He Wanted an Open Relationship, So I Accepted Another Proposal Chapter 06

He Wanted an Open Relationship, So I Accepted Another Proposal Chapter 06

The moment Adrian asked that, my fingers loosened in the sheets.

A sudden sting burned behind my nose.

I turned my face away and hid in the shadows.

My voice came out muffled. “Why are you here?”

“Someone posted a photo of the ambulance in the group chat. I saw your bracelet.”

I froze.

I had only glanced at that blurry photo earlier.

It showed nothing but part of a bleeding wrist.

I never expected him to recognize the red agate bracelet I had worn for years.

Not through pixels that messy.

A hard place in my chest softened, and a fine, stinging ache spread through me.

But we had fought for so many years.

Since we were kids, neither of us knew how to say anything soft.

His sudden concern left me helpless.

So I lifted my chin and acted like I always did with him.

Sharp, defensive, and ready to bite.

“What are you doing here? Came to laugh at me?”

“Came to rescue one poor little thing crying in secret.”

I instinctively touched my eyes, but there were no tears. That was when I realized he’d tricked me.

Angry, I raised my hand to hit him.

He laughed and caught my wrist. “Okay, alright.”

His fingertips were warm.

Maybe because he was careful with my injuries, he didn’t use much strength.

Still, I couldn’t move.

“You’re hurt. Why are you still so fierce?”

“Who’s fierce?” I glared at him. “You’re the pathetic one. Your whole family is pathetic.”

“Yeah, I am.”

He actually went along with it.

But the teasing in his eyes had faded.

“Otherwise, why would I stand here and let a heartless girl yell at me?”

“You walked in yourself. Who else can you blame?”

A laugh slipped out of me.

After trading a few lines with him, the gloom pressing on me seemed to lift.

Adrian laughed too. “Did I dare not come? Who was going around saying she’d had a crush on me forever?”

I choked.

My confidence vanished instantly.

I touched my nose, and my voice dropped.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have used you as a shield. Did I cause trouble for you?”

Adrian’s smile faded.

His eyes settled into something calm.

Those sharp eyes had always looked cold, but now they carried a softness I had never seen before.

“Harper, I’m glad you chose me as your shield. It means, in your eyes, I’m better for you than Grant.”

My breath caught as I looked up at him, lost, while he bent closer.

His shadow fell over me.

In his eyes was a heavy emotion he had held back for too long.

It was almost spilling over.

“So…”

He reached out and gently brushed the damp hair from my forehead.

“Would you try liking me for real?”