Chapter 37: Let’s Make This Official
Adrian didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her; really looked, the kind of look that lingered a beat too long to be casual.
"That’s new," he said.
Rose blinked, the sleepy contentment on her face giving way to confusion. "What is?"
"You didn’t call me hentai or pervert after we got close."
Rose stared at him for half a second before the meaning caught up. Her cheeks immediately betrayed her.
She buried her face against his shoulder. Adrian smiled. Apparently, he’d found a weakness.
"Don’t make it weird," she mumbled.
"I’m not making it weird." A small smile tugged at his lips. "You’re the one hiding."
"I’m not hiding."
"You literally are."
She lifted her head just enough to glare at him, though the glare had all the threat of a kitten swiping at a shoelace.
"Terrifying." Adrian added with a smirk.
She turned away and he let it go. He’d gotten his answer anyway. Rose was embarrassed, not pulling away.
The smile on her face started to fade a moment later, and Adrian noticed instantly. Rose’s hand drifted up, palm pressing lightly against her forehead. The change bothered him more than it should have.
"Hey." He shifted up onto an elbow. "You good? I was just kidding."
"No...no, I’m fine." She said it fast, like she needed him to believe it before he worried too hard.
"Just..." Her palm stayed against her head a second longer, then dropped. " a little headache. It’s nothing."
He studied her anyway. Her eyes were clear. Her breathing had settled. No regret. At least, none he could see. Just a headache.
"I think... We got a little intense," she admitted, quieter now, glancing at him from under her lashes rather than straight on.
"Ohh. I guess we did." No point denying it.
"But. I liked it..." She stopped, restarted. A small, almost embarrassed laugh slipped out. "A lot."
Something in Adrian’s chest eased. "You sure?"
She nodded. "I’m sure, Adrian."
There it was again. Adrian. How good had she enjoyed the sex?
"Okay," he said simply.
Rose stared at him for a second. Apparently, "okay" wasn’t the answer she’d been expecting.
But whatever she saw in his expression seemed to satisfy her, because she settled back down beside him, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.
Rose traced a lazy line along his collarbone before glancing up again.
"How was it for you?"
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "You already asked me that."
"I know." Her fingers picked idly at the edge of the sheet, eyes dropping to his jawline instead of his face. "I just want to hear you say it again."
He looked at her for a moment. This time, she wasn’t teasing.
"You were beautiful."
Rose went quiet. Adrian watched the change cross her face, her expression softening as the words settled in.
"Dang sweet talker," she said finally, voice barely above a whisper. "You really do know how to make a girl feel special."
Adrian didn’t respond. He didn’t need to.
She moved closer before he could say anything else, her arms finding their way around him like it was the most natural motion in the world.
Her fingers idly traced his refined body until they suddenly stopped.
"Adrian?"
"Hm?"
She looked up at him, and for once, there was no teasing smile waiting for him.
"What are we?"
Adrian stared at her.
There it was. The question he’d been avoiding. He could have played dumb. No. Rose would’ve seen through it immediately.
His lips twitched.
"What do you think we are?"
Rose’s eyes narrowed.
"That’s my question.... You’re supposed to answer it."
What the hell was he supposed to say to that? His brain offered several useless answers and not one helpful one.
Adrian looked down at her hand resting against his chest. She wasn’t pulling away. She was just there, waiting for him.
He exhaled.
"So you want me to label it?"
"No. I want an honest answer." Rose’s expression softened, but only slightly. "I just want to know that we’re not going to wake up tomorrow and pretend like nothing happened."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"You really think I’d do that?"
"You wouldn’t?"
"Considering I have an excellent memory, yes."
She stared at him for a second. Then she smiled despite herself.
"There. You did it again."
"Did what?"
"You make everything sound like a joke right when it matters."
Adrian paused. He couldn’t exactly argue with that.
"I get why you’re asking.." His gaze settled on hers. "But I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and act like tonight didn’t happen."
She raised her eyes to his.
"I just got out of something I took seriously..." He paused. "I’m not interested in making the same mistake twice."
The teasing disappeared from her face.
"I know what you mean."
Adrian’s eyes stayed on hers.
