(Adrian)
"Hey, drive slowly!" Aurora yelped.
I was surpassing the speed limit on purpose, and here she was, screaming like it was my first time driving a car, or I was trying to kill her, intentionally.
"Shut up, woman! You–" I threw a fist at the steering wheel, holding back my words.
"Are you serious?" she questioned.
"Isn't it obvious?" I shot her a cold glare before looking away.
She didn't respond, probably because I raised my voice at her. She had no right to get angry at me when she wouldn't keep her mouth shut.
I turned slightly to steal a glance, and she caught me off guard, so I stared for a while, then continued driving.
Finally, I decided to let go of my pride, and apologize. I had always liked being the matured one in every case.
"I didn't mean to shout at you, but still, you caused it," I rolled my eyes. After all, it was the truth. "I'm so fucking sorry about my shitty mood, but you won't understand because you know nothing about it. Yet, you made up your silly mind to come with me when you didn't have to."
"Is it a crime?" she asked, looking out through the window.
"Yes, it is. Can't you see for yourself?" I asked in return, and she glanced back with a shocked expression.
Not minding her, I continued. "You know Kendall will stop at nothing to ruin our lives. You're her main target, and you know it. I wouldn't be able to do it, blondie. I just won't."
"Do what, Adrian?"
I switched to controlling the steering with my right hand, while the other caressed her soft cheeks.
Then I smiled, shortly, which eventually faded into a gloom.
I could feel my body tense up and my muscles stiffen as the words left my lips.
"I can't live without you, and I don't even want to imagine it. The thought alone scares me to death. What if something bad happens to you along the way and I'm not there for you? How'd I live with the feeling of guilt and loneliness?"
She lifted my hand from her face and held it, firmly. In a nanosecond, all my fears disappeared into the thin air.
She massaged my knuckles, making me ease up. Then my gaze fell on our intertwined fingers. It was a perfect fit, so was she.
Aurora was my perfect match. She was too good for me, despite how bad I made her feel over these past few days.
She tried to hide the hurt in her eyes, but I couldn't help notice it and feel guilty every fucking time.
It was much harder to act like I didn't care. And when I thought that phase with Kendall was over, I…
I hated to think about it.
… I was the happiest man in the world. I felt I didn't have to lose anybody or anything, again, or choose one out of my two families over the other.
I thought everything had gone back to normal, and we would live a long, peaceful and fulfilled happy life, together.
As they say, life isn't a bed of roses. It's filled with thorns and thistles–pain, grieve and miseries–and we must learn to survive for better or worse.
"Hush. Nothing bad will happen to me, I promise," I heard her say, and I nodded, absentmindedly.
I flitted my eyes to my wrist watch. It read quarter to twelve midnight. The devil's hour was fast approaching, and the longer I delayed, the higher the chances of my parents getting burnt alive.
I sped up my lane. It was just a few miles away, and I'd arrive at the company.
"So, where are we going?" she asked after a long, awkward silence.
I hesitated to answer, but she kept poking my arm. I hissed in annoyance before muttering, "My parents."
"Adrian, what are you saying?" she cupped my chin, but I pushed her hand away.
Maybe I was frustrated from all that had happened within the past two hours and the one yet to come, or her voice was becoming irritating to my ears.
I just wanted a silent ride. In that way, I'd drive faster without anyone interrupting me, and also think of possible ways to get my parents out of danger.
Even if it was almost impossible.
Her presence was only fuealing my rage, and it was high time I let it out. At least, I could vent a little on her and save the rest for Kendall.
I snarled at her. "You heard right. So, leave me alone. Let me concentrate on driving! I'm in no mood to talk to you, or anyone else. You should have stayed back and gone with the rest, but you chose to follow me and now, you're pestering my life. I had told you already that I'm going to meet my parents. What else do you want to hear? Or don't you understand English, anymore?"
She didn't look frightened at my tone, neither did a strand of hair stand on her body. Instead, she snickered at the angry look on my face.
I eyed her, and focused my eyes on the road.
The last thing I wanted to do was to have a fight or a quarrel with Aurora, and she was really getting on my nerves.
She still had the guts to speak thereafter.
"But I just asked a simple question because I thought I didn't hear you properly the first time. So, why do you keep yelling at me, unnecessarily?" she asked.
Seriously? Why?
I drifted to the side of the road, and parked the car.
"I've had enough of your rants. Shut up, or get down!" I ordered in an authoritative and disgusted tone, unbuckling her seatbelt.
She glanced over at me with shock written in bold on her face. I guessed she didn't see it coming.
She gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. "Are you going to abandon me in the middle of the road?"
I nodded with every form of seriousness. "If I have to. If only it will give me a peace of mind."
"For real?" she pouted.
I clenched my jaw tight, regulating my fast breaths.
"Stop pushing me to the wall. I really don't want to do it, but it's a little reminder that I can do anything stupid, that I may or may not regret later, if you disobey my orders. So, stay quiet and stop pissing me off, else I'll kick your ass out. Do you understand me?"
She nodded frantically, then raised her hand in the air like a shy school kid would do to his/her class teacher.
I wanted to stop and laugh at her, but again, I remembered how broken I was. The lives of two people laid in my hands.
Not just any two random humans, but my biological parents.
So, I kept a straight face.
"What?" I asked, reigniting the car engine.
"I will do as you say, but only if you promise to tell me what I need to know about your past. I want to know everything," she said in a low, composed tone.
"Okay. I promise you."
I thought she was joking, but surprisingly, she was quiet for the rest of the ride.
Was this how desperate she was to know?
Well, there was nothing hidden about my past, again.
Everything had surfaced already–My first love which happened to be Kendall Campbell; my parents' kidnapper, a psychopath, an obsessed lover, and a frenemy.
Whoever hurts my family is considered an enemy, but she acted in disguise.
...
To be continued.