FORTIFIED

Chapter Six

Adriel didn't know how long she laid on her bed thinking, thinking about how bad things have turned out over the last few months.

Not long and true to his promise, Jayden arrived thirty minutes later distracting her from her thoughts.

She ran down the stairs to get the door. She was so excited to see him. It felt like ages since she last saw him.

"Jayden." She opened the door-but it wasn't Jayden.

The phone she'd been holding slipped from her hand to the floor. The man standing in front of her had a beautiful head of red hair and beautiful baby blue eyes.

"Alex." She gasped.

The visitor's lips tilted up a bit in a smile. She never expected they'd meet again- here, now. He was the last person she'd expected to see.

"Adriel."

His voice-she didn't know how much she'd missed it until then. He'd left shortly after Luke's death. He never told her why all she remembered was the pain he'd caused her when he left.

Adriel wanted to hug him and cry at the same time. His face barely had on any expression, to anyone else it'd have seemed rude, but she knew him too well to not know that he was also glad to see her. She knew from the way his blue eyes lifted up ever so slightly.

"How-How are you here?" She choked out.

Without breaking eye contact he answered.

"I just got back. I'm coming back to the academy." He said.

That was right, he was already in year three when he left home and school altogether.

"Why are you here?" Adriel asked bluntly.

Alex had known Adriel since he was three and she was just a baby. He knew what colors she loved, her favorite music, her favorite books. He also knew what she felt when she felt them. And right now she was angry-at him.

"I came to see you. I haven't seen you in eight months."

"And whose fault is that?" She bit back.

Adriel couldn't help the bitterness that seeped through her words as she looked up at him.

"Adri-" He looked downcast as he reached out to her but she pulled away from him folding her arms.

"You left Alex. That might not mean much to you but it meant everything to me." She shook her head, taking a step back but he didn't let her leave.

He held her hand and she couldn't explain what she felt.

Yes, once upon a time, she'd liked him, a lot but he left and she didn't know if she was ready to forgive him.

"Adri, I know I have a lot to explain. But please, don't push me away. I can't lose you too. I have so much to tell you." He pleaded.

Ariel was all too aware of his touch and a part of her that missed him wanted him to hold her and tell her that everything would be okay and another part of her that was hurting wanted to tell him off.

She opened her mouth and was about to answer him when a car pulled over in front of the house.

It was Jayden. She knew by his dark brown hair.

Jayden got out of his car and paused only a fraction of a second when he saw them before resuming his ascent up the stairs.

"Well, who do we have here? Alex, it's good to see you again." Jayden greeted.

The way he said it, one could tell he didn't feel good in the slightest.

Adriel saw Alex's eyes narrow at him.