FlAvor

Chapter 7

Flashbacks are in Bold Italics

Blaine was furious when O'Brien and I showed him the note and pictures back at FlAvor. He tried his best keep his anger in, but it was barely hanging on a thread. I stayed silent after telling him how the package ended up on my desk. It was a lot easier for O'Brien to take over the conversation. He was the most sane out of us; I assume it's because he's dealt with situations similar to this before. At least, that's what I'm hoping.

When O'Brien leaves, not a sound could be heard in the suite. I'm on the bed, my knees tucked under my chin, staring at Blaine's unreadable expression when he sits next to me.

"What are you thinking?" The words come out of my mouth without reservation.

"I'm thinking, that this is one fucked up situation, that this is only the beginning."

I lay my head on his shoulder; his closeness was one thing that's been keeping me calm throughout this whole night.

"I'm not looking forward to that. Telling the police might be the next thing I have to do." Restraining order and all.

"Do you really think the police will stop Darren? You already said he has people who work with him. Just because he'd be blocked doesn't mean the others will."

"What else is there to do then, Blaine? We're running out of fucking options! I can't have this huge ass arrow pointing at my neck twenty-four seven, afraid that he's going to be there when my back is turned."

"That's why I brought O'Brien here with you. He's helping me find information and any other sources I need on him," he told me.

Now I'm curious. "What did you find?"

Blaine contemplates, biting the corner of his lip before answering. "Apparently, when you met Darren, he was already a person who was badly influenced by that Byron guy. They did plenty drug deals and shipments on hidden areas of New York."

No fucking way. That can't be. When I had met Darren, he was sweet, respectful, the whole nine yards.

"There must be a mistake. He never knew Byron back then. I had met him like a couple months in our relationship and he told me he met Byron a couple weeks after we started dating."

"It's true, Adrienne. All of it. Don't be so damn quick to defend that guy."

"How could I not?" I hissed at him. "He was the first person I've ever been with."

"Then that being said, he wouldn't have screwed you over like he did. Do you not see how naive you're being? His bullshit is skewing your judgment."

Tears come close of falling down my cheeks, but I keep them in. "Have you been in love before? Where that person became the center of your universe? Where you were blinded with rose colored glasses?"

Blaine kept quiet. By the way his head dropped, I could tell he's never experienced what love can do to a person. Love can be heaven. Love can be hell. Love is like a child being born; they both bring joy and life onto this Earth. Love is also like the death of someone; when they're gone, a piece of you is ripped away. My love for Darren was strong, but after the later months, I was the one holding the rope in our relationship. I gave my heart to him and he crushed it.

"Everyone warned me about him. Did I listen? Fuck no. Guaranteed I wouldn't be in this position if I had."

"Maybe so. Who knows? There is one thing good that came out of it."

"Oh really?" I question in mock sarcasm. "And what's that?"

"Don't play, sweetheart." His smirk is absolutely drool worthy.