Groom Wars

11. Totally Not A Second Date

Leandro tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he drove past Adriel's estate. At one point, he and Adriel had been talking almost daily, but as July approached and June drew near its end, the communication stopped. Whether it was something Leandro had said, or if the relationship had simply soured as some were known to, Leandro didn't know.

As Leandro's car sped down the road that cut through the woods, the sun's rays caught on the leaves of the surrounding trees and created oblong patches of light along the black road.

After following the natural curve of the street, Leandro spotted Adriel standing on the gravel shoulder.

The boy was wearing a red shirt and skinny black jeans. With his back to the sun, Adriel was shrouded by a thick, yellow aura. He removed his sunglasses as the car stopped nearby and hooked them on the 'V' of his shirt.

Leandro flipped a switch below the driver's window and the doors' locks released. Adriel opened the door, slid into the seat next to Leandro, and locked it gently behind him. Leandro caught a whiff of flowers as Adriel buckled his seatbelt.

"Are you wearing perfume?"

"No. Why?"

"You smell sweet."

"Oh?" Adriel smelled his arm, then his shirt. "No, it's neither of those. Is it my hair?" he muttered.

"Is it?"

Adriel leaned close to Leandro. The scent of flowers wafted off his hair. "It's your hair," Leandro confirmed with a gentle laugh.

"Must be the conditioner I used."

"It's a nice scent." Leandro put the gearshift into drive and pulled away from the gravel shoulder. "Did I do something to offend you?"

Adriel frowned. "No. Why?"

Trees flashed by them as the car's speed increased. Leandro kept an eye on the speedometer as he said, "You haven't said much to me over the last few weeks."

Adriel's eyelids lowered. His brows drooped as his overall expression became downcast. "I've been thinking about stuff, that's all. I needed to focus on myself a bit." He rested his cheek against his seatbelt and yawned as if prepping to doze. He said, "I'll be going away for a little while to a camp, so we won't see each other. I've been preparing for that and dealing with other stuff."

"It's alright, I get it. I'll be leaving too." Leandro watched the curving road as he steered the car. "I don't know how long I'll be gone. It's a family thing...." His fingers drummed the steering wheel.

"What kind of family thing?" Adriel asked.

"What kind of camp?"

Adriel smiled, but it quickly vanished as he studied the road.

Silence enveloped them.

Leandro glanced at Adriel. The boy hadn't wanted Leandro to stop by his house, so maybe his family didn't like Leandro. Maybe they should cut ties, or at the very least, maybe Leandro should give Adriel the space he evidently desired. Leandro said, "You seem off today. I don't want you to feel pressured to hang out with me because I'm the earl's son. If you don't want to see me, you can say so."

Adriel managed a small smile. "I'm sorry, it's not you. I'm just angry."

"About what?"

"About everything. You know what? I should go. I'm ruining your day, aren't I?" He pointed at a spot on the gravel shoulder a few metres ahead. "Could you let me out here?"

"There?" For miles around them, there was nothing but trees and grass.

"Yeah."

"I can drive you home."