Adriana's Corner

Chapter 32

I still don't know if I said his name out loud or if I just thought it. Either way, the tall, grey-blue figure steps towards me, his sandy hair disheveled but his eyes kind. So very, painfully kind.

I can't move for some reason.

I don't know if I'm happy to see him, or maybe I don't think I should be happy to see him.

He gets that little bit closer until he's only about a meter away and he smiles ever so slightly.

"Nina." he says gently. The blue eyed figure in front of me blurs so I blink the water away finally wiping my eyes and stepping back, bumping into a table and knocking things over. Tears keep coming though, as the anger, confusion, disbelief and shock of everything starts to overwhelm me.

Damn, I was hoping to make it to my bedroom before this happened.

"Sorry." I blurt as I start to cry that little bit more, "I need to just..." my words come to a halt as I burst out crying.

I don't quite make it to the floor this time as Miles grabs hold of me making me cry even more. Why does he have to be here? Why now when I'm not allowed to be glad he's here? How can he come all this way just to leave me...just like my parents left Adriana.

How the hell could my parents desert their sixteen year old daughter!

"Sorry..." I cough through the sobs, "I need... to breath." I break free from his grip make a run for the nearest door, in this case it's the hallway door and I slam it behind me before crying again, bitterly this time at the cruelty of Adriana's situation and, selfishly, at my own situation; wanting to vent everything to Miles but not being able to. I know he'll know what to say. I know he'll make this mountain into a molehill for me but how can I ask for his advise moments before telling him he's killing me by coming here just to leave.

My cries are loud, the pain in my stomach fierce and the exhaustion so strong it drags me to the floor.

"Nina..." I hear Miles' voice say through the door. I pull my head out of my knees and grip my hair bracing for whatever it is he's going to say that will make ending things that tiny bit harder. Somehow, his voice is even sweeter than it is over the phone. "Please let me in. I didn't come here to comfort you from the other side of a door, Please." There's another silence and I hear him sit down on the floor, "Nina...I'll wait here for as long as it takes. Joe will just keep handing me more coffee and I'll just keep waiting, please. This is killing me having to comfort a door. It was hard enough over the phone. I came to see you. I'll sit at the other end of the hallway even, I just...please Nina. Joe's just made us a coffee...let me help."

I undo the grip my fingers have on my hair and wipe my face.

The next twenty-four hours will be awful regardless of what I do so I give in and open the door slightly. Miles opens it a little more but stays where he's sitting, on the floor, facing me through the now open doorway. I'm sure he wasn't this impossible to stare at back in London. Joe stands behind him holding two coffee's, making it even more evident that Joe had nothing against Miles.

"Should I go or will you need me to beat him up?" Joe asks. I take a shaky breath and shake my head.

"It's fine...thanks." I say quietly.

"I'll be in the garden then." he says before handing Miles two coffee's. He gives Joe a nod then looks back at me, putting the two coffee's down between us.

I try not to look at him. I try not to notice that his hands are shaking or that his eyes haven't left mine. Noticing those things will just make it harder for me.

"What happened?" he asks gently. I shake my head, rubbing my eyes even harder.

"You don't want to know." I tell him, reluctantly looking up. I inwardly groan at the intense way he's staring at me. Grief this is worse than The Tone. His eyes are just drenched in concern and kindness. I drag my eyes back to the floor. "What are you doing here?" I finally ask as the tears I have no control over fall.