Do you like him now?
Yes, it took a while but now I feel like I know him more.
What do you mean more?
He opened up to me about things and I saw that he is not all bad.
You know Alanna that he loves you right.
He has not showed anything to prove that so far.
I need you to understand something.
Okay,
By you being nice to him and getting to know him, he is most likely going to think that you like him back.
No, he knows how I feel about you.
Trust me Alanna I know his mind.
So what do you want me to do?
There is nothing you can do he is there and I am not.
Adrian I feel as if maybe you are worried about this.
How can I not be?
You have no reason to be, I would never do anything.
I know you would not, but Michael he is a bloke and need I say more.
I do not think you give him enough credit, if what you say is true then just think of how honorable he is to you, by staying here with me, your girlfriend.
I will always be in his debt for the way he is looking after you, but Alanna please just be careful of how you act with him.
I do not act any different with him than I do with anybody.
He is not just anybody he is a bloke who has loving feelings for you, so be careful.
Okay then,
Alanna I forgot to ask how your friends took the news, when you told them you were leaving college for a while.
Oh Adrian it was a nightmare.
What happened?
Sophie happened.
Alanna I know that she is your friend but I have to tell you, there is something that I do not trust about her.
Let me guess you do not like her hair color,
No, it is not just that, the way she looks at you, I think she is very envious of you.
She is that way with everyone and she has been since she was a little girl. No one could get anything but she had to have it too.
You see that is not a good person to have around.
Anyway, she started dissing you, again.
What did she say?
She thinks that I have changed and that, you control me.
Do you think that I control you?
Yes, you kind of do.
That is the side of me that I have tried many times to change, but I cannot it is just who I am.
I know that and I think it is cute how you like to be so protective.
Alanna it is not cute, do you know how much I wish I could be normal.
What is normal?
Normal is waking up, not obsessing about whom you are talking to, normal is being able to let you do your own thing, and normal is not panicking that you are in danger all the time. My mind is obsessed with you, I cannot think of you so far away and I hate not knowing what you are doing every second of every day.
Adrian I did not know you felt that way.
I do and I try to not text you every second, but I cannot I need to know what you are doing, who you are talking to or my mind does not rest. I do not sleep thinking about you, I fear that some bloke will sweep you off your feet and I will lose you.
Adrian I only want you. Do not worry about that, it will never happen.
I cannot be sure you are too precious, and me I am just a controlling murderer.
Adrian if you were then why, are you not in jail?
I was twelve the authorities did not act on it because of my surroundings, they said I was the victim but I was not Alanna.
Can you please tell me what happened?
No not, right now not while you are in danger.
Adrian I am here in this safe house with all around security, I am safe just now, please tell me what happened.
I cannot I will tell you soon, I promise.
Okay, Adrian but please know that whenever you want to share this with me, I am here.
I know you are remarkable I do not deserve you.
I thought I told you not to say that.
You did but it does not stop me from thinking it.
I sigh as I put the phone down, I reflect on all the things Adrian has said. I was a little surprised how he acted about Michael. I would have thought he would be happy that I get on with his family. However, he seems to think that Michael wants to be more and that I should be careful of the way I act around him. I am so confused right now, I want to be honorable to Adrian but at the same time, I do not want this time here with Michael to be awkward. I thought I had it all sorted but now I am not sure. I fear that if I were nice to Michael then he will think that I am leading him on; I do not want to distance myself from him either. I enjoy talking to him and I do like him, I do not know what I can do for the best.
“Miss Hart,” I hear Maggie at my door so I run over and open it.
“How can I help you Maggie?”
“It’s time for lunch,”
“I am not really that hungry right now.”
“Dear, you have to eat.” I roll my eyes slightly, I do not feel like eating, in fact it is the last thing I want to do right now. I do not respond to Maggie I just gaze wide-eyed at her, I can see that she has a little frustration on her face.
“Come on Miss, I have made your favorite.” How does she know my favorite I do not even know that? I give up and follow her into the kitchen were Michael is sitting smugly.
“Now take a seat dear, I will dish out.”
I walk over and sit next to Michael, I am a little unsure of how to act around him. Maggie hands over two plates filled with salad and then she gives us a huge platter filled with roast chicken and bread.
“Wow Maggie this all looks great,” I say trying to make her feel good.
“Now help yourselves and Miss Hart make sure you take a big helping, you are skin and bone.”
I smile and she heads out into the hallway. Michael turns to me as he takes a huge piece of chicken and several pieces of bread,
“Bon appetite!” I smile and begin to take mine. As we sit in the oversized Condo and eat the over-delicious food Michael talks like there is no tomorrow. Going on about the weather and the latest movies that are on the cinema and he even says that we should go see a movie sometime. I begin to think that perhaps I have led him on. However I change my mind and instead, I choose to believe that I have just became friendly with him and that I have acted in a way a friend would. Therefore, I agree that we should see a movie. Once dinner is, over I try to back into my room but Michael is having none of it.
