Page 25 of Autumn Secrets

Then it clicked, or so I thought, and the same overwhelming jealousy I’d felt when I saw him kiss Evangeline took over me. He was thinking ofher.Maybe she was on her way to the party. The thought fuelled anger within me, and I just couldn’t hold it in; it was suffocating me.

“Maybe my biggest concern should be that girlfriend of yours, huh?” I snapped. As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back, but it was already out there for him to analyse. This whole thing with Adrian was like going on a roller-coaster at full speed, not knowing when it would stop. It was hard to keep up. One minute I was completely intoxicated with him, the next I wanted to punch him. Right now, I wanted answers, which I knew he would never give. Why did it have to be so complicated?

Adrian gave a soft chuckle. “Are you jealous,angel?”

“Me? Jealous? Don’t flatter yourself! And by the way, my name is notangel,” I said as calmly as I could, although I knew my body language was betraying me. I was beyond mad, and by the way he was looking at me, he knew exactly what I was trying so hard to deny. Because the truth was, Iwasjealous. I was so freaking jealous right now.

“Whatever you say,Aurora.” He put his hands up in defeat, but his eyes were laughing. He was obviously amused by this whole situation.

I threw him a sharp look. “Stop laughing at me.” I tried so hard to look and feel angry, but I could feel my anger starting to vanish, replaced by that unsettling storm of yearning again. The never-ending turmoil.

“I’m not laughing at you. Look, it’s late, why don’t you let me take you home?”

“Late? But I just got here, I don’t want to go home.” I was feeling surprisingly hurt by his suggestion to leave so soon. Didn’t he want me here when the beautiful Evangeline arrived?

“It’s close to midnight, Aurora. You’ve been here for hours. Besides, Lexi has already gone.”

“What are you talking about? I just got here, and Lexi would never leave me here alone. Stop messing with me, Adrian.”

“I’m not messing with you.”

“Yes, you are. You always are.”

“I’m not. Look, I’ll prove it to you. Do you have your phone with you?”

“Why?” I asked suspiciously.

“Look at the time on your phone, Aurora. It’s close to midnight. I’m not lying to you. Why would I?”

I eyed him suspiciously. “I don’t know, maybe because you’re expecting someone and want me to leave?” I spat.

Jeez. Where did all these emotions come from? I really needed to get a hold of myself. This jealousy thing was getting completely out of control.

“And why would it matter if you were here?” he asked as his eyes met mine.

“Well…” Then I stopped myself. Why would he care if I was here? He clearly didn’t care about me. He had a beautiful girlfriend and I was making it sound like I was more important to him than I actually was. Embarrassed, I looked away.

“Sorry, I don’t know what I’m talking about.” I turned my gaze back to him.

Adrian studied me with a ghost of a smile on his lips. Then he shook his head lightly. “You are so not like I expected…”

“Well, I guess I have to apologise for disappointing you as well,” I barked back at him.

He took a step forward and levelled his eyes with mine. His voice lowered intimately. “Who said I was disappointed?”

His words smashed through any resilience I thought I possessed, and that painfully familiar feeling swelled in my chest. Even though it was both confusing and unnerving, there was also a sense of excitement now spreading through my body, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I swallowed.

“Now, look at your phone. I promise, I am not lying to you.”

I tore my eyes from him and pulled my phone out of my pocket. He was right; the display showed that it was a few minutes before midnight. As if this evening wasn’t confusing enough, I honestly started to fear for my own sanity. Where had the last five hours gone? Where had I been the whole evening?

“See, you need to stop doubting me.”

I looked down at my phone again and noticed a new text message from Lexi, telling me she’d gone home, asking me to call her tomorrow. My eyes immediately shot back up towards the cars parked around us, and I realised that her car was missing. Was that the car I’d heard take off earlier when I was hiding in the garden in the dark? But why had she left me here all alone? She would never do that to me; she wasn’t like that. I put my phone back in my pocket and looked at Adrian.

“Did you tell Lexi that I was going with you?”

“No, I didn’t. Why? Would you like to take me up on my offer?”