That Summer

Chapter Nine - Giving Up

Walking into a dead woman's house was really eerie. Everything was how she had left it before she'd gone to the hospital for the last time. Adam led me inside and to the couch, where I saw there was a blanket folded up at the end. Someone had slept here last night, and he claimed it was him.

We sat down, and he looked at me seriously. I could see his eyes were red-rimmed and looked bloodshot. I wondered if he'd been crying, or if he'd cried on Rachel's shoulder, and the thought sent me into a bitter rage mode once again. I didn't say anything, just let Adam talk.

"I've already told you most of it over the phone," he sighed. "But I slept right here last night, and Rachel was in the guest room. Nothing happened between us. I know I should have texted you and messaged you right away but for some reason, I didn't. I guess, because I didn't think you would understand my pain where Rachel has been through the same thing, and like I said, I was there for her then. It still makes me an asshole, when I didn't think I could go to my own girlfriend for help." He sounded really sincere.

"Adam...I watched your mother die. I haven't experienced anything like that before. I don't think it has hit me quite yet, that's probably why I haven't shown emotion. I guess, probably I'm still in some sort of shock over it. I also saw your immediate reaction and breakdown. You held onto me like your life depended on it, and I thought it did. Apparently not." I wasn't sure why I couldn't get over that Adam had gone to another girl for help instead of me, his own girlfriend.

He sighed and ran a hand through his brown hair. "I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what more you want me to say."

"We're going through this together," I explained. "Rachel's mom's death happened years ago. I was with you for the most traumatic moment of your life. I've seen you at your worst. This is now. I need you to start coming to me when you need help. I get she's your friend and she's been in your life longer, but I didn't like the way she looked at me when I backed out of the driveway earlier. As if she was trying to tell me to back off, or something."

Adam nodded. "Yeah, I saw that. I told her to quit it and that she'd probably scared you off. She said good, because she was starting to have more feelings for me. Especially after our bonding over our parent's deaths."

I cringed. "W-what?" I hadn't expected that part, because when we had first met, Adam had told me that Rachel was interested in another guy at work. Maybe she had changed her mind, and now wanted Adam simply because he was taken.

"Yeah. I told her that I don't want to risk it all with you. She said I've only known you for a few weeks and why should you be more important to me than she is? I told her she's my friend, yes, but we're mostly work buddies and don't normally hang out outside of work. I never developed a romantic attachment to her like I did for you right away. It's hard to explain and I'm probably not making much sense. She didn't take that too well and left immediately after. Haven't heard from her since." Adam shrugged. "That's it."

I tried to process all this information. Adam didn't have feelings for her like he did for me. I had to trust and believe him. "Oh, okay. I think I believe you."

"You should, because I'm laying it all out for you now. It's all true. What I felt with you was the fastest I have fallen for anyone, ever. I'm not just saying that, either. With the other girls it took me at least a few weeks to feel what I did for you after we kissed the first time." He gazed at me with his brown eyes, and then reached over to take my hands in his. "I love you. I've been wanting to say that, but felt it was too soon."

My heart almost beat out of my chest. It had been two years since I had heard those words come from anyone other than my parents. Sure, I had had sex with a few guys during my single time, but nothing romantic had come from it. My feelings for him all came rushing forward, and in that instant I knew I felt the same. "I love you, too." And then, my brilliant self added, "I'm very sorry for the loss of your mother."