“Alanna, why don’t we bring the cinema here?” He says holding up a few DVD’s. I do not want be rude and at the same time I do not really feel like sitting in my room all night alone. Therefore, I say,
“Why not, I will go ask Maggie if she has any popcorn.” I walk along the hallway and into the room that Maggie uses for relaxing when she is not cooking. “Maggie do we have any popcorn?”
“Yes, I believe we have, I will go make it for you okay?”
“Thanks,” I walk back along to the lounge and I see that Michael has about twenty DVD’s all lined out onto one of the sofas.
“What kind of movies do you like?”
“Anything you choose,”
“I never thought I would see the day a girl lets the bloke choose the movie!” I smile and sit on one of the armchairs.
“You know I feel guilty about choosing the movie, can’t you at least tell me what ones you like?”
“I like old movies, but if you don’t then it is fine.”
“Okay, old movie it is.” He picks up Gone with the Wind, a choice that I would never have expected him to make. He sits on the chair right next to me; Maggie comes in with the popcorn. She has put the popcorn in one big bowl so it looks like we have to share and I feel a little bummed by that. Sharing food is mainly what couples do and I feel that if I were to share this popcorn with Michael then maybe I will be leading him on further. Therefore, I ask Maggie if she co
uld put the popcorn in a separate bowl and to my relief Michael agrees. We watch the movie for about an hour in silence, but then I see Michael look over as if he has something he needs to say to me.
“Alanna what would you be doing if you hadn’t met Adrian?” I am taken back by his words I do not really know how to answer him.
“I guess I would be at college and studying for finals and graduating on time with honors.”
“Alanna what is it that you want to do with your life?” Michael says turning fully around in his chair so that now; all that he can see is him.
“I would like to help children who are underprivileged; I would love it if one day I could own a private orphanage, so that I could at least make it a kind of happy experience for children that are suffering.”
“You are amazing you know that.”
“No I don’t think so,”
“You are, who else do you know cares about stuff like that?”
“There are many people who care about others.”
“Who, not your friend Sophie, all she cares about his herself.”
“Hey she is still my friend don’t be slating her.”
“I am not I am just saying that no young beautiful girl like you cares about stuff like that, you are a one-off Alanna.”
“I just have guilt inside about my childhood and how good it was, if I could just make one child have the same happiness as I did growing up.”
“Alanna is that how you have a special bond with Adrian?”
“No I don’t love Adrian because he has had a bad upbringing; I love him because he is real. He is not some shallow person that only cares about himself. He’s not like anyone I know I think that’s the connection I share with him.”
“Alanna when he tells you about everything will you accept it?”
“I have thought long and hard about that and every time I come to the same conclusion, which is yes I will accept it.”
“Alanna another girl might not be as understanding and Adrian knows that. He can’t live without you, but he fears what your action might be.”
“He knows me well enough now to know what my reaction will be.”
“Then why he is worrying to tell you?”
“The truth is I feel that he is scared, he has tried to put this out of his mind but I know that it eats him up inside, he will never get over the what Alice and David did to him.”
“I know that he won’t, but I also think that he can be happy with you. However I do feel that he needs to tell you the truth.”
“I know but I can’t get him to open up about it.”
“Alanna I don’t want to alarm you, but there are people who want to kill you. When they have a target, that target usually ends up dead. I know you say that everything will be fine and that you love Adrian. You say you trust him, but don’t you think that you deserve to know what you are putting your life at risk for?”
Hearing Michaels words they are alarming to me and I feel that he would not be saying these things if he did not love me. I can see the fear in his eyes when he talks about me getting hurt. I feel drawn to him it is as if I want to hug him. However I cannot I know that will only give him false hope.
“Michael I really appreciate everything you are saying and I know that you care about me. However I do trust Adrian and I know that nothing will happen to me.”
“How do you know that, look where you are? If you weren’t at risk then you would be at college, free to live to your life not here with me and surrounded by security.”
“I just have a feeling and all this is just a precaution.”
“Alanna it’s not.” I look down at the floor and I am trying so hard to fight back tears, I am trying to be strong and show that I am okay with this and that everything will be okay. Nevertheless, the truth is I am terrified.
Twenty-four
I wake early the next day and have a long hot shower, I pick out some clothes and Maggie shouts me for breakfast. I sit at the breakfast bar surrounded by fresh bouquets of flowers. I eat the massive feast that she has prepared desperately trying to eat as much as I can as I do feel that I am getting a little thin. Jackson has switched roles with the other security guard who is even more huge than he is. I do not know his name, he is not as talkative as Jackson is and he has an aura of ‘do not talk to me about him’ so that is exactly what I do. Michael is still in his room and I have not heard a peep out him all morning. Therefore, I walk to his room and give a little knock on the door. It takes him a while to answer but when he does, he is only wearing a pair of dark blue jeans. He has an amazing body but I am trying so hard not to stare at him, I try desperately to focus my eyes on his face.
