Safe in My Arms

John was walking to his room when he heard some giggles coming out from Stephen’s bedroom. He was curious, so he went to peek what was going on. Stephen and Adelle were playing The Game of Life on the floor.

“Hey, Adelle,” Stephen said.

“Hm?”

“My parents are out for two days, you want to stay over?”

She looked up. “Are you sure?”

Stephen gave her his signature smirk. “Yeah.”

She laughed. “Alright.”

He smiled and leaned over to kiss her.

The sight gave an ache in John’s heart, so he decided to leave. He knew he would need his earphones for tonight or he could go to Josh’s house; he didn’t want to hear weird sounds coming from his brother’s bedroom that was right next to his.

- - -

Adelle leaned her back against the wall of a clothing store. She and Stephen had previously promised to meet up there and find Stephen some winter clothes for him because he was going to go on another tour in a few weeks. They knew they had to go store-by-store because it would be funny if there was a store selling thick clothes while it was located in Arizona.

A half an hour waiting, Stephen was yet to show up. Adelle was starting to get worried because he was never late.

She took her phone inside her purse and dialed his number. After a few rings, Stephen answered.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Where are you?”

“I’m sorry babe, I woke up late! I’m on my way right now.”

She sighed. She realized Stephen was the one who was always waiting and she thought it wouldn’t be fair if she went off for him being late one time. “Alright. I’ll be waiting.”

They exchanged goodbyes and hung up.

Stephen parked his car on the parking lot that was far from the store they were going to meet up, because there wasn’t any parking lot near that store. He got out from the car and immediately made his way to the store, not forgetting to lock the vehicle.

When he was about to make a turn to the left, he ran into someone, making the person dropping down all her belongings.

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” he muttered, squatting down and helped her picking up her things.

“It’s okay.”

Stephen stopped collecting her things and looked up to see who he had run into. Her voice was really familiar to his ears. All the thoughts about his girlfriend scattered around and he didn’t bother to pick them up.

“Victoria,” he breathed out.

The girl looked up when he mentioned her name. A smile grew onto her face. “Stephen?” They both got up. “How are you?”

“I’m okay, you yourself? Thought you were in Italy,” he said, handing her the things he had collected.

“I finished my paper earlier and the professor allowed me taking an early break,” she smiled again, this time a dimple formed on her right cheek.

Stephen nodded, studying her face. Nothing had changed, but her features definitely matured. Her used to be long hair was now cut below her shoulders and she dyed it dark brown. Her green eyes were glimmering with excitement like they always were.

“Are you up to something right now?” she asked, snapping Stephen back into reality. He shook his head, completely forgot about Adelle. “Wanna have some coffee and just… talk? Catching up with our lives?” she offered.

“Sure.”

- - -

Adelle knocked the front door of the Gomez’s house. John was the one to open the door.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey, I thought you’re with my brother,” John replied, confused.

“He didn’t show up.” She walked in to the house.

“What do you mean he didn’t show up?”

“He didn’t show up, John. He wasn’t there. I waited for two fucking hours,” she muttered, trying to keep her voice calm.

John closed the door and dragged her to the living room and pulled her down to sit on the sofa.

“But… he left. He’s not home,” John said.

Adelle led out a long sigh, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Ever since Victoria was back, I sense that something is wrong and it will tear us apart.”

As much as John liked her, he didn’t want her to think like that. He hated it when she was being pessimist. And as much as it hurt seeing her with his own brother, he didn’t want them to break up. They made each other happy and he didn’t want anything to change that.

A few hours later, Stephen was finally home. He headed to his room upstairs and he saw a girl figure in his younger brother’s bedroom as he passed, fully asleep on the bed. Her hair and her back seemed familiar to him, so he went to see who it was.

He stopped his breathing for a moment when he saw her face.

“She insisted waiting for you,” John appeared from his bathroom.

Stephen slowly turned to see his brother.

“What were you thinking, Stephen?” John started, keeping his voice low. “You didn’t answer any of our calls. She was dead worried.”

“I’m sorry, I—“

“What? You ran over a squirrel and made a funeral for him, and a thousand of people came?” John cut him off rather rudely. Stephen was taken aback; his brother rarely was harsh.

Stephen bit his lower lip. It seemed like it was a habit of the Gomez brothers when they were unsure of what to say.

John noticed that. “Well?” he asked.

Stephen’s eyes flicked over Adelle’s sleeping figure guiltily.

Was it wrong to leave her just like that for his ex?

Was it wrong to go out with an ex while he was already taken, even only for some coffee?

Was it wrong to be jealous for the fact that his girlfriend was sleeping in his brother’s room, when hours ago he was out with another girl?