I spent my afternoon pampering myself for the dinner. Although there was no special occasion, I figured that it would be better to spend a day just for myself. I plucked my eyebrows, waxed my legs and then applied some rejuvenating masks on my face.

At almost 7pm, I was ready for the dinner, dressed in a golden skirt and black top, light makeup enhancing my features and my hair perfectly straightened.

It took us about half an hour to reach the magnificent hotel. I smiled, knowing that if Mom had been alive, she would have killed Dad for booking such an expensive place for a simple dinner.

One of the waiters led us to the seat Dad had booked. We settled on it and waited for the others to join us. Emily reached just few minutes after we had arrived while Sophia and Adam arrived about twenty minutes late.

Adam looked really handsome in the blue jeans and black button-up shirt with the sleeves folded to her elbows, showing off his muscular forearms and protruding veins.

I winked at him when our eyes met, making sure nobody saw me doing that. His cheeks turned red and he coughed, turning his face away from me.

"Mr. King, it's a pleasure to meet you." Sophia giggled, using the voice she used whenever she tried to flirt with someone. I mentally gagged at the image of my friend flirting with my father and kicked her shin with my heel.

She muttered "sorry" under her breath and turned her attention back to the menu card. "It's a pleasure to meet my daughter's friends." Dad replied.

"So Adam, Alicia told me that you are going to Columbia University." Dad asked, eyeing him up and down.

"Yes sir." he said, making a serious face while I tried to make him laugh by winking at him once again.

All five of us ordered our food then and despite the fact that the dinner was on us, Adam ordered the cheapest item on the menu which was a cucumber salad. Not wanting to make him feel weird or awkward, I ordered the same salad too, saying my stomach was already full.

Dad left after the waiter had jotted down our order to answer some call while I turned my attention back to Adam. "Someone cleaned up nice." I teased him, earning an eye roll from him.

"Wish I could say the same for you." he retorted back but I could see the appreciation in his eyes when he entered.

"So you don't think I'm looking pretty?" I asked, clicking my tongue.

"Nope. Isn't it obvious?" he said and I scoffed, turning my face away from him.

I spent the next few minutes catching up with Sophia about her practice for cheerleading competition while Adam sat silent, probably bored as hell.

Dad returned soon and called me to a corner. "Is it okay if I leave? There is an emergency in the office." he asked.

I pouted for a moment but then sighed and smiled. "Sure Dad. We will be fine."

"Here. Take my credit card." he said and gave it to me.

After excusing himself from my friends, he kissed the top of my head and trudged towards the exit of the hotel.

The waiter served the food soon after. The delicious aroma of Dad's steak reached my nose and I decided to divide it between Adam and I, despite his refusal to do so.

"Awww. Look at you two sharing food." Sophia teased and Adam once again turned flustered.

"I guess they are practicing for future." Emily added and I giggled at her words while Adam just groaned beside me.

After the dinner, Emily left with Sophia in her car while Adam offered me a ride back to my place, which I accepted happily.

"I enjoyed tonight. It felt good to have all my favorite people under one roof." I commented while leaving the table.

"So I am one of your favorite people?" Adam raised his eyebrows and asked, his mood better than before.

"Nope. I was talking about Dad, Em and Soph. You on the other hand, are quite low in my list." I replied.

We made our way towards the exit, walking side by side to him. The warmth of his body felt great even in the chilling air that welcomed us as soon as we stepped outside.

"Then why did you invite me?" he asked, without acknowledging the fact that he had his fingers laced with mine.

"Well." I acted like I was thinking about the answer while in fact, I knew why I invited him.

My mind might not have considered the possibility but my heart knew. I was falling for him, so badly that it has become impossible for me to stay away from him. It's not just physical attraction, I love his voice, I love his touch, I love his mood swings, I love his rudeness, I love his arrogance. I love every smallest thing about him, whether it's good or bad.

With laced fingers and smiling faces, we made our way towards the parking lot. As we were stepping towards Adam's bike, someone leaving their car caught our attention and we stopped in our tracks.

