Chapter 12: Chapter 12

The only thing I wanted right now was a hug from my little sister Nina. For some odd reason, whenever she’s with me I feel like I can get through the tough times. She is honestly the most lovable happy go lucky seven year old kid I ever saw. Sometimes I wondered if she ever thought about our parents. Doesn’t she want to know about them? I’m sure the other kids in her school talk about theirs, how does Nina even feel when someone asks her about hers? The poor child doesn’t even know her mom and dad. She was just a baby when they died, so how would she even know anyway?

My thoughts seemed like acid flowing through my mind. Nothing was as simple as I thought it was before. Quite frankly, I don’t think anything could be again. The door suddenly opened when Adrian walked in and ignored me sitting on the sofa. How could someone be as harsh and autocratic as he is? He took his jacket off and placed it carelessly on the chair while loosening his tie. That goofy fun loving kid in the picture I saw earlier disappeared as I realized how mature the man in front of me was. Adrian Vandermir seemed tired, although it didn’t show too much, I knew he was. His gloomy grey eyes dimmed and his hair fell a little flatter. Nothing could change the fact that he was still ‘Mr Perfect’ but there was something else about him, he seemed like he was hiding something. He was fighting something, himself? There was a depth within his eyes, a danger, a past. My curiosity about him was driving me insane, almost as if he knew I was gazing at him he looked towards me but I averted my eyes quickly. I didn’t want him to know I was actually deep in thought about him, but lately I found myself doing that quite often. It was a bit embarrassing.

“You want to ask me something Miss Greene?” he wickedly smirked.

Damn, he knew I was staring.

“No, why would I want to waste my time with you?” I replied although I actually did want to ask him so many questions.

“Yes, why would you do that?” He said keeping his expression plastered.

He didn’t buy it.

It was irritating that he knew when I was lying. I hated that so much about him. It made me feel vulnerable around him, like an open book. It’s like he could read me without even hearing me speak. I bite my lip out of nervousness and worry.

“Relax Greene, I’m not going to eat you, I’m on a diet from women since the past couple of years.”

Past couple of years? Was he actually trying to answer one of my questions indirectly? Was he actually revealing something about himself? Or was it just a stupid way of telling me to stop looking so damn tense?

“Go stick yourself in the freezer.” I mumbled to myself quietly. He was so odd, his mood swings were acting up again I realized.

“I beg your pardon madam?” he asked putting his hand out to me in reach of the room phone beside me.

“I said, go stick yourself in the freezer and chill out Mr Cryptic.” I replied boldly as I slammed the phone in his hand.

“How manner less and untrained you are. Didn’t I warn you about that mouth?” he said grabbing the phone and my hand in his as well.

“Let go of me.” I ordered angrily.

Adrian looked at me and suddenly yanked me up from the couch. He pressed me tightly against him, still keeping my aching hand in his.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” His voiced iced through me sending shivers down my body.

“A-Adrian...” I softly whispered.

The way I was feeling at that moment was sickening, I detested being so helpless. That too because of a man.

“It’s Mr. Vandermir to you,” he said in his sickly beautiful voice, “I don’t particularly like being ordered Ms. Greene.”

“You’re a monster.” I spat.

That didn’t seem to bother him, it was like he was accustomed or prepared for someone to tell him that. It made me wonder, what kind of man was Adrian Vandermir really? Surely no one could be this cold, didn’t he ever feel a tiny pinch of hurt from that. His expression and body language was neutral. He hid whatever he was feeling so perfectly well.

“What happened to you?” I heard myself ask in a surprisingly soft pained voice.

Adrian’s grip on me slackened yet still held me in place with him, his lips curved in a slightly upward position and he brought it closer to my face. So close that his smooth handsome face brushed against my soft pale one and whispered into my ear.

“Well aren’t you a wicked little thing.”

His soft chuckle kissed my insides. This feeling was just too weird for me right now. How cruel yet enjoyably pleasant his touch and voice was. Sugar and snide perfectly combined, at the corner of bitter and sweet. He knew. I just knew it. He knew I looked at the album. Still, he never said he knew I knew. So maybe I shouldn’t say anything because what if he didn’t know? I wouldn’t take that risk. But….I had this gut feeling that he knew exactly what I did.

“Well, well, well. What an interesting sight.” I heard a voice from near the door.

Donnie.

Vandermir hadn’t let me go yet and Donnie seemed to be quite enjoying how I looked with Adrian. When Ricardo walked in with a smiling Finny behind Adrian casually get go of me like nothing had just happened.

“I have some news for you Ms. Greene.” Vandermir noted.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I still tried to mentally shake off how close I’d been to him a moment ago. “You can get out of my sight now.” He continued and walked into the office room.

Okay, I was confused now. Ricardo noticed me and sighed, “Adrian meant that you’re free to go.”

Upon hearing that I didn’t know whether I should be elated or untrusting. I mean, I trusted Finny so much at first and yet he was the one who continuously lied to me. But then again, Ricardo didn’t even though he wasn’t nice to me at all. All this was quite frustrating to handle.

“And those men?” I inquired.

“There’s gone. We looked into them, they only came for the folders you had that night. They left here a day ago.” Finny replied, “Juliet you don’t have to worry again anymore.”

