"What are you doing?"
"There." He pried it open, trying to make it look like it blossomed. Only the petals all fell and scattered to the ground and all that was left was the stem.
"That wasn't meant to happen," he quickly reasoned out.
I looked at the pale blue petals on the ground and groaned in dismay. Rich men. I bent down and started to pick them one by one and saw him join me.
"Here, I got it," he said, grabbing some.
"Don't worry about it"
Yet he insisted. "No, really. I got this." He took the petals out of my hand and placed them on his palm. But sir genius forgot about the wind which just blew them straight out of his palm and away. He looked up at me with a sheepish look.
I laughed so hard I fell back against the fence and ended up sitting on the ground.
"I told you not to," I reminded him when I stopped laughing.
"Sorry."
"They're just flowers," I said with a wave of my hand. It’s not like they were my favourite, I thought sarcastically but I had been trying to grow it for months. He sat down on the ground as I leaned my head back, looking up at the stars.
We were quiet for a little while, and then somebody barged in. "There you both are."
I looked up to see Adrian walking toward us and exchanged looks with Darius. What on earth was he doing here?
"What are you doing here? At this time?" said Darius, reading my mind.
Adrian decided to plop himself right next to me, spreading his legs out unceremoniously, nearly onto Darius's lap. The latter playfully kicked Adrian’s leg away.
"I wanted to see my awesome sister-in–law, of course."
"At this time?"
"Yes. We are cheating behind your back," Adrian replied, his voice laced with mirth. He even placed an arm around my shoulder, as if to make the point, but it only made Darius shake his head. Cheating, cheating. Isn’t that what I was doing by not telling Darius about James?
"Seriously, why are you here?" I asked, looking at Adrian.
"Well, sorry for interrupting your night, kids, but I was at the bar, and was too drunk to drive so I decided to walk to your house. Darius, do me a favour and call me a cab, will you? And pay them, too."
"Do it yourself," muttered Darius. I listened to the childish banter between them as they exchanged words. This was a nice side, a friendly side, a childish side I hadn't seen in Darius before.
"You're an idiot," muttered Adrian.
"You're an idiot. Go sleep in one of the rooms. I can drop you tomorrow."
"Do I get the master’s bedroom?"
Darius narrowed his eyes.
"No."
"Thank you." And with that, he got up, linking his arm on mine as he pulled me up. I let out a squeal.
"Can I take this teddy bear with me?"
Darius got up as well, pulling Adrian away from me. "Go to bed, Ad."
"You never share. You're mean," said Adrian, who started walking and pulling me behind him.
"Adrian," warned Darius in a serious tone.
Adrian stopped and faced him. "Fine, you can have her. Can I give her a goodnight hug at least?"
When Darius didn't say anything, Adrian proceeded to throw his arms around me, making my face slam into his chest. I got a puff of his cologne and the smell of alcohol.
I felt hot breath on my ear before I realised he was speaking, speaking to me.
"James was in the bar. I know what happened between you both."
When I stiffened, he continued. "He was broadcasting it live."
"Alright, go to bed now." Darius, unaware of what his cousin told me, grabbed Adrian's shirt and pulled him away from me.
"How much did you drink? You reek," Darius continued as he pulled him through the door, leaving me outside. My body temperature dropped. Adrian knew.
I should have told Darius before. Damn you, Ivory. Still, he had no clue about my past, so why should I tell him?
Because it is the right thing to do, said my conscience. Damn it. I really have to tell him now so it'll be less awkward later.
I looked up when I heard footsteps and saw Darius walking back to me while shrugging his coat on. Where was he going?
"You know what we should do?"
"What?" I asked.
How about we speak the truth?
Shut up, conscience.
And then he said, "Go to the pub."
I was so shocked I felt as though my jaw dropped to the ground. "What?" Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. Darius, of all people, wanted to go to the pub? Why on earth would he want to go to the pub at this hour? "It's nearly midnight though." He shrugged, putting his hands in his pocket and rolling back on his heels.
"Adrian left his wallet there, too."
Just great, Adrian. I bit my lip, imagining me at the pub, at this time, with Darius.
"Come on, let's go."