Stand for Love Ch. 06

Adrian was still going to his room when he almost bumped into Jake. He tried to open his mouth but was signaled to remain quiet. Jake came in front of him and he stood with arms crossed. He was looking really mad and his breaths were low and harsh.

"Please, Jake," Adrian said, touching his aching head. "I'm not in the mood for anything. I just wanna go..."

"Where?" Jake asked rudely. "To your room? You are not even ashamed of yourself. You tried to kill your husband's mother and you..."

"That's a lie," Adrian said. "You know the way I am. I can't hurt anybody. I'm..."

"Of course," Jake said, rolling his eyes. "Taking Nicholas from me I handled it without putting up a war but this time you wanted to take away someone that I really love. You know very well that I don't mess around when it comes to mother. So let me warn you, if you try to hurt her again I'll kill you without hesitation."

Jake furiously left after that warning leaving Adrian hurt and depressed. Everyone was ganging up against him. He was even getting more confused as to who had poisoned Victoria. No name came to his mind. He really had suspected Jake but why Jake would poison Victoria.

Adrian nodded his hurting head and he went to his room. He sat on the bed thinking or rather trying to thing which was impossible by the way. He was not able to think clearly especially with so many questions ringing in his head.

He grabbed a pillow and slowly laid his head on it. He knew he had to find out the truth about what had happened. He had to find out because his husband was slowly slipping away from him. He needed to find out for the sake of his relationship with his husband.

****

Adrian was worried. He was really worried. He was wandering about from place to place, glancing at his watch and playing in his heart. His husband had never been this late before. It was already 9.45 pm and he was nowhere to be seen. It was all just confusing.

The husband who rushed from work every day just to come and see him was no not home at 9. He got worried. He wanted to go out of the room to ask downstairs but that was a really bad idea. He didn't want to ruin people's moods and hence the reason why he stayed in the room whole day, suffering and worried sick about his husband.

He's been in the room whole day. He had his lunch and dinner in his room thanks to Emily and her good heart. But now he went from being worried to panicking. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to go downstairs to ask even if they curse him. Yes! That was the right thing to do.

Adrian quickly began moving towards the door before it flung open. He stopped and stared at Nicholas who stood in the doorway, holding his jacket and looking tired. He'd never seen him look like that and hence the reason why he got worried. He had to do something to make him feel better though.

Adrian smiled brightly and rushed to his husband. He wrapped his arms around him and felt him tense up.

"I missed you," Adrian said excitedly. "You got me really worried."

Without responding to the hug, Nicholas said, "I'm sorry. I was busy at work that's all."

Nicholas had no idea why he was slowly slipping away from Adrian. The more he saw him the more he got confused. Each time was like torture. He didn't even have any sleep at night. Not because he didn't love Adrian but... he just didn't know what to do anymore.

Adrian pulled away from Nicholas, got a jacket from him, took his hand sweetly and brought him inside. He made him sit on the bed while he went to prepare the shower for him. He couldn't help but get worried because his husband was surely not in a good mood.

He went back to the room and found Nicholas stripped to his underwear but there was no expression on his face. Adrian couldn't read a thing.

"I'll go take a shower." Nicholas said as he took a towel and headed for the bathroom.

Adrian didn't need to jump to conclusions but he was sure that his husband was hiding something. He was hiding something or rather he was keeping some words away from him. That was not his husband. Sure, Adrian understood that his mother had just been poisoned but he could have at least smiled.

Adrian sat on the bed waiting for Nicholas. It was not long before he heard the bathroom door opening. Nicholas came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He was looking so sexy and eye-catching. Adrian couldn't help but admire the view before him. He was still worried but maybe he needed to make his husband happy.

It was what he needed to do. Maybe his husband would warm up to him after making love. Yes! He was not in the mood but maybe he needed to do it for his husband's happiness and pleasure.

He eyed Nicholas as he stood with his back to him, applying lotion on his body. Adrian slowly stood and walked to Nicholas. He quickly wrapped his arms around him and kissed his back, hoping for his husband to respond to it.

He slowly caressed his husband's chest, feeling that tingly hair on his hands. He pressed soft kisses on his back to turn him on but the guy just stood there without any reaction. This was so unlike him but he continued anyway.

Nicholas had absolutely no idea what was going on with him. He knew that Adrian was trying to make him feel good but what it was making him do was feel worse than he actually felt. He was in no mood to make love to Adrian that night. But he had to make him feel special and happy.

He moved his hands and touched Adrian's caressing hands. He quickly turned and faced Adrian with a controlled smile. He slowly brought him closer and gave him a quick kiss.

"I'm sorry," Nicholas apologized as he kissed Adrian's hands. "I am really tired tonight, my love. We'll do this another time."

