"What?" Jenna snapped, she was cold and tired, she had had enough of being let down by people she trusted.
She hated to admit it but she had begun to trust Adam, maybe it had something to do with how gentle he was with her, maybe it was because he didn't judge a single thing about her, or maybe it was because he looked at her like he understood her and would always be there for her.
Jenna just wanted to be in the familiarity of her moldy room, she needed the feeling of stability it gave her. She hated that she was being shaken up by a man that she had only known for 24 hours.
It irked her that she had allowed him destabilize her to the extent that she was in tears. All he had done was offer her kindness and food and she had gulped it up like a starving animal without any self-respect.
The shadow was truly disgusted by Jenna, it couldn't understand why she would let herself lose their grounding over someone that would be gone the moment he heard the smallest bit of her problem.
Jenna was shivering and in turn it was shivering. All Jenna's actions affected it, whether they were good or bad, this current action was bad and it made her shadow mad.
Her shadow agreed wholesomely with the voice, it had never been wrong, and in this moment it wasn't wrong as well.
"Finally" the voice sighed with relief, it knew the shadow would listen, she always did, unlike Jenna who liked to play with fire once in a while and get burnt, "make sure you put an end to all this nonsense"
"I will" the shadow said.
"Good"
*
Adam was scared, it wasn't the type where he wanted to run away, it was the type of fear that made him wish he could turn back time and make things right.
He knew the fight wasn't going to be easy the moment Jenna turned around with an icy glare, her expression and stance was ice cold and it had nothing to do with the cold weather.
Adam knew immediately that this wasn't the Jenna he had spoken to yesterday, something about her was different, the air around her was different, it was frigid, it was like someone else had taken control of Jenna.
Everything about her body language was hostile and her eyes looked daze, it was like she was here but she wasn't at the same time, it made chills run down his spine.
Her eyes were becoming distant and then back to dazed at once, like she was having an internal conversation with herself.
She had done it numerous times when she was with him yesterday but today felt different, if he knew undoubtedly that if he didn't thread carefully it would be the last time he saw her.
Adam didn't want that, he was just getting to know her and there was still so much about her that he wanted to get to know.
He didn't want her to leave him or whatever could come out of them getting to know each other.
"I'm sorry" Adam whispered, it was low, but it was still loud enough for Jenna to hear despite the loudness of the rain.
Jenna's eyes softened for a moment before it went back to being cold, Adam felt slightly relieved, he took a cautious step closer to her, he never broke eye contact with her as he continued to move closer to her.
Amid the relentless rain, Adam's steps were slow and deliberate as he approached Jenna with utmost caution. Each footfall seemed to mark the passage of time itself, as if the world had slowed down to accommodate this tender encounter.
His presence was like a protective shield, shielding Jenna from the elements as he inched closer. His eyes, filled with a mixture of concern and care, never left her form. Raindrops clung to his face and hair, mirroring the tears that welled in his eyes.
With his every step, his movements exuded gentleness and patience. His outstretched hand trembled slightly as he reached out to Jenna, as if he were afraid of causing her any more pain. The soft pattering of rain on the ground provided a subtle, rhythmic backdrop.
Jenna's cautious and distrusting gaze met his, and their eyes locked in a silent exchange of understanding and reassurance. The world around them seemed to blur and fade, leaving only the two of them in their own fragile bubble of connection.
As Adam continued his measured approach, his intentions were clear- to offer solace, to share the burden, to be there for Jenna when she needed him most, even though he had failed to keep his promise to be on time.
*
Her shadow faltered, this was new to her, no one had approached her with so much comfort and care. It made her feel weird all over, she couldn't understand why he was going out of his way for someone he had just met.
It made her extremely suspicious and wary, and yet she wanted to bask in the warmth he was offering her. Her shadow slipped back, slowly back into where it belonged, handing the reigns back to Jenna.
Jenna blinked a couple times as she felt herself come back; it made her emotional for her shadow to see the exact reason why she was trying to trust Adam.
She knew she didn't trust him completely; it would be foolish of her if she did, but at this moment as the rain poured down around them like a backdrop, a witness to this emotional scene, she let him wrap his arms around her.
This wasn't her first time being hugged but this time it felt different, it made her feel different, it made her crave for more. It was wholesome, and despite the chill in the air, Jenna felt warm in Adam's embrace.