Loving Adam Scott

ADDISON'S P.O.V.

Do you know how it feels to love someone so much, to the extent they become your world and you can't see the future without them in it? That was Adam Scott to me, the air that I breathe, the reason that I live, and the man that I will spend my life with.

If you asked me when I first fell in love with Adam Scott, I would say from the moment I was born. Way before I even knew what love was.

But now, I am dressed in my gorgeous prom gown, sitting on my bedroom floor. My makeup was all smudged, my once-perfect bun had loosened, and strands of hair stuck to my damp cheeks. And my heels? Kicked far away from me, like abandoned dreams. And why am I in this mess? Well, because of the same Adam Scott, who I have been in love with since forever.

Tonight, he brought his girlfriend home, the one special enough to be introduced to my parents.

Of all days, he chose the day I was going to prom, with no regard to my feelings. Making me realise how insignificant I am in his world.

I remembered rushing downstairs when I heard he was around. I thought he was here to be my date to prom.

But he was actually here to show off his girlfriend, which signifies the seriousness of the relationship. After all, he has never brought a girl to my home, throughout preschool, middle school, and highschool, and now he is in college. He is bringing a girl to my house as his girlfriend, which obviously means he is going to marry her. What happens now to me? I can't get married to anyone except Adam Scott. He is the first male, baby Addison saw, even before her dada. His name was the first I learnt, and his voice soothed my incessant crying as a baby. He has been constant in my life and has been my protector; no one dares mess with me in high school because of Adam Scott. He was my first love even before I knew what love meant. How do I move on from something like this?

My heart skipped a beat as I heard the doorknob rattle. I know I locked the door, but I instinctively grabbed a chair, ran towards the door, and wedged it under the handle, just in case.

"Addy's daughter, open the door." Adam's tired voice came through from the other side of the door.

His voice sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn't help but say, "No, go away," as I wiped away my mucus nose with my palm. I know he could not see me, but I still wanted to look my best.

He hit the door softly. I realised he had slouched to the ground when I heard a soft thud.

"You have to come out," he said, his voice soft. "Today is your prom, baby. I haven't seen you in your gown."

I sat down on the floor and rested my head on the door; I wanted to hear his heartbeat if possible. I imagined him sitting on the other side of the door, his hand scratching his neck, like he always does whenever he is stressed.

"I know you look stunning in your prom gown even without seeing you, baby," he added, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do me a favour, Addy's daughter, and grant this poor man a wish before his heart gives out," he said with a chuckle.

Tears welled up in my eyes again. "Why did you bring her? Why-why today?" My mouth dried as I spoke.

There was silence before he spoke up, "Baby-"

"Don't call me that." I snapped, my body tensed.

Adam calling me baby didn't come from a place of romantic love but from a place of seeing me as a child. The child, which he witnessed her birth.

"I am no longer a baby, Adam Scott. You only call me that because you do not see me as anything other than your baby sister. News flash, Adam, I have not been a baby in years." I said, my heart racing.

The silence that came after my outburst was heart-shattering. I pressed my ears closer to the wooden door, wishing I could go through it so that I could at least hear his heartbeat.

"Addison, open the damn door! Papa is calling you."

My idiot brother called out, breaking the silence between Adam and me. "Go away, Adelson. You aren't needed here."

"She'll be right." Adelson said, ignoring my outburst. "My dad says you should go home because it is getting dark."

I paused my breathing, waiting to hear Adam's reply, but I didn't. His feet scraped the ground, confirming that he was heeding Adelson's advice. I could feel him momentarily waiting before he spoke.

"I will be leaving now. I will see you soon," he said, his voice soft but felt heavy, before he walked away, his steps fading.

My tiny hands involuntarily grabbed my fabric. He said, 'Soon,' I exasperated, 'not tomorrow.'

"He is gone now; you can come out in your crazy look," my brother's voice rang out, sounding mockingly and full of pity.

"Adelson, I was serious when I asked you to get out." I responded, gritting my teeth. I am a tiger when it comes to my younger brother, Adelson.

"And I was also serious about dad needing you downstairs. You have only five minutes to come downstairs," he said before walking away.

I stood up and opened my bedroom door, looking around like a rat trying not to be caught. After ensuring that no one was nearby, I stepped out. I saw no need to clean myself up; everyone knew about my love for Adam Scott, and maybe if they saw my dishevelled state, they would convince him to date me instead of 'her.' I walked down the stairs in slow motion, making sure that every step echoed on the wooden staircase and made my entry grand.

"What the fuck, Addison!" My brother's loud voice echoed throughout the house; he was the only one who dared to call me by my full name, the reason I hate it. "I knew you would be a mess, but I didn't expect you to turn into a fucking disgusting ghost."

