Gianna half-supported, half-dragged Adrian out of the alley, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to do next. His weight leaned heavily against her, and she could feel his labored breathing with each step they took. The streets were growing darker now, the distant hum of city life surrounding them, but all Gianna could focus on was getting Adrian to safety.
She hadn't expected this. Running into him, seeing him so vulnerable—it shook something inside her. Adrian always had an air of quiet strength about him, like he didn't need anyone's help. Yet here he was, bruised and beaten, relying on her.
"You're sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Gianna asked again, glancing at him.
Adrian shook his head, wincing slightly as he did. "No hospital," he repeated, his voice strained but firm. "I just… need to rest. I'll be fine."
Gianna bit her lip, frustrated but unwilling to push the matter further. Instead, she focused on getting him to somewhere safe. The café was too far, and her house wasn't an option. Her mom would freak out if she brought an injured boy home. That left her only one choice: Mia's apartment.
Her best friend's place was only a few blocks away, and Mia was the type to take charge in situations like this. Plus, she wouldn't ask too many questions—not right away, at least. Gianna pulled out her phone and sent Mia a quick text, explaining the situation in vague terms.
"Almost there," Gianna muttered, more to herself than to Adrian. He only grunted in response, clearly struggling to stay on his feet.
When they finally reached Mia's building, Gianna let out a small sigh of relief. She helped Adrian up the narrow stairs, his steps faltering, but he never once complained. By the time they reached the door to Mia's apartment, he was breathing heavily, the pain etched clearly on his face.
Mia opened the door before Gianna even had a chance to knock. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of them—Adrian bruised and barely standing, Gianna looking frazzled and out of breath.
"Holy crap, Gia. What happened?" Mia asked, stepping aside to let them in.
"I'll explain in a second," Gianna said quickly, guiding Adrian to the couch. He collapsed onto it with a groan, closing his eyes as he leaned back. "Can you get some ice?"
Mia nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, while Gianna crouched next to Adrian. She hesitated, unsure of what to do. She wasn't used to seeing someone like this, especially not someone she'd only known from casual, awkward run-ins.
Adrian's eyes opened slowly, his gaze locking onto hers. "You didn't have to do this," he said quietly. His voice was softer now, almost vulnerable.
Gianna swallowed, shaking her head. "I couldn't just leave you there."
Before Adrian could respond, Mia returned with an ice pack and a bottle of water. She handed them to Gianna and sat on the arm of the couch, her eyes still wide with concern.
"Okay, someone's gotta explain to me what's going on," Mia said, glancing between the two of them.
Gianna pressed the ice pack gently against Adrian's ribs, her hands steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. "I found him getting jumped in an alley. I don't know why or who those guys were, but they were roughing him up pretty badly."
Mia's eyebrows shot up. "And you took them on? By yourself?"
Gianna shrugged, trying to downplay it. "It wasn't that bad. I've had worse sparring matches."
Mia shook her head in disbelief. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Gianna allowed herself a small smile, but her focus remained on Adrian, who was watching her with an unreadable expression.
Mia crossed her arms, eyeing Adrian critically. "And you're not going to a hospital because…?"
"I'll be fine," Adrian said, his voice firmer now. "I just need some time."
Mia didn't look convinced, but she didn't push the issue. Instead, she turned to Gianna, her expression softening. "You okay?"
Gianna nodded, though she wasn't sure if that was entirely true. There was something unsettling about the whole situation—finding Adrian like that, seeing him so vulnerable. And then there was the question of why it had happened in the first place.
Why had those guys been after him? And why wasn't he willing to talk about it?
Adrian let out a slow breath, his eyes fluttering shut as the exhaustion took over. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this," he murmured.
Gianna frowned, shaking her head. "You didn't drag me into anything. I chose to help."
For a moment, the room was quiet, the weight of the unspoken questions hanging in the air. Mia watched the two of them with a curious, calculating look, but she didn't say anything. Not yet.
Gianna stood up and handed the ice pack to Mia. "He'll be okay," she said softly. "Let him rest for a while. I'll stay with him."
Mia nodded, her expression thoughtful as she gave them space. "I'll be in my room if you need anything."
Once Mia was gone, Gianna sat down in the chair across from the couch, her eyes never leaving Adrian. He seemed to be resting now, his breathing a little steadier, the tension in his body slowly easing.
But even as he lay there, beaten and bruised, Gianna couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than met the eye. She didn't know much about Adrian, but what little she did know told her that he wasn't the type to get involved in random street fights. There was something deeper going on—something he wasn't telling her.
And for reasons she couldn't explain, that only made her more determined to find out the truth.