Loving Adam

Chapter 16

At 11 pm, my phone rings. I don't recognize the number, so I punch the reject button and go back to sleep. But it rings again and no matter how many times I have punched it dead, it kept calling.

Ok, maybe this is urgent.

"Yes?" I answer, sleepily.

"Geez Hart, how many times will you hang up?" I hear a familiar voice.

"Adam?" I ask

"Yes. Look Hart, I need-"

"You have my number?"

"What? Of course I have your number. I have called you before, haven't I?"

"No you haven't."

"You sure?"

" Yes," I say, "Ok, so I'm gonna go back to bed now, have a nice night."

"No Hart!" he says, "Wait. I need your help with something really urgent."

"Of course."

"Please," he says, "Regina sort of... busted my car and now I am stuck in this street."

"Busted your car?"

"It's a long story, I'll tell you all about it when you get here."

"When I get there? What makes you think I will do that? This is like..." I glance at the clock beside my bed, "It's 1 am. I really need to go back to sleep."

"Hart! Please. I really need your help," he says, there is really the tone of desperation in his voice.

"If your car is busted, why don't you just call the tow truck?" I ask

"I can't..." his voice trails off, "I, uh-"

"You've been drinking."

"Yes," he says sheepishly, "And tow trucks call parents."

"I bet."

"Please? Hart, I really need your help."

I take a deep sigh. "Fine. Text me your location."

#

With great discreet, I take my dad's corolla to go find Adam. He is not far from Regina's house, because I remember Regina once told me that she lives in this neigborhood. Once I get closer, I see his car with the hood opened and him standing beside it in frustration.

He has removed his suit jacket and tie, leaving the top buttons of his white shirt opened.

I park my car just beside his. The moment he sees me, his face lights up and walks toward my door. "Oh my God Hart, I am starving," he says, opening the door for me. "We should find a drive-thru and-"

"What happened?" I cut, getting out of the car.

"Well..." he follows me, "Regina kind of threw this rock at it, and now it won't start."

"What?" I ask, "What rock?"

He points at this big rock that's now laying on the sidewalk.

"What did you do?" I ask

"Well, I-"' he bites his lower lip, "I might have done something that upset her."

I stare at the destroyed hood of his car and sigh, "Clearly."

He chuckles.

"Ok so let's go now," I say to him, "I'll drop you off at your house."

"No!" he says, "We were gonna eat first, right? I'm so hungry. I didn't eat at the prom. Hey why didn't you go to prom by the way? We could have danced."

"Adam, it's 1 am. We are not gonna eat first," I open the car's door, about to get in to the driver's seat, but he stops me.

He looks right into my eyes. Then he slowly walks closer toward me, and with that gorgeous, gorgeous face near mine, he says, "Please Hart, I am really hungry."

I look back into his eyes. 

That deep black eyes that I saw up close when we both were seating on a plane, on our way to New York. That deep black eyes that I saw up close when we both were in my hotel room staying up late writing his speech. That deep black eyes that I fell in love with when I saw him waiting with me on the porch when I got drunk. 

The same deep black eyes that made me cried my eyes out when I flew alone back from New York. The same deep black eyes that got me up late and missed my own speech. The same deep black eyes that got me into an accident.

"I'm sorry Adam, I cannot do this," I say finally, "I am going to call you a cab on the way to pick you up here, okay."

"What?" he says in surprise, "You cannot do that what?"

I don't answer. I try to reach for the car's door to open, but Adam is holding it too tight, it won't budge. 

"Adam, let go," I say, "Please."

"What is the matter with you?"

I look at him, "Please. Let me go."

"I will not let you go unless you tell me why I have to let you go."

"Because," I let out a sigh before continuing, "Because I love you, but you don't love me the way I want you to. Because I think love shouldn't hurt, and it shouldn't come and go as it pleases."

"Hart, I told you, this is me, I cannot change who I am. But it's really different with you, Hart. Listen, do you know why Regina hit my car with a rock? Because I broke up with her. Because she demanded something more which I cannot give, so she got upset and I decided to just end it. But I never do that to you, did I? I keep coming back to you, because you are very, very special to me and I don't want to lose you, ever."

I feel my knees weakened to what he said. But I gather all the power inside of me to shake my head and say, "Not good enough, Adam. Not good enough."

I push him back and pull the car door toward me. As quickly as I can, I jump inside the driver's seat and start the car.

"Hart! Stop this!" he cries

I step on the gas and get myself out of there. 

I called the cab company to pick him up. 

Somebody else has to get him. Not me. 

I am done. 

#