7

Adam

"I wish you'd let me pick you up," I told Daphnie over the phone as I took out the ingredients for our lunch.

"Come on. You shouldn't have to drive here to take me back to your place and then drive again to take me home."

"Daphnie. I told you I don't mind driving, and it's not that far if I take the expressway."

"Adam, I'll be fine. Would you feel better if I shared the status of my Uber with you?"

"Actually, yes."

"Okay. I'll let you know when I'm in the car, and then I'll send you the link for my trip status."

"Fine," I sighed.

I didn't like that Daphnie wasn't letting me pick her up. She was one stubborn woman, almost as stubborn as me. Shortly after our call ended, I received a text from Daphnie that she was in the Uber, followed by another text with a link. I immediately clicked on the link to watch Daphnie's trip status.

A roll of thunder caused me to cringe as I cut the jalapeno peppers. I looked out the window and saw a storm moving in. I was worried about Daphnie; there were a large number of idiots who didn't know how to drive.

Once I finished preparing the bacon jalapenos, I checked the status of Daphnie's trip and saw that she was halfway to my place. I put the Jalapenos in the oven, the sausages in a pan, and started cutting bellpeppers for our Italian Sausage sandwiches. I got an alert that Daphnie would be arriving soon.

"Hey, Ben!" I called out.

"Yeah?"

"Can you watch these for me? I need to go downstairs to get Daphnie."

"Sure, no problem," Ben said as he walked into the kitchen."

"Thanks."

"Hey, quick question."

"What?"

Ben's random questions were usually annoying.

"Does Daphnie have any idea what building she's looking for?"

I turned around and walked out the door, not bothering to answer Ben's question.

Daphnie

I sat in the Uber, staring out the window. Traffic was moving incredibly slow. Most probably due to the rain. It was pouring so bad that you couldn't see anything, and it was freezing outside. Had I known the weather would be so horrible, I would've worn a light jacket. It didn't help that the driver wouldn't put on the heater either.

I was confused as my trip was nearing an end. We were surrounded by gorgeous hotels that I could never afford to stay in. There were multiple five-star restaurants that I had read about and seen on television. I was beginning to think Adam gave me the wrong address. The driver pulled up to a tall, beautiful building: Tan brick with gold accents here and there.

"Whoa. Is this the right place?" I asked the driver.

"This is the address you gave me, ma'am."

As I looked around, I saw someone approaching the car. As they got closer, I could see Adam holding an umbrella. Adam opened the door and helped me get out of the car, ensuring the umbrella immediately covered me.

"Thank you," he said to the driver as he reached inside to give him something.

As the car drove away, Adam put his hand on my back to guide me towards the beautiful building, keeping the umbrella over me until we were under a canopy.

A man in a black uniform with white gloves approached us and took the umbrella from Adam.

"Thanks, George," Adam said.

Adam guided me inside the building. We walked into a large room with marble floors. The walls were white, and there was a gold chandelier. In front of us was a sweeping staircase. We walked up the stairs and through another set of doors. We entered a narrow room; it could pass as a wide hallway. It had a royal blue rug as flooring. To the right was a large wood counter that had multiple computers set up along it. Men and women were sitting along the counter, one at each computer. They all wore black uniforms like the frontman. Behind them, the wall was made of wooden panels. A small wooden sign in the center of the wall said "RECEPTION." The receptionists all looked up and smiled at Adam. To my left, in the center of the wall, was a sign that said, "Hilton HONORS." This was a hotel. As we walked past each receptionist, they said, "Good afternoon Mr. Carter." Adam gave a brief nod to each of them.

When we reached the end of the hall, we made a left, and my jaw dropped. The lobby was enormous. The royal blue carpet extended to the entire room. The rug had golden yellow designs. The walls were beige, and the ceiling was wood with gorgeous designs. There was a chandelier in the center of the room. Under the chandelier was a round table with a beautiful hibiscus. To my left was another desk next to a staircase that led down. To my right, there were off-yellow chairs and an off-yellow sofa. All are spaced out appropriately. Far from me was another staircase leading up to a vast dining room.

I'm not worthy enough to be here.

Adam guided me to the elevator and pushed the button to request to go up. The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside.

