Page 23 of Lost Summer
11
TED
Adele froze, her fingers dropping to the tape recorder as she hit the pause button. The sudden stillness throbbed with unspoken words, and I didn’t dare blink in case I missed a fleeting reaction.
The room seemed to shrink around us. The distant hum of the city outside was muffled, as if the world held its breath, waiting for our next move.
“You don’t want to say that, Edward.” Adele’s voice was barely a whisper as she rewound the tape, her fingers trembling slightly. The soft whir of the recorder filled the silence, grinding away the seconds. “The media would go mental about it.”
“So don’t record it,” I said, sweeping through my hair, the strands still damp from my shower. “I don’t want the public to hear it.”
“I want you to know that I think this is highly inappropriate.” Her voice steadied, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of unease.
“What is?” I frowned, unable to contain my amusement. The tension between us was palpable like I could reach out and touch it.
“This. You bringing me here and asking me about us. You’re engaged, and may I add, a very high-profile man. Any form of a scandal would ruin me as a reporter. To be honest, my job is all I have.” Her words were measured, but her eyes danced with resentment and longing.
“And your cat,” I reminded her with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. The memory of her confession hung in the air like a secret.
“Ten years ago, we had a weekend fling. That was all it was,” Adele said, jamming her recorder in her purse with a finality that echoed through the room.
I reached out for her, my fingers brushing against the sleeve of her jacket.
She stilled, staring down at my hand.
“You said I ruined music for you. Let me make that up to you,” I pleaded, dropping my hand from her arm. “Because you loved music.”
Adele swallowed, her beautiful eyes dancing with sadness. It was a look that cut me to the core, a reminder of the pain I’d caused.
How was this stunning woman still hooked on a guy like me?
“Make it up to me? Sorry, but I have to go. Don’t do this again, Edward. You need to focus on your relationship and forget about that weekend.”
Adele moved towards the door. Each step marking the distance growing between us.
“I can’t, Adele. Look at me,” I pleaded with her, years of emotion taking control of me. “Please, Adele, and I’ll never bother you again.”
Adele twisted towards me, taking a tentative step closer.
“Tell me you don’t feel anything now, and I’ll leave you alone. But don’t punish me for being unable to find the most beautifulgirl in the world despite trying everything to find you.” My voice was raw, a confession that laid my heart bare.
Adele swallowed, her lips curving into a sad smile. The scent of vanilla and chocolate wafted through the air, a sweet reminder of the past.
“What did you do to find me?” she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
I gazed at her, my heart pounding like a drum. This was my chance, my one moment, to make things right.
“I went through the phone book about four hundred times. I knew nothing but your first name, but I wondered, what if you’d told me and I’d forgotten? I thought that if I saw it, it would jog my memory.” The words tumbled out, a confession that felt like a release. “I must’ve rung so many people, trying to find my lost weekend girl.”
Adele stared at me, her eyes filling with tears. “I never felt like that again,” she admitted, hugging her arms to her body as if trying to hold herself together. “I guess we get one chance at love, two if we’re lucky, and that meeting you was my first chance. In ten years, I’ve not had my second chance, Edward, and I hope you being here now, engaged to Elena, isn’t my second chance.”
I stared at her, hating the fact I’d made such stupid fucking choices with my life.
“I never expected to see you again, or I wouldn’t have gotten involved with anyone. You can’t blame me for that.” My voice was tinged with desperation, a plea for understanding.
“No. But I can blame you for getting me in this hotel room, standing before me, looking like God himself!” Adele half-yelled, waving a hand at me. Her eyes were ablaze with anger and desire, a fire that burned bright and fierce. “And you expect me to leave here without wanting you?”
“Do you want me?” I asked, stepping closer to her. The air between us was filled with static, an electrifying force that seemed to pulse with the beat of our hearts. As I stepped closer, I asked her again, “Do you want me right now?”
