A Trade Of Hearts |✔

CHAPTER 63: Anonymous Friend

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to all my patient readers.

Thank you so much.

ADRIAN

I opened my eyes only to shut them back again, wincing as a searing pain shot up my neck to the back of my head.

Ugh! Hangovers. The bane of my existence!

I slowly reopened my eyes, blinking repeatedly to get rid of my clouded vision.

I had dozed off in the cellar last night after drinking more than my fair share of whiskey.

I stood up with much effort and then stumbled my way up the stairs and into the living room. I asked a maid to get me a glass of water and two aspirins, slumping down on the sofa in the living room.

"Sir. Medicine.", the maid said. I instantly took it from her and swallowed it.

My head was killing me. I should have never gotten drunk alone, I lost count of how much and what I was drinking. I closed my eyes massaging my temples, hoping for a quick relief when my mind suddenly traveled back to last night.

I had seen it.

I had seen the hope in Vanessa's eyes as she asked me what I felt, I had seen it shatter as I apologized, I had seen her try to control her outburst but lose it, I had seen her run out of the party, tears streaming down her face.

I had seen it all and I felt pathetic. I couldn't stop thinking about it so I drank a few glasses...or was it bottles? Atleast it kept my thoughts at bay but now a clear image of last night was back in front of my eyes.

A sudden laughter drew me out of my thoughts. I looked in its direction to see Charlotte and Bryan walking back inside the house. They still had yesterday's clothes on...they had been out all night.

"Adrian don't be overprotective! She is your older sister and he is your best friend.",Vanessa's voice echoed in my head.

Charlotte elbowed Bryan and then they both smiled at me awkwardly as I rolled my eyes at them, getting up from the sofa. It was going to really take me some good amount of time before I accepted their...um...relationship.

I began walking towards the stairs but Charlotte stopped me, asking,"Adrian, wait! Is Vanessa home?"

"I don't know. I don't think so.",I said, not looking back.

She would kill me if I told her what happened yesterday.

I went to my room, took off my clothes and turned on the shower. As the hot, steaming water soaked me from my head to toes, I wished it would drain away my memories of last night along with the smell of alcohol and sweat.

I ruffled my wet hair and slipped into a a black t-shirt and blue jeans and then left my room.

As I was walking across the corridor, making my way down to the dining hall, I stopped next to dad's room.

He had been home for a few days now. Considering that it was a long way to Mount Sinai and we could afford to convert his room into a make-shift hospital room, it was a good idea to have him discharged once he was stable.

I slowly opened the door to see if he was asleep. He wasn't. The nurse was giving him his breakfast.

I didn't want to disturb him. Well to be honest, I didn't know what to say to him. Ever since his accident, I had only been staring at his sleeping figure, avoiding him when he was awake.

Our relationship had been built on arguments and misunderstandings. Take that away, what did we even have except silence?

I sighed as I closed the door but it creaked.