by G. R. Lyons
Good gods, he'd actually done it. The past week had been all seven hells wrapped into one, but he'd made it. He'd spent every waking hour making up the one day of classes he'd missed while stuck in the hospital, as well as finishing up his final assignments for the year and completing his thesis, just managing to get everything in on time to take his final exams.
And he'd passed. Adrian smiled with relief for the umpteenth time in the past twelve hours since he'd gotten his scores. Despite everything that had happened a week ago, Adrian felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. Today, after his final checkup at the hospital, and with diploma in hand, he could go to the bank and claim his inheritance. He'd finally be able to pay Zac back for everything, and have a way to live on his own. No more depending on others to take care of him. He'd finally learn to be his own man.
While Zac used the washroom, Adrian folded his blankets and set them aside, then went to start coffee. He still hadn't mastered even something as simple as breakfast, but coffee he could do, and gods knew they could both use it. It was going to be a long day.
But, with any luck, by the end of it, he'd be sleeping somewhere else. Somewhere all his own, out of Zac's hair and out of the uncomfortable situation they'd been enduring. It had already been a week, but he still couldn't get used to their new morning routine. From the moment Zac had arrived at the hospital to take him home, they'd been dancing awkwardly around one another, trapped in that small apartment together because neither of them had anywhere else to go.
Besides, Zac had insisted Adrian stay. Even insisted he take the bed. But Adrian wanted nothing to do with that bed anymore. Not after all the memories they'd made there together, sexual and otherwise.
It hurt too much.
That bed hadn't been his to begin with, anyway. This was Zac's space, and Adrian was the one who was intruding. He needed to get out as soon as possible, but they still had at least one more uncomfortable day to get through, depending on how quickly Adrian could find an apartment of his own.
And Zac was being too nice. Giving Adrian space when he needed it, helping out in whatever little ways he could find, and all Adrian wanted to do was run away. Run away and leave it all behind him.
Forget Zac. Rebuild his broken heart. Start over. Somewhere. Somehow.
They took turns using the washroom and getting dressed in the bedroom, and went off their separate ways. Adrian had opted out of the graduation ceremony being held that afternoon, so he went by the Hall of Graduates, where his diploma was being held, waiting for him to pick it up. Strolling down the massive Hall, Adrian passed pictures and plaques for former students who had made particularly outstanding achievements in their fields. Down the middle of the Hall, the current graduates' final projects and theses were on display, both for family and friends to admire after the ceremony and for job recruiters to pick out potential candidates. The latter came from all over the Isle, seeking out the best and brightest minds Denmer University had to offer, the school's reputation practically a guarantee for employment and success.
But Adrian couldn't even think about all that. The only thing that mattered at the moment was getting his diploma in his hands. One thing at a time. The rest would all have to wait.
Especially with the overwhelming list of things he needed to get done that day. All on his own.
Adrian reached the window at the end of the Hall and handed over his student ID to claim his diploma. A woman checked his records to confirm his status, then went to a locked cabinet, flipping through the contents until she plucked out one of the blue leather folders neatly arranged within. She secured the cabinet and handed Adrian's ID back to him, along with his diploma.
“There you are,” she said with a smile. “Congratulations.”
Adrian mumbled his thanks, just staring at the folder in his hands. Taking a shaky breath, he slowly flipped it open, and had to read the words twice before they sank in.
Adrian Frost. Graduate.
Holy shit. He'd really done it.
“You might wanna check your thesis station before you go,” the woman suggested. Adrian pried his eyes away from his diploma and gave her a questioning look. “Pretty sure I saw a couple business cards left there for you.”
Adrian frowned. Business cards? That meant job offers. For him? He managed another mumbled thanks, and turned back down the Hall, scanning the various displays until he found the one featuring his thesis paper.
For every graduate project that was just a written work, three tablets were set up under a banner that bore the student's name, allowing more than one person to peruse the paper at the same time. Beside the tablets was a locked, clear box that could only be opened by the administration or by swiping one's student ID. Sometimes, prospective employers came to view the projects hours before the graduation ceremony so they wouldn't have to get caught up in the oppressive crowd that was sure to flood the Hall at that time, and they'd leave a card so the student could get in touch when convenient.
Adrian blinked at the sight of two cards there. Oh my gods. Two job offers. Just like that.
The thought both thrilled and terrified him. He'd never had a job in his life. There was probably no way he could manage one—at least, not without serious medication—but just the fact the offers were even there was something like a miracle. His inheritance aside, here was a new possibility for being his own man.
With shaking hands, Adrian swiped his ID, and the box unlocked, allowing him to take the cards. He carefully tucked them into his pocket, shut the box, and darted away, clutching his diploma to his chest.
One thing at a time, he reminded himself. He couldn't afford to get worked up over this, especially considering his next destination. Focusing on breathing, he found a shuttle stop and waited for the next bus, checking the route map while he waited. Thankfully, there was a stop not far from the hospital, so he was able to get on the bus and cling to his seat all the way there, saving him the added stress of walking too far amongst strangers.
