T.H.R.E.E
~ADRIAN~
I let out a tired yawn as I blinked my eyes open, just to shut them close again. The light in the room is way too bright.
I blink the lights away before looking around my room.
Sure enough, there are my cousins all around me.
This is how it's always been, when they get super drunk they always insist on sleeping in with me. I don't mind it, if anything I wanna be sure they're okay. Because they always get up in the middle of the night to throw up and I'm a pretty light sleeper, so I always get up to help them.
My eyes set on Olivia, the oldest, who was lying right next to me in bed, her long brunette hair spread across my pillows. She looked the most beat up than my two other cousins, Emma, and Lily, who were sleeping on my large couch.
I slowly slide out of bed and grab my phone from the side dresser. I quietly slip out of the room without waking them up before closing the door.
The smell of pancakes and bacon hit me instantly, the sound of Rihanna playing, and I followed the sound down to the bakery kitchen where Aunt Kate was preparing breakfast.
I rest against to door frame, watching my aunt hum and shake her ass to the music 'work'.
" morning" I croaked
She let out a little 'yelp', spinning around with her spatula in hand ready to attack.
I let a laugh, but she wasn't smiling.
" Stop doing that!" she frowned, spanking my Arm with the spatula. I crackled some more as she turned back to the stove
"You'll be the death of me, I swear" she mumbled.
" It's not my fault you're an easy scare." I shrug.
She smacks me again.
" Alright, Alright! I'm sorry!" I chuckled, dodging the third smack.
She huffed, flipping the pancake on the stove.
" Are the girls still asleep?" she asked, putting the pancake on a plate.
" Yeah, they got hammered last night" I answered, giving a small smile as she slid a plate of pancakes and bacon to me.
" I bet they did. I just thank God that you don't drink" she sigh, sitting next to me.
I took a large bite of the pancake and let out a muffled moan, closing my eyes as the flavors melted in my mouth.
You don't know how grateful I am that I came to live with Aunt Kate. Her foods are always, always going to be a delicacy.
It's like living in heaven.
" So, who's the stranger you were talking to all through last night?" she winked at me.
I almost choked on the pancake.
I forgot about Alex.
I turned to Aunt Kate watching me, a knowing smirk on her lips. I ignored her and just focused on my pancakes.
"Just a guy I met last night" I answered.
"Really? Cos that's not what your cousins saw last night. They said, You guys talked throughout the night still the party was over." She tilted her head at me.
"The girls were drunk." Was all I had in my defense.
" So, you didn't get his number then I reckon." She turned to her pancakes.
I remembered she was watching us pull out our phones.
" Nah, I didn't"
It wasn't untruth, I didn't have his number, he had mine. So if he was on something last night and forgot about me then I have no way of reaching him.
I won't be surprised anyway. I'm even more surprised that he reached out to talk to me in the first place. So if he was drunk or high or both I probably understand.
That doesn't mean I didn't have fun last night tho.
Guess we see.
I glance over at Aunt Kate, but she seems affianced with her pancakes, her mind elsewhere.
I don't want Aunt Kate to get any ideas about Alex. I know she's been hoping I make friends or potentially more than that here. But that's not going to happen. A relationship of any sort is not possible for me right now.
Still, I couldn't help but check my phone for any new messages.
Nothing.
The feeling of disappointment creeps up my stomach but I quickly push it down, putting my phone down on the table and turning to my food.
Why am I feeling disappointed? I'm expecting this.
It's nothing unknown, I get ghosted all the time. I should be used to it by now.
" Ahhhhh, I feel like shit right now" Lily groaned, stumbling into the kitchen with her hand on her head.
Aunt Kate let out a sigh before getting up from her chair, most likely getting drugs for her, while Lily flopped on the chair next to me.
"Morning, I picture you had a fabulous night?" I tease.
She scowled at me "Don't even start"
I raise my hands in defense.
" Here you go love" Aunt Kate appeared behind her, offering her a bottle of water and aspirin. Lily beamed as she took it from Aunt Kate's hand.
" Thanks, Mom" she mumbled as she choked down the aspirin and then washed
It is down with the water.
