He is to be blamed for my memory loss.
“Is that true?” Gina asks, with her hands covering her mouth, as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Yes, it is.” Adrien clenches his jaw.
Gina gasps, feeling terrorized by the new info as if she no longer recognizes her son anymore. Expressionless Gabriel is surprisingly gone and replaced by a really shocked Gabriel with his body shaking violently in anger. My parents’ expressions mirrored Gabriel’s as well as my brother’s, and Adam gave me a small smile, trying to ease all this tension I feel, and it worked.
“Why would you do that, Adrien?” My dad asks, his voice livid.
“Their love was a problem, so I got rid of it,” Adrien responds confidently as if what he did is totally justifiable.
I fight the urge to strangle him because is he for real? He was willing to murder his own brother and his friend, aka me, for the sake of a freaking contract?
Seriously, where can I find the nearest mental hospital?
“You’re a fucking psychopath!” Trevor snarls at him, his eyes burning with rage.
“Unless you want me to call the police right now, Gabriel, you give me your word that I’m no longer an asset to your business, and you leave me the hell alone.” I cross my arms over my chest, seizing the opportunity of Gabriel’s vulnerable position.
“Fine, you’ve got a deal.” Gabriel sends a dirty look to Adrien before he averts his eyes to me and says, “But this footage has to be no longer existent.”
Walking over to him slowly, I hesitantly hand him the video tape and assure him as I say, “It’s yours now; do whatever the hell you want with it.”
“So we’ve got a deal?” He asks, extending his right hand towards me.
“On one more condition,” I state, hoping he’ll actually agree.
“And what is that?” He pulls his hand back slightly.
“You apologize to Adam and start treating him like he’s your own son.”
Hesitantly, I sneak a peek towards Adam, not knowing how he’ll truly take this, but I find his face a state of a mixture between genuine gratitude and shock.
“Okay.” Gabriel’s instant answer kind of surprises me since I wasn’t awaiting his agreement- at least not so fast.
After we shake hands firmly, Gabriel sends a wave to my parents and a courteous nod towards Adam before pulling off Adrien along with Gina towards the front door of the house to leave when I stop them.
“Adrien, wait!” I yell after him. When his face turns towards me, I ask him the question that’s been bugging me ever since I’ve known the truth. “I have to know: did you ever even love me?”
For a few seconds, he appears to be thinking about the question thoroughly before he shakes his head with a smirk. “I was just pissed that you chose Adam over me even after knowing we were bound by a contract.”
I try to ignore the hurt from the stabs of his words but fail miserably, so I ask him my last question. “Your brother got the opportunity to send you straight to jail over the past five years, yet he didn’t because even though you lack humanity, Adrien, Adam still cares about you; he still believes that you can learn to redeem yourself, and he still believes that you’re capable of being a good person so at least answer me this: do you even love your brother?”
While Adrien was eyeing Adam, a flash of emotion darted through his eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came and was instantly replaced by a smirk. “Well, he’s still alive, isn’t he?”
As soon as Adrien replies, Gabriel drags him along like a grounded child, and they exit the house.
I didn’t even get a chance to see Adam’s expression at his brother’s words, for mom came over, pulling me in a tight hug before breaking down into a set of tears. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry! I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
“Don’t worry about it, mom.” I wrap my arms around her, rubbing her back slowly. “I know you will.”
“Does that mean you’ll stay over tonight?” She asks me, and the hope evident in all of my family members’ eyes caused me nothing but pain, knowing that I’m about to crush it.
“No.” I eye Adam, pleading him with my eyes to not hate me for this before I explain, “I’m going back to Liverpool.”
“What?!” He screeches; his eyes hitting the ceiling.
“I need to move on, Adam. Too much has happened in this city. I just need a new scenery- just for a while, and I promise I’ll be back after I clear my mind from all that’s happened.”
My parents and Trevor nod understandingly, and they slowly head back to the kitchen, giving some room for Adam and I. With a leisurely pace, I hesitantly make my way to him. His jaw is clenched tightly, as well as his fists. The hurt swirling in his dark grey eyes caused mine to glisten with some tears.
I place my hand on his, reassuring him as I say, “I’m sorry, Adam; please don’t hate me for this. You have to understand. You made it alive without me for five years; I’m sure you can manage without me in your life for even more.”
He unclenches his right fist, intertwining our hands as he sighs.