Adrian checked in for his follow-up appointment, had his stitches removed and wounds checked, and was given the all-clear, with instructions on how to continue caring for his wounds himself. Before leaving the hospital, he stopped by the billing office and gave his name.
“Are you sure I don't owe you anything?” he asked again.
The clerk humored him and looked up his file, shaking her head. “Nope, paid in full.” The same answer she'd given him the day he'd been discharged, with no indication of how the bill had been paid.
He'd tried asking Zac, but Zac had deflected and changed the subject.
Adrian thanked the woman and left, wondering how to bring up the topic with Zac again. He was the only one who could have paid Adrian's hospital bill, and once Adrian was sure of it, he'd pay him back.
But to do that, he'd need money, so he grabbed the next shuttle bus and made his way to the bank.
Adrian ducked his head as he shuffled through the entryway, glancing around to make sure his father was nowhere to be seen. He doubted the man actually ever went into the bank himself, but Adrian wasn't going to risk it.
“Can I help you?”
Adrian stepped up to the clerk. “Hi, um.” He cleared his throat, clutching his diploma tightly with both hands. “I'm here to see about an account my grandfather set up for me.”
“Alright,” the woman asked. “Your name?”
“Adrian Frost,” he said, then pulled his student ID out of his wallet and handed it over, knowing the card was somehow programmed with whatever information the bank would need to confirm his relationship to his grandfather in their client records.
The clerk scanned his card and handed it back, then clicked through a few screens, her eyes going wide with shock as her hands came to a stop. She blinked a few times, then coughed and shook her head, putting on a wide smile. “Let me just get you an account manager to help you with that.”
Adrian nodded while the woman snatched up her handset and tapped a button. She gave he
r name to whomever she'd called, then gave Adrian's name, then waited a moment before gushing, “Yes, ma'am. Right away, ma'am.” She almost dropped the handset back in place as she turned her beaming smile back on Adrian. “If you'll just follow me…”
The woman gestured at the doorway that would allow her to come out from behind the secure counter. Adrian waited there, then followed the woman as she escorted him through the bank, all the way back to the executive offices, and knocked on a door. They were welcomed right in, and the clerk vanished, the door shutting behind Adrian as he took in the sight of the fancy office and the woman holding out a hand in greeting. “Mr. Frost,” she said, giving him a friendly smile. “Lovely to meet you. I'm the branch manager–”
She gave her name, which Adrian quickly forgot as he shook her hand. The office was quiet and private compared to the bank lobby, but his nerves were still getting the best of him.
“Please, have a seat,” the woman offered. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Something stronger?”
Adrian blinked, then rapidly shook his head.
“Then let's get to it, shall we?” She gestured at the chair again, and Adrian sat stiffly on the edge, pressing his diploma onto his lap. “I've already got your file up here.” She glanced at the screen. “Looks like, by the terms of your grandfather's trust, all we need is your ID, which we've already scanned, and…your diploma to confirm graduation.”
Adrian looked down at the leather folder. This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for. Holding his breath, he slowly lifted the diploma and extended it across the desk, his fingers itching to grab it back once it was out of his hand.
The woman flipped it open to confirm his name. “Graduated with distinction. Congratulations.” She turned the diploma over and pressed it, face down, on a corner of her desk. Adrian blinked, finally paying closer attention to his surroundings. The desk was all glass, the surface bare of clutter, the only thing there being a vertical monitor in one corner and what appeared to be the woman's mobile phone off to one side. The glass surface lit up around the leather folder, and Adrian saw what looked like a light tracking over it from the desk's underside, scanning the diploma.
Something beeped, and the woman handed the diploma back. “And if you could just put your hand there so I can confirm your prints,” she said, pointing at a section of the desk in front of him. A two-dimensional outline of a hand appeared on the glass, so Adrian rested his hand within the lines, watching as a light tracked over his palm before another beep sounded. The bank manager glanced at her monitor. “And there we have it. Adrian Frost, identity confirmed and all requirements met to release the trust fund into your possession.” She tapped a finger in the middle of her desk, and a window appeared. Flipping the window around, she pushed it toward Adrian, and he bent over the desk, reading the screen, trying to make sense of what he was seeing there.
He blinked and read it again, then rubbed his eyes for good measure. There was surely no way that number was accurate.
“Th-Thirty million?” he whispered, looking up at the manager with wide eyes.
“That's correct.”
“Thirty million?” he repeated, still not believing it. He'd known his family were wealthy, but even that number astounded him.
The manager's eyes turned worried. “Something wrong, Mr. Frost?”
Adrian slowly shook his head, reading the number again. Thirty million, one hundred seventy six thousand, five hundred ninety two. He read it one more time just to be sure.
“Holy shit.” He slapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes going wider. “I'm sorry–”
The woman chuckled and waved a hand. “It's perfectly fine. I take it this is a surprise.”
Adrian nodded, unable to speak.
“Well, congratulations, Mr. Frost,” she said, her smile returning. “Now, here are the types of accounts we offer…” She dragged the window on the desk surface computer back toward her, tapped through a few screens, and pushed it back toward Adrian for him to view, pointing at each one as she explained the different accounts, their interest rates, fees, and terms.
