Chain Reaction 3.1.90: The Spider

Isabella

     As per Braydon's request (demand?), I called Adrien with the intent to fire him. I got his voicemail, so I left him a message. Hopefully, that's that.

     It's my day off. Ben's at school. Braydon's at the gym. So, I decide to help Mom out by working on Dad's old garden.

     Mom's been complaining of her back hurting, so this is yet another reason I'm glad I moved back in. She even gave up the master bedroom to me and turned Dad's old office into a bedroom for her on the first floor. We put a karaoke machine in what is now the spare room. Ben loves it.

     "Hello, beautiful," I hear behind me. It's not Braydon. Or even Kade.

     I slowly turn and glare at my ex-lawyer, the lighting from the nearby glowfruit tree making everything look strange. "What are you doing here?" I can't keep the disgust from my voice as I scowl at the man who took advantage of my drunken state then acted like I'd just woohoo him the next morning like he was doing me a favor.

     His head jerks as if in surprise. "I thought I'd come talk to you."

     "Did you get my message?"

     "Yes."

     "Then why are you here?" And here I thought I'd had the easy route by simply leaving a message.

     "I said I got your message. I didn't say I accepted it." The bastard is actually smiling like the message I left didn't really mean anything but a cry for attention.

     "What's so hard to accept?"

     "You're dumping me? Both professionally and personally?" He chuckles.

     "Not my words."

     "But it's what you meant."

     "Yes." I walk towards the back porch stairs.

     He follows me. "Well, I can't accept that." He reaches out and grabs my arm, gently turning me to face him.

     "Why?"

     "First of all, we're already beginning the proceedings for your divorce so why stop that now. But more importantly, I thought we had something. What's wrong? Are we just moving too fast?"

     "You got me drunk, Adrien!"

      "Yes... We were having fun. And from what you told me, you knew what was going to happen before you downed the first glass. So you knew you were going to get drunk."

      "I needed water, and you hand me another glass of wine?!"

      He sighs. "It was a prank, Isabella. I was having fun. We were having fun." He's looking at me like I'm a child who wants to blame her poor decisions on someone else.

      "Okay. Fine! I knew I was going to get drunk. I was scared of what Kade wanted to do. You were supposed to make me feel better, not take advantage of the situation!"

      He's calm, cool, and collected while I'm snorting like a bull. "How is it 'taking advantage' if you tell me yourself it's okay? And from what I could gather, I did make you feel a plum of a lot better."

      "I wasn't in my right mind! How was I to know you were going to do that?"

      "As I recall, I made it perfectly plain." F--k, he's right. "As to 'being in your right mind,' you were just a little drowsy. Your speech wasn't even slurred! From every clue I was getting, you were perfectly happy to let things happen like they did. Now, it looks like you want to blame me for something it looks like you regretted."

      He pouts. "That hurts, Isabella. If you regret your decision, regret your decision and don't go looking to blame someone else for it."

      I may as well have been slapped. When he puts it like that, I look like a jerk. Well, plum him.

      But he's not finished. "And by the way, if I were 'taking advantage,' I could've done anything I wanted after you passed out. But I DIDN'T. Because no matter how you try to paint me in your head, I'm not a creep."

      "Fine. I regret it. It was a mistake. And I don't want to see you anymore." I continue walking towards the back porch. I hate how now I look like a jerk. Adrien slapped a mirror in front of my face, and I don't really like what I see.

     "Isabella, wait."

      "I wasn't trying to upset you. That... that came out wrong." He reaches out and holds my arm, slowing me down.

      "I'd say it came out perfectly." I pull on my arm, continuing to walk, albeit more slowly now.

      "I just don't want you to think I'm a creep."

      "Okay. Fine. I don't. There ya go." I climb the stairs, finally, but he turns me around and holds my face.

     "Then tell me why you still want to end it." His thumbs stroke my cheeks, and I don't have the heart to really try to push him away yet. "Is it this 'not exactly' guy?" He's referring to when he asked me if I was seeing anyone, and I'd said 'not exactly.'

      "Yes." There's no point lying to him.

      "Well, isn't this convenient for him?"

      "What?" I look at him in question.

      "Everything is at a 'not exactly' stage until he finds out I want to date you." He watches my expression. "Now, he's acting like he wants to get more serious, am I right?"

      "Adrien..."

      "Am I?"

      I sigh. "Yes."

     "As*hole."

     My eyes widen. "What?"

     "Think about it. If you started dating me, he would no longer conveniently have you on the hook for later." His hands tightly hold my face.

     "That's... that's not the case."

     "If I hadn't have come along, wouldn't you still be at that 'not exactly' stage?"

     "I... He..." My eyes widen.

     "Do you see why I'm calling him an as*hole?"

     I feel my forehead crinkle as I can't believe it but that Adrien's right. Again.

     He feather-lightly kisses my forehead where it creases. That kind of wakes me up. "It doesn't matter." I take a step back.

     "Why?" He steps with me.

     "Yes. Okay. You're right." Another step.

     "I know I am." He keeps following me, even if I try to side-step. "So, if I'm right, like you agree, why are you saying you want to end things with me?" He acts like he's done nothing wrong, but even though I can't argue why, I still feel like he has.

     I let out a little cry when the back of my head hits the house. He winces then asks me if I'm okay. However, he doesn't step back. He closes in, cradling the back of my head with his hand.

     "Tomorrow is Love Day. Let me take you to dinner. If before was too fast, I am so. sorry. Don't throw away what we could have."

     "Adrien..." I sigh.

     "I've never met anyone like you. When you called the office, saying you were needing help with a divorce, I couldn't stop smiling. I remembered you from before. Honestly, how could anyone forget you? And then when you walked into my office that first time, remember I fell back into my chair after I'd tried to stand up? You looked so plumbing good that my knees didn't work. That's never happened to me before. I don't want to lose you. If you want to date the as*hole alongside dating me, that's fine, but don't end this." He fully kisses me now, pressing me back against the house while still holding my head.

     Uh, what's happening?

     He's like a spider, spinning the most beautiful web, a true artist.

     He pulls back and smiles at me. "Pick you up at seven?"

     "What do you want, Isabella?" echoes in my memory. "No."

     "Eight? Six?"

     "No, I mean not at all. I'm sorry, Adrien. I want to date Braydon." I pause. "Just Braydon."

     "What?" His mouth drops. "But... didn't you listen to everything I just said? You even agreed with me! My reasoning is sound. You can't make a more perfect case for it!"

      "Be that as it may, it's what I want."

      He shakes his head. "No. That doesn't make any sense." He tries to kiss me again, and I try to knee him in the groin for it. Neither of us are successful, but I do get him to step back.

     "It doesn't matter whether or not it 'makes sense' to you. I've tried to tell you nicely, but apparently I have to argue with you to make you understand. I'm choosing him because I'm choosing him. That's reason enough for me. I can't explain to you 'why' other than it's just what I want!" Ugh! I have to get out of this fog in my mind!

     "I'm not trying to make you argue with me." Damn him for looking so hurt!

     I put my hands on my face. "I don't know how else to say it. I'm choosing him over you. I'm sorry." I turn to walk away. Again.

     "But..." I hear behind me.

     "No." Dammit.

     I hate that now I feel like the world's biggest b*tch. He's acting devastated that I told him no, but I somehow don't think it's because I broke his heart or even close. Did he maybe have feelings for me? Possibly, but I more get the feeling that he just lost a case. He just doesn't like to lose. That's all.