"You live in a hotel?"

"Yes," Adam said as he took out a card from his pocket and scanned it. "I live in the penthouse."

I looked at Adam in shock.

The penthouse?

The elevator moved quickly, but I was able to look around. It had royal blue carpeting, the same as the lobby. The walls were wood, except for the wall behind us, which was a mirror. The door was wood, and the buttons to push for each floor were colored gold. When the doors opened, there was a long hallway with royal blue carpeting. There was a large window at both ends, and a small couch was in front of the window. We walked right, and to the left was a wooden door. Adam nervously opened the door.

"Alright. Home sweet home."

When Adam opened the door, I was amazed by what I saw.

"Whoa."

I've heard that penthouses were luxurious, but I never imagined they were this amazing.

The living room had a hardwood floor. Across from where I was standing was a large window; it looked like two glass doors leading out to a balcony. Against the wall, to the right of the window, was a huge black leather L Couch. In front of the L Couch was a glass coffee table. Next to the couch, a few feet away from the window, was a matching black leather recliner. Behind one end of the couch was a small mahogany sofa table. Across from the couch was an enormous television mounted on the wall. Underneath the television was a cabinet that matched the sofa table. It was a little wider than the television, had two doors, one on each side, and a small opening in the middle with a shelf where the Blue-Ray player sat. Underneath the blue ray were a few books. The room was painted planetarium blue, giving the room a calming effect. To my left was what looked like a small closet. To the right of the closet was a set of stairs that curved up. To my right was what looked like an enormous kitchen. From what I could see, it had a black marble floor, an island in the center, and a sizeable silver-colored refrigerator. The walls were painted yellow-the color kind of reminded me of a Fannie May Trinidad.

"Hey!" I heard someone shout from the kitchen.

Out of the kitchen came a guy who looked around Adam's age. He was just a little shorter than Adam, had light skin, short dark hair, clean shaved, soft brown eyes, was slightly toned, and a square jawline. He was dressed in a white polo, blue jeans, and black Jordans.

"Daphnie, this is my roommate, Ben."

"Roommate?" Ben sounded offended as he put his hand over his heart. "I thought I was your Best Friend!"

Adam rolled his eyes.

Ben laughed and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you as well."

Ben looked at Adam.

"I finished the sausages and put them in a dish, peppers were just thrown in the pan, and the Jalapenos smell like they're almost done."

"Thanks."

"I'll see you, man."

"See you."

With that, Ben walked out, and Adam looked at me.

"You're shivering."

"Yeah, I didn't expect the weather to be so bad. The Uber driver wouldn't put the heat on."

"You can borrow something of mine. I'm going to finish up our lunch. My room is upstairs, the third door on your left. I have sweatshirts and hoodies in my dresser's bottom drawer. Take whatever you want.

"Okay. Thank you."

I slowly walked up the broad staircase. When I reached the top of the stairs, I looked straight ahead and saw quite a few rooms. I went to the third door on the left. When I opened the door, I was amazed once again. The room was huge. To my left was the bed, centered in the middle of the wall. It must have been a queen size. It had a gray headboard and an ottoman at the foot of the bed. The sheets were white, and the blanket was gray. Pretty simple. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a lamp on top. There was a shelf on the nightstand that had a laptop on it. Below the shelf were two drawers. A few feet away from the bed was a door.

That must be the bathroom.

Across from me was the dresser. To the right of the dresser was a bookshelf that held many books. To my right was the closet, which had those doors that fold when you push them open. To the left of the cabinet was a full-length mirror, which was quite long. What else should I expect? Adam was tall.

As I stepped further into Adam's room, I noticed how neat it was. There was not a speck of dust in the room. The bed had square edges and looked like you could bounce a quarter. The hardwood floor was practically sparkling. Nothing was out in the open except for a few cologne bottles, but they were fixed neatly on the dresser, so I assumed that was where they belonged.

I walked over to the dresser. I knelt and opened the bottom drawer to reveal two neat stacks of clothes. The pile on the right was hoodies, and the stack to the left was sweatshirts. I grabbed the stack of sweatshirts to look for one I liked. As I looked through the pile, I saw one that was a familiar shade of green. I took it out, so I could look at it. The Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor were printed on the left breast. This was an official Marine Corps P.T. sweatshirt. I looked at the tag on the sweatshirt and saw 'Carter' neatly written in Sharpie.

