Lila stepped into the building on Adrian's arm, the faint hum of her phone vibrating against her hip, ignored. Inside, the space was nothing like she expected.It was a private dining club, with dim lighting, deep mahogany walls and the faint scent of roses. Conversations around her were low and intimate, creating a cocoon of exclusivity that made her feel both out of place yet drawn in.
Adrian led her past the main dining area and into a private room. A single table waited in the center, adorned with flickering candles and a bottle of wine that seemed older than the city itself. He pulled out her chair, his movements unhurried, deliberate.
"This feels… excessive," she murmured, trying to steady herself.
"Excessive?" Adrian repeated, pouring her a glass of the wine. "Or exactly what you deserve?"
Lila's cheeks burned, and she avoided his gaze by taking a sip. The wine was exquisite.Everything about him oozed perfection, and it unsettled her.
As they dined, Adrian probed her with subtle questions, each one peeling back another layer of her guarded self. He asked about her dreams, her fears, her childhood. Not once did he ask about Caleb, as if he already knew that part of her life.
"I have a question for you," she said suddenly, emboldened by the wine and the swirling atmosphere of intimacy. "What do you want from me?Why go through all this effort?"
Adrian leaned back in his chair, his stormy eyes locking onto hers. "I can't explain it, Lila. You're…" He hesitated, his voice softening in a way that seemed uncharacteristic. "You're something rare. And rare things deserve to be cherished."
Her breath hitched at his words, but she quickly masked it with a wry smile. "That sounds rehearsed."
He chuckled, low and deep. "Perhaps. But it doesn't make it any less true."
Before she could respond, the waiter returned with dessert—a delicate chocolate soufflé that smelled like temptation itself. Lila picked up her fork, but her hand stilled when she felt Adrian's fingers brush hers.
"You're not convinced," he said quietly. "You think this is all a game."
"Isn't it?" she countered, her voice sharper than she intended. "You seem like the type who plays games, Adrian."
His expression darkened, his usual teasing air replaced by something far more serious. He leaned closer, his voice a low murmur that sent shivers down her spine. "If this were a game, Lila, you'd already have lost."
She stared at him, caught in the pull of his gaze, until the sound of a phone vibrating shattered the moment. Her phone. Again.
Adrian raised an eyebrow as she fumbled to silence it, glancing at the screen. Caleb.
"Something urgent?" Adrian asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
Lila hesitated. She could feel the weight of his gaze, the unspoken challenge in it. Finally, she put the phone down without answering. "No."
The corner of Adrian's mouth curved upward, a knowing smile that made her pulse quicken. "Good."
After dinner, Adrian suggested a walk, and though her better judgment screamed against it, Lila agreed. The air outside was cool, the city lights reflecting off the cobblestone streets. Adrian didn't talk much, and for once, she didn't feel the need to fill the silence.
They stopped at a small bridge overlooking the river. The water rippled beneath them, the moonlight casting a glow. Adrian leaned against the railing, watching her.
"What are you afraid of, Lila?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
She shook her head. "I'm not afraid."
"Liar." He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "You're afraid of what you feel when you're with me. Of what it means to want something so badly it scares you."
"You think too highly of yourself," she snapped, but the words lacked conviction.
Adrian smiled, a slow, dangerous curve of his lips. "Maybe. Or maybe I know you better than you know yourself."
Before she could respond, the sound of footsteps interrupted them. Lila turned to see Caleb approaching, his face a mixture of concern and something darker.
"Lila," he said, his voice tight. "I've been calling you."
Her heart sank. She had forgotten to text him after work, forgotten about the dinner he'd planned.
Adrian didn't move, didn't so much as glance at Caleb. His eyes remained on Lila, watching her reaction with unsettling intensity.
"Caleb," she started, guilt tightening her throat. "I—"
"You're with him?" Caleb's voice was sharper now, and his gaze flicked to Adrian, who finally turned, his expression unreadable.
"Jealousy doesn't suit you," Adrian said smoothly, his tone cutting.
"This isn't about jealousy," Caleb shot back, his fists clenching at his sides. "It's about respect. Something you clearly don't understand."
The tension crackled between them, thick and suffocating. Lila's heart raced as she stood between them, caught in a storm of emotions she couldn't untangle.
"Enough," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "Both of you."
Adrian inclined his head, his smirk returning. "As you wish."