"Language, young man," my mom's voice cautioned him as she came out from the kitchen. "Oh my goodness, baby. What is this?" She asked, instinctively taking a step away from me.

My eyes close slightly, shooting daggers at them. "Can you all please stop calling me Baby?"

"Come here, Addison," my dad's voice boomed from the living room. He never calls me Addison, unless he is upset.

I walked towards him tentatively with no purpose; my purpose in life was gone; I could no longer be Adam Scott's wife.

"Did you mean you did not go to your prom after your mom and I got your prom dress and even hired a Cadillac Escalade ride?" My dad asked, as I sat across from him.

"I didn't have a date, Dad." I replied as I played with my fingers.

"You didn't have a date, or Scott refused to be your date!" I flinched as my dad raised his voice.

"Addy!" My mom called him. "Don't!"

"Honey, we can't just spend money on her prom, and she refuses to go without a good reason. That's a bratty move."

"I will pretend that you didn't say anything tonight," my mom said, glaring at my dad. "Let's go to your room, dear," my mom said, grabbing my hand and walking out.

"I'm sorry, Dad." I said, bowing my head before walking out with my mom.

"You will be okay, baby. This is just a phase," my mom reassured me as she tucked me into bed after helping me clean up. I nodded, unable to say anything, my throat dry.

She patted my head, stood up, and turned off the light, saying "Goodnight, baby," as she walked out of my room.

Hours later, I tossed and turned on my bed, feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, with sleep nowhere in sight.

Adam Scott-the love of my life-might get married to someone else.

The thought alone left me gasping for air. I have spent my entire life believing he is mine and will one day acknowledge me and his love for me.

I pushed away the blanket my mom had used to keep me warm and sat up. I needed to get out of here.

I tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to wake anyone up. I grabbed my coat from the hanger before stepping into the chilly night breeze. Shivering as my feet carried me to my destination, not caring about the chilly night.

My mind was blank, but my body knew where I was going.

To Adam's home.

It was a thirty-minute walk from my house, but I didn't mind.

I needed him to tell me he still belonged to me and that tonight was a mistake.

My stiff hand folded, and I knocked on the door. Trembling from the cold and the unknown.

A few minutes passed before the door swung open-Catherine Scott. Her sharp eyes scanned me with no expression. Then, without a word, she called for Adam.

"Come in, sweetheart." She said softly, passing me a warm overcoat and taking my damp coat.

"Mom. Addy's daughter!" His husky voice resounded in the quiet mansion.

"I will leave you both." Catherine said, patting my shoulder before walking away.

I stared at Adam, unsure of what to say.

His slightly tousled, wet sandy hair looked like he'd just showered. He wore sweatpants and a T-shirt, effortlessly looking good.

"What are you doing here at this time?" He enquired, his gaze cold.

"Tell me that I am mistaken?" I asked, searching his face for answers before he voiced out.

His brows furrowed. "About what?"

"That you have no feelings for her. That I wasn't crazy for thinking you were meant for me." I moved closer to him, keeping eye contact with him as my body craved his touch.

He exhaled heavily and took a step back.

"Go home, Addison."

His voice was firm and dismissive, like he was done with my nonsense.

I flinched and gulped hard.

The words echoed, and I was unable to breathe.

Tears flowed freely as I turned to leave, my steps inconsistent.

For the first time in my life, I realised the bitter truth.

Adam Scott was never mine.

Even if I had always been his.

I arrived home in a daze and entered my room. Behind closed doors, I let out a loud sob as my world came apart and the uncertainty of life hit me. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what my place in Adam's life would be.

Sleep never came.

And my heart was broken.

ADDISON'S P.O.V.

As I rolled on my bed, I wondered which was worse: the pounding on my door, followed by my brother's annoying voice, or the sun trying to blind me through the thin curtain.

"Addison," my brother's annoying voice echoes again, prompting me to get out of bed and open the door.

"Fuck off, Adelson. Go be annoying somewhere else." I said while also giving him the middle finger.

"You look more awful than last night. Did you cry? Your eyes are red." He said with a smirk. "Mom says you need to eat something before you die; apparently we don't have money for a burial after sponsoring a certain girl's prom."

"I am a lady, Adelson, and you will address me as such." I said with a glare while placing my hand on my hips.

"What!" Adelson said, laughing. "I would have believed you if you weren't my sister," he said with an eye roll.

I glared at him from head to toe before noticing his outfit. "Where the hell are you going, all dressed? Today is Saturday."

"Going out with Scott. He is downstairs," he answered casually, like he did not just drop a bomb.

My breath hitched, "What! Adam is here? In this house?" I glanced at him immediately, suspicious, lacing my tone. "You better not be telling lies. Why will Adam want to go out with you while that girl is here?" I said, feeling a pang of pain and not being able to call her his girlfriend. I took a step away from my room door, towards the rail, and tried looking at the living room but did not see any sandy-haired boy with amber eyes.