Adrian's suspicions were right. Nicholas was definitely hiding something from him and it was hurting him. If only he could tell him that his rejection had hurt him then he would do it.

Adrian smiled faintly. "It's okay. I understand."

He pulled away from him and stood at a distance still smiling.

"Have you had your..."

"Yes," Nicholas smiled faintly. "I had dinner downstairs."

Adrian smiled faintly. Something was definitely wrong.

"I'm sorry." Nicholas muttered. He felt bad for telling Adrian that.

"It's okay," Adrian said with a controlled smile. "There is nothing wrong."

"I promise we'll make love." Nicholas mumbled. "It's just that I'm tired after a long day. I think we should just go to bed."

Adrian nodded and headed for the bed. He slipped under the covers, wondering what was really wrong with his husband. He was really hurt but he still understood him anyway. It was expected since his mother was still recovering after being poisoned.

Adrian had his back to Nicholas' side. He felt he didn't need to face him or he'd just cry out and tell him how much he was really hurting him. In a few seconds he heard him slipping under the covers. He felt tears building in his eyes but he did his best to make them disappear.

Seeing Adrian's back turned to him was killing him. As much as he was drawn to his mother's poisoning he didn't want to make Adrian feel bad. It was his responsibility to make him happy and he was gonna do everything to make him feel better.

Nicholas slipped under the covers, extending his hand to touch Adrian's shoulder.

"Baby," Nicholas muttered.

Adrian slowly turned and faced his husband. He was smiling faintly and even though his mood was not good Adrian felt a little better.

"Yes,"

"Come here," Nicholas smiled, opening his arms wide for Adrian. "I want to hold you."

Adrian smiled and moved closer to Nicholas. He gave him a quick kiss and buried his head on his chest. He felt Nicholas' arms wrapping around him tightly. He felt warm, cozy and sleepy. At least all his worries went away.

"Goodnight," Nicholas said, kissing Adrian's head.

"Goodnight," Adrian said, breathing in Nicholas' aroma.

Adrian smiled and buried his head deeper into Nicholas' chest. The hot breath on his head was sending chills down his spine but he was more than happy.

He closed his eyes as his conscious mind took him to another dimension. He was really happy.

****

Things began spiraling out of control after that night. Adrian woke up the next morning without Nicholas and he felt empty again. He went downstairs and the family gave him a cold shoulder. He spent some time with Granny before he went outside to the pool.

Of course, Nicholas came back without telling him and he spent the whole afternoon with his mother. By the time he came back to the room Adrian was already asleep. It was really starting to hurt him a lot. Whenever Nicholas was around he acted as if everything was alright but Adrian could tell that he was lying.

Every day it was the same thing. Nicholas spending more time with his mother, refusing to make love to Adrian, smiling faintly, going to work earlier than before and coming home tired. Adrian was talking to Emily and granny but that was it. There was nothing they were doing to help him. On one hand was Nicholas and on the other was the family that totally avoided him.

Even Jake avoided him. Victoria got better within a few days but she too never talked to him. Adrian was hurt. He was really hurt. Nicholas still did the same thing even when Victoria got well. But it was now worse, early rise and late night working. Sometimes he came home really late, Adrian had no idea he came home at all.

***

Adrian was sitting at the edge of the bed thinking. He was thinking about the things that have happened in the last one week. Nicholas' behavior has been hurting him emotionally even without realizing it. At first he had thought that it was because Victoria was hurt but what was his excuse now?

Adrian was not gonna sleep till he comes home. He's gonna ask him why he's treating him in that manner. He kept glancing at his watch and he even got surprised when he realized that it was it was almost 11.pm. How could Nicholas do this to him?

He got up and impatiently walked from side to side.

About twenty minutes he heard the door opening and a tired looking Nicholas came inside. This time Adrian just stared at him without saying anything to him. He was not gonna welcome him this time. He was gonna question him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Nicholas apologized as he came closer.

He gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Adrian didn't react. He just stood there looking like a statue. He needed immediate answers before he went insane with the questions that were ringing through his head.

"I'm really sorry, my love." Nicholas apologized, throwing the jacket on the bed. "There was so much..."

"Work, right," Adrian said softly, feeling something burning in him. "That is what I have been hearing from you for the past one week."

Nicholas was quiet. He knew Adrian was right.

"I'm so..."

"I need answers," Adrian said, realizing that his voice was rising.

"Nothing," Nicholas said as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. "I don't have any answers."

"Why are you doing this?" Adrian asked, blocking Nicholas' path. "You've been trying to avoid me. Don't you love me anymore?"

"OF course, I love you." Nicholas chuckled as he turned to the bed.

