Chapter Eighteen

Today Adrian offers to drive us to school, so we end up taking the G-Wagon per my request. I let him drive again today, but he makes me promise that I’ll drive home so I can get more practice navigating in the new terrain.

I sip on my to-go coffee as we drive through the small heart of Whitefish, pleased to see that there are more people walking around town, likely enjoying the nice day. It turned out to be warmer today than it has been since I got here, though I still decide that my outfit of choice is appropriate for the temperature, considering what I’m used to.

I do worry about Adrian though since he seems to be burning up every time I touch him, and he layered his long coat over the turtleneck. I glance at him again, openly admiring his outfit of choice.

“I didn’t know you knew how to dress,” I say casually, pretending to find interest in the wooded landscape we’re passing through. I’m trying to note every turn that we make and discernible landmarks for my drive back, so I’ve been paying attention so far.

Adrian smirks. “I’ve been doing it myself since I was three,” His voice drips with sarcasm, which makes me have to hold myself back from hitting him. He seems to be able to sense it, so he quickly adds, “I wanted to try and make as much effort as you. If we’re together now, I doubt you’d let me out in public wearing jeans and a hoodie every day.”

I look at him from the corner of my eye and take another drink from my cup. I did not just get butterflies by him saying that we’re together. Of course, we’re “a couple” now to the public eye. It was my idea.

“You’d be right about that. You actually look worthy of escorting me now,” I say casually as if it doesn’t make me feel giddy inside. What am I, an elementary schooler with her first crush? “Very convincing.”

He casts a glance at me, failing at concealing a smile. “That’s what I was going for. So, about your classes,” He changes the topic, smile faltering.

His sudden change in mood makes me cautious. “What about them?”

He swallows, reaching to tug at the high neck of his sweater. He’s clearly not used to turtlenecks. “Don’t be surprised, but I share the same ones like you.”

I stare at him. “All of them?”

He doesn’t look at me, keeping his gaze on the road ahead of us. “All of them,” He confirms.

I continue to gawk at him. “Why? You aren’t studying something different? How do you even know my major?”
He turns to look at me partially with a look that insinuates I should know the answer already. “You’re father told me. I’m not attending college for my own volition, you know. I never planned on enrolling for myself.”

“You weren’t going to bother with a degree before this?” I ask, trying to keep my voice in check. “But you’re a businessman.”

Adrian shakes his head, looking upwards for a moment. “Yes, but I’m self-employed. I have experience in my field from my family business already, so I don’t need a degree to prove my expertise. I have my own connections established anyway,” He says with finality.

“I mean, I don’t need a degree in fashion for anything, either,” I say sipping my coffee. “But the experience of college matters to me.”

He’s quiet for a moment, taking a deep breath. “It’s nothing you would have missed, is it?” It seems like he wants to say something other than that, but he doesn’t. He knows about the attack. He hasn’t exactly said so, but his body language tells me everything I need to know. Of course, he knows about it. He’d need to know certain aspects of my history in order to guard me well, so there are no surprise enemies popping up.

I don’t know why it makes me angry, but my hands begin to shake. I tighten my grip on my reusable cup, willing them to stop. He’s seen my scar already, too. I shouldn’t be surprised, or even angry at him. He hasn’t done anything wrong, and I have no right to be embarrassed. All that Adrian knows is what my father told him, which isn’t the full truth. He won’t blame me if he doesn’t know the truth.

Adrian seems to figure out that he said something wrong, and he reaches over to brush my knee. It isn’t sexual, but a comforting touch. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything,” He says, glancing from the road to look at me. “Forget I said anything, okay? We’ll have a good first day.”

I force smile at the unusual optimism in his voice. “Yeah, it’ll be fine,” I agree, turning my attention back out the window. We’re about thirty minutes into our drive, and it finally looks like we’re getting somewhere. The thick trees begin to thin out as we approach turn down a road so narrow and hidden that I would have missed it.

“We’re almost there,” Adrian confirms, guiding my Mercedes down the roughly paved road.

What kind of college would be way out here in the woods? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any signs for colleges out this far on the interstate or anything. I looked up the website when my dad suggested it though, and it looked quaint. Definitely small and poor, but not horrible. I cast a doubtful look at Adrian, but he doesn’t seem to catch it.

We drive up to a massive iron gate with the same emblem for the school on it, signaling our arrival to the campus. Surely this must be a back entrance or something then. Adrian stops just outside of the gate and we wait in silence for a moment before they swing open, lacking the squeaking hinges that I anticipated. Isn’t there a code or something? Do they really just let anyone in here? I can’t help the sigh that leaves my lips. It’s no wonder why my father insisted I live off-campus, even though it’s so far away. What is my dad thinking, sending me to a place like this?

I remain silent, even when Adrian casts a look at me, probably gauging my reaction. Yeah, I can understand why dad insisted on me having a bodyguard. As we draw closer, the road evens out into a cobblestone drive with surprisingly little wear, and the trees disappear to reveal the campus. There are surprisingly a lot of cars in the parking lot that we drive through, and the sidewalks and the green are dotted with hundreds of students.

Adrian chuckles at my expression as we follow the cobblestone to a second lot, which is also nearly full. “Don’t look too surprised,” He says, reversing into a free parking space. “It’s a private school, after all.”

I close my gaping mouth and gather my bag, preparing for the cold. “It’s not that,” I lie, peering up at the buildings through the windshield. “Why does it look like Hogwarts?”

He doesn’t bother to hide his amusement as he unbuckles his seatbelt and turns off the engine. “It’s a really old college. Like, really old.”

“You don’t say. I’m surprised there isn’t a dress code,” I marvel, opening my door.

Adrian beats me to it, preventing the passenger door from smacking into the Rover in the parking space beside me. He gives me a look before holding out a hand for me to take. “Wait for me, next time.”

I roll my eyes at his reaction but step from the warmth of the wagon into the brisk outdoors. He keeps my hand encased within his own as we head towards the building, merging in with the rest of the students.

I’m pleasantly surprised to see that I’m not too overdressed, since most of the other girls wear a skirt and some sort of blouse. Despite looking the part, I can’t help but notice the obvious stares that we receive as we get closer to the green. It doesn’t take me long to notice that the majority of the gazes aren’t directed at me but at Adrian. I decide to spare a glance at him too, to see if I can find what’s so interesting about him.

His expression is hard as he looks straight ahead as if daring someone to talk to him. I’ve never seen this RBF of his before now, so I’m surprised by how mean and unapproachable he looks. As if to prove my point, he casts a vicious glare at a group of guys that mill by the doors that we’re heading towards. Most of them are pretty big in stature as well, so I’m shocked to see them lower their eyes and turn into each other, creating a circle almost as they pretend to be busy looking at their phones. A hush fell over the quad as soon as we became visible, leaving an awkward sense of quiet to fall over us.