Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Nineteen

❝misleading (pronounced mɪsˈliːdɪŋ or mis-lee-ding), adjective
giving the wrong idea or impression.
e.g. All the good things that were happening were only misleading, because shit is about to f*cking fly, ladies and gentlemen.❞

Elle stumbled home, her legs and body aching. It was late- too late for a girl who was already in pain to be getting home by herself, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice. She opened the door silently, hearing Gabriel's quiet snores from the next room, and made her way to the room she and Cassie shared.

When she walked in, she saw Cassie's bare back before she saw Adrian, stroking her hair quietly. Elle paused. He was more muscly than Drew was, better built, but perhaps not nearly as soft. Adrian glanced over when he noticed the light flooding in from the hallway and smiled slightly, looking tired. "Hey," he breathed. "Sorry, I'd greet you, but this one's asleep."

She nodded. "I... noticed. Why tonight?"

He knew what she was asking. "She wants to go in your place. I keep telling her no, but... we both can't watch you get hurt like this anymore."

Elle shook her head. "Was she in pain today?" she asked, almost aloof.

"A... a little bit."

"Then that means she can't handle what I'm doing," responded Elle simply. "I've had sex more times than I can count on my fingers with Drew, and probably almost as many times with Frank, the bastard. And it hurts with Frank. He doesn't care if you're screaming. If you're begging him to stop, if you're begging him to slow down. Until he's done, he doesn't stop. He just puts you through Hell, because that's what he gets off on."

Adrian stared at Elle, quietly observing her. "What?" she snapped aggressively, turning her back to him and pulling on an oversized shirt to sleep in. "Something the matter?"

"No," said Adrian calmly. Elle hated that. She hated how he would never, ever get angry. How calm he always was. How in control he always was. It drove her insane. "I was thinking that maybe I could just tell Drew that I was a little drunk, which is why I'm making spelling errors while I'm texting him."

"What?"

He reached over to his phone, being sure not to wake Cassie, and held it out to Elle. "The passcode is one-zero-zero-eight."

"My birthday?"

"Cassie's, technically. But yours, too."

Her heart was racing and her hands shook when she took the phone from Adrian. "You're... you're sure?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "I'm gonna sleep. You talk to him as long as you need. Tomorrow, we'll tell Gabriel what's going on."

"But-"

"I'm not letting him hurt either of you anymore. Cassie's my soulmate and you're my sister."

Elle felt her heart soften. "R-Really?"

"Of course. Have fun talking to him." He pulled the covers over Cassie and himself, and closed his eyes. "G'night, Ellie."

"Goodnight. Thank you."

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Drew 🌞

October 15, 2034

3:26 AM

you awake?

Unfortunately, yeah. Why are you up? It's like 3am where you are, right?

yeah