“Michael is everything okay?”
“Yes why wouldn’t it be?”
“No reason, I was wondering if we could go out somewhere today.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I was thinking maybe shopping?”
“Shopping, I don’t really do that.”
“Oh” I sigh,
“Don’t give me that face.”
“What face?” I look up into his Ice blue eyes. He is so tall that I feel very intimidated as I stand next to him.
“Give me ten minutes okay?”
“Okay,” I say smiling at him and giving him another glance as I walk away. I head back to my room and put on a sweater, as it looks cold outside. I fix my hair quickly in the mirror and apply some lip-gloss. As I do I hear my phone it is a text from Adrian,
Alanna how are you today?
I am good, how are you.
I am fine, what are you doing today?
I was actually thinking about going out.
Out where?
I have been in this house for two days now I need air.
I understand that, but where are you going?
Shopping,
Did I not get you enough stuff?
No, you did but I just need some time out you know?
I see is Michael going with you.
Yes he is do you not want him to?
I cannot stop him.
Adrian I thought we talked about this?
Yes, we did and I told you to be careful around him.
Michael is great but I love you.
Yes, you keep saying that
Do you not believe me?
No of course, I do baby, go out and enjoy your shopping trip. If you look in one of the kitchen drawers, you will find one of my credit cards, take it and pay whatever you buy with it.
No Adrian I cannot
Yes you can I will not let you go out unless you take it.
How can you stop me?
I control everyone in that house, so take the credit card okay.
Okay I will take it but I do not have to use it.
Yes, you will, I will know if you do not and I will not let you out again.
You are crazy you know that.
Yes I know that, now Alanna it is hard for me to let you out of that house, please whenever I text you make sure you text back within ten minutes okay?
Okay
Do not leave the bodyguards not even for a second okay?
I will not Adrian please stop worrying.
Now can you remember everything?
Credit card, stay with someone at all times text you back, I think I got it covered.
Alanna please don’t joke
I am not now I will text you later okay.
Make sure you do!
Until next time baby,
Jackson escorts us down the stairs and into the black Escalade that is waiting at the front door to take us shopping. Michael has a look of worry on his face; I reach over and touch his arm slightly to comfort him in knowing that I will be okay. He smiles back and we sit in silence as the car pulls away. Jackson has also come along and from what I can tell; he is not too happy that we are going shopping. Neither is Michael who told me he has not been shopping for years instead he buys everything online. That is a something I could never do, I like the e
xperience of shopping the hustle and bustle and I love to watch the people. We arrive at the Manhattan mall it is not exactly New York’s best shopping area but its low key and that is the reason I chose it. Jackson gets out the car first and checks everything is okay, and then he instructs Michael to get out and then me. When we walk in through the doors I feel like everyone is staring at me. It is hard not to considering I am with Michael, every girl, women even some men cannot take their eyes off him. Then there is Jackson, so huge and bulky everyone must know that he is some type of bodyguard. As the stores are limited here, I will have to take my time and to go round them if I am to make this day stretch out. I head for JC Penny first, as I walk around the store Michael and Jackson follow. I find myself in the home department somewhere I would never usually be. I look at the kitchenware and the beautiful furniture they stock. I notice that Michael looks bored already; therefore, I start to talk to him as we stroll around the store.
“There are some really nice things here, don’t you think?”
“Yes lovely,”
“You don’t have to be sarcastic.”
“I wasn’t,”
“Really?”
“Okay, maybe a little.”
“So you really hate shopping?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I ask, sounding as if he is an alien for even thinking it.
“I think it’s mainly because my mother used to trail me everywhere with her and I used to hate it.”
“Oh I see.”
“May I help you?” a shop assistant says.
“No thanks we are just looking right now.”
“Okay then, my name is Lisa and if you need any help just call over okay?”
“Yes I will,” I say smiling at the girl. As I look more around the oversized store, I see a new tableware set like the one my mom has but in a new pattern. “Michael,”
“Yes?” He says, looking as if he is about to faint from the pressures of shopping.
“What do you think of that tableware?”
“It’s okay.”
“My mom’s birthday is coming up and I know she would love it, do you think I should buy it?”
“Alanna buy whatever you want,” I roll my eyes at how uninterested he is. I go over and get the shop assistant Lisa, and we begin to discuss combinations in which the tableware comes in.
“I think twelve would be right for place settings, do you?”
Three Thousand Miles To You,(Three Thousand Miles, Series, Book #1) Page 19