26

Adrian's head was killing him.

As he came too, he became aware of the rumbling of a car engine, and a low voice coming from the radio.

He opened his eyes slowly, and waited for them to adjust to the darkness. It was several moments before he realised there was a hood over his head.

He lay still and quiet, hoping to keep Jamie's attention off of him for as long as possible.

He listened quietly to the rumble of the car tyres on the road, wincing as every pothole make his injured head bang back against the seat.

How long he lay there, he didn't know.

Finally, after what felt like a year, the hood was yanked roughly from his head. He automatically brought his hands up to shield his eyes as his retinas reacted to the first light he'd seen in hours.

Jamie reached across his seat and yanked Adrian upright in his seat.

"Get out," he snarled softly, letting Adrian see the long, gleaming silver knife laid across his lap.

Adrian quickly obeyed, a shiver of fear running down his spine when Jamie moved behind him and held the knife against his back.

"Come on. And don't say a word, darling."

Adrian bit back a whimper at Jamie's menacing tone. He obediently walked as Jamie directed.

They were in a large marina. Rows and rows of boats were bobbing on gentle waves.

Adrian walked down several rickety boardwalks, before Jamie stopped him in front of a shining boat, the Orion.

"You still have the Orion?" Adrian blurted out, before he remembered he wasn't supposed to speak.

He clapped a hand over his mouth, making Jamie smirk.

"Yes." Jamie answered after a moment. "I did her up a few years ago, and took up sailing."

Jamie nudged Adrian roughly down the gangplank and onto the boat.

Once aboard, Jamie put the knife down on the side in the kitchenette and set about releasing the boat's moorings. He fired the boat's engine, which purred almost silently to life, and set about guiding them out of the marina.

Adrian watched silently from near the prow of the boat as they made their way out of the marina and down the wide river. He seriously contemplated jumping in and swimming for it, when he remembered he couldn't swim very well.

"So... what do you want?" Adrian asked when they had joined a larger river.

He watched a larger ship as it glided past, before turning back to Jamie.

Jamie came and sat next to Adrian.

Adrian automatically scooted back from him.

"You took everything from me," Jamie murmured. "The day you left. I thought you were dead, Ant."

"Adrian," Adrian told him, his voice wobbling.

Jamie scoffed.

"You know why I left," Adrian whispered. "Why I had to leave."

Jamie frowned at him.

"You didn't have to take Lily." He growled.

"Rachel." Adrian corrected automatically.

He gasped when Jamie's hand shot out and delivered a stinging blow to his cheek.

"That's why I took her!" Adrian spat, rage suddenly overcoming his fear. "You lose your temper every time someone disagrees with you. And guess what Jamie! Children argue. They don't eat all their vegetables, and don't go to bed on time, and don't do whatever you tell them to all of the time."

"She would have learnt." Jamie said grimly.

"Oh? With your fists as incentive?" Adrian snarled. "I'm glad I took her away from you. I'd do the same thing again, a hundred times over!"

Jamie shot to his feet, his face contorted with rage.

Adrian stood with him, shaking.

"I don't care what you do to me," he said in a voice of determined calm. "But you won't hurt Rachel again."

Jamie let out a soft growl of anger, his fists clenched at his sides, before he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone," he said quietly. "I just... I'm going to give you the chance to see that I've changed. I quit drinking, almost three years ago. And I talked to someone about my anger issues."

"Well that's... good," Adrian said slowly. "But it's not going to change anything. I'm with someone else, and... I think we have a chance together."

"You used to like me." Jamie said quietly.

"That was before... everything," Adrian said quietly.

He rubbed a hand wearily over his face.

Jamie's eyes turned hard.

"Don't look at me like that," Adrian said. "You stabbed me, remember."

He lifted his shirt to bare his long scar.

"I was drunk." Jamie said churlishly.

"So drunk you became deaf?" Adrian asked. "I was screaming at you to stop."

"Please, Ant." Jamie said, sitting back down.

He took Adrian's hand.

"Just give me a couple of weeks to... show you how I've changed."

Adrian stared at Jamie for a moment, before he had an idea, and nodded slowly.

"Fine. Two weeks for you to show me how you've changed. But... My name's Adrian, alright."

Jamie shrugged.

"I'll try," he said, sounding almost cheerful.

Jamie returned to the wheel, steering them slowly down the river.

Turning away, pretending to admire the view, Adrian began to plan his next move.