Warmth | ✔️ #wattys2021

21. talley rally

"Hey honey!" Adam's mum said cheerly on the other line. It was Wednesday afternoon which means he has been bored all day yet again and therefore decided to call her.

"Hey mum, how 're you doing?"

"Fairly good, a bit stressed, had a lot of tests written last week..."

"Hm...I see torturing the kids again." He joked walking round his house in nothing but sweats as it was a warm day and he didn't have much to do. Adam's hair told the same story, his brown hair ruffled here and there not really combed through since his shower this morning.

"My students like me very much Adam, you would know that!" He did, he just wanted to tease her. One time a year ago, he was visiting her class, she said they were big fans of his and always asked about him. So, he gladly did her the favor. Dorothea's kids were star struck to say at least.

"Rather tell me how you're enjoying your break so far! How's Adeline?" She asked and Adam knew it was just a matter of seconds until she'd ask about her. Adeline left quite the impression on his family. The girls really seemed to like her. None the less they were way too bothered about their status for his liking... 

"The way you looked at each other?" Clara said in disbelief few days after the dinner party. "Wish my best friends would look at me like that!" He only grinned devilish in response.

"I've seen you were having a walk last Saturday, you guys looked so cute!" His mum said in adoration, bringing him back to the moment.
"Wait —how do you know that?" He asked irritated, brows furrowed.

"I saw a picture online...honey didn't you know that already?"

"No, didn't actually...fuck." He said, this was the first time the paps have seen them together in almost three months, that was a record. Still, Adam knew this would change things. His mum warned her before but he didn't know if this prepared her for what was about to come. They had to be way more thoughtful now, the careless part was over. He'd be in the spotlight again. Press would be watching and judging his every move, trying to find out everything about the girl on his side, camping in front of her house if it would be as bad as it can get.

"Is it in the sun?" He asked. The sun was the worst, they actually claimed he was having an affair with Pippa Middleton once. Adam never even met her.
"I don't know...but front page in the Daily Mail!" Dorothea said trying to be careful, knowing how much her son could get consumed by it.

"Shit! What does it say?" Adam said messaging his temples with his free hand in frustration.

"Do you really want to know?" She double checked.

"Mum!" He yelled.

"Ok it says: TALLEY RALLY: Hollywood actor caught new mysterious girl."
"Oh god...like how visible is her face?"

"Pretty much to be honest. Honey we both warned her this could happen, just talk to her I can't imagine she'd be mad at you out of all people. Plus, I thought you found a way to not let it get to you anymore Adam." His mum said and he immediately knew what she meant. The first few years of his career it bothered him so much that he'd throw a fit every time he saw his face on a new front page. They covered a lot of his romances too and even if those girls from his past were nothing serious he hated the image they created of him based on that. Yes, he had massive fun in his early and mid 20s, but the rest of the world didn't need to know which model spent the night at his.

"Yes, I know but..." He sighed loudly. "I don't even care what they write about me anymore, I care about her."

"I know Adam, I'll leave you to call her yeah?"
"Okay mum, see you, bye!"

"Bye!" She said and he hung up and in no time found her contact in his favorites. He had two missed calls from Sarah, she must have tried in the last ten minutes he thought but PR wasn't important now.

And just as his thump hovered over the call button his bell rang. He went up to his door but not before swearing under his breath and double checking the screen of his video camera ....It was her.

He flung the door open and to his surprise she didn't look sad or angry, just a bit preoccupied. Her red hair was in a bun and she wore an oversized blazer as she probably came straight from work.

"Hey."

"Hey love, come in, come in." She went straight to his dinner table near his kitchen counter and sat down.

"I've just heard from it, look I'm sorry this happened. I'll try my best to let them leave you alone—" He said way too fast, she didn't need words for him to know she know.

She interrupted him: "It's not your fault it's just I guess I didn't really came to terms how close to reality your warnings were."

Adam already knew she had a hard time convincing herself she's threatened to end up at the front papers of the rainbow press every time they talked about it. Every time they talked about it she just laughed.

"If you think it's best to stay away from me to not let that happen anymore, I understand.." he said sadly looking down growing a bit colder now, he still didn't wear a shirt and Adeline couldn't help but notice his muscles.

"No, no it's not what I want Adam. I mean, it wasn't exactly pleasant to find my face in the newspapers like that —especially during work but I mean, I can deal with that as long as it doesn't effect my family."

Adam smiled looking down for a moment in relief.

"The problem is...I'm not as mysterious as they wrote, they actually found out where I work so I had to go home. They called up every employee there was, it was pure chaos. And everyone was asking me questions about you...And..." She sighed.

"Fuck!" He yelled. Indeed.

"You haven't lost your job, have you?" Adam asked in concern.

"I mean Jim is my boss so no, he said I could work from home for the week."
"Okay, great!" He made a mental note to thank Jim for that another time.

"As I said I don't want to break off contact with you, of course not but I want us to be more careful? It's stressful once but I couldn't handle it happening every week."

"We'll figure it out! I promise Adeline." He said and knew he might have promised too much. Adam just couldn't lose her again.

She stood up and hugged him tightly, making him want to hide a growl that would've slipped past his lips. While she felt the intendation of his broad chest perfectly on her upper body reminding her of better times.

Adeline let go of him softly sighed and said: "Can we do something? I want to take my mind off of all those things."

"Sure!" What-" He stopped his sentence midway because her phone started ringing again making her role her eyes.

"Turn it off..." Adam said taking it from her. "...It has been ringing all day hasn't it?"

"Yes, but Adam what if it's work?" She said concerndly.

"I'll send Jim a gift basket!" He said jokingly and before she could disagree he already shut if off. Adeline rolled her eyes again making him laugh at her.

"So...What do you want to do?"

"I mean we could watch a movie but we do that all the time..." "Hm...that's true what about board games? Do you like Scrabble?"

"No one ever wants to play that with me. I beat everyone's asses." Adeline said sheepishly.
"Oh we'll see about that!" He said laughing. "Sit down somewhere I'll go find it! And a shirt."

"Don't have to though..." she mumbled as he was just around the corner. And little did she knew he heard her pretty well.