Chapter 9
“Noah.”
“What?”
Adrian’s mouth twitched.
“Enough to rent a hotel floor when your mother is angry with me.”
“I’m not angry because you rented the floor.”
“I know.”
Noah studied him.
Then he pointed toward Adrian’s left hand.
“Is that a scar?”
Adrian looked down.
A pale line crossed his knuckles.
“Yes.”
“How did you get it?”
“An accident.”
I gave him a look.
Adrian met my eyes.
Technically, that could have been true.
Noah continued his inspection.
“You look like me.”
The words struck Adrian harder than any accusation I could have made.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“I think so too.”
Noah nodded as though confirming an experiment.
Then he went back inside.
Adrian remained in the doorway.
“You kept pictures of me.”
I stiffened.
“He found them.”
“You could have thrown them away.”
“I almost did.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Don’t make that mean more than it does.”
His gaze stayed on mine.
“I won’t.”
For once, he sounded like he meant it.
An hour later, Marcus arrived with food because none of us had eaten properly since morning.
Adrian did not join us until Noah asked whether his father was allowed to eat.
I nearly choked on my water.
“He’s allowed,” I said.
“Then why is he outside?”
Because your mother once loved him more than herself.
Because he broke her heart.
Because sitting across a dinner table from him feels like reopening a grave.
“Because I asked him to give us some space.”
Noah considered this.
“Can he have space over there?”
He pointed to the far end of the table.
Lily giggled.
Against my better judgment, I agreed.
Adrian entered five minutes later and sat exactly where Noah had indicated.
It was the strangest meal of my life.
Noah asked questions like he was conducting an interview.
What was Adrian’s favorite food?
Pasta.
Favorite color?
Black.
That earned a dramatic groan from Lily because apparently black was not a color worthy of affection.
Did Adrian have pets?
Not anymore.
Could he drive?
“Yes.”
“Fast?”
Adrian glanced at me.
“When appropriate.”
I almost laughed.
Then Lily asked, “Did you know our birthdays?”
Silence fell across the table.
Adrian placed his fork down.
“No.”
Her face softened with confusion.
“Because Mommy didn’t tell you?”
He could have blamed me.
He had every opportunity.
Instead he said, “Because I made mistakes before you were born, and your mother had reasons not to want me close to her.”