Chapter 128: Prove It
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For what felt like an eternity, we just stood there, locked in a stare across the hallway. Neither of us moved, and that silence was so tense, it felt like a thin sheet of glass separating us. Finally, Adrien broke the spell, his voice low and uncertain.
"Hey."
I was so taken aback that I almost forgot how to respond.
"Hi," I managed to mumble, my eyes darting everywhere but his, focused on the wall, the banister, the chandelier, even the carpet fibers. The moment I glanced in his direction, my mind betrayed me, dragging up that ridiculous daydream from the day before.
You know, the one where he had me pinned against the wall like a scene from a K-drama, whispering in my ear like he owned every ounce of me.
I swallowed hard, mentally shoving that whole scenario away and locking it up tight.
Adrien shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck in that awkward way he rarely did, only when he was feeling nervous, guilty, or attempting one of those rare "I’m just being a normal person" moves that usually led to an apology.
"So..." he started, his eyes bouncing between my face and the floor. "Where did you... spend the night?"
That question made my spine stiffen. "At Gigi’s," I replied, trying not to sound defensive, but I knew it came out sharper than I intended. "What? Is that a problem?"
He immediately shook his head. "No, I just... wanted to know."
The awkwardness hung between us like a heavy fog. Adrien wasn’t the awkward type. He was usually so annoyingly confident, or sarcastic, or just plain infuriating. But right then, he seemed... hesitant. Almost vulnerable. Like he was wrestling with something he didn’t quite want to admit.