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Eva’s hand paused mid-motion, the wet tissue still pressed against Adrian’s lips. His question caught her off guard, and she lifted her gaze, meeting his dark eyes. She wasn’t expecting the conversation to shift to something so personal, especially with the tension still hanging between them.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked down again, resuming the task at hand as her fingers gently wiped away the last traces of blood from his lips. Despite her focus, her mind raced with the implications of his question.
“I did sleep,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I… had a lot on my mind.”
Adrian’s gaze never wavered, and a slight flicker of something—curiosity, perhaps—flashed across his face. The sharpness in his expression softened for a brief moment, but only for a second. He leaned back slightly, his voice cool, though there was a hint of something else beneath the surface.
“Did you?” he replied, a small, almost imperceptible smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “Because it didn’t seem like you were sleeping when I saw you this morning.”
Eva froze, the words settling in the air like a weight. Her eyes narrowed as she gave a quick glance at him. Was he teasing her now, or was there something more to his statement? She felt a flicker of annoyance flare up—why did he always seem to find ways to get under her skin?
“Don’t,” she muttered, her voice tight. “Let’s not talk about that now.”
Her words, though, only seemed to make Adrian more determined. He leaned in just a little closer, his expression unreadable. “We’ve never been good at avoiding the truth, Eva. Not with each other.”
She sighed, exhaling slowly, not sure how to respond to that. The truth was, she had been restless last night. Her thoughts had been consumed with worries about her grandmother’s health, about her relationship with Adrian, and all the unspoken tension between them. But how could she explain that to him? How could she tell him that, despite the fact that they barely even spoke to each other anymore, her mind was still tangled with the mess they had made of things?
Eva finished wiping his lips, letting the paper towel drop into the car. Adrian didn’t move away, still standing there, watching her, as if he was waiting for something.
“Fine,” she said after a long silence, finally meeting his gaze again. “You want to know the truth? I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about everything—about you, about the mess we’re in. I’m… I’m sorry if it’s a lot for you, but it’s hard to just… pretend everything is fine when it’s not.”
Adrian’s eyes softened, though he still maintained a distant look. He nodded slowly. “I know,” he murmured. “But maybe… maybe it’s time we stop pretending, Eva.”
Her heart skipped, unsure of what he meant by that. Was he saying they needed to face everything head-on, or was he implying that they were too far gone to fix anything? The uncertainty hung between them like a cloud, and neither of them spoke for a long moment.
Finally, Adrian broke the silence, his voice low and steady. “We’ll figure it out. Together, maybe.”
Eva’s heart fluttered slightly at his words, but she didn’t respond. She simply nodded, her hands still trembling slightly as she adjusted her coat.
Before either of them could say anything else, the nurse came rushing out from the doors of the nursing home, pulling their attention away from their conversation.
“Miss Blackwood,” the nurse said urgently, “we need to get inside right away. Your grandmother is awake.”
Eva’s heart clenched in her chest as she turned to Adrian, who gave her a reassuring nod before following her into the building.
As they walked through the corridors, the silence between them was palpable, but this time it felt different. There was an unspoken understanding, something new, but still fragile. Maybe things weren’t entirely lost between them, maybe they could still find a way forward. But for now, they would deal with the reality at hand—her grandmother’s health, the uncertainty of what lay ahead, and the complicated feelings they both carried.
It wasn’t perfect, but for the first time in a long time, there was a glimmer of hope.