Good gods, there were so many. And he was supposed to decide all this on his own?
Adrian took a deep breath and forced himself to straighten in his seat. Yes, he was supposed to do this on his own. He was his own man now. Time for him to act like it and start making some decisions.
He chose a spending and a savings account, putting the bulk of the money into savings so it would continue earning interest. The bank manager allocated the funds, then programmed a secure bank card for him and handed it over, along with a welcome packet and information for how to access his accounts from their server or download software onto a computer of his own to track his bills and expenses.
It was all too much, but he could worry about most of that later. For now, the important part was done. He could afford to live and find his own way.
He could afford to repay Zac for everything the man had done for him.
“Now, before you go,” the woman added, “I would highly suggest opening an insurance policy to protect you and your property. I don't see an agent of record attached to your name,” she continued, waving at her monitor.
Adrian nodded. “My father took me off his policies, and I haven't been able to get one of my own yet.” He paused, still thinking of Zac and everything Adrian owed him. Zac had said he was insured, but his parents weren't. Maybe there was even more he could do for the man. Adrian took a deep breath and asked, “Could you recommend a good one for me?”
“Certainly.”
“Not Stronghold,” Adrian blurted out. He didn't want to be anywhere near that company after what his father had done.
The woman grimaced. “They aren't on our recommended list, anyway.” She picked up her mobile and tapped two buttons before bringing it to her ear. “Mace, hi, it's Clara. Listen, I've got a very special client who's shopping for insurance…Adrian Frost…I'll send him your way. Thank you.” She set the phone aside and reached into a cabinet off to one side, plucking out a card and sliding it across the desk. “Mace Parker,” she said, tapping a fingernail on the card. “He owns Sturmwyn Insurance. Very good and very reliable.”
Adrian took the card. Sturmwyn sounded familiar. He gave a nod of thanks and tucked the card into his pocket.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Frost?”
Adrian slowly shook his head, thinking, his mind still on Zac. He hesitated, then glanced up at the woman from under his eyelashes.
“Is there…any chance…you could tell me if someone is a client here?” he asked.
Clara's eyebrows went up. “Bank policy wouldn't allow me to give you any information, but I might be able to at least confirm if they bank here if you give me a name.”
Adrian opened his mouth to answer, then deflated. “I don't know their names, actually. It's my…friend,” he said, cringing at the word. “Well, his parents, really…I don't know their names…but they have a loan they can't pay off…Zac's been trying to help them but he can't now…mostly because of me…and I just want–” He broke off with a frustrated huff.
“And you want to help them,” Clara finished for him.
Adrian nodded.
She studied him for a moment, her eyes twinkling, then turned to her monitor. “Let me see what I can do. Maybe if you have a last name?”
“Cinder,” Adrian blurted.
Clara nodded to herself as she typed it in. “Looks like we have several Cinders banking with us. Do you know where they live?”
Adrian slowly shook his head. “Somewhere here in Morbran. Zac goes to their house every weekend for brunch.”
“Hmmm.” Clara clicked through a few more screens. “Ah, there we go.” She flashed him a smile. “Our system lets us note related clients in case we have trouble reaching one.” She glanced back at her screen and started nodding. “And this is the only Cinder file showing a loan attached to it.” Clara tapped at her desk again and pushed the screen
toward Adrian.
He looked down and read the amount Zac's parents owed. It was just under seven thousand. “That's it?”
Clara nodded.
Adrian sat up straighter, smiling with relief. He could help Zac, and he could start right now. “What do I have to do to pay it? In full.”
Clara beamed at him and turned back to her computer.
Chapter 25
ADRIAN FELL back on the hotel bed with a sigh.
Good gods, what a day. And it was only noon. Still several hours to go and several things to do before he could really consider his to-do list well and truly finished. At least he was armed with medication now. With his brand new bank card, checkbook, and some cash in hand, Adrian had gone straight from the bank to the pharmacy to refill his long-overdue prescription. Feeling better prepared to face the rest of the day, he'd then found a nearby hotel and booked a room, his name apparently carrying enough weight in that town that the staff rushed to help him, setting him up in a small suite and arranging for lunch to be sent to his room. Now, with the steadiness of his meds and a full belly, he was just waiting for a car to arrive so he could go to Zac's place and get his things.
Tomorrow, he could worry about looking for an apartment. For now, he was just glad to have a room to himself, a place where he could lock the door and hide away when he needed it. The whole thing was oddly reminiscent of his old apartment. Someone to bring him food, someone to come in and clean. That arrangement was handy for now while he got his bearings, but he didn't want it to last for long. He didn't want any reminders of how he'd lived under his father's rule. Learning to cook and clean and take care of himself entirely under his own power was going to be a long road, but he was determined. Zac had given him a good start. Now he'd have to honor that and finish it.
But first, he needed a few minutes of peace and quiet before he faced people again. Adrian sank back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. The bed was nice, but it was too empty. He opened his eyes and looked around. The room was incredible, but after living with Zac, it was far more space than he needed.