by A. Marie
"There's so much more that you don't know and won't understand. You think we're the enemies when you're the one sleeping with the bad guy.”
"Then make it make sense how if you were so against Adrik, why were you working for him, and why did you push me so hard to be his caregiver? You called him your friend when you offered me that job. Be honest; you are just jealous and angry that he fired you. I'm out of here,” Avelina pointed out just before beginning to stand
Johnathan was quick to grab hold of her arm once more.
"I know this is hard to believe, but you have to trust me. I was working for Adrik before I knew about Vincent, Avelina. Just before Adrik fired me, Vincent showed me the truth behind everything. He told me that I messed up by just handing you over to Adrik on a silver platter, and I know now that he was right. I should’ve known something was odd when Adrik specifically requested that I interview yo-"
Adrik was storming over to them. He grabbed Avelina’s hand quite aggressively and pulled her to his side. Avelina noticed the anger in his eyes that he pointed at Johnathan.
"Talk to her again, and I will kill you with my bare hands," Adrik told him.
No other words were exchanged as he began dragging Avelina towards the exit.
"His name is Vincent Santos! You have to remember him!" Johnathan shouted, gaining the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
Avelina spared a glance over at Johnathan. She then followed Adrik out of the restaurant and into the car.
Adrik looked like he wasn’t feeling a single emotion, but Avelina knew better. She knew he was mad at her, which was why he didn't bother to mutter a single word.
Her eyes cast up at the night sky through the glass of the window. She remembered that name from the document she found on Adrik’s desk. Avelina kept thinking about the name in an attempt to rack her brain for any other memories. Vincent Santos, Vincent Santos, Vince-
Then, it hit her.
"You and Avelina look a lot alike, Vincent," Mama chuckled as Vincent’s blue eyes gleamed down at the young girl.
She did look like him. They must've got their looks from past genes because they were the exact opposite of their parents. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Avelina let out a giggle.
"She does," he smiled down at her. "My little sister."
"Vince," she gushed.
He laughed lightly just as their mother walked off with a small smile on her face. She was only two, and he knew that she would never be able to understand why he had to leave. The thought made his smile slowly ease into a frown.
"I made a mistake, but I promise that I will be here to protect you, Avelina," he whispered just as she let out another sequel. "Always."
Avelina didn't know what to think. It almost seemed as if everything was hitting her all at once. Her mind had to work twice as hard to piece everything together.
"Vincent is my brother," Avelina stated.
Adrik looked over at her with an indecipherable expression on her face.
"Vincent is my brother, and you knew that, didn't you?" She questioned.
“Avelin-”
"Stop the car. Stop the car right now.”
The car began to feel like it was closing in on her. She was suffocating in lies and secrets, and it was all coming from Adrik. She needed to get out, but the driver acted as if he didn’t hear a word she had said. Avelina didn’t even bother prepping herself as she opened the door. She needed air to fill her lungs, not the poison that was slicing its way into her heart.
The car was going pretty fast, and if it weren’t for Adrik grabbing onto her arm, she probably would've fallen out.
"Stop," Adrik ordered the driver.
Immediately, the car pulled onto the side of the road, leaving Avelina to snatch her arm from Adrik's hold and step out of the vehicle. She slammed the door shut as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Adrik swiftly got out of the car and followed right behind her.
"Tell me the truth. Why am I here? What do you want from me?" She shouted.
He didn’t want to answer her. The admiration she typically held in her eyes already appeared to slip away. Adrik wanted to do everything he could to bring it back. He was scared that if he told her the truth, her love would never return.
"You are here because you are the only way to find Vincent before he finds my sister," he said quietly.
"So, you used me?"
Her heart seemed to crumble from the sound of her own words. Even a tear fell from her face as she looked at him. It only showcased the hurt she felt in her chest.
"Do you even love me?"
"I do love you," he said, walking up to her, but she moved back. "I would never hurt you or let anyone else hurt you. I love you, Avelina."
She stared at him in shock. Her emotions were battling with her mind. There was a war that withheld an undetermined winner. She didn’t know if she should scream, cry, or both.
"Why is Vincent looking for your sister?” She asked him, searching for an excuse to piece back the fallen pieces of her spirit.
“I am worried that if I tell you, you will not fancy me anymore.”
“Tell me,” Avelina demanded.
He looked off in the distance.
“My sister had to do a job.”
“What job, Adrik?”
“The job to find you many years ago. Natasha was young and in this toxic mindset. At the time, she did not understand what she was doing,” he began, “when she couldn’t find you, she tried getting information about your whereabouts from your grandmother, but…”
“No!”
“…your grandmother would not tell her. So, the leader at the time gave Natasha a new job; kill her.”
Avelina always had this feeling that Adrik wasn't telling her the whole truth. Her intuition was still whispering everything was just too good to be true. Who would have guessed that her instincts were right?
Adrik reached for her hand.
"I do not want to lose you," he said.