A massive wave of guilt took over me. I had doubted Adam was in the Marines. Having to be evacuated didn't make sense to me. I was sure I would've heard about that on the news. Then again, the media doesn't cover everything; I learned that in a few Criminal Justice classes I took, as well as a P.R. course. I never should've doubted Adam, especially with how he reacted to that kid's video game when we went out to lunch; only a soldier would react that way. I decided to wear that sweatshirt, hoping it would bring up the topic smoothly, to apologize to Adam.

Adam

I was almost done sauteeing the bell peppers when Daphnie walked into the kitchen; she was wearing my P.T. sweatshirt. I thought I would be relieved that she saw proof that I wasn't lying about being in the Marines. Instead, seeing her wear my P.T. uniform brought back memories from when I was rescued from prison. The team that saved me didn't expect that I would be butt-naked. They thought I would be dressed in some raggedy uniform and be put to work. That wasn't the situation at all. Instead of wearing a ragged uniform, I was stripped of my clothes, wearing only my dog tags, beaten multiple times a day, and kept in a cage. A P.T. uniform and blanket were the only things the rescue team had in their truck.

"Adam?"

I snapped out of whatever daze I was in and turned my attention back to the bell peppers, which almost burned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I see you found my P.T. uniform."

"I hope you don't mind that I'm wearing it."

"No. You can have it if you want; it looks good on you, and I rarely wear it."

I turned off the stove and put the bell peppers on top of the sausages in a dish.

"Thank you, but I have one of my own."

I was shocked. I looked at Daphnie.

"What? How?"

"I was in JROTC in high school. It was Marine Corps based."

"Oh... That makes sense."

Daphnie laughed.

"I get that a lot."

I just smiled as I set the dish of Italian sausages and Bell Peppers on the kitchen island.

"Have a seat. Lunch is ready."

Daphnie walked over to sit across from me. I went to the cabinet to grab two plates for us. I prepared a French roll with a slice of provolone cheese and Italian sausage on each plate and topped them with bell peppers. I looked at Daphnie as I placed her plate in front of her.

"Would you like some giardiniera?"

"No, thank you."

I handed Daphnie a napkin, grabbed a stool, and sat across from her.

"I'm sorry," Daphnie said with a sincere look.

"For what?"

"I didn't believe you when you said you were in the Marines."

"Oh." That was all I could say. My heart was pounding; I hated talking about my time in the Marines.

"Yeah..... I should never have doubted you. Having to evacuate that's not something you can make up, and you fit the profile of a Marine. I don't know what got into me. I just-"

"Daphnie, there's no need to apologize."

"Thank you for your service."

"Thank you. Now let's eat."

I watched as Daphnie took a bite of her sandwich, and her eyes lit up.

"This tastes amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it," I said with a smile.

"I LOVE it."

We ate in silence. I smiled at how Daphnie seemed to savor each bite. I was glad that the whole thing about me being in the Marines was behind us.

Daphnie finished her sandwich pretty quickly.

"Would you like another one?"

"Yes, please."

I fixed two more sandwiches for us. I was glad Daphnie had an appetite. I always thought it ridiculous that girls hardly ate because they were "watching their figure." I handed Daphnie her plate and sat back down.

"Do you smell bacon?" Daphnie said.

I looked up at her and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm making bacon jalapeño poppers for when we watch the movie."

Daphnie's eyes lit up again. I chuckled a little.

"I'm guessing you like those?"

Daphnie nodded her head as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"I love Bacon in general."

"Good. I made plenty."

I turned around and turned the oven light on to check on the jalapeños.

"It looks like they're almost done. Just in time for the movie."

When we finished eating, Daphnie began to wash our dishes.

"I've got this. Go make yourself comfortable while I finish here."

"Adam, I can help."

"No, you're my guest, so just sit back and relax."

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

Daphnie ran out of the kitchen and back up the stairs. She must have left her bag in my room. It didn't take Daphnie long to come back into the kitchen. Luckily, I had finished the dishes by the time she got back.

