One day, Adrian had gone out to meet James. He had left without telling Jennifer. Jennifer searched for him in the whole house but couldn't find him. She was so worried. Yes! Worried because despite whatever he had done to Kurt, Jennifer still treated him like a friend. They would have meals together. Jennifer used this time to create a bond with him. To get him to trust her. She specially found out time to spend with him. Almost all of her free time was spent with him. If any outsider would observe them, he would infer that they are married.
With time, Jennifer got to know him better. After all this exercise, she often confronted herself at night. "Adrian doesn't seem like a bad person. He would never cause pain to people just for fun. Whatever he did to Kurt there must have been a reason. But what? What had Kurt done, so bad, that he had to pay for his mistakes in such a manner?" Sometimes, she thought it was better if she asked him but then she thought that Adrian would think of her as a stalker and to their friendship would come to an end. She surely didn't want this.
"I don't know what to do anymore. It's like she keeps getting more and more distant while still being clingy. I mean, she doesn't feel warm at heart like she felt before. Like she is there physically but her emotions and thoughts are cold." Adrian sighed.
He was sitting with James in same forest clearing which was their hiding home. "Don't worry, I'm sure she might have something going on." James tried to reason with him. "That's exactly what I want to know. What is she hiding?" Adrian said, desperation in his voice evident. "You are interfering in her personal matter. If it was something she could share with you, she would have shared. Respect her choice of not sharing it with you." James tried to explain him.
"I know you get protective of her. Give her some time, maybe she'll open up." Adrian hummed and they started to go to their respective houses. At home, Jennifer was pissed off. Dinner was ready and Adrian still wasn't home. "He left without telling me. Maybe, he's with the girl he fell in love with." Jennifer herself couldn't understand why she was jealous of that girl. She shook her thoughts as she picked up her phone to call him. While she was doing that, she kept on mumbling random things to herself.
The line died and Adrian still hadn't picked up the phone. Jennifer banged her phone in the kitchen counter in frustration. "He doesn't care about me." She shouted. " Okay then, I won't talk to him anymore. I'll be cold. Let's see what you will do now." She huffed. After a while, she headed to the living room and played a movie. She kept on checking the clock time and again in the hope that he would return home soon.
No matter how much she tried to ignore it but couldn't help it. As she was thinking about Adrian, she heard the door open. She looked back on the TV screen, keeping her face straight. Not leaving the couch to greet him, she saw him coming further inside until she felt him looking at her.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" He spoke in his husky voice. Jennifer let out a sigh but didn't bother to look at him. "I was not sleepy, plus this movie is my favorite." With the corner of her eyes, Jennifer found him looking at the TV. "Okay. I'll go and shower." Jennifer hummed and kept on watching the movie. He left the room while Jennifer rolled her eyes.
Not after too long he came back in his sweatshirt and sweatpants. Jennifer was still pretending to watch the movie. "Where's the dinner?" Jennifer hummed and quickly looked at him and then back on the TV screen. "Where is it supposed to be? Kitchen, obviously." This was all she said. She felt bad, Adrian had come back from a long day, his expressions gave that away, and she was being childish.
"O-okay." He left and the guilt inside Jennifer kept on raising up. It started eating her up when she saw him sitting all alone, eating. She got up and turned off the TV. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. She sat down, making it an excuse to sit with him. They both sat there in silence for a while, until she finished drinking her glass of water. She placed the glass on the table and left. Although she wanted to sit there but not today. She wanted him to come to her this time.
Jennifer went into her room and heeded back to the bathroom to wash up. She came out, did her night routine and got on the bed. She sat there, with her phone in her hand, scrolling through Instagram trying to find something that would drift her mind off this horrible guilt in her gut. She saw the door crack open. "May I come in?"
Adrian came in and slowly sat down on the other side of the bed. They both stayed silent until Jennifer placed her phone down and got inside the covers. Is he really not concerned why I am acting cold? Jennifer back faced him and laid down.
"I wanted to talk to you but I feel that you are tired. Let's talk some other time. Good night." . Jennifer saw Adrian go outside the room. She didn't remember when she fell asleep.
It had been two days now. Jennifer and Adrian didn't talk at all, well, Adrian tried to talk to her but she just gave short replies. One day, Jennifer came home and was greeted by silence. She had gone to an orphanage as a volunteer to teach them. Jennifer sighed and removed her shoes before heading to her room.