"You mean his girlfriend," my brother replied with a grin, dragging the last word like a dagger, enjoying the silent torture I was going through. "I guess he needs to bond with guys after all that drama yesterday."

I shot daggers at him, not believing him. "Tell Mom I will eat later." I snapped, before taking a step towards my room door.

"He is in the kitchen. And he is saying lots of loving things about his girlfriend." He said, clearly enjoying messing with me.

"It makes me understand why he chose her and not you. You are a nightmare, and she is a daydream," he says, waving his hands animatedly.

I ignored him and pushed him away, storming down the stairs and walking to the kitchen like I had a mission. If Adelson is lying to me, I would make sure he never gets to use the thing between his legs, I silently promised. Then I heard it, the rich, familiar laugh that made my heart race and halted my steps.

'Adam is really here,' I silently thought, before last night's event came back to me, making me realise that it wasn't a dream, my head spun, and I quickly grabbed a chair.

'Go away, Addison.' His voice echoed in my head.

I steady myself before entering the kitchen with a face devoid of emotion as the events of last night continue to flood in. Adam was sitting across the counter, like he belonged here, with his back to the door and me. His waft scent of lavender and mint hit my nostrils, making me dizzy.

"She's studying veterinary science," he said, his voice full of pride. "She is an animal lover, so it is an ideal fit for her."

My head throbbed, and my vision blurred. Maybe it was because I hated Louis, Adam's dog; that was why he didn't want me. Or maybe it was because I have no idea what I wanted to study, even though I am done with high school; that was why Adam did not see me fit to be his girlfriend.

"Are you okay, baby?" Mom's gentle voice snapped me out of my reverie.

When I opened my eyes, all eyes were on me. Adam's amber eyes caught mine, and he smiled at me like last night did not happen, making me doubt my sanity.

"Hey," he said awkwardly, a look of concern in his eyes.

"Good afternoon, everyone." I greeted before clearing my throat. "No one informed me that we would be hosting a guest today." I spoke while glaring at Adam.

"A guest? Who? Adam?" My mom asked with a surprised look. "Adam is family, not a guest," she said, acting like she didn't know that he broke my heart last night.

"Addy, your mom made your favourite," my dad said, his eyes filled with guilt and concern.

"I'm not hungry." I replied stiffly, still glaring at Adam. "Your guest can eat everything; I am going to my room."

I turned around, planning to race to my room, but Adam's warm hand stopped me.

"Addy's daughter," he said with tenderness and affection.

I froze as his hand on my arm sent a jolt of electricity through my body, and for a moment, I was a child again-back to the night my brother was born, one of my earliest memories. I was barely three, and as soon as I heard that my mom had given birth to a boy, I burst into a fit of cries. No one could stop my cries, not Adam's parents or my dad. But five-year-old Adam did.

"Why are you crying, Addison?" Five-year-old Adam asked me. "You have a brother now, someone to play with; you should be happy, not sad," he said, his eyes filled with longing.

I had shaken my head furiously, "Dad will no longer love me." I said, my voice breaking and my nose running.

"Why?" he asked, confused.

"He has a boy now. He has always wanted a baby boy; that was why he named me Addison." My cries started again. "Am I going to be sent to the orphanage?" I wailed.

"No, I will not let that happen." Adam reassured me. He seemed to understand my plight, so he went further to explain when I stopped wailing. "The meaning of 'Addison' might mean Addy's son, but you will always be your dad's daughter, Addy's daughter. If you want, I can call you Addy's daughter forever," he said sweetly to me, and I happily agreed, smiling at him.

His voice now brought me back to the present. "Addy's daughter," he repeated with his gentle voice. "Are you okay?"

I calmed my heart and met his eyes. "I am fine. Enjoy your lunch." I responded.

"Can we talk?" He asked, still holding onto my wrist. "It's important." He said his once-bright eyes seemed dull.

"Important?" I laughed hysterically, scaring my parents and Adam.

"Okay, we are going to give you two privacy," my mom said, dragging my reluctant dad along.

I looked at him with a crazy look as soon as my parents left and whispered. "Unless you're about to refute your words and tell me that you don't love her and you were at gunpoint to date her, I'm not interested."

He flinched slightly, and something danced in his eyes-shock? Guilt? Regret? I just couldn't tell, but after that, his eyes refused to meet mine, and at that moment, I knew that Adam Scott was hiding something from me.

Maybe, just maybe, this relationship wasn't as black and white as I was made to believe. Perhaps it is a freaking mess of grey, entwined with every shade of black and white.

ADAM'S P.O.V.

Her words hit me like a freaking punch to the gut. The fact that it was sharp and laced with pain broke me.

Addison Storm was not just angry; she was also heartbroken. And I am the reason.

