Adrian kissed my shoulder and rolled away from me. He tucked the blanket in behind me to keep me warm. I must have fallen back to sleep, as the next thing I knew there was a hand softly shaking my shoulder. A paper cup of hot chocolate waved under my nose that smelt divine. In the colours of some artisan coffee shop that was no doubt nearby. I don’t know what it was about the new city or maybe it was just the incredible night of passion, but it tasted better than anything I ever tried before. I sat up in bed, watching the cute shirtless man collecting the clothes that we left all over the place.
“I ran youse a bath whenever ye are ready for it. There are fresh towels warming, and I brought ye things from the hotel. Youse didn’t pack much warm clothing, so please feel free to borrow some of mine. Help yourself to anything ye need,” Adrian offered.
“You brought all my clothes?” I asked, seeing my battered suitcase on the floor at the end of the bed.
Adrian paused a little nervously, “Look, darling, that place was a dive. I am not having youse stay there. I have two bedrooms; you can stay here as long as you like. Or I can get ye a better hotel. Whatever you feel comfortable with. If you need money, I will give ye whatever you need. I have more than I can ever spend. We can go shopping and get ye some more clothes. Just tell me what ye need, and it is all yours.”
I looked at the floor, wrapping the sheet more firmly around my still naked form. I wasn’t comfortable with any of this. “I guess, I should go take that bath. Please excuse me.”
Adrian’s POV
I sighed as she shuffled off to the bathroom, dragging her suitcase with her. I knew I pushed too far this time. All I wanted to do was help, but how to do that without making her feel like running? She had clearly been hurt too many times before to trust anyone. That was something only time and large amounts of love could fix. I hoped she would permit me to try to do that for her. I wanted to kill that bloody ex of hers for fucking up such a loving person with his bullshit dramas. Then again, that asshole always broke everything he touched, so it was hardly a surprise that, yet again, I was cleaning up his mess.
Lily’s POV:
I relaxed in the bath, thinking about what Adrian said. There were candles all around the bath, scented rose petals floating on the water. Romantic, loving. I didn’t know how to handle that. I knew I needed to run before I had time to even think about falling for him. Last night would never happen again. I couldn’t risk staying here; I could fall for that man all too easily and that would not do. I needed to keep running to keep myself safe.
A short time later, I found myself dressed, hovering around near the bathroom door. Suitcase in hand, all I needed to do was grab my coat off the door and my handbag and run. Just run. It didn’t matter where, just anywhere this freaky niceness wasn’t. I eased the door open slowly to peek around it. The room was empty. A sweater lay on the bed with a note. I went to read it.
‘Hey, Lily, I don’t want to be pushy. I just want to help youse get through all of this. To be a good friend to ye. Under this note is five hundred euro. If you want to take it and find a new hotel, I will not chase ye. Or ye can come find me outside waiting in a car to take you to explore Dublin’s stunning coastline. It is up to you, Adrian.’
It was sweet. Options, my past didn’t give me many of those. My control, my power, was often taken from me. I stashed the money in my handbag, knowing I shouldn’t take it, it was charity, however, he burned my hotel plans by checking me out early. So I guessed that it was kind of fair. The sweater I hesitated over, but I had to grudgingly accept, I did have need of it. At least until I could purchase my own out of the euro. Pulling it over my head, my jacket on top. I headed out onto the street level, dragging my suitcase. I did plan to run; I was ready to. I wasn’t going to allow another singer to break me. And then, I saw him. Sat in the car outside, waiting for me. He looked worried, watching the door for me to appear. He looked like he was going to get out of the car and come to talk to me, but he stopped himself, his hand on the car door to see what I would do. This was a true free choice to make, not just an illusion of it gifted by a man who would just as fast betray me by forcing me to bend to his will.
Adrian’s POV
I fiddled around with things in the car, checking the picnic for the fifth time, even though I knew every single little thing was prepared for. All it took now was a choice. Did she want to be saved or was she already lost? Had that selfish, spineless coward of a man who used and abused everyone around him
