Page 26 of Autumn Secrets

“Well, Lexi is gone. So yeah, I guess that’s what I’m doing,” I replied, feeling completely exhausted. I couldn’t be bothered walking back inside to look for any of the other girls or for Julian. This night had really taken its toll on me and I just wanted to go home. I was so done with this whole evening.

“It would be my pleasure, Aurora.”

We walked in silence to his car, and I found myself in his passenger seat for the second time in a week. No matter what I did to prevent it, we always seemed to end up together alone, one way or another.

“Are you all right?” Adrian asked as he started the car.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just a little bit tired. I hope I didn’t spoil your evening,” I murmured and leaned my forehead against the cool window, closing my eyes.

“Why would you think that?”

I turned my gaze away from the window and looked at his profile. “Well, you might have wanted to…you know…acquaint yourself with certain people…” I had no idea what I meant. Well, that wasn’t quite true, I knew exactly who I was referring to. Mortified, I tried to come up with something to say, because I was once again showing him that I cared way too much.

He tipped his head back and laughed softly before responding. “Aurora, I’m quite satisfied toacquaintmyself with you tonight. Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m just saying…I don’t want to…you know…be in the way of…you know.”Was I for real?!I always seemed to become cripplingly awkward when I was around him. I stopped my mutterings and looked away from him. That’s when I saw something ahead of us. Someone was standing in the middle of the road.

“Adrian!” I screamed. “Slow down, there’s someone in the middle of the road!”

I turned to make sure he understood what I was saying, but to my horror, he increased speed. We weren’t going fast, but we would hit this person if he didn’t slow down.

“Adrian, slow down!” I yelled hysterically and reached down towards the dashboard, preparing myself for impact, just like you were supposed to do in an airplane crash. Except, we never crashed.

I waited and waited, but I never felt an impact. It took me a while to realise and when I finally had the courage to look up, we had already reached the main road.

“W-what happened back there?”

“What do you mean?” Adrian asked casually and slid me a quick look.

“Didn’t you hear me? Didn’t you see that person in the middle of the road?!” I yelled hysterically.

“You need to calm down, Aurora. I didn’t see anyone on the road.”

He had to be lying. Adrian had seen the person on the road; I saw him increase his speed. I felt an ice-cold chill travel down my spine and, horrified, I looked at him.

“Did you just try to run someone over?”

“Aurora, do you hear how ridiculous you sound right now?”

“No, don’t you dare ‘Aurora’ me. I know what I saw. Don’t try to tell me that I’ve imagined everything again.”

Adrian didn’t reply. He just kept driving as if we’d never had the conversation. I started to panic for every second that ticked by. I didn’t know him that well; what if I was actually in danger? He had tried to run someone over. Or had he? Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me again? It seemed to be happening a lot lately.

We reached the outskirts of Angel Falls, and when we pulled up to some traffic lights, I saw my only chance. Better to be safe than sorry.

I quickly ripped my seatbelt off and lunged towards the car door, but either I was too slow, or Adrian was too fast, because a hand grabbed my arm, holding me back. Then I heard a clicking sound, and he locked all the doors in the car. My blood turned to ice.

“Adrian,” I whispered. “Let me out…please,” I begged.

Adrian pulled the car over, then turned towards me.

“Aurora, I’m not trying to hurt you, okay?”

“T-that’s reassuring,” I stuttered, frozen in my seat.

“I’m sorry if I scared you, but I don’t want you running around in the dark all by yourself, especially since you seem a little bit out of it tonight.” There was a moment of silence, as we sat there watching each other. “I’m not going to hurt you. Do you understand me?” he said, this time in a slower, gentler tone.

I nodded carefully. “But what about the person on the road?”