𝐕𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃 ❷

𝟒𝟎. ✭ 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐗𝐓𝐎𝐍 ✭

Pulling a gun on the father of the woman I'd just slept with, directly after the act too, was probably not one of the wisest decisions I've ever made. Hindsight being twenty-twenty and all it's probably something I'll never do again. But I'd thought the man had figured me out. It was either that or he was going to fire me for sleeping with his daughter which is why I did what I did. I thought it was a 'now-or-never' kind of situation. Turns out I was wrong, very wrong.

Adriana has wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Now that I'm not her guard anymore she doesn't really have to have anything to do with me. I'm here under her family's protection, just like she is. And even though Luke put me in the same wing as Adriana, much to Denver's chagrin, you would think we were worlds apart. Whenever I saw her in passing she wouldn't even throw a glance in my direction. She paid me zero attention. None.

I can't stand it.

I had gotten used to Adri's incessant teasing, her flirtatiousness and constant need to fill the empty air with chatter. Her playfulness and smile, the way she mocked Thomas, all of the things that made Adriana Adriana, I missed all of that. She's a different breed of woman, one that I hadn't even realized had become my favorite.

One week of complete silence from her was maddening. All it did was make my thoughts swirl and center around her. I hadn't even realized just how much I'd let her in, how much she'd become part of my day-to-day, because now that she's not a part of it I feel like I'm missing something. I've become attached.

"How is she today?" I ask Thomas who's standing outside of the theater room. He just gives me a grimace. "That bad?"

"She told me to 'suck a duck and leave her the fuck alone'." It takes everything in me not to laugh. "She's a ray of sunshine, as always." The look on his face says she is exactly the opposite of that. When I take a step toward the door he eyes me seriously. "Hey man, I don't think she's in the mood to see you." Something about him telling me I can't see her pisses me off on a level I did not expect. Thomas looks like he understands that as he raises his hands with, "but, by all means, if you want to try and give it a go, go right ahead."

I stare at the door and deliberate knocking. One half of my says it's the courteous thing to do and the other half of me says she'll just bitch and tell me not to come in. Knowing the latter, I decide to just go with my gut and open the door. She's currently flopped on top of the oversized beanbag chair thing watching, what would appear to be, some kind of reality dating show. She's cradling a box of tissues in one hand and cupping her mouth with the other in astonishment.

"Looks like it's a helluva show." No more than a second later is that tissue box launched at my head. I easily dodge it and then pick it up off the floor as I go over to her.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?" Her voice matching that of a feral cat as do her features as she turns off what she'd been watching.

"I came to see you. I would think that's apparent." I toss the box down beside her.

"Yeah, well I would think that I have made it more than apparent that I do not want to see you." She hops up rather agilely from her spot on the beanbag. When she goes to make it for the door I snatch her arm with my hand. "I suggest you let me go or I will call for Thomas to come wipe the floor with your ass."

"I think both you and I know that Thomas could not 'wipe the floor with my ass'." She shrugs, looking away from me like doesn't care regardless and maybe even like she'd like to see him try. "I have explained everything that happened to you, Adriana. I don't understand why you continue to give me the cold shoulder. Why do you keep ignoring me?" Because it's driving me absolutely fucking insane.