Twenty-nine ~ Evelyn

It took just under an hour to reach mine.

The block of flats is the only new build in sight and the dirty street doesn't exactly scream affluence.

But, it's my home for now and it made the flat cheap enough for me to buy.

The building comprises of twelve flats, making it relatively small. However, this is something I love. We all have a friendly group chat and the small population means it's relatively quiet.

Plus being in a flat surrounded by the occasional noise from neighbours makes me feel safer and less isolated.

I'm proud of my modest home, it's not a common feat for a university student of my age, but in comparison to Adrian's many assets, it appears minuscule.

I'm stuck contemplating whether to say goodbye. We haven't discussed whether Ade's coming in or wanted to drop me off and get back to his own space.

The click of a car door, followed the intrusion of a cool breeze skating over my skin, alerts me to Adrian's magical appearance by my side as I unbuckle my seat belt, temporarily easing my dilemma.

He offers me an outstretched hand.

The immediate warmth catapults me back to when he caught me in the ambulance.

My lips bloom into a smile at the recollection. It seems like a lifetime ago.

I try to turn to retrieve my bag, but he guides me away from the car and collects it himself.

It's sweet, but I'm not completely incapable. My flat is less than a couple of minutes away after all.

Adrian secures the bag on his shoulder and locks the car, so I can only assume that he has no intention of shooting off immediately.

"Would you like to come up?" I enquire as more of a formality than a question at this point.

"Sure." He gently splays his hand out across my back. The heat swiftly branches off, enveloping my body. "Lead the way."

Nervous energy thrums in my veins as we approach the door and I punch in the code.

"Did a toddler come up with the security code?" Adrian's dark eyebrows are pulled downwards, clouding his features.

I understand his concern, the code may as well be four ones. It's like hiding in plain sight I guess.

The flat is situated on the second floor at the end of the hall. This lessens the noise from those passing by and feels more private.

Stepping into my flat, my shoulders sag at the visual reassurance that I'd left the place clean and tidy.

With the flat consisting of three rooms and a storage closet, I thought a tour would be obsolete. So, I head to the kitchen/living room and wait for Adrian to follow behind at his own pace.

"You've got a really nice place!" Ade calls as he joins me in the kitchen, taking the offered glass of coke from my hand.

"Thank you." I awkwardly accept the compliment as I inspect the space.

I've sectioned off the open plan space using the furniture. My black L-shaped sofa blocks off the lounge area with a TV stand against the opposite wall.

In the corner to the left, I have a small wooden dining table with two grey and two sapphire chairs to match the throw cushions on the sofa.

My tiny kitchen slots into the next corner. The kitchen is integrated with a matt black shell and faux wood countertops. It's not luxurious by any means, but it's still stylish.

The enclosed balcony takes up the remaining space, with glass sliding doors to harness the full potential of the sunlight.

I feel the sofa dip next to me under Ade's weight.

"How long have you lived here?" I relax hearing any remaining tension disappear from his voice.

"I exchanged just before Christmas so, coming up to four months." I can't even imagine living at my parents anymore.

"You bought the flat?" Ade's eye widen as he turns to look at me.

"Yeah, the rent would've been three times more than my mortgage payments. So, it made more sense to invest back into myself rather than into someone else's pocket." I gave the usual explanation.

People often react with shock when they find out a twenty-one year old owns a flat in London. The follow up comments usually wrongly presume my parents contributed a large sum.

My parents gave me no help, not even advice during the complicated process. But, I like it this way, I can enjoy my success without feeling indebted to those I distance myself away from.

"Makes sense, I'm just impressed." Ade squeezes my thigh, causing heat to radiate distractingly up my leg, "Do you normally work locally?".

"Fairly. I'm based out of Croydon, which contains several stations, so it depends which station our shift is out of." Pausing, I monitor Ade's unwavering gaze before choosing to continue, "But, staffing shortages can also send us to surrounding complexes like St Helier and Oval. It was a severe shortage that landed us at Fulham on Wednesday."

Ade nod's slowly, showing far more devotion to the divulged information than I anticipated.

The system is overly complex and still fries my brain at times.

We fall into easy conversation after this, talking about work and Adrian's upcoming trips abroad. His next trip is to Paris on Monday to meet with a CEO.

The last time I went to Paris was in High School about seven years ago. 'Wow, I feel old.'

From what I remember, it was a beautiful city.

A strong knock on the front door pushes me off of memory lane.

That's odd, a courier would have to ring to get through the door downstairs. I don't think I'm expecting anymore.

I hesitantly rise from the sofa to answer the door.

Ade's tall frame casts a shadow that consumes my own.

"Down boy, I'm sure it's just a parcel." I chuckle to prevent Ade from following me to the door.

I turn the bolt and yank the door away from the frame, jolting my heart beat in turn.

Working my lacking upper body strength, I retain my breath to channel my energy into holding the hefty door ajar.

A piercing scream cuts through my ear drums before my visual input can provide any aid.