Rose’s fingers moved slowly across his face, absent-mindedly tracing the edge of his lips.
"I mean...I’m not asking you to forget what happened before me," she said. "And I’m definitely not asking you to promise me forever tonight."
That caught him slightly off guard.
"Then what are you asking for?"
She smiled.
"For tomorrow."
Adrian frowned faintly.
"Tomorrow?"
"I just don’t want you waking up and deciding this was a mistake because it happened too fast."
Adrian stayed quiet, his eyes dropping briefly to the hand resting against his chest.
So that was what she wanted.
Not forever. Not some ridiculous promise he had no business making after everything that had happened. Just for him to stay.
He could work with that.
"Okay." His gaze returned to hers. "Then what do you really want now?"
Rose blinked. "Me?"
"Is there another pretty woman in here?"
A laugh escaped her before she could stop it. She shook her head, but the smile she was trying to hide gave her away.
"Do you know how difficult you make it to have a serious conversation with you?"
"You’re still having it, though." A beat. "So I’m guessing, not that difficult."
Her smile lingered for another moment before fading into something quieter.
"I want you, Adrian."
There was no teasing in her voice this time. That was what made it land. Adrian’s expression barely changed, but his eyes slipped away for a moment.
Well. She really went and said it.
He looked back at her, staring for a moment too long. Rose tilted her head. "Well?"
Adrian exhaled through his nose.
"Fine."
Her eyebrows lifted. "Fine?"
"Let’s make it official."
Rose blinked.
"Make what official?"
"That we’re not fake-boyfriend and girlfriend anymore."
Rose’s smile widened.
"Is that what you think this is?"
"Um." He paused. "I’d rather not answer for my own good."
She laughed again, shaking her head. Adrian couldn’t help smiling. Then Rose’s expression softened.
"Are you being serious?"
He held her gaze.
"Pretty damn serious."
A little smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Hmm."
Adrian waited. Rose made a show of thinking about it. Finally, their eyes met, and then she kissed him, soft and lingering, then pulled back with a smile.
"Give me a minute to think about it. I’m gonna go freshen up." she murmured. "Try not to look so worried. I haven’t said no."
She didn’t move right away. Her arms remained around him for another moment, as though she wasn’t quite ready to let go.
"You’re seriously making me wait?" Adrian replied.
She simply smiled. "I can’t have myself looking like a yandere now, can I?"
Eventually she pulled away and started to sit up.
That was when his stomach growled. Loud. Unmistakable.
Rose froze halfway to sitting, then looked at him with wide, incredulous eyes. Adrian looked down at his stomach. Traitor.
"Didn’t you just eat?" she asked.
"Umm... No."
She laughed; a real one, bright and unguarded.
Apparently, 200% nutritional efficiency comes with twice the appetite. Adrian smiled despite himself.
"You’re a glutton," Rose said, shaking her head as she climbed out of bed. Adrian’s eyes caught a glimpse of the steady fluid running down her pussy and along her thighs, a lingering reminder of what they had just shared.
"I’m growing."
"You’re eighteen."
He paused.
"Growing in spirit."
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling when she did it.
"There’s still some baked pasta in the pot," she said, glancing back at him. "But if you don’t want that, there’s cereal and a few snacks in the cupboard. Just take whatever you feel like."
He was already deciding against the pasta. He’d had enough of that earlier. Something else, then. Whatever was easiest.
Rose leaned down and pressed one more quick kiss to his lips before finally straightening up. "Don’t take too long. I’ll be out soon... and then you’ll get your answer."
Adrian watched her walk toward the bathroom, his eyes lingering on the sway of her hips a moment longer than necessary. Not that he was complaining.
This was Rose.
The same girl he’d met yesterday during that ridiculous dumpster run. The same girl who’d spent half their first meeting calling him everything except Adrian.
And now she was comfortable enough to walk stark nude in front of him like this was normal.
Damn. She really was beautiful.
The bathroom door clicked shut. Adrian stared at it for another second before finally getting up.
Food. Right. That was the mission now. Then he could deal with the fact that his life had apparently acquired a girlfriend overnight.