Chapter 70 ~ Need a friend
Chapter 70 ~ Need a friend
ELLA
My cheeks were flushed and my center was bruised from the sex I’d just had right in the middle of the boutique.
My goodness, what had I become, and what was this man turning me into?
He had ruined my life and was marrying me like I was an object. But he had also kept me safe, rescued me, and bathed me when I was bruised. When I needed him, he was there.
My hatred had now turned into a feeling I couldn’t understand. I was supposed to die alone, but now I couldn’t even remember the last time I thought about Toddy. My world had been constantly turned upside down.
I was truly thankful for the distraction, and honestly, I could use a real friend.
My mind drifted back to Camilla, and tears swelled in my heart. How could this have happened to that free-spirited girl? Life was a bitch indeed.
“We’ve arrived, Miss,” Jay spoke up after what seemed like hours.
“Thank you,” I responded in almost a whisper, noticing as he exited the car to follow me.
I didn’t bother asking why because I remembered Adrian growling at him to protect me with his life.
From who was a question I had never asked and he wouldn’t have answered anyway. That was one thing I had learned from Isabella: Adrian never answered serious questions.
The world outside seemed to blur as I ascended the stairs to Lila’s apartment. I needed a friend, a distraction from the whirlwind of emotions.
The sudden change in the wedding date still loomed over me. The most painful part was not having someone to talk to about what was actually going on.
The door swung open, and without a second thought, I jumped into Lila’s embrace.
“Guess what!” I exclaimed, trying to sound as happy as possible so she wouldn’t question me or worse, I wouldn’t end up breaking down.
I told myself it shouldn’t be a big deal; you could always divorce, right? But it was a big deal, because once you got into this, you couldn’t get out.
Whatever happened, I would always have to worry, and the fact that Adrian had just told me he loved me made my head spin even harder.
Lila chuckled, returning the hug. “What’s got you so worked up?”
“I’m just glad I got to see you. That house will drive me crazy,” I joked as I stepped inside and dove onto her bed.
“Well, you have a hot man. That should make up for it,” she teased, taking a seat beside me.
“Speaking of hot men, he’s moved up the wedding date! Adrian wants it sooner,” I blurted, the words carrying a weight I couldn’t fully explain.
This sounded much better, but my heart had begun to pound even faster after saying it out loud.
“So, why the rush? Are you both just madly in love?” Lila inquired, a teasing glint in her eyes.
I forced a smile, masking the complexities beneath. “You could say that. Adrian had his reasons, you know how these things are.”
She leaned in, her curiosity evident, and I started to regret coming here. I hated not being able to tell her everything. “But seriously, Ella, it’s like a movie plot. Spill the details! How did he propose? When’s the big day?”
I smiled nervously, avoiding her gaze. “It wasn’t anything extravagant. Just… unexpected. And the date, well, it was a surprise even to me.”
I left out the part where he had commanded it and given me no room for argument.
She raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing my evasion. “Come on, spill! You can’t keep your best friend in the dark.”
I sighed, torn between wanting to confide in her and the need to protect her from the dangerous web I had found myself entangled in. “Lila, you know I’d tell you everything if I could, but it’s complicated. There are things… things I can’t talk about.”
My husband-to-be never let an opportunity to blow someone’s head off pass him by, and I wasn’t about to give him that chance.
“Does Toddy know?” she asked, and I couldn’t tell if the judgment in her tone was real or if I had imagined it.
“I haven’t spoken to him in a while. But I’ll tell him very soon,” I replied, guilt gripping my chest like claws.
She simply nodded before asking me another question that made me choke. “Are you pregnant?”
“What?”
Confusion rang in my voice. I couldn’t understand why she would think that until it hit me.
The only reasonable explanation for the rushed wedding was a baby.
If that put her at ease, then why not?
“Yes,” I lied, and a look of horror crossed her face.
Were babies not supposed to be cute? Why did she look like someone had just died?
She squeezed my hand, then stood and moved toward the counter in her kitchen.
“Smoothie?” she asked, and I smiled.
“Of course. You know how much I love those.”
While she busied herself, I checked my email to see if Adrian had sent me anything, but found nothing.
My heart sped up as I wondered what could have gone wrong. He never let me be out for more than an hour without checking in. I turned to Jay, who was positioned at the door like a statue.
“Jay, has Adrian called since we last saw him?” I asked, unable to shake the bad feeling in my gut.
“No, ma’am,” he responded respectfully, and I nodded.
“Is something wrong?” Lila asked from the sink.
A few months ago, she had been my only friend, the only person I could confide in. But lately, it had become too dangerous to talk about what was really happening.
“No, I just wanted to find out where Adrian is,” I said, forcing a smile. She nodded as she carried two cups back to the couch.
She sat beside me. “Here you go. So, how did you pay back those thugs?” she asked.
I sighed. “Honestly, I don’t even know. All I know is that I haven’t heard from them since Adrian boug—uhm, I mean, met me.” I covered my stutter with a sip of the smoothie.
Time blurred as we chatted and laughed about old and scary times at the bar. It felt good to wander down memory lane. My eyes began to grow heavy with sleep.
“You must be tired. Why don’t you rest a bit, and then I’ll wake you after an hour so you can go home?” she suggested.
I shook my head, knowing full well I should already be back home. “I… c… a… n’t…” I tried to form the words, but they barely made it out.
Unable to keep my eyes open, I finally agreed with Lila. I rested my head on the couch and drifted into an unknown darkness.