"I made you cookies."

Daphnie handed me a small box.

"I hope you like oatmeal cookies."

You are my soul mate.

"They're my favorite."

Daphnie had a look of relief in her eyes and smiled.

"Good."

I looked at the oven and saw that the jalapeños were done.

"I'm going to get those ready for us. You go pick a spot to sit."

"Okay."

Daphnie walked out of the kitchen while I took the jalapeños out of the oven. I fixed them on a plate and carried them into the living room. I saw Daphnie all curled up in the corner of the L couch. I smiled and chuckled a little.

"I've always liked the corners of L couches. I don't know why."

"Consider that spot yours, then."

Daphnie smiled at what I said. I put the jalapeños on the coffee table, and Daphnie handed me the movie. I put the disk in the Blu-Ray player. Before sitting down, I got Daphnie a blanket.

I found the movie quite enjoyable. I've always liked movies that are filmed in Chicago. It was entertaining to see Batman effortlessly drive down Lower Wacker Drive, a task many people fail to do. It was interesting to see how Bruce Wayne became Batman. However, I became a little jealous when I saw how Daphnie looked at the tv whenever Christian Bale was shown shirtless. I made a mental note to make sure I stayed fit. Maybe I could work out in front of her one day.

I did not expect the outcome that occurred. I've heard that superhero movies were predictable, but this one kept me in suspense. It was dark and psychologically intense; I liked that.

When the movie was over, I looked at Daphnie, who was already looking at me.

"So, what did you think?"

"I can see why it's your favorite movie."

Daphnie smiled, pleased with my answer. I looked at the time and saw it was 5:52.

"It's still early. Want to watch another movie?"

Daphnie smiled and said, sure. You pick."

I looked over at my small selection of movies.

"How about the Phantom of the Opera?"

Daphnie's smile grew wider.

"Yes!"

"Alright."

After putting the Phantom of the Opera on, I sat back on the couch. This time a little closer to Daphnie. We both took a jalapeño, and I asked Daphnie if she needed anything.

Immediately, Daphnie was wholly absorbed into the movie. At the end of the auction scene, she smiled and sat up when the entire theater lit up, and the theme song for the movie played. Throughout the film, she sang along and harmonized beautifully with Emmy Rossum. I was impressed and touched when she sang Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again.

Whenever Gerard Butler sang, her eyes were glued to the tv, and I became a little jealous. I was amazed by how emotionally involved Daphnie was in the film. When All I Ask of You was being sung, Daphnie looked heartbroken whenever Gerard Butler was shown watching.

When Gerard Butler began to sing:

I gave you my music,

Made your song take wing

And now, how you've repaid me

Denied me and betrayed me

Daphnie began to cry when Gerard Butler went full-out and dramatic:

You will curse the day you did not do

All that the Phantom asked of you!

Daphnie's mascara was running from how much she cried. I thought that stuff wasn't easy to wash off. I needed to give her a box of tissue and pause the movie. I had to hug her for a while. I must admit that it felt nice, but I would've preferred to hold her to show affection.

Daphnie seemed uninterested in the next scene, the masquerade ball. However, her mood dramatically changed as she sat up excitedly when Gerard Butler was about to appear. When the music changed as Gerard Butler crashed the party in his Letter of Red Death outfit, Daphnie looked as if she was hypnotized again. I was debating whether or not I still liked this movie. "Why so, Silent?" was one of my favorite songs, so I decided to sing along. Daphnie looked at me with a smile on her face.

Later in the film, Daphnie made me laugh a little as she perfectly sang along with Gerard Butler as his character was preparing for the opera:

.

Seal my fate tonight.

I'd hate to have to cut the fun short

But the joke's wearing thin

Let the audience in

She dramatically raised her arm and shouted

"Let my opera begin!"

I couldn't help but laugh, making Daphnie blush a little. I could tell she was a bit embarrassed. I looked at her, smiling.

"I'm sorry. You sang beautifully."

As the cast was singing Don Juan, I debated whether or not I should sing along with Gerard Butler in The Point of No Return. Honestly, I thought I would lose my mind or go into a rage fit if I saw Daphnie get lost in Gerard Butler's voice one more time, especially with The Point of No Return mainly because it was such a seductive song.

