𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

➻Chapter 37- Guilt.

ADELE'S POV:

"We're here," Bryan informed, unbuckling his seatbelt after he ceased the engine in front of my house.

My eyes were glued down onto my hands while my mind was so crowded with outlandish thoughts that I did not even respond to him.

"Sugar?"

I took a deep breath, attempting to shake away all the disturbing thoughts of the past from my head.

"Adele?" Bryan's voice grew stern as he detected how uneasy I was right now, "Can you look at me?"

Pursing my lips, I heaved out a sigh. 'Get a hold of yourself, Adele.' I muttered to myself and reminded myself that I couldn't fall vulnerable right now.

With another sigh, I turned to look at him, "Yes, sorry, I was kinda lost in my thoughts. Thanks for dropping me though."

Bryan pouted somewhat, narrowing his eyes at me, disdainfully, "Are you really okay?"

"Yes, I am," I nodded with a tiny breath fleeing from my lips, "Just a bit too tired, I guess."

Tired of these thoughts constantly clouding my brain and tired of keeping everything a secret from you—was what exactly I wanted to say.

"Adele, don't act like I don't know you," Bryan lifted one of his brows at me, "Is something bothering you?"

I hesitated for a second when no words could drop out of my mouth. Pangs of guilt kept piling up inside my head and I felt awful. Inhaling a deep breath, I calmed myself down somehow and eventually responded with a strained smile,

"If there was something, I'd tell you, Bry. It's nothing, really."

"I know you definitely would tell me," His lips pulled up forming a playful grin, "You do know that nothing can bother you, right? At least not as long as I am by your side," He jested, laughing a second later after speaking and I almost caught in a breath, tightening my fists. Gosh, this was getting so difficult. It was actually killing me inside with every passing second.

"Right, Bry, of course," A very slight smile was seeable on my lips when I emitted my reply, "Maybe because I am exhausted, I look so disturbed."

Bryan, with a gentle-looking snicker, moved forward to give a light stroke to my shoulder, "I understand. Go get some rest, we've arrived anyway."

A painful smile crumpled up my lips as I glimpsed at Bryan's lively face. He smiled back at me, giving out nothing but buoyant vibrancy. Hell, what kind of a friend was I? I was hiding the deepest darkest truth of his life from him while he was being nothing but the greatest friend I could ever ask for.

"I will," I tried really hard not to burst out crying because of the voice back in my head, "Take care, Bry."

"Take care, sugar," Bryan beamed widely at me and I exhaled a profound breath, attempting to have my composure in place.

"Can I get a hug?" I questioned him, thankful that my voice didn't shake at that point because of all the guilt conquering my senses.

I had no idea what would happen after I tell him everything tomorrow. Even if it would possibly be for the last time, I just wanted to embrace him. Tomorrow would be the day he knows everything. He was gonna know what kind of friends we were to him. I knew he wouldn't be able to forgive either of us for keeping him in the dark for the longest time, but this was necessary. How long could we just keep running away from the truth?

"Of course," Bryan responded looking at me as if I need not ask, as if it was apparent.

With his hands briskly wrapping around me, Bryan enfolded me in a warm hug then. I gasped, choking back the tears that were threatening to flow out of my eyes. I shut my eyes, trying to remember I had to stay calm and hold myself together. My hand then lightly brushed over the back of his head which made my heartbeats race up at full tilt. Visions of the past raced through my head as I grazed that part of his head, jogging my memory of that dreadful day. Downing my tears, I immediately forced my hand away and tightened them around him.