Chapter 53 Shaken faith
IRIS
I haven't stopped thinking about that night. The way Darian's hands moved over me, attentive and deliberate, as if I were something precious.
The way he listened, not just to my words but to the subtle cues of my body. It was more than passion; it was connection.
And I hadn't realized how loud we'd been until this morning when Daisy couldn't stop teasing me, mimicking the sounds I apparently made.
A smile creeps onto my face at the memory, unbidden and warm.
"Earth to Iris," Daisy's voice cuts through my reverie.
I blink, returning to the present. We're in the garden, sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the pages of the book resting on my lap.
"Sorry," I say, adjusting my position on the bench.
Daisy grins, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Daydreaming about your Lycan prince?"
I roll my eyes, trying to suppress the blush creeping up my cheeks. "Shut up, Daisy."
She laughs, the sound light and teasing, before settling beside me. For a moment, we sit in comfortable silence, the garden's tranquility wrapping around us.
Then, her tone shifts, more serious. "There's gossip spreading."
I glance at her, eyebrows raised. "What kind of gossip?"
She hesitates, biting her lip. "It's about Darian. People are saying he... he beat up his fiancée, Adira."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I feel the blood drain from my face, the warmth of the sun suddenly too much. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing the disbelief coursing through me.
"That's absurd," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Darian would never..."
Daisy places a comforting hand on my arm. "I know. But the rumors are spreading fast. People are talking."
I shake my head, trying to process the information. The Darian I know, the one who held me with such care, who looked at me as if I were his entire world, couldn't be capable of such violence.
But the doubt lingers, a shadow creeping into the corners of my mind.
"Do you think it's true?" I ask, needing to hear her say it isn't.
Daisy sighs. "I don't know. But I do know that rumors often have a way of distorting the truth."
Adrian's voice cuts through the garden’s calm like a jagged knife, and I look up, startled. His usual cocky grin plastered across his face, hands shoved casually in his pockets as he strides toward me and Daisy. “Hey, ladies,” he says, voice dripping with that infuriating charm. “Enjoying the fresh air or just plotting world domination?”
I roll my eyes but don’t reply. Daisy nudges me, smirking. Adrian’s presence always manages to shake me out of my thoughts, even the good ones.
He drops down beside us without waiting for an invitation, resting one arm on the back of the bench. “So, what’s got you two so serious? Iris, you look like you just swallowed a lemon.”
I stare at him, lips tightening. “When were you going to tell me that Darian beat up Adira?” I ask flatly.
His grin falters for the first time. “Where did you hear that?” He raises an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard.
“Does it matter?” I snap. “You’re my friend, Adrian. You’re supposed to tell me things like this.”
Adrian crosses his arms, leaning back, trying to look casual but failing miserably. “It is not true.”
“Not true?” I laugh bitterly. “So, the whole pack is lying? The whispers, the bruises, the injuries? The fact that Adira showed up limping like she’d been through a war? You expect me to just believe it’s all made up?”
“People talk. Gossip spreads like wildfire. You know how the Haven loves drama,” Adrian says, shrugging like he isn’t holding back a bombshell.
I narrow my eyes. “And you just thought I’d enjoy being the last to know?”
He rolls his eyes. “I didn’t think it mattered. It’s obviously not true.”
“Oh, well, thank god you decided what I should and shouldn’t know,” I snap. “What next? You’ll schedule my reactions too?”
He sighs. “Iris, come on.”
“No, you come on!” I shoot back. “You, my supposed friend, know that this concerns me in every way, and instead of telling me, you went mute?”
“I didn’t tell you because I knew you'd overthink it,” he says, jaw tightening. “You always spiral when it comes to Darian.”
I stare at him, stunned. “So your solution is to keep me in the dark? I’m not fragile, Adrian. I can handle the truth.”
“Not everything needs to be a dramatic revelation.”
“Not everything needs to be a damn secret either!”
He steps forward, hands raised. “I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t want to fuel something baseless.”
“And yet, here I am, already fueled,” I bite. “Your plan worked wonders.”
His mouth opens, then shuts. Then, quietly, “You know he wouldn’t do that.”
“I thought I did,” I say, voice suddenly quiet, throat tight. “But now I don’t know what I know. And thanks to you, I don’t even know who I can trust anymore.”
His face softens. “You can trust me.”
I shake my head. “You just made that a lot harder.”
Before he can answer, Daisy steps between us, waving her hands like a referee. “Okay, okay, chill, you two. This is turning into a wrestling match and not the fun kind.”
I take a shaky breath, trying to steady the chaos in my chest. “I’m scared, Adrian,” I admit, voice low but firm. “What if it’s true? What if he actually laid his hands on her? What does that say about who he really is? What does that say about me?”
Adrian’s jaw ticks. “Iris, stop. You know he’s not that guy.”
“Do I?” I whisper. “Because right now? I don’t even know what’s real.”
He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I get it. But spiraling won’t fix anything. You want answers? Talk to him.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “You think he’ll even look at me, let alone tell me the truth?”
He shrugs. “No idea. But since when do you sit on your hands and wait for things to come to you?”
I pause, eyes locked on his. “Just promise me something.”
He lifts a brow.
“No more hiding things from me,” I say. “I don’t care how ugly it is. I want the truth, always.”
He meets my gaze, surprisingly serious now. “Yeah. Okay. I promise.”
“Okay, you can kiss now.” Daisy says, causing us to turn our attention towards her.
“You’re disgusting.” I tell her and she rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, sure. Like you both weren’t having a k-drama moment right now.” She wiggles her brows and for some reason, Adrian is grinning from ear to ear.
“I can’t with you right now, my next class is in five minutes,” I say as I start to gather my things.