It was decided. I was going to sing along with Gerard Butler; resisting was no use. I got myself ready as he stepped out from behind the curtain.

Go away from the trap, he has set

and waits for its prey

You have come here

In pursuit of your deepest urge

Daphnie looked over at me with a smile. She seemed impressed by my voice.

Past the point of no return

No backward glances

Our games of make-believe

Are at an end

Once it was Daphnie's turn to sing, she kept her eyes on me, and with a slight blush, she began to sing her part.

You have brought me

To that moment when word runs dry

To that moment where speech disappears

Into silence, silence

Daphnie sang beautifully. I was amazed at how much passion she sang with this time. Where had this passion come from?

Past the point of no return

No going back now

Our passion play

Has now, at last begun

When it was time for the duet, I stood up as we sang together

Past the point of no return

The final threshold

I extended my hand out to her. She took my hand, stood up, and spun around to be in my arms.

The bridge is crossed

So stand and watch it burn

We've passed the point of no return

Gerard Butler's hands were all over Emmy Rossum, but I kept my arms around Daphnie's waist. She looked at me and blushed. Surprisingly, it took her a few seconds to let go of my hands and step out of my arms. We sat back on the couch, right next to each other this time, and watched as the Phantom sang his declaration of love to Christine.

Say you'll share with me

One love, one lifetime

Lead me, save me from my solitude

Say you want me with you

Here, beside you

Anywhere you go, let me go too

Christine, that's all I ask of y-

When Christine removed the Phantom's mask, Daphnie shook her head and flatly said, "bitch."

I decided to sing along with the remainder of the movie; it was fun to be overly dramatic for once.

Down once more to the dungeons of my black despair

Down we plunge to the prison of my mind

Down that path into darkness deep as hell!

Daphnie was laughing but immediately stopped and looked pissed when Madame Giry was shown selling out the Phantom. She looked at the television with hatred in her eyes as Patrick Wilson was swimming for his life. We both wanted him to die. It's funny how one can watch a movie repeatedly yet still hope that the ending somehow changes.

Finally, it was Daphnie's turn to sing:

Have you gorged yourself at last

In your lust for blood?

Am I now to be prey

To your lust for flesh?

I sang along after her:

That fate which condemns me

To wallow in blood

Has also denied me

The joys of the flesh

This face the infection

Which poisons our love

This face, which earned

A mother's fear and loathing

A mask, my first

Unfeeling scrap of clothing

Pity comes too late

Turn around and face your fate

An eternity of this

Before your eyes

Daphnie took a breath and sang:

This haunted face

Holds no horror for me now

It's in your soul

That the true distortion lies

Then the drama began as Patrick Wilson interrupted the moment between Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler. Daphnie just shook her head as Patrick Wilson appeared, and I sang along with Gerard Butler

Sir,

This is indeed an imperalel delight!

I had rather hoped that you would come

And now, my wish comes true

You have truly made my night!

Free her!

Do what you like

Only free her!

Have you no pity?

Your lover makes a passionate plea

Daphnie jumped in.

Please, Raoul, it's useless

I love her!

Does that mean nothing?

I love her!

Show some compassion

The world showed no compassion to me!

Daphnie jumped with the aggression in my voice. She looked at me a little shocked.

"Sorry. I just get really into this movie."

"That's okay. Me too."

We looked back at the television and joined in again.

Masseur I bid you welcome

Did you think that I would harm her?

Why would I make her pay,

For the sins which are yours?!

Order your fine horses now!

Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes!

Nothing can save you now

Except perhaps Christine

Start a new life with me

Buy his freedom with your love

Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death

This is the choice!

This is the point of no return!

The tears I might have shed for your dark fate,

Grow cold and turn to tears of hate!

Christine forgive me, please forgive me!

I did it all for you and all for nothing!/Farewell my fallen idol

And false friend

We had such hopes,/Too late for turning back

And now those hopes are shattered/Too late for prayers and useless pity

Say you love him/All hope of cries for help

And my life is over/No point in fighting

For either way you choose

You cannot/ He has to win

As I sang that part, Daphnie put her hand over her heart and shed a tear as if she was really touched. I must admit, the harmony between Gerard Butler's and Patrick Wilson's voices was quite beautiful.

