If Tomorrow Never Comes

19 - Of Course

Adrian lit a campfire in the middle of the room, warming up beside it. Esme sat up in the bed and joined Adrian sat around the camp fire. Adrian's guilt written face stared blankly into the flames of death. "Adrian, this really, wasn't your fault. None of this was. That woman's death wasn't yours, not finding my parents or Charlie—"
Adrian looked up at the girl, his face filling with horror. Esme picked up on this and questioned him. He pretended he didn't hear her at first, but that's when she lashed out. "What do you know Adrian?" She yelled, grabbing the man's t-shirt and pulling him right up close. Adrian's hand fumbled around in his bag pocket as he removed the files. He slowly handed them over to the girl and she pulled away. She opened it and began to read. And read. And read.

It took only a total of three minutes to read everything. She laughed. It wasn't a laugh of happiness though. It was a laugh of depression and loss and heartbreak. Tears streamed her face and washed away sand that had been embedded in her soft skin. She placed the files in the fire and stood up. Adrian watched her as her hand slid up against one of the tables. Adrian slowly stood up, getting a horrified feeling of something going wrong. He was right. Esme's hand brushed the table and then landed on something. Adrian heard it. The click of a gun. Esme spun around, gun placed to her temple as she stared Adrian in the eyes. Fear over came Adrian as without hesitation he leapt up and smacked the gun away. At the same time, his lips smashed to hers in a tidal wave of lust. "You saved me, now I'm saving you." He couldn't control himself as he pushed against her, hungry for more. His hands searched her body and his mouth called for her. Esme's face was covered in tears and salvia as Adrian's mouth moved all over her. Bear tucked away into the corner awkwardly as the pair sucked each other's faces off. He whimpered, also sensing something bad. Adrian's hand landed on Esme's thigh and she yelped in pain as he removed it. "I'm sorry, I forgot." He apologised, continuing at what he was doing. Esme loved it.

The duo slept late into the afternoon the next morning. Not until Bear came and pounced on them did they wake up. They groaned, hugging each other and pulling apart. Adrian wandered over to the bag and opened it. He pulled out several cans and a radio. He smirked, looking up at Esme with colourful inspiration filling his dark thoughts. "Wanna dance?" Adrian asked, his hand hovering in front of Esme's face. Her eyes fluttered up and latched onto Adrian's large hand. Slowly she slipped her own into his and stood up from the bed. "I thought you'd never ask." Esme giggled, a large smile spread right across her face. Adrian slowly placed his paws on Esme's waist, curving into the small of her back as the swayed to the music. It wasn't classical, actually, it was Selena Gomez and ironically the song was one of Esme's favourites — A Year Without Rain. The pair bopped to the beat and Adrian spun Esme a few times. Dramatically, Adrian dipped Esme and everything went slow. The pair looked into each other's eyes like they'd just realised something. "Kid ..." Adrian brought back Esme's nickname from days before. Esme didn't say anything, she just closed the gap between them. "Hell, aren't you gorgeous." Adrian pulled away.
"I , um ..." Esme muttered, not knowing what to say.
Adrian pulled Esme back onto her feet and the pair looked at one another. Just as Adrian went back in for another kiss, a bark erupted from Bear. The duo looked around rapidly to see Bear looking out the window as the distant sound of bikes echoed from the horizon. Esme and Adrian held a look that screamed panic.

They gathered up their things as quickly as they could and burst out the door to find ... a semi-circle of bikes. It only consisted of three bikes but on each one, two people were sat on it. Adrian stuck his arm out in front of Esme protectively. Esme looked at his biceps before returning her attention back to the men. Nobody said anything.

A gun was drawn and aimed at Adrian but within a second Esme had pushed Adrian onto the sand and dodged the bullet on her own. The men jumped from their bikes and grabbed at the pair. A huge fight broke out as Adrian swung at the guys and they all pulled at Esme. "Stop!" Esme cried wanting them all to get off her friend. Tears rolled down her dusty cheeks as she yanked her arm free and swung it around and smacked one of the men in the face. They dropped unconscious. "We'll do to you what we did to Lola, and her baby, was he yours? Aww." The man, who Esme and Adrian presumed was the leader, laughed, wrapping his hand around Adrian's jaw. Adrian's eyes soaked red as he pulled free of the two men holding him back and knocking them down. Adrian grabbed the man's hand and slammed it against the butt of his gun. He dropped to the sand. Adrian turned and looked at Esme in worry. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Adrian fussed, looking the girl up and down. She nodded, her eyes drifting off the shoulder of Adrian and her eyes landing on one of the men. He was stood there, gun pointed right at Adrian's head. Bear barked viscously, making the man look at him. A gunshot went off and the man dropped like a sack of apples. Adrian turned and the man was sprawled out across the sand, dead. Esme had a gun in her hands. The pair laughed. "That was close—"

Another gunshot.

It came from behind Esme.

Her legs caved in and she tumbled down a small dune. Blood splurges remained where Esme's wound had felt its surface.

"NO!"

Adrian snatched the gun from Esme and shot the man — over and over and over again. He screamed, throwing the gun at the man and returning to the girl lying on the sand. She was gasping for air for the first couple of seconds and then she was silent. Adrian kneeled down beside her and touched her hair. "Esme, I-I-I what can I do? I'm scared Es. Kid? Es?" Adrian howled, cradling the dying girl.
"Adrian ..." Esme looked up into the sky.
"Ye-Yeah?" Adrian sniffled, gripping the girl's vibrating hand.
"Were you real?"
"Yes."
"Will I see you again?"
There was a silence. A silence of sadness and grief and every emotion there was to feel in that moment. Adrian's blood ran cold at the thought of what was going to happen to the girl.

"Of course."

Esme smiled. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She was silent. All there was to hear was her slowing inhalation and the wind blowing sand across the landscape.

"Thank you." Esme said finally, looking up into the heart-broken man's eyes. He nodded, leaving a final kiss on her head.

"I love you." He whispered, knowing she was gone.

Esme was gone.

Adrian looked down at her frozen body wrapped up in his leather jacket. He slowly got to his feet with the help of Bear, as he sprinted over and began to whimper. He lay down. "No Bear, we have to go! We have to go you stupid dog, come on!" Adrian screamed to the animal. He stood up and followed Adrian across the sand towards Esme's murderer.

"Fuck you ... she's dead ... you hear that asshole? She's dead! You happy now? YOU HAPPY NOW?!" Adrian screamed down at the man with several bullet wounds in his torso.

"That's what I thought." Adrian said after long last.

"Come on Bear." He called the golden retriever to his side as he wandered off into the sunset.

The not-so-asshole-biker and the golden retriever wandered far off into the distance leaving crazy-schizophrenic girl to waste away.

Adrian Porter has a heart. Esme Winters was proof.