Chapter 281: Don't Want To
I grabbed a towel and tossed it to him. He caught it and started drying his hair.
"Checked everywhere, didn't see anyone sketchy. Maybe you imagined it," he said, his voice muffled by the towel.
Those footsteps were loud and clear. No way I imagined it.
I forced a smile. "Yeah, maybe."
Lunch showed up twenty minutes late. The delivery guy, drenched, apologized like his life depended on it.
He looked about twenty, still had that baby face, eyes full of fear and nerves.
"Sorry I'm late," he stammered, knowing he had no good excuse. He tried to explain but just gave up.
I glanced at Adam, who was strolling over without a care in the world. Both around the same age, but Adam got to live it up while this guy had to hustle.
Mom always said to help people out if you can, and if you can't, at least don't make it worse. So I smiled and patted the takeout box. "No worries, I'm not starving. Keep it up."
The delivery guy thanked me a million times, grinning as he left.
"Why so happy?" Adam asked.
"Did a good deed," I shrugged.
Adam looked where the delivery guy had gone and said, "Is that really a good deed?"
I stood on tiptoe and ruffled his hair. "You rich folks have it easy. How could you get what regular people go through?"
"Easy? We're all just people," Adam said, smoothing his hair and grumbling about not touching a guy's hair.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't kid yourself. We're born into different classes. People like me, Brad, and most of the school have to hustle to make a living. We study and work hard for a better future. But you, you don't have to lift a finger and still have it all. Just your family name sets you up."
"I never thought about classes. I don't feel different from you guys. Money's nice, but without it, I'd still make it. If the girl I love loves me back, I'd work my butt off to build a future for us, no family money needed."
I was honestly surprised.
People really are different.
Adam's words made me think of Benjamin.
Both rich kids, but their outlooks were worlds apart.
If Benjamin had Adam's drive, would he have broken up with Mia?
We dropped the convo and got back to painting. After a while, my neck started killing me. I looked up and saw it was already dark outside, the heavy rain had turned into a light drizzle, tapping against the window.
The room was super quiet. Besides me, there was only Adam, about twenty feet away.
He wasn't painting; he was sitting backward on a chair, resting his chin on his arms draped over the backrest, staring at me like I was the last slice of pizza.
Adam was over six feet tall, all lean and lanky, his white shirt and pants making him look young and handsome, though his gaze was a bit intense.
"What are you doing?" I asked, rolling my stiff shoulders and neck.
He flashed a wide, carefree grin, with a hint of flattery. "Nothing, just thinking you look good. The more I look, the more I like what I see."
I blushed.
I grabbed a pen cap from the table and chucked it at him. "Shut up, don't talk nonsense or I'll smack you."
Adam, like a total rascal, caught the pen cap and actually came over. "Jane, you're blushing. Are you embarrassed?"
I dodged his hand reaching out to me and slapped it away. "Get lost, don't mess with me."
"I'm not messing. All the guys at school think you're good-looking. What, can't I tell the truth?" he said with a grin.
The room's vibe got all weird and intimate because of his words.
I felt a bit annoyed.
I was raised with strict discipline and hated ambiguity. Even during the eighteen years I thought I belonged to Daniel, I kept clear boundaries with other guys, or I wouldn't have missed Brad's feelings for me.
Adam was a nice guy, with great personal and family conditions, and I liked him. But this liking was strictly friendship, no romantic feelings at all.
The trip to Silverbrook City with him was the start of our interaction. I considered him a friend and always kept proper boundaries.
But his behavior today was unexpected and, to be honest, made me very uncomfortable.
"Adam, I don't like this way of interacting. Regalia is big, and it's not easy to make friends. I don't want to lose a good friend." I looked up and met his eyes, speaking to him.
Adam's smile froze on his face, his flower-like grin gradually fading, the light in his eyes dimming.
I didn't know how long it took, maybe just a moment, but he smiled again, ran his hand through his hair, then slid it down to pinch his cheeks, his expression becoming serious. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it would make you feel this way. My bad. We've known each other for so long, and there are some things I just had to say. Whatever you think, whatever your answer is, I can accept it. At least I won't have any regrets in the future."
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