So do you end your days with me?

Or do you send him to his grave?

Why make her lie to you

To save me?

Angel of Music/Past the point of no return

Who deserves this?/The final threshold/Christine say no! Don't throw your life away!

Why do you curse mercy?/His life is now the prize which you must earn!

I fought so hard to free you!

You've passed the point of no/Angel of music

Return/You deceived me

I gave you my mind blindly

You try my patience

Make your choice

Pitiful creature of darkness

What kind of life have you known?

God give me courage to show you

You are not alone

When Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler kissed, Daphnie started crying again; I also let a few tears fall. It was probably the most beautiful moment in the movie.

We stopped crying when the kiss was over, and the Phantom let Christine and Raoul go, and we shook our heads in disappointment. Daphnie was pissed as Emmy Rossum took off with Patrick Wilson singing All I Ask of You. I decided that I would sing along with Gerard Butler's final line.

You alone can make my song take flight

It's over now, the music of the night!

Daphnie started crying again and used up the rest of the box of tissue I gave her earlier. As the movie wrapped up, she took the last jalapeño and ate it quietly, still crying a little. I watched her eat with a smile on my face. When she was finished eating, I looked at my phone to check what time it was.

"It's 8:45. Do you want me to take you home?"

Daphnie looked up at me and sighed.

"I suppose."

Daphnie looked like she didn't want to leave. I wanted to offer to let her stay the night, but what kind of impression would that make?

Daphnie

I walked back into Adam's room, so I could put back his sweatshirt. I decided to look in the mirror as I straitened out my clothes and was shocked by my reflection.

"Ugh. I look horrible."

My mascara was streaked all over my face, my eye shadow was smeared, and my hair was a little frizzy. I felt so embarrassed that Adam saw me like that. I went to the bathroom to see if there was anything I could use to wash up. I peaked in the shower and saw his bar soap. It was Men's Dove. Dove always washed my makeup off.

"Perfect!"

I turned the faucet, lathered my hands, and washed my face. As expected, all my makeup washed off perfectly. I opened one of the drawers and found Adam's comb. I used that to comb out my hair and tied it into a side ponytail. I looked in the mirror and was satisfied with my appearance.

"Much better."

I threw Adam's sweatshirt in his laundry basket and was about to leave the room when my phone rang. My heart stopped; I already knew who it was; I took out my phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'm out."

"Out where?"

"By a friend's house. We're having a movie night."

"My dinner should've been ready!"

"You said you were gonna be out of town a few days, which usually means a few weeks. How was I supposed to know?"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

"I'm sorry."

"COME HOME THIS INSTANT!"

I sat on Adam's bed, trying not to cry. I was twenty-four. I'd be twenty-five in June. It wasn't fair. I had to move out as soon as possible. I wondered if Adam would let me stay with him for a while, but what kind of person would Adam think I was if I asked? I knew home would be hell. I needed to think of something that could comfort me. That's when the idea came to me. I looked over at Adam's laundry basket. He wouldn't miss one t-shirt, would he? He probably wouldn't even notice since he's a businessman. I was pretty sure that he mainly wore dress shirts. I walked over to his laundry basket and went through the clothes. As I suspected, they were primarily shirts for work. I saw the shirt he wore just last week when he sang to me. That memory brought a smile to my face. At the bottom of the laundry basket, I found a black cotton t-shirt.

"Bingo!"

I pulled the shirt up to my nose and sniffed; it smelled like Adam. Sure, it was creepy that I was stealing one of his shirts, but I needed something to serve as a security blanket. When I was with Adam, I felt safe, so I knew that having his shirt would help me feel better when my father was done sabotaging my self-esteem. I folded up the t-shirt and put it in my bag. Before leaving the room, I put all the clothes in the laundry basket. When I walked back downstairs, Adam was sitting on the couch wearing his leather jacket and holding his car keys, and he looked lost in thought.

He's so handsome. I thought with a smile on my face. Adam looked my way, looking concerned.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I just needed to wash up. All that crying through the movie messed up my makeup."

