Page 67 of Adam
Dio—God—I’ve completely lost my mind.
There’s a knock on the door. Finally, something to stop me from thinking about him.
“Come in.”
“Hey,” Colton says with a soft smile. “Am I interrupting anything?” he asks, stepping into my room.
Colton is the only person I truly know how I feel about in here. He’s so calm and sweet, and I can see that he genuinely cares about me, almost like I’m his younger sister.
“Nah, just some high school nonsense and a bit of mindless delirium, I guess.”
“Can I help with something?”
I exhale, avoiding eye contact. “I think no one can.”
He raises his brown brows. “Is it about … you know who?”
Great. Now it’s totally obvious he’s living rent-free in my head. Perfect. Just what I needed.
“How do you …?”
“Was it a secret?”
“My God, yes! Doesheknow?” I whisper-shout, my eyes as wide as they can be.
“Relax,” he chuckles. “No one knows.”
“What?”
“I just fished that out of you.”
Instantly, my expression turns solemn. “You didn’t.”
He bursts into laughter, and I can’t help but laugh too. There’s something so kind about him, and that kindness feels rare. I can easily imagine him as a good husband, and a devoted father. The fact that he works for my father says enough about his patience and his loyalty.
His dark eyes return to me, more solemn this time.
“Be careful, Isabella,” he says, warmth in his voice.
“I will.”
His thin lips press together, his eyes softening as if debating whether to tell me something he knows will annoy me or not.
“Your father wants to see you.”
There it is. I knew it.
“That’s not good,” I say, searching his eyes for the tiniest hint.
He shakes his head. “I don’t think it is.”
It never is. The last time Dad wanted to talk to me was to announce that we were leaving Italy. Not that I felt any different there, but at least it felt like home. Even if I was alone all the time. Just like now.
“I guess I can make him wait a little, can’t I?” I ask playfully, a smile tugging at my lips.
“Don’t overdo it, though.”
“You can go and show your goodwill. Say you did what you had to do.”
