Island Charm 💙

Twenty-Three

Chris woke up to his phone ringing. He groaned, answering to see Lucy's name. "Hey. What's up?"

'I just looked to see what today was. Are you with Addy?'

He looked at the time to see it just after 9. "No. She should be at work. Why? What's today?"

Lucy sighed, 'it's Jake's birthday. Her first one without him. I should have given you a head's up. I totally forgot. You should check on her, she isn't answering me.'

Chris sighed, "okay. I'll go check on her. Thanks." He tried calling Adrienne as he got dressed but she didn't answer. He went to her office, being stopped by Ryan.

"Hey. What are you doing here? Adrienne isn't here. She called in and took a personal day." He hesitated, "is everything okay?"

Chris shrugged, "I don't know. I'll call you later. Thanks."

*****************************************************************************

He let himself into her apartment, finding her sitting on her couch with a blanket wrapped around her, "Adrienne?" She didn't respond so he grabbed her shoulder from behind the couch, making her jump. She turned around for him to see she had been crying.

She removed her earbuds, "Jesus Chris! You scared the fuck out of me! What are you doing here?"

He chuckled, coming around to sit next to her. "We have keys to each other's places, remember? Lucy called me. I went to your work but Ryan said you took a personal day. Are you okay?"

She shrugged as he tried to put his arm around her, dropping the blanket as she stood up. She grabbed the now empty coffee mug from the table in front of her, "I'm fine."

He huffed, following her into the kitchen, "right. That's why you called in to work. That's why you're ignoring calls from Lucy and me." He looked at the counter as her phone rang, "and your brother."

She sighed as she leaned over the sink, her back to him, "just leave me alone, okay?"

"I can't do that Addy."

She turned, leaning against the counter, crossing her arms, "why? Please."

He sighed, "because I love you. Please. Stop hiding from me." She shook her head, moving away from him as he tried to approach her. He hit his hand on the counter, "just let me in a little bit! You're constantly keeping me just out of arms reach. You said you were ready to move on."

"I am! It's just a bad day today. Okay?! Just leave me alone." She watched him from the other side of the island, "please."

He shook his head, "I'm not going anywhere. Why didn't you tell me about today?"

"I'm supposed to tell my boyfriend I'm sad about the birthday of my dead fiancé because it's my first one without him?" She scoffed as she shook her head.

"Yes! Come on Adrienne! Give me some fucking credit. I've been easy going about it all." He sighed, approaching her as she stood firmly in place, "you don't have to do everything on your own love. You can't be shutting me out. Let alone your brother and sister who are worried about you and love you." He brought his hand to her hair, running his fingers through it, "like I love you."

"Well you shouldn't." She brushed his hand away before going to her room and slamming the door.

"Addy!" He tried to open the door but she locked it. He heard his phone ring, seeing Lucy's name again. He sighed, answering it, "yeah?"

'Did you find her? Are you with her? Is she okay?'

Chris sighed, "I'm with her now. She's... I'll call you later, okay? I'm with her. She's fine."

"Tell her to stop calling me!"

He sighed again at Adrienne yelling through the door, "you get that?"

'Yeah. I got it. Thanks Chris.'

He rested his head against her door, "please let me in Adrienne."

"No!"

He sighed, "fine." He sat on the ground, leaning against the door.

****************************************************************************

"Adrienne."

She sat on her bed, regretting leaving her earbuds in the other room as she heard Chris taunting her from the other side of the door.

"I love you Adrienne please."

"Addy."

"Adrienne Rae Wright. Please let me in."

She groaned, laying back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, "oh for fuck's sake."

"Addy Rae."

She felt her heart sink to her stomach as she sat up, staring at the door for a moment before getting out of bed. She opened the door, making Chris fall back onto the floor in front of her. She leaned over him, crossing her arms, "why did you call me that? Who said you could call me that?"

He shrugged, "no one." He stood up in front of her. "I just came up with it just now. Addy Rae. It's cute. What did I do now?" He watched her go back to sitting on the bed, this time leaving the door open. He took the invitation to sit next to her, watching her.

She leaned into his hand as he placed it on her cheek, "Jake used to call me that. Did Lucy tell you?"

He shook his head, "no. No one told me. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

She sighed, moving over on the bed as she pulled him next to her, "it's fine." She laid her head on his chest. "He would have been 35. He hated the idea of approaching 40. Especially since I haven't quite made it to 30 yet." She looked up at him as she felt him running his fingers up and down her arm, "I'm sorry. I haven't let you in fully."

He nodded, sighing as he rolled to face her, "you haven't. I love you Addy. You say you're ready to move on, but you haven't let me in. Not all the way. I'm just asking for at least a small part of real estate on your heart."

She groaned, "I know. I'm scared."

"Of what?"

She shrugged, "of feeling like I'm replacing him or forgetting him."

He sighed, "I'm not asking you to forget him, I never would. I'm just asking for you to make some room for me too. Please Addy. I love you."

"I love you too. I'm really sorry." She pulled her lips to his as he pinned her under him on the bed. She pulled away with him hovering over her, "you can call me that if you want."

He smiled, nodding as he crashed his lips back into hers.