Chapter 9 Too Emotional
Adeline sat stiff in the passenger seat of Julian’s car, her arms folded tight across her chest. The air in the car was cool, but it was not the cold that made her uneasy. It was him and the fact that he had not given her time to think.
One moment she had been standing in the hotel room, half awake and confused. The next, he had thrown his coat over her shoulders, picked up her suitcase like it weighed nothing, and guided her out the door as if she had agreed to it.
She had not even brushed her teeth, her hair was still messy from sleep, and her face felt bare and dry. She hated that he had seen her like that and hated even more that he did not seem to care about the fact that he was invading her privacy in the worst way possible.
The car smelled clean and sharp, like leather and something faintly spicy. The engine was quiet as he drove, one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other relaxed near the gear shift. He looked far too calm for someone that was basically kidnapping her.
She shifted in her seat again. “Where are we going?” she asked, her voice tight.
Julian did not look at her. “You’ll see.”
Her jaw clenched. “That’s not an answer.”
He shrugged. “It should be enough.”
She let out a slow breath through her nose. When he first pulled out of the hotel parking lot, she had assumed he was taking her to his house. That was the obvious choice since it was where she had planned to go the night before, but they had been driving longer than expected.
She knew the roads in this city and knew her way to his place, and this was not the way to his place. She glanced out the window just to be sure, and looking out only confirmed what she was already suspecting.
“This isn’t the way to your house,” she said flatly.
“I know,” he replied.
Her head snapped toward him. “You know?”
“Yes.”
She stared at him. “Then where are we going?”
He exhaled softly, like she was asking something foolish. “Be patient for once in your life, Adeline.”
Her eyes flashed. “How exactly do you expect me to be patient when you refuse to tell me where you’re taking me?”
He did not answer right away. Annoyed, she leaned back in her seat, her fingers tapping against her arm. The coat he had thrown over her felt heavy, but it still carried his warmth.
“I did not agree to this, Julian,” she said.
“You didn’t disagree either,” he replied.
“That’s because you moved too fast. You didn't even give me a chance to decide,” Adeline fired back, her irritation evident.
A small smirk touched his mouth. “You hesitate too much.”
She shot him a glare. “I hesitate because I think before I act.”
Julian scoffed. “Are you sure about that? I mean, you kissed me in front of hundreds of people despite being married and lied about being in an affair with me. That isn't what someone who thinks before they act would do.”
Adeline couldn't find the words to refute his response, and in that moment, her patience snapped.
“If you don’t tell me where we’re going right now,” she said, her voice sharp, “I will roll down this window and start screaming that you’re kidnapping me.”
That made him glance at her. He let out a short scoff. “You wouldn’t.”
“You don’t know that,” she responded.
He looked ahead again. “You’re being unnecessarily dramatic.”
“I’m being serious, Hale.”
She reached toward the door handle slightly, just enough to show she meant it.
Julian’s voice stayed even. “Have you forgotten that your face is currently all over the news?”
She paused.
“You are already being called reckless,” he continued. “You’re already being accused of having an affair. You really want to add public hysteria to that list?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe I do.”
He gave her a look that said he did not believe her.
“All I have to do,” she went on, “is claim you forced me into this so-called affair. I could say you threatened me, that you pushed me into it.”
His expression changed slightly, not shocked, just a little taken aback.
“And now that I want out,” she added smoothly, “you’re kidnapping me to silence me.”
The car stayed quiet except for the soft hum of the engine, and she turned fully toward him. “It would be your word against mine.”
Julian’s grip on the wheel tightened just a little.
“Both our reputations would fall apart,” she finished. “So you might want to reconsider this little mystery drive and tell me where we are going before I turn you into a criminal.”
For a moment, he said nothing, and Adeline thought he was going to ignore her, but then he laughed. It was low and short, not amused but impressed.
“You really would burn the whole thing down,” he said.
“If I have to, I will.”
He shook his head slightly. “You wouldn’t.”
She snorted. “Try me and see, Hale.”
They locked eyes for a second too long before he looked back at the road.
“You’re not as reckless as you pretend to be,” he said.
“And you’re not as calm as you pretend to be. Don’t think I don't know you well enough, Julian,” she shot back.
Silence stretched between them again. She hated that he had taken control so easily, hated that he had walked into her hotel room like he owned the space, and hated that she had followed him.
“Stop the car,” she said suddenly.
“No.”
“Julian.”
“No.”
Her fingers curled into fists in her lap. “You do not get to order me around.”
“I’m not ordering you,” he said. “I’m protecting you.”
She laughed at that. “From what? Fresh air?”
“From yourself,” he snapped back in response.
Her head turned sharply. “Excuse me?”
“You’re tired,” he said. “You’re angry, and you’re thinking emotionally.”
“I do not think emotionally,” she denied.
“You just threatened to accuse me of kidnapping at the risk of your own reputation. Isn't that emotional?” he questioned.
“That wasn’t emotional. It was just a way to let you know I won't be pushed around by you,” Adeline responded defensively.
“That was impulsive and unreasonable.”
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again, and he slowed the car slightly as they approached a traffic light.
“You don’t trust me,” he said quietly.
She did not hesitate. “Of course not.”
“Good. I’m happy to know you’re still a smart girl,” he replied, and that caught her off guard.
“Trust makes people careless, Carter. You shouldn't give it up easily, especially not to someone like me,” he added, and Adeline could only stare back at him in confusion.