just said-"

"Nothing you need to worry about babe," Jake assured. Adriel gave Jayden a puzzled look.

He only shrugged.

He checked the time and cursed quietly under his breath.

"The party's starting in two hours. Baby, we need to go." She nodded. The girls had been setting up the party hence why they'd miss the pre-party.

They were probably done and were waiting for her back at the dorm.

"The girls have texted back. They're ready for you." He gave her a quick peck on the lips. She nodded standing up.

The guys took their cars while Jayden drove her back to 'the blues'.

Every architectural creation in the school was victorian and she'd never felt more at home from her own home. The academy truly was a beauty, especially at night.

The drive wasn't long and soon they got to her dorm.

Jayden waited for her as she got down. She leaned against the car door and watched him watch her.

At that moment he looked enchanting. There was always this haze around him that drew you in whether you wanted it or not, but she wanted it.

Adriel watched as he lovingly caressed her cheek and she leaned in more at his touch.

Jayden seemed lost in thought.

"Are you excited about tonight?" He asked in a quiet voice. She found herself closing her eyes and nodding.

"Yes." She answered.

He smiled.

"Me too." Jayden paused after a while before holding her gaze when she opened her eyes.

"I don't know what it is about you, but I get to breathe when I'm with you. I'm constantly surrounded in darkness and somehow being with you is the only time I feel alive." He looked at her like she puzzled him.

And for the first time, she realizes just how pale he was, the fact is more obvious under the moonlight.

She held on to his hand—they were cold.

Adriel knew what he meant. Everyone had their demons they fought.

"I feel the same way about you. I've never had anyone care about me so much the way you have. You really are a God-sent." She said smiling.

Suddenly as if burned, he pulled away from her. Adriel moved forward in concern.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Jayden forced a smile and assured her.

"I'm fine. I got bit by a bug is all."

"Really? Let me see?"

Jayden looked at her as she held his hand like it was a baby.

"I'm fine." He said softly. She looked up and a cold shiver ran up her back. His eyes— they were so bright.

Before she could question it, he kissed her goodbye and drove off into the night leaving her to stare after him, speechless.