Three days after that night, I stopped hearing from Adrian.
No good morning text.
No Have you eaten?
No call asking if I had gotten home safely.
Nothing.
At first, I told myself I wasn't bothered.
By noon, I had checked my phone seventeen times.
By three, I was annoyed.
By six, I was worried.
At 8:14 p.m., my phone finally rang.
Adrian.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?”
I frowned.
“Home.”
“Are you alone?”
I looked around my apartment.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Good.”
Something about his voice made my stomach tighten.
“Adrian, what's wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You disappeared for three days.”
“I was busy.”
“With what?”
Another pause.
“You.”
I laughed nervously.
“That doesn't even make sense.”
“It will.”
Before I could ask what he meant, he said,
“Open your door.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Open the door.”
I walked toward it slowly.
“Are you outside?”
“Yes.”
I looked through the peephole.
He was standing there.
Black shirt.
Hands in his pockets.
That same calm expression.
I opened the door.
He looked at me for a second before pulling me into his arms.
I hated how quickly I relaxed against him.
“I missed you,” I whispered.
“I know.”
I pulled back.
“You could've called.”
“I wanted to give you space.”
“You've never wanted to give me space.”
He smiled.
“True.”
Then he handed me a small paper bag.
“What's this?”
“Dinner.”
I looked inside.
My favorite food.
I smiled despite myself.
“You remembered.”
“I remember everything about you.”
He said it so simply that I didn't notice the warning hidden inside it.
Not yet.
We ate together.
We talked.
He made me laugh until my stomach hurt.
For a few hours, everything felt normal.
Almost perfect.
Then, while he was washing the dishes, I noticed his phone lighting up on the counter.
A message.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
You need to tell her.
Another message appeared.
She deserves to know what you did.
My smile disappeared.
“Adrian?”
The water stopped running.
He turned around.
“Yes?”
“Who's texting you?”
He dried his hands slowly.
“No one important.”
I picked up the phone.
He didn't stop me.
That somehow made it worse.
The messages were gone.
Deleted.
I looked at him.
“You deleted them?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn't want you worrying about something that doesn't concern you.”
I stared at him.
“Everything that concerns you concerns me.”
His expression softened.
“That's exactly what I'm afraid of.”
I didn't understand.
Before I could ask, there was a knock at the door.
Three sharp knocks.
Adrian's entire expression changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
The warmth disappeared from his eyes.
“Stay here.”
“Who is it?”
“Don't worry about it.”
He walked toward the door.
I followed.
“Adrian—”
“Please.”
Something in his voice made me stop.
He opened the door.
A man stood outside.
I'd never seen him before.
He looked at Adrian.
Then at me.
His face changed.
“You didn't tell her.”
Adrian said nothing.
The man stepped forward.
“You really brought her into this?”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Leave.”
“You can't keep doing this.”
“I said leave.”
The man looked at me.
“You need to listen to me.”
Adrian moved between us.
“Don't.”
The stranger swallowed.
“He isn't who you think he is.”
My heart started pounding.
I looked at Adrian.
He didn't look angry.
He looked tired.
Like he'd been expecting this moment.
“Adrian?”
He turned toward me.
“Go inside.”
“No.”
His eyes met mine.
“Please.”
I shook my head.
“Who is he?”
The stranger answered before Adrian could.
“Someone who knows what happens to people who get too close to him.”
Silence.
Adrian slowly turned his head toward the man.
“Last warning.”
The stranger smiled bitterly.
“You think threatening me will change anything?”
“No.”
Adrian's voice was frighteningly calm.
“It just makes things simpler.”
The man went quiet.
Then he looked at me one last time.
“Ask him about Mara.”
Adrian's face went completely still.
The door slammed shut.
I stared at him.
“Who is Mara?”
He didn't answer.
“Adrian.”
Still nothing.
“Who. Is. Mara?”
He looked at me.
And for the first time since I'd met him...
I saw something in his eyes that I'd never seen before.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For me.
He walked toward me and gently took my face between his hands.
“There's something you need to understand.”
“What?”
“People are going to try to make you hate me.”
My heart sank.
“Why?”
His thumb brushed my cheek.
“Because they know they can't make me stop loving you.”
I pulled away.
“That doesn't answer my question.”
“I know.”
“Then answer it.”
He stared at me for several seconds.
Then he said quietly,
“Mara was someone I loved before I met you.”
I felt something twist painfully in my chest.
“What happened to her?”
Adrian looked away.
“She left.”
“And?”
His jaw tightened.
“She didn't get very far.”
My blood ran cold.
“Adrian…”
He looked back at me.
“I told you I wasn't a good man.”
He kissed my forehead.
“And now you know why.”
Then he walked toward the door.
I grabbed his wrist.
“Where are you going?”
He looked down at my hand.
“To make sure the man who came here tonight never comes back.”
I should have let go.
I didn't.
Instead, I whispered,
“Don't hurt him.”
Adrian looked at me for a long moment.
Then smiled.
“I'll try.”
And somehow...
that was the most terrifying answer he could have given me.
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