Chapter 7
1 froze for a second.
Then kept drinking.
They kept gossiping about him, didn’t bring up my story.
Classy crowd, plus Adrian was there.]]
Most of them needed his business anyway.[]
After the party ended.]]
Vivian and Blake were still going at it on the curb.]
I glanced over.]
That one look pissed Adrian off.[]
That night he pinned me down, eyes red–rimmed.[]
“You still have feelings for him?“]
I wiped the tears from his eyes.]
“Adrian. I’m not a masochist.“]
“How could I still love someone who ruined my life?”
But he was still angry.]]
Had me until I was raw
Adrian was never like this–three years of marriage, always gentle.]
Except when it came to Blake. That was his one trigger.[]
After getting expelled, I used that money to Japan
Worked my ass off to survive, but didn’t finish school.
Got a job at an art gallery instead
Art has always been my dream.]
But it was too expensive for a poor kid though
That’s where I met Adrian.
He bought one of my paintings–more money than I’d ever seen.
“Your stuff’s got soul. But it’s so dark.“[]
I just smiled back then
It took him a year to understand why everything I painted was so dark.]
I never hid my past.
The day he confessed, I said: “If it bothers you, pretend you never said anything “||
Adrian chain–smoked on the balcony for hours.]
Thought he was having second thoughts.|
When he came back, his eyes were red.]
Crushed me against his chest.[]
Said it over and over.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
I didn’t cry when they expelled me.]
Didn’t cry when I jumped in that lake.[]
But hearing those words, the tears wouldn’t stop.
