Chapter 19: Adrian’s Response
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### FLASHBACK ###
More than six years ago.
Over the past few months, Riley’s secret rescuer had given her four boxes of chocolate. After the first instance, she received her requested Matcha flavor a month later. From her marketing class, the following two chocolates were taped to her school locker.
Each chocolate box had a friendly note.
2nd chocolate box: [Matcha. Your special request. Stay away from danger, Riley.]
3rd chocolate box: [Just checking in on you, Riley.]
4th chocolate box: [Glad you are not trying to kill yourself these days, Riley.]
Sometimes, Riley thought her secret savior was acting like the big brother she never had. Nheless, she happily ate her treat each time she received one. Of course, she did not get any chocolates in each semester break.
In the third semester of her second year in college, Riley walked into the university with people gossiping around.
“Adrian King won’t be back to school. He met an accident. They say he is going to be paralyzed.”
“No! I love Adrian King!”
“That can’t be.”
“Oh, my god,” Riley echoed what she heard. “Adrian had an accident. I hope he is okay.”
As Riley made her way to her classroom, she encountered Brian. Immediately, Riley asked, “How is Adrian?”
“He is better now. He got surgery, and it saved his legs, but he will need therapy.” Brian shook his head and revealed, “It happened two weeks ago in Sweden.”
Riley did not feel like she had the right to ask further. She wasn’t that close with Adrian, but she sure appreciated his friendship, no matter how brief it was. She weakly said, “Tell him I said hi, and I hope he gets better soon.”
“I will,” Brian answered. “Hey, what classes do you have? Can I check yours? Maybe we have classes together.”
As it turned out, Riley had Science class with Brian, so they often met at least three times a week.
One morning, Riley arrived early for her Science class. Her Digital Design class professor ended their discussion early. When she entered the classroom, she caught Brian putting a box of Royce Nama chocolate on her desk!
“Brian!” Riley called before rushing over. Her eyes widened at the box of chocolate, saying, “It was you? It was you all along? Six months ago, I fell from the beach jetty and almost drowned. You were the one who saved me!”
“Um.” Brian raised a brow. He said, “Um -“
Riley picked up the box of chocolate and said, “You did this?”
“Um, yeah?” Brian replied.
“I can’t believe it!” Riley was relieved that it was Brian, someone she knew. Tears stung her eyes as she said, “Oh, my god, Brian. Thank you so much. I could have died if you didn’t save me.”
For some time, Riley had been thinking about this mysterious person. She had always wondered who he was, what he looked like, and if he was a good individual.
Overwhelmed to finally meet her savior, Riley unwittingly embraced Brian, and he hugged her back. When she pulled away, she asked with a bright smile, “How can I ever repay you?”
After she said that, Brian’s eyes glinted. He said, “Well, I have been really meaning to ask you out on a date. Will you?”
Riley was stunned. From the start, Brian was no stranger. Knowing he was her rescuer further strengthened her trust in him. So, she said, “Let’s start with a friendly date.”
Brian chuckled. He said, “You know I have always been friendly.”
“So, why didn’t you tell me it was you?” Riley asked.
Brian shook his head and answered, “At first, I just didn’t know how to, but I was planning to tell you, Riley. You -” He laughed again and said, “You caught me before I could get a chance to tell you.”
### END OF FLASHBACK ###
It was past ten in the evening. Riley was walking back and forth in the villa’s living room. She recounted whatever she could on the day she caught Brian putting a box of Royce Nama Chocolate on her desk in science class.
“Come to think of it, I did assume it was Brian,” Riley mumbled. “But he could have told me otherwise! And he answered my succeeding questions. He even made excuses for keeping it a secret from me!”
It was no wonder Brian always avoided discussing how he saved her. Because whatever he came up with was all made up!
Riley walked in circles again. That evening, she was still dressed from when she went to the hospital and to the office. She did not know how long she had been waiting for Adrian, but soon, the double doors to the villa opened.
“Riley? Why are you still awake?” Adrian asked, surprised to see her.
Clint instead pushed Adrian’s wheelchair into the living room. Riley walked towards Adrian and asked, “Adrian, seven years ago, I fell into the water by the beach’s jetty. Were you the one who saved me?”
‘It could only be Adrian. He left me the same box of chocolate last Sunday. Then Brian mentioned Adrian during their confrontation. It has to be Adrian!’ Riley screamed in her head.
Seeing Adrian averting her gaze, Riley repeated, “Please tell me. I need to know.”
“I think that’s my cue to leave,” Clint said, and Adrian nodded in approval.
After Clint left, Adrian returned his attention to Riley. He softly
l.n
responded, “Seven years ago, when you walked out of that floating restaurant and bar, I followed shortly
after you. My father called me,
teffing me I must get home.” Content
belongs to NovelDrama.Org
“I saw you eating your chocolate from afar, and I saw you fall into the water. I ran as fast as I could and jumped in to save you,” Adrian added. “It took me a while to free you because your feet got tangled into a.”
“I brought you to shore and
the
performed CPR, but even after you were breathing, you didn’t regain consciousness. So, I brought you to the hospital,” Adrian slowly narrated. “I’m sorry I left you there, but I needed to be home urgentlyd only left after the medical staff assured me you were out of danger. I made sure to pay the bill before heading out.” Content belongs to
NovelDrama.Org
Hearing it all, Riley felt her heart constricting. Her lips trembled as she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”
Adrian gasped before responding, “I simply did not need the recognition, and I did not know how you would react.”
He cleared his throat and resumed,
“But when I gave you the first box of chocolate, became amused by your reaction Chow you demanded the next flavor. It encouraged me to keep the mystery going. I was planning to tell you when I get back from my vacation, but -” Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org
“You got into an accident,” Riley finished for him.
“Yes,” Adrian replied. “And I was gone for a year.”
“When I returned, Brian and I were no longer on good terms, and you were already his girlfriend,” Adrian described. “There was no more point in
telling you then.”
“But Brian owned up to it. He said that he was the one who saved me.” Riley revealed.
“He.” Adrian’s face stiffened, and his hand balled into a fist. He clarified, “Brian said he was the one who saved you?”
Riley nodded.
Dead air fell upon them. It felt like a minute before Adrian revealed, “That might have been my fault.”
“What?” Riley asked.
