CHAPTER 6: The Brick Between Us

The fresh white petal was more terrifying than the scorched rose had been. It meant someone had been inside my room. The locks and the height of the penthouse meant nothing to them. I felt a sudden prickly sensation on the back of my head.

I looked around, expecting a shadow in the corner or a figure by the curtains. There was no one.

Without Adrian or Ronan there, the silence became a threat. I grabbed my phone and rushed out of the room, my heart hammering. It was ridiculous to feel hunted in a fortress like this, yet the air felt thin.

I scrambled down the stairs, my eyes darting around. My thumb hovered over Ronan's contact. Before I could think, my hand dialed Adrian's number instead. He picked up on the first ring.

"Nirvana." His voice was sharp and alert.

"Please come," I choked out. My voice trembled so violently I had to grip the phone with both hands. I was shivering, a cold chill tagtbhad nothing to do with the temperature of the room.

"Nirvana, talk to me. What is it?" I heard the sudden roar of his engine in the background. He was already moving.

I couldn't answer. I stood in the middle of the living room, eyes scanning the glass walls.

But then, a sudden crash split the air.

I screamed, nearly dropping the phone.

A ceramic vase had fallen from the side table, shattering on the concrete floor. There was no wind. No one near it. It had just fallen.

I burst into tears.

"Nirvana! What was that?"

I couldn't speak. I just stood there, my mind spinning with the image of that nine year old girl pinned under her mother's weight.

The moment I heard his bike outside I bolted for the door, threw it open and ran. I didn't stop until I collided with his chest. He pulled me into his arms instantly. I buried my face in his vest, sobbing, as he held me so tight I could barely breathe.

He guided me back inside, his arm around my shoulders, his hand resting on his waistband as he checked the corners. He scanned the room with his hand resting on his waist.

"Did anyone enter? Did you see anyone?"

I shook my head. I couldn't say a word, I just held onto his waist. I didn't care about the rejection. I didn't care about the mistake. I just needed him there.

He rested his hand on my head, his fingers smoothing through my hair.

After a few minutes the adrenaline died down, leaving me hollow and exhausted. I tried to step away but Adrian pulled me back, tucking me against his chest.

"You called me here," he whispered. "Where do you think you're going now?"

I didn't have an answer. I just leaned into him.

We were still standing like that when the front door swung open and Ronan rushed in, his face right with alarm.

"Nirvana!"

Adrian and I pulled apart instantly. I rushed into Ronan's arms and he held me, looking over my shoulder at Adrian. They didn't speak but something passed between them.

"She can't stay here, Ronan," Adrian said. It wasn't a suggestion but a fact.

Ronan nodded. "I know."

They didn't argue. Adrian just followed us out.

The ride was a blur. I sat behind Ronan as city lights streaked past us, leaving Manhattan behind for something quieter.

We pulled up to a stone brownstone that felt more like a fortress than the penthouse ever did. Sturdy, old-world, ivy on the walls and oak doors. It looked more than a townhouse than a manor.

Ronan led me to a room on the second floor, smaller and warmer than anything at the penthouse.

"You're safe here," he said, kissing my temple. "Rest now, Nir."

As he turned to leave I reached out and caught Adrian's hand. He had been standing in the doorway with that unreadable expression.

"Stay with me," I whispered.

Ronan gave Adrian a hard warning look. Adrian ignored it completely. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. As my eyes drifted shut, the last thing I felt was his palm brushing my hair away from my forehead.

When I woke up the spot beside me was cold. Adrian was gone. The clock read 6:00 AM.

Monday.

I sprang out of bed. First class at 8:00 AM. I wasn't going to let whoever sent that petal win.

Ronan knocked and came in with coffee, looking like he hadn't slept. "Don't you think you should rest today, Nir? After last night."

"No." He saw it in my eyes and didn't push further. He just sighed and stepped out.

I washed my face and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. I kept my makeup simple. Black rib-knit midi dress, a blue jacket and sneakers.

I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the girl staring back. She looked like someone who could handle New York.

The ride to campus was quiet. Ronan dropped me at the gates and reminded me to stay on campus until noon. I watched him ride away, then turned toward the red brick buildings and paved courtyards of Rodrigo University.

I pulled out my map looking for Hall B.

"Looking for the art wing?"

A guy stood a few feet away, thick rimmed glasses sliding down his nose, an oversized sweater and his arms full of textbooks. His smile was kind.

"I'm Leo. First year?"

"Nirvana. Yeah, first day."

We walked together across the quad and he talked enough for both of us, coffee spots and which professors were soul crushers. I just listened, grateful for the normal conversation. It felt like a shield against everything that happened the night before.

"Here we are," Leo said, gesturing to a large brick building with wide double doors. "Most of the humanities lectures are here. What's your first class?"

"History of Aesthetics," I said.

"Oh, tough one. The professor is supposedly a legend, but he's a bit of a mystery. See you around, Nirvana."

I thanked Leo and watched him walk away. I smoothed my dress, took a breath and pushed the double doors open.

The hall was vast and already silent. Polished wooden desks, tiered rows and every seat was filled..

A man in a charcoal grey suit stood behind the lectern, mid-sentence. His deep voice was commanding and familiar in a way that stopped me cold.

He paused the same time I halted.

I looked up and my breath left my body.

Adrian.

He stood at the podium looking every inch the untouchable professor, nothing like the man who had brushed my hair from my forehead just hours ago. For a second the hundred students around me disappeared entirely.

He didn't blink. Didn't offer a single sign of recognition. His eyes just narrowed slowly.

"Is there something particularly fascinating about my face, Miss?" His voice was sharp and deliberate, carrying across the hall.

"Since you've decided to spend your arrival gawking at me while I'm in the middle of a lecture. If you're finished disturbing my class with your daydreaming, have a seat. Some of us are actually here to work."

A few students snickered.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. I ducked my head and scrambled to find an empty seat, my legs feeling like lead.

I sat down and stared at my blank notebook, jaw tight, chest burning.

He had built a wall between us right there in front of a hundred people. But I was not going to fall apart in a lecture hall.