"Then why," Adrian said as he felt tears building in his eyes. "I feel like I'm living with a stranger. It's like we are not married at all. You leave early in the morning and come back late at night. Don't my feelings matter to you anymore?"

"Adrian, please," Nicholas said, feeling himself getting angry. "I don't want an argument."

"I don't wanna argue," Adrian muttered. "I just wanna know." He was getting angry. "Tell me why you treat as if we are not married."

Nicholas was suddenly feeling himself get hot. He was feeling so much anger that his head hurt. He didn't want to get angry but he was not able to control it. He touched his head, furiously rubbing on it.

"Tell me," Adrian asked.

Nicholas let go of his head angrily and looked at Adrian angrily, breathing like an animal.

"What do you want me to do?" Nicholas snapped, directing his anger at Adrian.

"The truth," Adrian said as tears ran down his cheeks. "I want you to tell me the truth."

"What truth?" Nicholas yelled. "I have told you everything that you need to know. What else do you want from me?"

Adrian's eyes watered more. Nicholas had never yelled at him before.

"I just wanna know what my husband thinks." Adrian shouted. "Do you think I poisoned your mother?"

Nicholas didn't want to have that conversation at all. He felt he'd say something that would make Adrian angry.

"Please, Adrian," Nicholas said as he removed the cover from the bed. He was ready to sleep. "I don't wanna have this conversation. Not right now,"

"Of course," Adrian said angrily. "Please, tell me what you think."

"Please, don't...."

"Tell me," Adrian demanded. "Do you think I poisoned your mother?"

Nicholas was angry, really angry. He didn't even know he'd get that angry. He gripped the sheets so hard his hands shook.

"Adrian!" He said softly, closing his eyes.

"I want to know," Adrian demanded. "Tell me the truth. Do..."

"Yes!" Nicholas quickly turned and yelled. "Yes, I blame you. I need to blame someone," He shouted. "My mother was poisoned and I need to blame someone or I'll go crazy." He yelled. "You made that soup and I..."

Adrian was in tears. His mouth was wide open, gasping for air. His suspicions had come true. His husband really blamed him and it was hurting like crazy. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Why?" Adrian sobbed. "Is it because I made that..."

"I should have known," Nicholas shouted. "I should have taken the hint. You didn't want to make mother's soup. You could have just denied it instead of poisoning my poor mother."

"I didn't poison her," Adrian cried. "Why would I do that? I never had a problem with mother she was the one..."

"Exactly," Nicholas said hoarsely. "I don't wanna have this conversation again." Nicholas yelled. "It just reminds me of what you did to her. You didn't even think of how I would have felt."

Adrian had never heard such painful words from Nicholas. It pierced right into his flesh making him bleed. The man before him was no longer sweet. He was just...something else.

"I saved your mother from being arrested," Adrian sobbed, pointing a finger at Nicholas. "Why the hell would I want her dead? If I wanted her out of the way I'd have put her in that jail but I did it for you because I love and I didn't want you to get hurt."

Nicholas sniffed and stared angrily deep in Adrian's eyes.

"You hated her," Nicholas said hoarsely. "You hated her from that day. You saved her from jail so that you could have her poisoned without being suspected." He yelled in Adrian's face.

Adrian was defeated. He could have taken the other family members telling him all that but not his husband. It was hurting really bad. His heart was pounding really hard in his chest. It hurt really badly.

"I could have taken other people accusing me," Adrian cried as he slowly felt his strength leaving him. "Why would my own husband suspect me?"

"Now my mood is ruined," Nicholas yelled, furiously throwing the sheets back on the bed. "I hope you are happy."

Nicholas quickly walked away from Adrian. He felt Adrian trying to catch his hand but he withdrew. He had enough for one day. He just wanted to go away from that room.

Nicholas opened the door furiously and tried to leave the room before he stopped. What had he just done? What was wrong with him? How could he have said that to Adrian?

He looked behind and saw him sitting helplessly on the floor. His heart broke and tears followed. Whatever he had just said to Adrian did not come from his heart but his anger. He couldn't face him anymore. He needed to think before facing Adrian. He had hurt the boy he loved when he promised he wouldn't hurt him.

Nicholas quickly left the room and ran all the way to the roof. He needed fresh air. Tears flooded his face.

Adrian sat on that cold floor crying out. His heart was on fire and he just wanted to crawl somewhere and die. Not his husband. He could have taken it if his husband trusted him but not in this situation.

Pain, anguish, anger and regret took him over. He cried like never before. Nicholas had just hurt him for the first time and it was hurting really badly.

What was he going to do now?

****

Thank you for reading this chapter till the end. I love you a lot guys. I hope it was pretty interesting and entertaining. Don't forget to drop your comments and rates. Chapter 7 will be posted soon. Stay tuned...