Oh Finny, how could I trust you? I want to but…

“What are you thinking kitten? You have your freedom now. Everything’s back to normal. You can get to see your family again,” Donnie chuckled, “Unless, you want to stay back here. I mean, I saw how cozy Vandermir and you were a while ago.”

Cozy? What the hell. That was no way near cozy.

“Don’t be crazy! Why would I want to stay with him? Why would anyone want to stay with him!” I shouted loudly so that he could hear me from the other room.

“Wait, Juliet. You can’t leave now.” Finny shot back with that worried look in his eyes.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s already late, you can leave in the morning.”

“Finny, I don’t want to be a burden on anyone now. Besides, I have no reason to stay here again.”

“Please listen to me. It’s only going to be one more night. I’ll even talk to Adrian if you feel uncomfortable staying here tonight, he won’t mind, trust me.”

He wouldn’t mind? Please, that’s unlikely.

Within a minute Finneas went into the office room to speak to Adrian and Donnie gave a yawn.

“I’m so tired, I’ll head out anyway.” He continued as he left me with Ricardo awkwardly.

It was strange being alone with him, he looked at me and lightly smiled, “Cozy?”

“What? No, it wasn’t like that.”

“How interesting.” he said as he too left the room.

Sitting on the sofa and staring at the ceiling, everything just seemed quite dim to me. The atmosphere felt thick and stuffy and my head ached. I felt so terribly sick. Wasn’t I supposed to be happy and rush home already? I yearned to go back home but there was this feeling inside me telling me to stay back….at least for one more night. Maybe it’s because I felt so heavy and tired. Gosh, I just needed to rest. I placed my head on the thick puffy pillow on the large couch and brought my whole body up on it. Hmm….maybe this is why Vandermir likes to sleep here so much. It was just as nice as a bed. Everything began to feel so light, before I knew it, sleep took me over.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

I tiredly opened my eyes as I heard the sound of a timer.

Urghh, his stupid watch.

“Oh, so you’re up.” I heard Vandermir’s velvety voice.

My throat was unbelievably dry and it hurt incredulously. It was like someone was clawing its inside. I wanted to reply but couldn’t because of that so I just sat upright.

Oh God, please don’t tell me I’m getting sick. Not now.

“Here.” Adrian said dryly handing me a bottle of water.

Turning my head away I refused to take the water. I mean, really, who did he think he was? He was such a brute to me just a while ago and now he’s being nice? No way, it doesn’t work like that buddy. He sat next to me and gave a small short laugh. Still I didn’t face him, he was a cruel cold-hearted devil and nothing could change that. As he looked at me with those icy grey eyes I felt myself tremble. No, not because of him, it’s because I was actually feeling very cold. It felt like my whole body was still asleep and tiny needle were pinching into my skin. Such a sickening sensation it was. Suddenly, I felt his hand touch my face and I flinched away. He ignored that as if it was nothing.

“You’re sick, don’t be stubborn.” He said in an annoyed tone.

Sadly, he was right. Why should I punish myself for him? I took the bottle away from him and drank it till I felt a bit better. Maybe I drank too much because I started coughing non-stop. Way to go Julie. All this time he was just staring at me with an amused look on his face. It bothered me so much. The urge to slap that look off his face was too strong but my frail body declined to do so at the time. He placed an arm around my waist and a hand on my right shoulder steadying me. Was he helping me? No way, he was probably just doing this to entertain himself even more.

“Stop it,” I coughed angrily hitting him on the chest, “Stop looking at me like that. This is your entire fault.”

“Excuse me?” he quizzed as he raised an eyebrow.

“You’re horrible, you’re enjoying this. Why do you like making me feel like this?” I bitterly choked.

He got up and ignored me as he went to look out the window, “Why don’t you grow up Miss Greene and start acting your age. Do you even hear yourself right now? You’re babbling like a fool.”

Sadly, what he was saying was actually true. He had nothing to do with me gulping down the water like a maniac. I blamed him wrongfully, that made me feel worse than I already did. I honestly felt like the more time I spent with Adrian Vandermir I was slowly losing my sanity and maturity. I was never like this, so why did I start becoming this way all of a sudden? But right now I didn’t need a lecture, I just needed some peace and quiet. I needed to continue my sleep. I threw myself back down on the pillow and tightly shut my eyes as I spoke to him with pure hatred,

“Don’t worry Mr. Vandermir, I’ll be gone by tomorrow. You won’t have to hear me in your life ever again.”

Somehow, the words hurt though. I had wanted to figure him out, I wanted to know who the real Adrian Vandermir was but if he kept shutting people out like that I don’t think I would ever be able to know him. He had so many secrets, I knew he did; he was dangerous, yet so magnetic. Overall he just had a bad attitude, and I couldn’t stand that. I couldn’t put up with that dominant cold nature of his, no matter how wickedly handsome he was.

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Author's Note:

Curious to know what could be the cause of Mr Vandermir's cold, unfeeling, cryptic ways? What kind of a man is he really?

And what would happen now? Knowing that Julie's leaving... will they ever meet again? ;)

-Celine.