It was Mr. Brown, Noah and a woman in her forties, exiting their lavish car. The woman was covered from head to toe in branded items, her hair caught in a decent bun and her ocean blue eyes hinting towards the fact that she was probably Noah's mother.

Adam's grip on my hand tightened. Angling my neck, I found him staring at them with so much hatred in his eyes that I flinched.

"Adam." I said but he had something else in his mind. He took few steps towards their car, dragging me along with him.

"Alicia!" Noah said excitedly when he noticed me but a frown appeared on his face when he saw Adam.

"Hello Mr. Brown." Adam said with a strangely saccharine voice but his tone was anything but sweet.

"H.. Hi." Mr. Brown stammered, his face paled suddenly.

Adam moved forwards, leaving my hand and stood right in front of him, both of them glaring at each other. "Is she your wife?" Adam smiled. "I must say she is beautiful."

The woman chuckled with sophistication and thanked him for his comment, not noticing the dangerous glint in Adam's voice.

"We must.. We must go inside." Mr. Brown said and linking his hand with his wife, walked past Adam. Noah stood there, his gaze shifting between Adam and me and then followed his father inside. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes on watching us together which made me regret the decision of not inviting him to the dinner.

I was lost in these thoughts when I heard a loud thud. Turning around, I yelped when I watched the blood dripping from Adam's knuckles. Judging by the dent on Mr. Brown's car, he had punched the front but I couldn't understand why.

"Adam." I whispered and pulled the handkerchief out of my bag, wrapping it around his knuckles. "Are you crazy? Why did you do it?"

But the rage in his eyes didn't calm down, he looked like he wanted to kill someone. Gripping his other hand, I pulled him away from the place and led him to a nearby bench.

"Are you alright?" I asked, patting his back while he exhaled and inhaled deeply.

"Adam-"

"No Alicia! I am not alright." he shouted back, glaring at me with his wide eyes. "I am not alright for God's sake."

"Adam." I whispered again, rubbing his back harder to calm him down.

"I... I.." he tried to speak. "I can't be alright when he is happy."

I thought he was talking about Noah but what he said next changed everything. "I can't watch him move on with his new family when he left us to suffer alone."

"Wh.. What do you mean?" I questioned, my heart pounding inside my chest cavity.

"My mother... He left her with two new born child, just because he didn't have money to fulfill our expenses." Adam spoke, his voice filled with so much hatred that it shook me.

"He left her just because she didn't have a rich father like his second wife does. He left us despite the fact that he was the one who knocked up my mother when she was sixteen. He left his children because he was a spineless piece of shit and even a shittier father, he still is."

Adam was breathing hard and so was I. Adam was Mr. Brown's son and Naoh's half brother, this new piece of information was too much for me. He lived like an orphan even though his father was alive. How could Mr. Brown do that to him?

"Do.. Does Noah know?" I asked.

Adam shook his head in no. "That bastard didn't tell anyone." he cursed.

What the fuck?

"How come you never told anyone about this?" I inquired.

"Because he is bearing all the expenses of Adaline's treatment." Adam sighed. "That's why I do street fights Alicia. I'm saving up for her treatment. Once I have enough money, I can finally stand up to him and tell him to go fuck himself."

Oh Adam! He has been through so much and he never told anyone. He watched Naoh live the life he deserved and he still didn't say anything just so his sister could get the treatment.

"Adaline and I were ten when we first saw him face to face. He looked nothing like the man in the photos. He reeked of money and fame, unlike the man who left our mother. He refused to accept the fact blatantly that we were his child until the day we lost out mother." he said.

"He came to apologize. He thought just because Mom was dead, we would accept him. Adaline did forgive him because she has a kind heart. But I.. I would never forgive him for what he did. I hate him. I hate him more than anything in the world." his voice was dripping with grief and so was his face.

I hugged him, wrapping my arms around his waist and slowly mumbling comforting words to him. I can't change whatever he had suffered in the past but I'll make sure he get all the love he deserved.

__________________________