Why Me ✓ (FINAL EDITS)

Chapter 16

EMERSON FINDLAY

Right now, I was standing in the walk-in closet connected to the bathroom of my room. In front of me, stood the blond designer named Chloe. She looked like she was in her late twenties. She had brought in fabulous evening gowns but, either the back was too revealing or the front was. I wasn't comfortable at all.

Adrian was sitting just outside the door, putting up with my shenanigans for what felt like hours. Finally, after much effort, Chloe showed me the two pieces that she thought would fit my taste the best.

One was a red-coloured floor-length dress with an acceptable neckline and the back was also covered till mid-back, designed with crisscrossed lace design.

The other one was rose gold in colour having a fishtail design. It was floor-length too with the design reaching to its knees. It too had an acceptable front and back.

Even though both of them were pretty, it didn't take me long to choose which one I was going for

Even though both of them were pretty, it didn't take me long to choose which one I was going for. I took the red one from the designer's hand and she hung the other one back on the rack, scurrying towards the door.

Soon, I shimmied into the dress and looked at myself in the full-sized mirror. I turned around to look at my back. Perfect. Just perfect.

I walked back into the room where Chloe and Adrian were talking. As soon as I went out, she left. I shrugged. Adrian now shifted his gaze fully onto me and his eyes ravaged me up and down.

I was thankful that I didn't blush a lot because I knew, at that moment, I would have. I adjusted my spectacles as I looked up to look at his face. But, I didn't focus on his eyes. His gaze was too intense to match.

He took a few steps towards me and put the charm bracelet on my wrist again. I had handed it to him while I chose and changed.

It was black, pretty different from the regular ones, but I loved it and appreciated the efforts put in by him

"You look gorgeous. Other than just your natural beauty, what's your secret to looking this good?" he asked.

I let out a laugh. "What?"

He just shrugged. "I can't help myself around you."

I smiled a real smile and he gave me a half grin.

"Now I am going to get ready. Meet you downstairs in fifteen," he said.

I frowned. "Why so early?"

"I've got some work in the city that needs to be done." He explained.

I walked into the closet and sat down on the dressing table to get ready. I definitely wasn't going to put makeup on my face. Just something with my hair, a side fishtail maybe.

It did not take me long before I walked down to the living room. It was just then that I realized, I was going to the party with the CEO as my partner. I nearly had a panic attack. Jackie was not going to let the matter slip. And I did not want to be the new gossip around my new workplace.

After five minutes of pacing around the hall, Adrian came back, asking what was wrong. I explained my problem to him in a shrill panicky voice. He frowned.

"Don't you feel happy being with me? You don't want people to know that we know each other?" He asked.

His eyes held a sad hopefulness as if they wanted me to prove his doubts wrong. I hated that look. I tried to come up with a way to deny it but, could not. After all, he was the only person who cared about me, a worthless being.

Self-loathing was not something that anyone liked to do. But, once it became a habit, it was hard to get rid of. After all, it was an easy way of having someone to blame for all your problems and in these cases, that someone was yourself.

So yes, I was the one to be blamed for his sadness and so, out of guilt or maybe even gratitude, I said, "Not at all. I am actually very proud that I know you but, there are many people who do not match my or your perspectives on this. You might soon hear rumours about me and you."

I knew exactly what he was going to say, yet I listened. And lost.

He said," I don't care about rumours. If you and I do not have a problem with it, we should not give heed to what people say."

And so, here we were, sitting in the car, heading to Adrian knew where. It was fun watching cars pass by and the beautiful city move like a landscape movie, in a blur. After an eternity, we reached a place. He asked me to stay put and went somewhere. You know they said that curiosity killed the cat?

That was exactly how I was feeling. I had this sudden urge to open the car door and go right into the door where Mr. CEO disappeared a while ago. Anyways, curiosity did kill the cat but, satisfaction had brought it back. So, I opened the door and was about to step out when I noticed the black car standing behind the car I was sitting in.

And I did not even know how, but I knew the man who sat in it wearing a navy colour shirt. It had to be Gavin, Adrian's security head. Was he following us all along? Why did I not notice him earlier? Oh, I don't know maybe because a big brooding baby was driving the car beside making me go insane with his cute pout?

Yes. That most definitely had to be the reason. Wait, did I just think that he was cute? Hold up, I just got diverted from the main topic. Adrian's bodyguard followed us lol around the town. That made me question- Did he do it for his security, or did he do it to keep tabs on me? I closed the door, heaving a sigh.

Again, my insecurities got the best of me and my head swirled with negative thoughts that should not have been there. I was so busy in self-reprimand, that I did not notice the handsome six feet man, wearing a blue suit, white shirt and black bow tie knocking on my window.

And when I did notice him, I opened the car door once more and got out.

"Open it.", He smiled while asking me to do so, like a five-year-old giving his friend a present for the first time. What was it with him and the gifts today?

The box was pretty huge for something legitimately normal to be there. But, with time I had learnt, normally did not go well with Adrian Rutherford.

I slowly opened the box as he held it for me. As soon as the knot came off, I saw that it was a box made of wood. Not the fat one but, it also was not too thin. Slowly, I opened the lid, creating anticipation for myself and when it finally came off, I yelped in surprise.