Adrik pulled Avelina into his chest. He then wrapped his arm around her waist. A trail of heartbreak left his fingertips, and it pained her.
Her shock wouldn’t allow her to move. Even as Adrik pressed his head into the crook of her neck, Avelina remained robotic.
"How could you keep this from me?" She cried.
"I do not know.”
His arm was tightening around her. The thought of never holding her like he was doing now was difficult even to comprehend. She was his, and he wanted her in that way forever.
There was a guilt Avelina kept with her for years after her grandmother died. She thought her grandmother killed herself because she no longer cared for Avelina. The whole time, she built her life based on that tragic experience only to hear that it was all caused by the sister to the man she loved.
Memories played out in her mind of all the moments Avelina and her grandmother shared. All the happiness, the taught lessons—everything. She loved her grandmother more than she loved anyone in the world.
When she came home from school to see her grandmother passed away with this lifeless look on her face, it was the worst day of her life. Her grandma was the second family member that she had ever seen dead, and it was too traumatic even to comprehend. After that day, Avelina grew a newfound hate for herself that wouldn't have been there if her grandmother was still alive.
She snatched herself away from Adrik’s hold.
"What did my family ever do to her?" Avelina asked, tears freely finding a path to slide down her face.
"I do not know."
"I was hoping for a legitimate reason to make it easier to forgive you, but there isn't, is there?" She asked.
"No, other than the fact that I had nothing to do with it.”
"In my eyes, keeping all this information away from me makes you just as guilty. You knew everything and didn't bother to tell me a word. How could I ever trust you again?”
"I do not know, Avelina.”
Her shoulders fell
in defeat. "Yeah, I don't, either.”
"Take me to my home," Avelina said softly.
She knew that if she looked at him, she would break down again. All of the hurt she felt would come kicking and bruising her. Without waiting for his response, she got back into the car. It didn’t take him long to get in as well.
"Take her home," Adrik told the man.
The driver did a complete U-turn and began to drive them to Avelina's house. She could feel Adrik's eyes burning drills into the side of her head.
The entire ride was silent, aside from the roar of the engine. No one dared to talk. However, Avelina could feel Adrik's eyes burning drills into the side of her head.
When they finally pulled up in front of Avelina's house, she immediately got out. The sound of Adrik calling out to her didn’t go unnoticed by her. She ignored him and continued her walk up the steps to her building. Even when she could hear him running after her, Avelina didn't bother to turn his way.
"I do not like this. The countless amount of research I did for 'reasons someone you love would leave you' did not indicate this would cause it,” Adrik started from the moment he caught up to her.
Avelina looked at him in disbelief.
She pushed open her door and attempted to slam it shut before Adrik could get in, but she was too late.
"Please just get out," Avelina let out exhaustedly.
Adrik wrapped his arms around her as she began to break down. Her sobs were echoing throughout the room as he held her. She tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter.
"Adrik, please.”
Avelina wished she never even heard the truth. It was crazy how quickly her entire world flipped upside down. She was simply happy, but within the next couple of hours, that happiness shifted into misery.
Her eyes searched his, trying to find some way to see him the way she saw him only hours ago.
It took her by surprise when he leaned down and pressed his lips to her own. She knew that she should push him away and scream about how much he was torturing her, but she just couldn't do it. Her body didn't want to let him go.
As much as she hated him for keeping something so serious away from her, she knew she would always love him for the way he made her feel.
The same electrifying feeling that had bonded them was still there. It felt more powerful. The kiss served as Avelina’s reminder that no matter what he did, she cared for him. She felt weak. She was stupid and weak, and she hated herself for it.
Then, he gently pulled away.
His eyes were shut as if he were savoring the feel of her lips against his. He must've known it just like she knew it; the kiss could never happen again.
"I am truly sorry for all the pain that I have caused you," he said.
She could only stare at him in shock as he pressed one more kiss to the corner of her lips. Just like that, Adrik walked right out of the door and out of her life.
She did not know how long she stood there after he left. Her finger had risen to her lips, where she traced the feel of him. Avelina sat down on the ground and pressed her back up against the door.
Her shoulders rocked with each sob that left her. Avelina’s head was throbbing, and her body felt numb. She wished her emotions would have the same void that her body held. Instead, she was feeling every thought and every emotion, and it was breaking her.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Care for Risks
Days passed, and Adrik was not functioning in his typical manner. Anton was speaking to him, but he wasn't even striving to understand a single word. He usually loved to pay attention and store as much information as he could in his brain. Instead, his mind always trailed right back to the blue-eyed beauty.
Everything reminded him of Avelina. Even his desk left him to reminisce about her. He hated when Avelina sat on top of his desk instead of a chair. Now, it was something that he had already began to miss.
"Freedom to speak freely, sir?" Anton questioned his boss, leaving Adrik glanced at Anton frustratedly.
"Sure," Adrik stated.
"You just have to give her time.”
