Page 72 of Care: Part 1

CHAPTER TWENTY

Care for Endings

Adrik looked tired. She had never seen him so unkempt. There were bags under his eyes and a slight paling to his skin. Avelina hadn't noticed any of that before—not until now.

"What are you doing here?"

Avelina took a step aside so that he could walk in. The second he was inside of her house, a sense of Deja Vu splurged into her. The last time Adrik was in her home, she was falling apart because she felt so betrayed. He walked away from her, and she believed it would be the last time she had ever seen him.

"You were not there," he stated.

She let out a sigh. Her head was pounding once more. "I know.”

He looked around her house with an unreadable expression on his face. "What are the chances that I can convince you not to leave me here alone?"

"Slim.”

"What are the chances that I can convince you to be with me no matter what part of the world you are residing in?"

She thought about his words and couldn't seem to come up with an answer. It would be way too easy for Adrik to convince her, but she didn't want him to know that. Avelina was fearful that he would do just that; he would convince her.

"I don't know.”

"What are the chances that you will allow me to hold you and kiss you every single day before you leave?"

Avelina couldn't help herself from walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his abdomen. "One-hundred percent."

His arms circled her as he pulled her in closer. "I am truly sorry, Avelina.”

"I don't know if I'm stupid or if there is something wrong with me, but I can't hate you. Every cell in my body tells me to forgive you because I know that you didn't harm my family, and I can't hold you accountable for what your sister did. What I can hold you accountable for is using me to get to my brother. That's what hurts me emotionally," her eyes began to water. "Because I would never even think about using you."

"I understand.”

Avelina pulled away from the hug and nodded her head. She was at peace with Adrik’s answer, it took some of the burden off of her.

"My intention was never to hurt you emotionally. Every possibility that I strategically planned out always ended with you leaving," Adrik explained.

Avelina sat down on her couch, watching as Adrik joined her. "If I told you that I would've stayed you told me the truth instead of Johnathan, would you believe me?"

Her voice cracked with almost every word. Avelina was begging her body not to cry, she was so tired of crying. She was never one to be overly emotional, but there she was, preparing to let her emotions take control once again.

"I will always believe you.”

She moved over to be closer to him. Her arm wrapped around him as her cheek planted itself on his chest. His heartbeat was pounding in her ear, calmness settled within her.

"I just want to forget right now. I want to forget that I'm going back to Brazil. I want to forget all of the family drama and the secrets. I just want to be right here with you, even if it only lasts for a few moments,” Avelina murmured, “A few moments with you will always feel like forever.”

His hand rubbed up and down her spine soothingly.

It didn't take long for her eyes to shut as the sensations overcame her. She allowed herself to curl up at Adrik’s side.

The room that was once cold was now so warm. It was warm because Adrik was there, holding her.

Silence overcame them. It was such a comfortable silence that Avelina never wanted to end. The silence helped quiet the loud thoughts in her head that had been speaking since the very beginning.

"I love you, Adrik," she whispered sadly.

His hand on her back had froze. She glanced up at his beautiful face only to see his shut eyelids. He must've felt her gaze because he opened his eyes and gleamed down at her.