"You're welcome, honey." She pats Lily on the back before turning to face me with a grim expression.
I knew what that meant.
I shook my head.
"Fine, I'll go wake the girls" Aunt Kate rolled her eyes before leaving the kitchen.
Lily and I were in silence for a few minutes before she cleared her throat and turned to me.
" So, who's the guy?"
God, I just can't seem to catch a break in this house.
" I don't have a clue what you're talking about " I lied.
Lily scoffed, turning her seat to give me an ' I don't for one bit' look.
" You can lie to everyone Adrian, but your ass ain't lying to me. Who's the guy?"
I let out a defeated sigh " his name is Alex, he's a tourist who happened to stumble into the festival. That's all I know"
"Hmm" She didn't say anything for a while, so I turned to look at her.
She had some kind of smirk on her face.
" Does Adrian have a crush?" she taunted.
" No!" I sound. She didn't say anything giving me a look.
" I don't. I just met the guy yesterday, I barely even know him"
" Well you knew him well enough to get a number"
"Point of correction, he got my number" I redraft.
" Ha! You gave him your number? Goddamn, you must have been really into this dude" she chuckled.
"No, I'm not" I mumbled.
" Adrian, you talked with a stranger you never met before for hours and then you gave a stranger your number. You don't even like talking" she pointed out.
" That doesn't mean anything big" I argued.
She chuckled, turning to her food "You keep lying to yourself bud"
Before I could even respond my phone dinged. I ignored my cousin's painful groan as I checked my messages.
Unknown Number.
Hey, it's me Alex. Sorry I haven't texted you earlier, I've been kinda of busy.
Can we meet up later? I'm still in town, and I just saw the perfect cafe shop(•‿•).
My heart skipped a beat at the message, and I fought the urge to smile.
Why the hell am I even feeling this way, It's just a stupid message from a guy I met a couple of hours ago, it's not something to get excited about.
I tried to calm myself before I texted him back.
What do I even say, 'Hey That sounds great, what time?'
No, that sounds too eager.
Who even cares?!
"Need help?" Lily asked while I secretly panicked.
"No!" I said quickly, placing my phone down on the table.
She gave me a raised eyebrow, before shrugging and turning back to her food "Okay"
I debated whether to ask her for help with how I should reply to him or if I should just handle it myself. If you didn't notice I don't get invited out a lot, if at all, so I don't even know what to do.
After a few seconds of fighting with myself, I just gave up, sliding the phone across the island to her with a sigh
" I don't know what to say" I declared, munching on my last pancake.
If anybody is capable of helping me out, it's Lily. She is the most outgoing person than anyone in this family.
She picked up my phone with a knowing gaze on her face, reading the text.
She began texting back, and I withstood the urge to glare over her shoulder at what she was texting, as my phone kept vibrating with his replies. About a minute later she slid my phone back to me with a smile on her face.
"Your date starts at 2, but I recommend you get there at least 30 minutes late, men love it when you're fashionable late" she winked at me. Before letting out another groan and pressing her palm on her forehead.
" God my head is killing me" she mumbled.
Just then my aunt Kate came into the kitchen with my cousins, both of them looking like zombies straight from a horror movie.
"Well, guess I'm not the only person looking like shit at least" Lily chimed, taking a sip of her orange juice.
"Shut up!" they both enunciated, and Lily rolled her eyes at them.
I ignored all of them, reading through all the messages, my heart beating in my chest as I scrolled through the texts.
"What are you doing Adrian?" Aunt Kate asked, peeking at my phone while my cousins continued bickering among themselves.
"Nothing," I said, placing my phone back on the counter.
I don't hide things from my aunt, but right now I can't tell her.
Aunt Kate raised her eyebrow at me but just shrugged it off, I guess she trusted that when I'm ready I'll tell her.
Right now I am not sure this is anything. I mean this is just buddies meeting up, If I can call it that.
I guess we'll see.
But I couldn't hide the fact I'm actually excited.
"Adrain! Who was the guy we saw you with last night?"
I let out a groan
A man can't seem to catch a breather in this household.