"I do not understand how I can give someone time. It is beyond my control. Time is indefinite that cannot be controlled or given away by neither you nor me," Adrik explained.
Anton let out a sigh in response.
"What I meant is that you have to be patient. Based on the short amount of time that I've known Avelina, I can honestly tell you that she will come back," Anton expressed.
Adrik grasped an understanding of what Anton was trying to say. He could even feel hope beginning to splurge into his soul. His need for Avelina only grew within the past few days. He missed her.
Memories danced around in his thoughts. Natasha was always there for him when he was younger. The love he had for her was tremendous, but it didn’t overpower how much he loved Avelina.
"I only wanted to protect Natasha just like Natasha had protected me my entire life," Adrik said.
"Have you talked to Natasha?"
"Not recently. The last time I had spoken to Natasha was after the wedding to tell her what the man had said,” he answered.
Anton's brows pulled together.
"What man?"
"The man who stabbed me. He told me something before I shot him," Adrik stated.
He thought back to the wedding when one of Vincent’s men had thrust a knife into his side. It was unexpected, but he should have known Vincent would attempt to strike eventually.
"What did he say to you?" Anton asked.
"He told me that if I did not give up Natasha's location to Vincent, then Vincent would come back to kill me, and I do not particularly enjoy being threatened,” Adrik seethed out behind clenched fists.
"So, you told Natasha. What did she say?"
"She wants to come out of hiding. Natasha has mentioned plenty of times that she did not want to be the cause of Avelina hating me. On that day of the wedding, Natasha said that if Vincent found and killed her, that it would be okay because she felt it was what she deserved. I have not heard from her after that. I am not aware of where she is.”
Anton's brows had risen as his worry took over his facial expressions.
"We should go look for her," Anton declared, standing up from his seat and beginning to storm out of Adrik's office.
"No.”
"Sir-"
"Vincent's men are always watching us just like my men are always watching him. If we go to look for my sister, he will know where she is. It is not a risk that I am willing to take. Go home," Adrik demanded.
Anton's shoulders fell. Without another word, he stormed out of Adrik’s office.
After Anton had left, Adrik was left alone with his perplexing thoughts. Not only was he worried about his sister, but he was also missing Avelina. He grew the sudden urge to text Avelina—just to bid her hello.
As his mind trailed back to the conversations he had with his sister, Adrik began to realize she was right. Natasha repeatedly told Adrik that he should tell Avelina about what happened. As much as Adrik knew she deserved the truth, he was scared that he would lose her.
Grabbing his phone from beside him on his desk, he clicked Avelina's contact name. Adrik's finger seemed to hover over the call button.
Anton may have told him to be patient, but it was hard maintaining patience when all longed for was her ocean eyes to captivate him.
Shaking his head, he switched off his phone. Adrik gripped the bridge of his nose frustratedly. His eyes seemed to shut as his thoughts took over his mind.
Angrily, Adrik slid everything from off his desk. He even went as far as standing up and kicking his chair off to the floor. Slamming his fist into the wall, Adrik was welcomed to a sharp pain in his side.
"Fuck," he groaned.
Lifting his shirt, he began to see blood leaking through the bandage.
Adrik racked his brain of the time Avelina had changed his gauze for him. He memorized each function of her fingertips before walking
over to the bathroom and attempting to repeat her very same steps.
Even though he was in physical pain, it didn't overwhelm the hurt he regarding the loss of Avelina. He didn't think anything could measure up to that.
Adrik finished taking care of his wound, but he wished it was Avelina doing it instead. He loved it when she touched him. It still perplexed him how he normally disliked when others made any kind of contact with him. However, with Avelina, he craved her every touch. Everything impossible for Adrik's mentality seemed possible around her.
Turning out his light, he walked into his bedroom, where he laid down in his bed—his mind still wide awake. If Avelina were still in his house, he would sneak into her room and lay down beside her. His nightly routine was to press his head against her neck before whispering how he enjoyed his time with her.
Deep down, he knew he couldn’t do that for today. Adrik couldn't do that ever again.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Care for Heartbreak
Avelina got out of her bed. She could just feel the extra puff of her eyes from crying all for the past week nonstop. She still spent her nights with more tears than sleep.
A notification popped up on her phone. She quickly reached for it on the nightstand with a feeling of hope splurging her heart. Sadly, that hope soon replaced itself with disappointment when she saw it wasn’t anything from Adrik.
It had been a whole week, and she still hadn’t heard a word from him.
Avelina was staring at her ceiling when she heard knocking on the door. Her brows pulled together in confusion. She found herself wondering who in the world was at her door.
She walked over to the wooden frame before gently pulling open the door. Her heart dropped down to her feet. The man she had seen all those years ago was standing right in front of her. There he was with his blue eyes piercing into her own and with the same scar that sat just above his eyebrow.
“My sister.”
“Vincent,” she whispered out breathlessly. “What are you doing here?”
She took a few step backs from the door. She wanted to be sure that she stayed as far away from him as possible. There was no telling what he planned.