Pride and Promises ✔

Chapter 38

3:03 AM.

I was still as wide awake as I'd been three hours ago. As soon as my brain registered the photo, I'd rushed over to my room and hurriedly taken out the shoebox that held my priceless treasures. I'd sighed with relief when I'd found the small t-shirt untouched, still in the same condition like I'd kept it in. It was the only thing I still had to bind me to my Mickey. Then I'd proceeded to examine the evidences that would confirm my suspicions.

And that was what I'd been doing since then. Once again, I looked at the photo of the children carefully and back to the t-shirt in my hand, then to the numerous childhood photos of mine scattered all over my bed. But no matter how many times I looked at it, the fact still stood there proudly. The fact that the photo was, indeed, mine. Mine and my Addie's.

Closing my eyes, I recalled all the conversations I had with Adrian. Slowly, everything started clearing up. How he'd known about my favorite flower, my favorite blueberry muffins, his little slip-ups when we talked about his childhood, his enthusiasm to know about my childhood friend, his reference to me as his best friend. I recalled Jade's reaction at seeing me for the first time, Mr. Stone's reaction and hell, even Mrs. Stone had reacted the same way. Then there was the photo again. Or rather, the little boy in the photo. The little boy who had eyes the exact same shade of blue as Adrian's and hair just as dark.

I was a goddamned fool to not have seen it sooner.

I didn't know what to think of this. I didn't even know what to feel now that I finally found the person I'd been looking for all my life, only to discover that he had been right in front of me all along. Should I feel happy that I'd finally found him? Angry that Adrian hid the truth from me? Betrayed? Hurt? Indifferent?

I thought a lot, but still couldn't come up with a valid reason as to why Adrian would keep the truth from me. Judging by these photos in his wallet, he clearly knew about me a good few years before we even met in person again. I'd talked to him about my childhood plenty of times as well so he knew what he meant to me. Then why would he still not tell me? Did he not want me to know? Did he not want us to ever meet again and rekindle our friendship?

Thinking about the prospect that Adrian might not have the same feelings as me hurt more than I expected to. But then again, I'd never even considered the fact that my Mickey would be unhappy to see me. I remembered how I'd longed to meet him again as a little girl. Growing older, my priorities changed. Then there was that accident. I couldn't remember his full name, nor his parents but I'd always remembered him. I'd never forgotten him.

Even with Eva being my topmost priority, I'd never forgotten him. I might have no memories of what he looked like, but I still remembered him. I'd spent countless nights dreaming about meeting him again, imagining that scenario over and over again in my head about how we'll great each other as if all these years we spent apart hadn't changed a thing. But now that the moment has come, or say, uncovered, I was at loss as to how to react.

My head started hurting from all these thoughts running wild inside it and I rubbed my fingers over my temples. I looked at the time. It was half past three now. Running my hands through my hair, I sighed. There was no way that I'd be able to get any sleep with my thoughts playing trampoline inside my head. So I thought of the only way to get some peace and hopefully, some sleep as well.

I decided to find out the truth. Now.

Feeling suddenly energized, I hastily got up from my bed and all but ran to my closet. Carelessly throwing in some decent looking clothes- for I really couldn't care about what I was wearing but still had some sense to think of changing from my nightgown- I got into my car and drove towards Adrian's penthouse. Before leaving, though, I made sure to grab my evidences- his wallet, the photos and my t-shirt.