Of course, I knew; I have always known that she loves me. She never hid it. She flaunted it around like a badge. Maybe it is because she assumed I felt the same way and was waiting for the right time to ask her to be my girlfriend, and she was right.

I have loved Addison Storm for a very long time. She is like a storm in my life: strong, unpredictable, relentless, and impossible to ignore. She precedes her surname, and that's what makes her special. She is my storm and, strangely, my calm.

Her words echoed again.

If only she knew how close her words were to the truth. If only she knew that I had silently followed her home last night. My heart ached as I watched her; her fragile silhouette was drowning in sorrow. Lost in her sorrow, she was unaware of my presence, and it broke me apart.

I remove my hand from her wrist, stumbling back a step or two. My chest tightened, and I averted my gaze from her again. I just couldn't look at her; what I was hiding weighed on my conscience.

Elara Vermont, her name sounded like a spell, and her surname carries the kind of power you didn't wish to mess with.

My family and hers had a clear arrangement. To save the Scott legacy, my father sold me his only son and child. I have to marry Elara, and in exchange, her family will save my father's company from bankruptcy.

This relationship wasn't about love but a duty to the Scott family. It was a goddamn business move.

Something I had no say in. My father's baritone voice echoed in my head: This family is bigger than you; you can't follow your own rules! If you want to keep answering my name and enjoy the benefits that come with it, then you do as you are told, with no questions asked!

I wanted to tell Addy the truth. I wanted her to know what's truly in my heart. She thought I was dating Elara because I love her, because I chose her, but the truth is that I have chosen no one else all these years but Addy. Addy's daughter is the one seated in my heart; she has always been and will always be.

I tried to part my lips to explain while she glared at me. My lips moved, but no words came out. My brain hurts as it works tirelessly; would the truth change my present situation? If you should tell her, does that mean you will leave Elara and date Addy? What is the need to hurt her more if you are not going to do anything about your situation? My inner voice asked.

I am a freaking coward; I mentally hit myself. I can't lose everything. All I ever knew was the luxury that comes with being a Scott, and I can't live without that. My first love in exchange for wealth and fame, my heart aches as I agree with myself. I will fall in love again, possibly with Elara.

"It's not that simple." I finally found my voice. "Elara is a good person, and being in a relationship with her is the right thing to do."

She squinted her eyes, chuckled while stomping her feet, and folded her arms. "I always knew I was a terrible person, not good enough for you." She replied sarcastically.

Before I could respond, my ringtone broke through the tension like a knife. I looked at the caller ID, and I froze. Why is she calling me?

"Go ahead, answer it," she dared. "I have an idea who is calling. You don't need to ignore her call for me." Addison said, her voice frigid.

"Later." I deliberated.

"Answer it!" She shrieked and held her head.

With a trembling hand, I swipe to accept the call. "Hello."

"Did you tell my father?" Elara's trembling voice came through.

"About? I asked," my brow furrowed.

"You know what I am talking about. Did you?" She asked again, her voice shaking.

"I will never do that to you."

"He knows," she whispered like someone was with her.

"How?" I asked, mentally shaken.

"I don't know, but find a way to fix it. If not, this marriage won't hold. Your family will be more affected than mine." She threatened before hanging up the call.

How was I supposed to fix something that wasn't caused by me? I am sure my face had no colour.

"What's wrong?" Addy enquired, her face etched with suspicion.

"Nothing," I hastily replied.

"Of course, I am nobody. And why should I try to meddle in lovers' affairs?" She said with a raised voice.

"That's not it, ba-Addy's daughter." I stretched my hands to touch her, but she swatted it like a fly.

"Don't you dare touch me again." She snapped, her voice trembling with anger, then gave me a look that said I meant nothing to her.

As she turned to leave, I called out, "Baby! Wait! I love you!"

She froze on her track, and I thought that I had finally gotten through to her.

She let out a bitter laugh and turned around, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. "Are you going to leave her?" She asked with a sad smile, like she knew what my response would be.

I cast my gaze downward.

"Fuck you, Adam Scott! Fuck you!" She screamed while ventilating. "You told me you love me for the first time at the worst timing ever. You aren't even ready to fight for love! Our love!" She said, waving her hands around, her veins obvious, her eyes red with anger.

"Addison." I tried calming her.

"You have destroyed me, Adam. I will never be the same." She said that before running away.

"You messed up, bro!" Spoke Adelson, his lips curved up in a sad smile.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to hear your conversation." He said, then let out a laugh with an edge.

"But don't worry, I won't let her know about your secret." He continued, eyes cold and hard, not the usual goofy Adelson.

"Unless I have to." Adelson said before jogging away.

As I stood in the Storm's living room, I realised that I did not just have to worry about Addison Storm; I also had to worry about Adelson Storm spilling my secret, which I am sure is not about Elara.