My Perfect Love.

Chapter nine.

               Adrian leaned back in his chair, the hum of his laptop filling the quiet office space. The soft glow of the screen illuminated his focused expression, but his friends’ voices echoed in his mind, tugging at him like an insistent child. “You work too much!” they had said earlier that evening. “You need to let loose and have some fun!”

After a round of playful nagging, he finally relented, agreeing to join them at the club. As they drove through the city’s vibrant nightlife, neon lights reflected off the windows, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that felt both exciting and overwhelming.

When they arrived, the club pulsed with energy. Music thumped through the walls like a second heartbeat, and bodies moved in rhythm on the dance floor. Adrian’s friends—Alan Forbes, Leo Starkov, and Sam Walter—were instantly in their element, flashing smiles that captivated everyone around them. Their influence opened doors; they breezed past the line and were escorted to a VIP section that offered a glimpse of opulence amid the chaos.

Adrian settled into a plush leather couch, feeling out of place amidst the glamour. The lights dimmed further as waitstaff brought over bottle of  expensive champagne, their laughter mixing with the bass-heavy music. He watched as his friends cheered and toasted to freedom and new beginnings as they returned to the states.

As drinks flowed and spirits soared, Adrian remained an island of sobriety among a sea of intoxication. He sipped his drink slowly, allowing it to linger on his tongue while he scanned the room. The atmosphere was electric; laughter bounced off walls adorned with shimmering lights, and the air was thick with anticipation.

        He didn't want to drink,but he had to....a lot was on his mind and he wanted to wash it away.

Suddenly, a striking woman sauntered over to him. She adjusted her top to reveal more skin—a calculated move designed to draw attention—and leaned closer, her voice sultry against the music’s backdrop. “What’s a handsome guy like you doing all alone? You should be having fun!”

Adrian forced a smile but felt his thoughts drift elsewhere—specifically to Abby. He couldn’t shake the image of her radiant smile as she laughed with Zeke earlier that week. It had sparked something inside him—an odd mix of jealousy and longing that gnawed at him now.

The woman continued her chatter, but Adrian barely heard her words; he was lost in memories of Abby’s warmth. He couldn’t help but feel an ache in his chest whenever he thought about her. The more he tried to push those thoughts away, the stronger they became.

As if sensing his distraction, she leaned closer still, her breath brushing against his ear as she whispered something flirtatious. Adrian felt an involuntary response stir within him—a primal urge that battled against his guilt for thinking about another woman while he was here.

The moment stretched out uncomfortably until Adrian made a decision that surprised even himself. “Let’s get out of here,” he said abruptly, surprising her into silence.

The girl’s eyes sparkled with excitement as they left their table behind and headed toward one of the club’s private rooms. Inside, he could feel the weight of expectation hanging between them like thick fog. She wasted no time; as soon as they crossed over the threshold, she kissed him fiercely,raw and passionately.

Adrian was taken aback by her intensity but found himself responding slowly at first—caught between desire and hesitation—until she reached for his button with deft fingers. The kiss deepened as she pushed him back onto the bed covered in expensive silk sheets.

She peeled away her clothes with practiced ease until she stood before him clad only in delicate white lace—a vision both enticing and intoxicating. His heart raced as she mounted him; however, just as quickly as desire surged within him, something else crashed over him like a tidal wave: guilt.She was about removing his belt when he came to realize he couldn't get through with it.

In that moment, Adrian jerked away suddenly, pushing her off him with unexpected force. “No,” he murmured breathlessly, feeling trapped between two worlds—the one he craved and the one he felt tethered to.

The girl looked confused for a moment before anger flashed across her features. But Adrian didn’t care; all he could think about was Abby—the way she lit up every room she walked into and how genuine she was compared to this fleeting encounter.

He fumbled for his shirt amidst her scattered clothing on the floor and caught sight of his wallet. Without another word,he opened it and took out some notes while glancing back at her stunned expression, he dropped it onto the bed and rushed out into the night air.

The cool breeze hit him like a splash of cold water against heated skin as he stepped outside. His head pounded from more than just alcohol; it throbbed with confusion and regret as he made his way home through dimly lit streets filled with laughter from people who seemed so carefree compared to him.

Once inside his apartment, Adrian stumbled toward his bathroom cabinet where he grabbed a sachet of Advil from an old bottle—his head spinning from both drink and emotion. He chugged down a glass of water before flopping onto his bed in exhaustion.

As he lay there staring at the ceiling above him—still haunted by thoughts of Abby—he remembered their last business meeting ,how genuine she had been when discussing dreams and aspirations. It felt so distant now compared to what he had just experienced—or tried to experience—in that room at the club.

Sleep eluded him for hours; every time he closed his eyes visions flooded back: Abby's laughter mingled with Zeke's teasing banter made it impossible for him to find peace even amidst tiredness.

In an old dilapidated house cloaked in shadows—a man stood quietly surveying the environment.

His heart raced as he stepped inside cautiously; peeling wallpaper hung limply from walls like ghosts trapped in time while dust motes floated lazily through stale air illuminated by flickering light bulbs overhead.

He pulled out a bag he had brought with him and removed a paper: a photograph that sent shivers down his spine upon seeing its familiar face once again—the very same face that had haunted his dreams for far too long now.

“I found you again,” he muttered under breath filled with resolve laced tightly around each word spoken softly yet firmly into silence surrounding him like an embrace gone cold long ago.” I’m not letting you go now.”

With trembling hands filled with urgency yet purpose-driven intent driven by obsession rather than love—he pinned it alongside others on the wall.He smiled crazily to himself once again, feeling a sense of contentment within him.He felt he was closer to what he wanted than before.

He took hold of an old bracelet resting atop a dusty table nearby—its scent evoking memories flooded through senses awakening dormant feelings long buried beneath layers upon layers protecting himself from reality outside this room where only shadows danced freely without restraint making promises never kept elsewhere outside these walls closing them off forevermore wrapped tightly around his chest holding onto what remained clutching it tightly hoping never let go...

And there lying back upon an old bed beneath flickering lights illuminating everything around him—the man closed eyes finally surrendering himself completely drifting once more into dreams filled only with thoughts centered around one name whispered softly against lips yearning still despite everything else: Abby...