The Way He Does

Chapter 16

The rain splashes on the windowpane in a rhythmic and hypnotizing way, almost putting me in trance. The blanket over my body is keeping me warm and secure, as I let my tears run down my cheeks. I had just embarrassed myself in front of Adrien, and I probably confused him. After all, I was urging to sign the contract.

I hold my breath as I hear the door open. My bed slightly quakes, as Adrien sits down next to me. Between us is silence, I want him to say something, but he doesn't. I pull the blanket off and sit up, but my eyes are still looking out the window. The longer the silence, the bigger my urge to just leave grows.

I shift my gaze to his hands, then slowly up to his face, but I don't find him looking at me as how I expected. Instead he is staring outside the window, his lower lip held between his teeth.

"I'm sorry." He says now. I let the word linger in my mind. "I shouldn't have pushed you Lola, I'm sorry." He takes a breath. "This whole contract thing and..." he struggles to finish his sentence and just stops right there, but I know what he wants to say.

"I still wanna do it." I tell him. As much as everything intimidated me, I won't let Adrien slip out of my hands. I can't even see myself ending things with him and move on with another man. No, I don't want another man to do those things, that Adrien has done to me.

"Really?" He scoffs, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I wanna... be with you Adrien, that's why I'm doing this." I briefly look outside the window again. Only now he touches me again, drawing a line on my thigh with his index finger.

"I appreciate it." He kisses me behind my ear and manages to yield the lust in me again. I clutch his shirt and tilt my head further so he can caress me with his lips. He pushes my hair to the side and leaves warm kisses along my neck. I let out a sigh, which turns into a long yawn.

"Are you tired or am I boring you?" Adrien chuckles.

"No no, I'm just a little exhausted, I guess it's because of all the crying and the weather." He kisses my head.

"Then sleep."

"Now?"

"Yes." I knit my eyebrows together.

"Or we can stay awake and watch a movie." I suggest. Adrien's features harden a little as I spoke those words. It's almost like I said something absurd.

"No Lola, you should sleep."

"I will fall asleep throughout movies anyway."

"Lola, we have an agreement don't we?" He raises my chin.

"Oh yeah, Monsieur." I lay down and Adrien covers me. Before he leaves, he kisses me on the head.

The rain sends me to sleep immediately.

***

I stir the cornflakes in the bowl with cold milk, staring at the digital numbers on my phone. As it switched to twenty, I instantly shove the spoon in my mouth, chewing as fast as I can.

"I have never seen you eat this fast." Vicky babbles from behind. Her hair is up in a bun and she is still wearing her pajamas. The good thing is, she will start working tomorrow, unlike me, who has to work today. This day, is the day, I have been waiting for. I was longing for this moment, but I didn't imagine my fear and nervousness to be this immense.

What if I screw up? What if I lose my job today, the day I just started?

"Can you stop looking so miserable? And don't swallow so fast, geez."