Adam smiled at me.

"You look beautiful either way."

I looked down and blushed.

"Let's go."

My heart was pounding, and I hoped I could get away with taking Adam's shirt. After locking the door, Adam gently put his hand on my back as we walked to the elevator. Adam and I stood side by side when we were in the elevator. I was nervous because I was going home to face my father's wrath, not because I had stolen Adam's shirt. I mindlessly reached for Adam's hand. Before I realized what I was doing, Adam had adjusted his hand so our fingers were entwined together. Holding Adam's hand eased my nerves.

We walked out of the elevator into the most beautiful parking garage I had ever seen. The ground was paved with brand new asphalt. The gaps between floors were glass windows, which kept rain and wind out. There was plenty of lighting, and it looked so clean. Still holding hands, Adam and I walked over to where his Porsche and Cadillac were parked. He clicked a button on his keys, and the lights of a silver GMC Sierra lit up. I should've known that it was his truck. It was parked right next to the Cadillac. I was still in disbelief.

"Why aren't we taking the Porsche?"

Adam chuckled a little.

"You like the Porsche, don't you?"

I looked down, blushing, "I mean, who wouldn't?"

"The valet has the main keys, and I didn't feel like grabbing the spare."

"Oh."

Adam let go of my hand, so he could open the door for me. I had difficulty climbing into the truck, so Adam had to lift me up. As usual, he made sure I was comfortable before closing the door. I liked this truck. The inside was black leather with silver accents and lifted high, so I could see everything.

One thing that caught my eye was a red rose on the dashboard. Adam got into the driver's seat and buckled his seat belt. He looked over at me, grabbed the rose off the dashboard, and handed it to me.

"This is for you."

I took the rose from him and smiled.

"Thank you."

I admired my rose so much that I didn't realize that Adam had already left the parking garage and started driving. The ride was pleasant; there wasn't too much traffic, and the city looked beautiful at night.

"One day, we'll have a night on the town. That way, you can see all the lights."

I looked at Adam and smiled.

"Adam, I had a fun time."

"I'm glad. Next time, I'm picking you up."

"Yes, sir."

Adam chuckled a little.

My heart started pounding when we were just a few blocks from my house. I didn't want to face my father and his wrath. My fear must have shown because Adam grabbed my hand.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Adam pulled over and put his hazards on.

"Don't lie to me."

"Adam, I promise, I'm fine."

"Daphnie." Adam's voice was firm.

"I'm just not ready to talk about it."

I looked at him with pleading eyes. Adam stared at me for a few seconds before breaking eye contact and looking forward. He let out a sigh and went back to driving.

When Adam parked in front of my house, I tried to jump out of the truck, but the door was still locked. Adam began to unbuckle his seat belt.

"I'll get the door for you."

"Adam, it's fine. I ca-"

"Daphnie. Let me get the door for you."

I could tell Adam was ready to raise his voice at me. I stopped trying to open the door and waited for him to help me out of the truck. I stood in front of him, unable to move. I didn't want to face my fate, and I was terrified.

"Adam, please get in the truck and drive. Don't wait for me to get into the house."

I didn't want my father to start anything with Adam.

"Daphnie, I'm walking you to the door."

"No. Adam, please, just go."

I needed Adam to leave before I started crying tears of fear.

"What's wrong? If you need to, you can stay with me."

I wanted to go with Adam, but something held me back from accepting his offer.

"No, Adam. Just go. Please."

I looked Adam in the eyes. I needed to keep him safe. He sighed and ran his head over his face. He looked at me and shook his head.

"Fine."

He walked back over to his side and turned on the truck. I watched him drive off. When he turned the corner and was no longer in sight. I headed towards the front door. I grabbed my keys, but the door opened before I could stick one in the first lock.

"Who was that?"

"A friend."

"What kind of friend?"

"Just a friend."

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

My father had grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the house while slamming the door. My arm was beginning to hurt as if he was crushing the bone.

"I'm not! I swear!"

"Why were you out?"

