“I’m really sorry.”
I shrugged. I was about to say it wasn’t his fault, but it sort of was. If he weren’t here, I’d be at Vincent’s feet right now.
“So,” Adrian shifted, again, like he couldn’t stay in one spot for long. “Will you be doing a garden, too?”
“I don’t think so. That’d mean I’d have to be out in the heat.”
“Well, there’s time to change your mind.”
“Maybe.” I paused. “Vincent didn’t push the idea.”
“He’ll only push something if it’s for your benefit. You’ll see soon enough. He wants the best out of everyone in his life. He’s not mean or rude about it, though. Just…gentle comments here and there.”
“He is nice.”
“Nice in what way? Kindness? The way he looks?”
All I could manage was to blink.
“Vincent is nice on the eyes. He’s like a professor vibes, you know. All business and smarts. Then those eyes.” Adrian fanned himself, even though his tone was more on the teasing side. My brain didn’t catch the drift of his voice, though.
Anger and jealousy began to simmer past the locked box all of a sudden.
“It’s truly a shame that you got him wrapped around your finger already. I saw the way he looks at you. Like you’re his entire world.”
Wait…what?
“He…no?” I shook my head. My anger quickly turned to shock and denial. He didn’t look at me in any specific way.
Adrian pulled a leg up, wrapping his arms around it loosely. “He likes you, Charlie. How can you not see that? Just like you enjoy him.”
“I hardly know him!” I hissed.
“But you didn’t like me pointing out how nice looking he is,” Adrian stated as though it was natural to talk about such things.
“Adrian,” I spoke his name through gritted teeth.
“It’s true.” He smiled at me, one who often got him into trouble. “I have to wonder, if he actually liked sex, how would that be? Would he be gentle? Bossy? Ooh, I bet bossy and would make-“
He didn’t get the chance to finish.
Before the words could land, I moved, fast, and instinctively. It wasn’t full of anger, just the feeling of beingdone.
I closed the space between us in a single breath, grabbing hold like I needed to stop the sentence from existing.
It wasn’t violent, just a silencethat’s enoughwrapped in motion.
And he knew it. Because for once, he didn’t try to speak over it.
I landed more on top of him, hand over his mouth. Adrian’s eyes were slightly wide in surprise.
“He’s mine.” Deep down, Vincent belonged to me. It didn’t matter that I knew him for barely eight days, or however many it was now. I kind of lost track. But it didn’t matter.
Because Alpha Vincent Harris wasmine. Mine to serve. Mine to think about. Mine to take orders from.
Adrian nodded once. Then, because of who he was, he licked the palm of my hand.
“Seriously?” That was gross.