Caleb, however, looked at her, his expression filled with something raw and vulnerable. "Lila, you don't have to do this. You don't have to let him pull you into his world."
"And what world is that?" Adrian asked softly, his voice a velvet threat.
The question hung in the air, unanswered, as Lila struggled to find her own.
The air between them was electric. Lila turned to Caleb, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
"Why are you here, Caleb? What do you think you're doing, showing up like this?"
Caleb blinked, his jaw tightening. "I was worried. You didn't answer my calls—"
"Worried?" Lila laughed bitterly, throwing her hands up. "Now you're worried? You ignored me for weeks, Caleb. Weeks! And now, suddenly, I'm supposed to believe you care because I didn't text you back one time?"
"That's not fair," Caleb said, his voice rising slightly. "I'm trying, Lila. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Trying? You show up uninvited and expect everything to be fine?" Her anger flared, hotter now, fueled by days of frustration. "You don't get to swoop in and act like the perfect boyfriend when you've been anything but!"
Caleb's face darkened, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I'm here because I care about you, Lila. Not because I'm trying to 'act' like anything."
Adrian's soft chuckle broke through the argument. "Touching, really. But if I may interject—"
"You may not," Caleb snapped, finally turning to face him.
Lila glared at Adrian. "Don't start."
Adrian raised his hands in mock surrender, but his smirk didn't waver. "I was only going to point out that whatever you two have…" He paused, his eyes gleaming with amusement as they flicked to Lila. "It's clearly not enough. Yet."
"Shut up!" Lila and Caleb said in unison, their voices echoing against the quiet hum of the city.
Adrian tilted his head, his smirk widening. "Well, now we're all on the same page."
Lila turned to Adrian, her anger redirecting itself. "And you. You need to stop stalking me, Adrian. Showing up out of nowhere, finding me when I didn't ask for it—it's creepy, and it needs to stop."
Adrian's expression shifted, the humor fading. "Stalking? That's a harsh word."
"It's the right one," she snapped. "I'm not interested in you. I have a boyfriend."
"Do you?" Adrian asked, his voice soft but sharp enough to cut. He glanced pointedly at Caleb, who looked like he was barely holding himself back.
"Even if we broke up," she continued, her voice trembling slightly with the force of her emotions, "I still wouldn't date you. Not now, not ever."
Adrian's lips parted, as though he was about to say something, but Lila didn't give him the chance. "No. Don't say a word. I don't want to hear it."
The silence that followed was deafening. Adrian stared at her, his gaze unreadable for the first time since she'd met him. Caleb shifted uncomfortably, looking like he wanted to speak but didn't know how to start.
"Both of you," she said, her voice colder now. "Stay away from me. I'm done with this—done with both of you."
Before either of them could respond, Lila turned on her heel and walked away, her steps quick and resolute. Her heart thundered in her chest, but she refused to look back. Not at Caleb, who'd let her down time and again. Not at Adrian, whose very presence felt like a trap she couldn't escape.
By the time she could hail a cab, her hands were trembling. She got in quickly,forcing herself to take a deep breath before the cab started driving her home.
At home, Lila kicked off her heels and dropped her purse on the couch. The silence was deafening, but it was better than the noise in her head. She went to the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water she didn't drink. Instead, she stared at the reflection of herself in the darkened window.
"Get it together," she whispered, her voice shaking. "You're not this girl."
But even as she said it, she wasn't sure who she was anymore. The Lila who'd been so certain of her future with Caleb didn't exist anymore. And the Lila who'd been drawn to Adrian's darkness terrified her.
She sat on the couch, pulling a blanket over herself as she tried to sort through her emotions. Anger simmered beneath the surface, but it wasn't just at Caleb or Adrian. It was at herself, for letting her life become this tangled mess.
Her phone buzzed on the table, and she grabbed it, expecting another call from Caleb or, worse, a message from Adrian. Instead, it was a text from Sarah.
"You okay? Saw you leaving late. Call me if you want to talk."
Lila stared at the message for a long moment before setting the phone back down. She didn't want to talk. Not to Sarah, not to anyone.
Curling up on the couch, she closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep. But even in the quiet of her apartment, she couldn't escape the echoes of Adrian's voice or the hurt in Caleb's eyes.
For the first time in a long time, Lila felt completely alone. And maybe, just maybe, that was exactly what she needed to figure out what she wanted.