After the ceremony, I looked around for Alicia but she was nowhere to be found. So I stood in a corner and waited for her to return. My eyes glided over all the parents who were here for their children. Near the stage, there was Noah's mother Pamela looking around for him, her fingers laced with Mr. Brown.

He lifted his face and his eyes met mine. I didn't want to show him that I gave a rat's ass about him and his family but now he had caught me staring at them. Embarrassed, I immediately looked away.

"Adam." his familiar voice penetrated my ears after a minute or two.

"Sir." I answered blankly, without looking at him.

After a moment, I felt a pat on my shoulder. His actions forced me to flick my eyes to him and glare. "I want you to know that I'm proud of you son." he smiled, his grey eyes brimming with emotions.

A part of me always wanted to hear him say these words. The child inside me would kill to be able to hug his Dad. But I was not that child anymore. I was a grown-up who had been through so much in his life just because his father figured that it was okay to abandon your family.

"I don't give a damn about how you feel." I gritted and the smile evaporated from his face. Talking to him like that didn't feel as good as it should.

"You are my son, no matter how much you deny the fact." he said.

"I'm not the one who denied it first." I retorted. I knew that at this moment, my face was giving away whatever I was feeling. All the bitterness, jealousy, rage, longing. Everything.

His voice was heavy with grief as he responded, "I hate myself for doing that to you."

"You aren't the only one." I let out a small, humorless chuckle and walked past him. His wife was already staring at us with a worried expression on her face.

I needed to be away from these people. I wanted to run towards Alicia and hug her tightly. She was the only one who understood me, the only one who knew how to handle my foul mood, she was the only one who cared enough.

God, I love her.

...

After the ceremony, I hopped on my bike and drove towards the cemetery to spend some time with my mother. She would be very proud of me if she was alive. She would have loved that I was accepted into an Ivy League School. It was her dream to go to college but she couldn't. She was so young when she gave birth to Adaline and me, that all her ambition got lost in the way of bringing up her children.

With a heavy heart, I then drove towards the rehabilitation centre. Adaline's smile grew wide as I put my graduation cap on her head.

"You did it." she said with a sad smile. After her accident, her condition was so bad that she couldn't continue her studies. Mr. Brown arranged homeschooling for her two years ago but when her health worsened, she finally stopped putting an effort in studies.

"We did it." I said and stooped down in front of her. Moisture welled up in her eyes and she motioned me to move forwards and hug her. So I did as she asked, kissing the top of her head, I enveloped her in a tight hug.

"When are your classes starting?" she asked.

"Two months." I replied and the corners of her lips turned downwards. "Don't worry Addy, I'll take you there once I get a decent job." I patted her head.

She smiled but her eyes looked blank. I knew she considered herself a burden on me but she didn't realize that she was my only family. She was the one who kept me going, she motivated me when I was at my lowest, she encouraged me when I was on the verge of giving up.

"I love you sister." I told her and she giggled in return.

...

Lying on my bed, I was checking the official website of Columbia University for any news related to dorms and living situation when the door to my room opened and Alicia walked inside. Putting my mobile aside, I sat up and welcomed her with a smile on my face.

"You look happy." I said to her when I noticed her huge smile.

"Dad has bought me an apartment near Columbia." she told me excitedly. I was happy for her, I really was, but I couldn't deny that a part of me felt sad. Things like this showed how different we both were, how different our lives were. Nevertheless, I forced a huge smile ln my face.

"Good for you." I said and created some space for her.

"Good for us." she replied and I gave her a confused look. "Do you really think I'll live in an apartment alone?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ugh, you are not so smart for someone with your GPA." she said and groaned in irritation. "I'm offering you to share the apartment with me."

My mouth opened wide at her words. I couldn't believe she was asking me to move in with her. Wasn't it too early for us to take this next step together?

"Don't worry. I'm not asking you to move in with me. You'll stay with me as my roommate." she cleared.

"But how will I afford the rent?" I asked further.

She groaned first and then lay down on the bed beside me. "You can cook and do laundry in place of rent." she proposed.

It didn't seem like a bad idea. I could do cooking and laundry in exchange of living. "But I'll pay you back once I get a decent job." I added further.

"Sure." she shrugged but I knew she was just saying it to avoid my questions.

"But how did your father agree to it easily?" I asked next.

"It took some time." she passed me a wicked smile. "Now my dear boyfriend, your girl is hungry. Feed me." she pouted and I leaned down to peck her pout.

After eating pasta and watching an episode of Tom and Jerry, we were now lying down side by side, with my head propped up with the help of my elbow and her lying on her stomach.

She was telling me about her Dad's new assistant but I was too distracted by the sight of her behind to listen to her. She had a cute, little, bubble butt which was wrapped in denim shorts right now and my hands itched to tap it or kneed it.

"Adam!" Alicia called my name, breaking my chain of thoughts. "Eyes up here." she smirked and heat crept up my cheeks.

"Were you even listening to me?" she frowned.

"Yeah. You were talking about dinner.. date.. dad.. Something." I tried to remember but couldn't.

She slapped her forehead and rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I was telling you about Dad and his personal assistant. She is a nice woman and I am thinking of fixing them up."

"But won't he mind?" I asked, my eyes once again trailing to her behind.

She sat up when she noticed my distracted attention. Sitting down in cross-legged manner, she started, "He will. But it's the right thing to do. For the last few years, it was just him and me. He took care of me and I took care of him. But once I move out, he will be alone, drowned in the work, neglecting his health."

I put my hand over hers and ran my palm over the back of her hand. "Sometimes, one love is enough for a lifetime." A small smile flashed on her lips after hearing my words and she leaned towards me to capture my lips. She broke the kiss before either of us could deepen it.

"I just want him happy. He's the only family I have." she whispered against my lips and hugged me. Gripping her hips, I pulled her on my lap and circled my arms around her waist.

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