Acumen: Riddling Life

Deal (10)

Day 6

"Eleanor!" Adrien breaths out, as if not sure it's actually me, as his wide enough eyes to pop out of its sockets take me in.

Of all the people it had to be Adrien. Of all the hotels in this god damned city, he had to show up at my uncle's hotel.

I inhale sharply as I look anywhere but his face. "Adrien," I say as a way of greeting him and start chewing my bottom lip anxiously.

I just want my coffee and maybe a little sleep, or even better, my Harry Potter book.

I take a step back and then another.

"I can't believe that you're actually here," he says. I glance up at him, the corners of his mouth is turned upwards.

I want to take another step back and to just walk away, actually run back to my room, but that would be awkward, and not a very adult thing to do.

"One might even think you've followed me," he jokes and slips his phone into his jeans pocket.

I sum up all my energy, or all that's left and glare at him making him chuckle. "I've been dying to say that for a very long time." He admits and continues with his chuckle.

I blankly stare at him.

I really don't want to be around him.

His eyes narrow, all the laugh leaving his features. "We need to talk," he says with complete seriousness.

I inhale a shaky breath, he leans down slightly, "I need to talks to you," he states.

"There's nothing to talk about, Adrien," I say.

If I was braver, I might have said that I don't want to talk to him, I don't even want to see his face.

"There's a lot to talk about," he stubbornly says.

"If you want to talk about the party, it really doesn't matter what happened," I've gone through worse than that, by you. I replay the words I said out loud in my head to make sure I didn't say anything wrong and then add, "And the rest is in the past," and it should stay in the past, including anyone related to it, meaning you too.

I glance up, his burrows are furrowed, he takes a step towards me and I instinctively take a step back and wrap my arms around myself.

Please just let me go.

His Addams apple bobs, and the next moment his features turn stone cold as he stares me down, "I have to talk to you," he takes a step towards me, before I can back away his hand reaches out and his fingers wrap around my upper arm, just above my elbow. "Stop running away from me."

I just wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole instead of being in this position.

I wiggle out of his grasp, my palms sweating, and my heart racing. The only thought in my head is to get as far away from him, and this situation, as possible.

I try to come up with words to say, to tell him to let me be but my head is empty of words, my mouth dry as a desert, my feet glued to the spot. It feels like everyone in this place is staring at me. I can feel every cell in my body jittering.

"Eleanor," my uncle's voice surprises me as he stands next to me, "Is something wrong?" My uncle's voice falls like a calming blanket on me, soothing me. He puts his hand on my shoulder and relief washes through me.

My mind slowly starts pushing away the fog of panic and anxiety away.

I look at my uncle, a fresh surge of confidence and ease pumps through my veins, "No uncle," I say and offer a small smile, but it doesn't stop him from looking suspiciously at Adrien. I swallow hard and push myself to continue, "We were classmates for a very long time," I offer and he slowly nods his head.