“No, she is not and you promised that you would listen to me!” Adrian quickly shuts up and signals me to continue.
“Alice surprised me in so many ways. But what shocked me the most was her honesty. I was expecting her to play the victim but she never did. Alice takes full responsibility for what she did. She told me that her addictions were caused by Edward leaving her. She loved him more than anything and she loved you.”
“Please Alanna you expect me to believe that?” Adrian says very firmly.
“Yes, you should believe me because it is true. For the first two years of your life, she adored you. She took you everywhere with her and you had two parents that loved you. Things changed when Edward left because Alice could not cope without him. Your father consumed her and as hard as it is, to say this, Alice resented you because you reminded her of Edward. She told me that when she picked you up she saw him in your eyes. She turned to alcohol to numb the pain and she regrets every moment of it now. She wants to get to know you and deep down I know that you want that too.”
“No Alanna I don’t. She will have some other motive for wanting to know me.”
“Like what?” I protest.
“Money, I don’t know but there has to be a reason.”
“Adrian she is married to a rich stockbroker from Wall Street so I highly doubt that she needs money.” Adrian wrinkles his face at my words and I can see that he shocked.
“She is married?”
“Yes and he has brought out a different side to her. He is also a recovering alcoholic and I guess they help each other.”
“I don’t know what to say but I haven’t changed my mind about seeing her.” I shake my head at him and he gets frustrated.
“Alanna don’t shake your head at me. You don’t understand how difficult it is to talk about her. If you understood then you would not push this on me. Baby I know that you only want to help and I am delighted that you care but please I need you to let this go.”
“Adrian I can’t let it go because I want you to have a relationship with her. You need to have a balance in your life and you need to know how to act around her.”
“Alanna, what do you mean by that?” I sense that I have hurt his feelings so I quickly take his hand.
“Adrian until you know how to act around your mother, then you don’t know how to react around me. You have this need to control everything and that is terrifying to me. You say that we have to be together and that we have to live a certain way but why. I feel that you don’t even understand it yourself so you can’t explain it to me. But I think that some of your issues will disappear once you regain a sense of love from your mother.”
“Baby I can’t go through that despair again with Alice. I am sorry that I control you but it’s just who I am. I need you to tell me that you accept that and that you accept me. If you don’t then you and I can never be together. Is this the reason why you won’t marry me?” I shake my head in disagreement and my heart aches at the sound of not being with Adrian. I lunge forward as I try to convince him that I do accept him.
“Adrian if I didn’t accept you then I would not be with you. You talk as if I have said that I will never marry you and that is not the case. I just said that the timing right now is not right. You can’t throw marriage in my face every time you think that I don’t love you. Because right now you are all that I love, you consume every part of me and I cannot breathe without you by my side.”
“Baby if that’s how you feel then why do you need Michael?”
“Michael is your brother and my friend. I promise you that it does not go beyond that. I love you and only you,” I leap into his arms and I hold on to him tightly. Adrian lightly exhales as he strokes my hair.
“Baby you are my life and if have to wait an eternity to make you my wife then that is what I will do.” I gently laugh as I pull back from him.
“We are not vampires and I wouldn’t make you wait an eternity!” Adrian cannot hold in his laugh as he kisses me.
When we arrive back the house, I notice that the guests for tonight’s party have already stared to arrive. The lawn of the house is lined with every type of luxury car there is. The guests are dressed in black tie and are making their way into the house. I stop for a moment and stare as they glide out from their cars. Adrian continues to walk but he soon notices that I have stopped. He instantly turns me.
“Alanna,” he asks smoothly. I tear my eyes from the crowd and I look at Adrian.
“Yes?”
“Why have you stopped?” I smile at him.