Chapter 196 Another lie

Chapter 196 Another lie
ADRIANA
I fell again. This time, I let the tears that had been burning in my eyes finally spill over. I sat on the ice and cried.

“Eve?” Jared was on his knees instantly, his hands tracing my legs, checking to see if I had broken anything. “What’s wrong?”

When he realized no bones were broken, he gathered me tightly into his arms. “I’m sorry. Whatever is wrong, I’m so sorry.”

He looked entirely panicked. It was a beautiful sight, sending a painful flutter of butterflies through my stomach. I shoved him away, forcing myself onto my feet and walking away from him.

“Leave me alone!” I snapped.

I had been completely bipolar all day, and yet he still wouldn't just leave me be.
I wiped the tears from my face as I made my way off the surf field, scolding myself for every single decision that had gotten me to this point.
“Eve.” Jared didn’t leave my side. “Eve, please, tell me what’s wrong. Let’s fix it,” he pleaded.
I shook my head. “I’m so stupid,” I muttered. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
I had to stop seeing him. He would want me to drop the Gem, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.
“No. Don’t tell me.” I watched the blood drain from Jared’s face.
I wondered what lie would make this easier. Maybe I should tell him my family was leaving the High City.
He gathered me into his arms, holding me in a tight embrace. “Don’t leave me.”
I stayed, letting him hold me for a minute before pulling back. Jared wouldn’t let me go, though; this time, he tried to stop me with a kiss. It was the first time he had ever initiated a kiss with me. I slipped into it.
His lips were cold—the first chill I had actually felt today. I had been standing on ice for hours without feeling cold, but now I did. My body instinctively moved closer to his for warmth. Jared used the opportunity to hold me tighter, as if he were terrified to let go, as if I would disappear if he did. Ironically, it was true. I gave the kiss everything I had, because I knew it would be our last.
I knew I would never forget it. I knew I had brought this upon myself.
It was I who broke the kiss. I broke it because a sudden realization dawned on me.
I couldn’t feel the Gem that was supposed to be in my pocket.
“EVE!”
I heard my name, but it wasn’t Jared’s lips that had moved.
“EVE!! Is that you?”
The voice came again. I took a swift step back from Jared.
Someone came to a halt right between us, pulling off his coat and eye shield. “Eve!”
Only one other person knew me as Eve. “Alan,” I choked out.
He placed a hand on my shoulder. His back was turned to Jared, so it was either he hadn’t known we were together, or he was just choosing to ignore him.
Then, an idea popped into my mind, like it had been sealed inside a balloon waiting to burst.
Jared stepped between Alan and me, his eyes threatening.
“Uhm… Jared, meet Alan,” I began. “My brother.”
I shot Alan a look that desperately screamed, Save me.
Alan raised his shoulders as if he had been waiting for this exact moment his entire life. He extended a hand to Jared, who took it like an honorable man.
“I’ve wanted to meet you,” Jared began.
“I see. You’re the one my sister has been sneaking off to see?” Alan snarled.
Okay, this was supposed to calm things down, not escalate them. But I should have known a lie wasn’t going to save me from a situation that another lie had put me in. Something about the two men made them see each other as immediate enemies, and I had only fueled the fire.
“I’m an honorable man,” Jared said stiffly.
“Well, I don’t see any honor written on your forehead, but I’ll be taking my sister with me.” Alan pulled me by the hand and began to drag me off the ice field.
The cold was finally catching up to me; my entire body was shaking. Jared ran over to drape his coat around my shoulders. I could see he was about to stop Alan from taking me, so I placed a hand on his and shook my head.
“Not today. Please,” I begged.
Thankfully, he listened.
We were on our ride back to Alan’s place when he turned to me with a laugh. “How did I do?”
I snorted. “Did they teach you how to pretend when you were learning history?”
Alan laughed heartily. “To understand history, you must play the roles of the ancient men in each story.”