Serotonin

04 I idk you yet

Chapter 4

Well, this was awkward, and I didn't like being awkward. We were currently sitting in Jace's poor excuse of a lounge which was hardly better than the dumpster we were in. 

Jace, who had been downright furious about the invasion of his privacy, was thoroughly amused by the current situation. "Just wait a minute, lemme grab the popcorn."

"Jace," I hissed in reply, but he rolled his eyes at me. Why was I surrounded by infuriating males?

"This is going to be a long night," he muttered under his breath and moved towards the kitchen. Adrian, who was sitting on the couch opposite me, finally pulled himself out of his state of shock and gave me his infamous smirk, which I detested. I'd much rather, witness his annoying grins.

Adrian Carter was the son of the business tycoon James Carter, owner of Carter Industries, the biggest rival of Whitmore Co. He was the walking poster boy for trouble and was the face of most sports magazines and tabloid articles, which I rarely ever glanced at. I knew all this not by keeping tabs on him but because Alexis would rant about him and his two friends: Tyler Vanderbilt and Ethan Lockhart. They were the infamous trio, always brewing up trouble.

Adrian, as they put it, was the devious mastermind. He was a heartbreaker, but everyone was swayed by his charm. He was willing to use anything and everything in his path to reach his goal. He was ruthless when it came to the people he didn't like. He was supposed to be a jerk, but all I saw in him was a sincere guy who had helped me. 

If everything the tabloids said were true, then I had aborted my unborn child, blackmailed Jace because I wanted Whitmore Co. to myself, I had ordered a kill on one of my business associates and changed more guys than clothes. So I wasn't going to pass judgment on him, I simply was going to be cautious as I always was.

"I'm wounded that you didn't recognise me earlier," Adrian teased me, in an attempt to clear the awkwardness, for which I was grateful. I rolled my eyes at his remark.

"Sorry, if I did not recognize you, Your Highness. I just don't acquaint myself with cheap tabloid articles." I said with a sly smile on my face. I thought he'd get offended, but instead, he gave me a throaty laugh. His laughter was infectious, I controlled the urge to smile.

"And here comes your infamous charm, I have heard so much about it. Never thought I'd face it firsthand," Adrian gave me his signature grin, and the corners of my mouth lifted slightly.

"Well, this doesn't change anything. I'm grateful you helped me, and I'll make sure to return the favor. You could leave if you want to or you could stay because of the situation outside. It's up to you," I said with a shrug. He scoffed in return and rolled his eyes at me.

"Thanks for leaving me with an option," he muttered sarcastically, without any hint of gratitude.

"I'm generous that way." I retorted in a bored tone. The atmosphere was too awkward and who was to blame. Well, me. I was good at making situations worse.

"Ah, when did you turn so cold, Liv?" Jace said in a sardonic tone while entering the lounge. He was holding two beer cans in his hand.

"In the two years you were gone, Jace. But that's a discussion for later." He blinked and stared at me wryly but decided to ignore my remarks. Adrian also had a bewildered expression on his face.

"Here, man." Jace offered the other beer to Adrian, who nodded and accepted it. "Looks like we're going to need it." I scoffed. There was so much I wanted to say to Jace, but not here, not now, when Adrian was present. Jace sat beside me and opened his can to take a sip while Adrian placed his on the table before facing me again.