"I can't go out? You were gone. What am I supposed to do? Just sit here a-"

Before I could finish that sentence, my father slapped me across the face. He struck me so hard that I fell to the ground. I began to cry and slowly back away from him. He pulled my hair to make me look at him, and he got in my face and said, "don't act like you're afraid of me! If you were, you wouldn't do half the Shit you do. You stupid piece of Shit! You're no good for anything, and you'll never make it on your own."

He let go of my hair and walked away. I ran to my room and locked the door before he could do anything or give me another lecture. I began to sob and tremble. I reached into my bag and grabbed Adam's t-shirt, holding onto it as I tried to fall asleep. It helped me calm down and feel safe.

Adam

I hated myself for leaving Daphnie like that. I should've insisted that she come home with me. Something was wrong. I was so disappointed that she wouldn't tell me. I felt like going back to get her, but something told me to keep driving.

I was almost home when my phone started ringing. It was Ben.

"I just dropped Daphnie off. I'll be home soon."

"I just wanted to let you know I won't be going home tonight."

His voice sounded weak.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm in the hospital."

"WHAT? What happened?"

"I broke up with Bianca."

"You what? Why didn't you tell me? You know she's crazy; I could've gone with you or sent bodyguards with you."

"Dude, not even you or bodyguards would've been any good. A bunch of people tried to get her off of me, and it took multiple cops to get her away from me, and they had to call for backup repeatedly."

"Shit... Did they arrest her?"

"Yeah. She will be going to a mental institution."

"What hospital are you at?"

"Mercy."

"I'm on my way."

Before Ben could argue, I hung up the phone.

There was no traffic, but it felt like it took forever to get to the hospital. Each red light felt like minutes. I was so worried. Aside from Daphnie, Ben was all I had. Since high school, Ben had been there for me when no one else was. He was my best friend, and I needed him.

I finally made it to the hospital. I parked my car across the street from the E.R. and ran inside. I approached the front desk.

"Benjamin Turner."

"Are you a family member?"

Without hesitation, I said, "he's my brother!"

"Alright, right this way."

The resident led me down the hall. As I followed him, tears formed in my eyes as I thought about what I had just said. It was true. Ben was my brother, and I don't know what I'd do without him.

We approached a room, and the resident pulled back a curtain. I saw Ben lying in bed with bandages on his face, his arm in a cast, and an IV bag next to him.

"Hey, dude."

"Hey," I said, trying to hold back tears.

"I'll leave you two alone."

I walked up to Ben and sat on the chair next to him.

"How did you get in?"

"I told them you're my brother."

"Ha! Good one," Ben weakly chuckled.

"It's no lie. You are my brother; you've always been."

"It took me getting beat up by a psychopath for you to realize that?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't ha- I'm such an a-"

"Hey! There's no need to apologize. I know why you are the way you are, and I understand. I'm glad the wall you've had up is finally coming down. You've come a long way from that dark place you were in. You're doing good."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"So, what's the damage?"

Ben let out a disappointed sigh.

"Well, she scratched up my face, I have a broken nose, a concussion, three broken ribs, a bruised lung, a sprained arm, and she stabbed me. I lost a lot of blood, but I'm obviously okay. I just need to stay here for a few weeks."

"Damn...... That girl was crazy."

"Tell me about it. That's what I get for agreeing to a blind date."

I laughed a little, "I told you going on a blind date was a bad idea."

"How'd your movie date go?"

"It was good," I said with a smile.

"Are you smiling?"

"Shut up. What will you do now that you finally got rid of Bianca?"

"I don't know. Right now, though, I need to focus on getting better."

"The right girl will come to you."

"Or maybe she'll stand out to me, and I'll follow her around like a stalker until I find the courage to talk to her."

Ben had a smirk, causing me to glare at him."

"Dude... Chill. I'm happy for you. I'd never wish anything bad on your relationship with Daphnie."

I blushed a little at the word "relationship." I didn't know exactly what to call what Daphnie and I had, but I guess it was safe to say we were building a romantic relationship. I just needed to ask her to be my girlfriend.

I stayed by Ben's side all night. He had fallen into a deep sleep. Me on the other hand, I was wide awake all night. I was worried about Daphnie. It was like I could feel her distress, and I kept hoping she would be alright.