CHAPTER 33: A WALK AND A SCREAM

Sometimes, Bianca gets confused by Adrian’s mood swings. One moment he’s really kind, and the next, he’s just plain annoying. Like right now.

"Weirdo," she mumbles under her breath.

In his room, Adrian runs a hand through his hair in frustration. Being near that woman completely messes with his head.

Damn it...

He feels guilty for acting like a jerk to Bianca. Suddenly, he remembers the first rule in their contract. A soft sigh escapes his lips. He turns around and walks back toward the kitchen. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Bianca still there.

"Hey, I’m sorry..." he says softly, looking down.

When Bianca doesn’t respond, Adrian lifts his head. "I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. Please forgive me."

"I forgive you," Bianca says, turning around to face him. "But please don’t do it again."

Adrian nods. "Thanks. And I promise, I won’t do it again. You done with the dishes?"

"Yeah."

"Great. There’s something I want to show you," Adrian says, slipping his hands into his pockets, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Bianca raises one eyebrow, curious. "What is it?" she asks, stepping closer.

"My apartment. You haven’t seen the whole place yet, right?"

She lets out a short laugh. "Oh. I thought it was something serious."

He chuckles softly. "It’s serious to me."

Adrian starts showing Bianca around the apartment. After they finish the short tour, Adrian leads her to the cozy TV area. He gestures proudly at a shelf beside the big screen.

"Now this," he says, crouching down with a grin, "is my pride and joy."

Bianca steps closer and squints at the titles. "You like horror movies?"

"Mm-hmm..." he hums, clearly proud.

She raises an eyebrow, amused. "This really fits your image," she murmurs under her breath, not meaning to say it out loud. Luckily, Adrian doesn’t seem to hear.

Then, as if something clicks in her head, Bianca’s eyes widen. "Wait here," she says quickly, already turning and hurrying toward her room.

A minute later, she returns with a cardboard box in her arms, setting it gently on the coffee table.

"All of these are yours?" Adrian asks, peeking into the box with curiosity.

"Yeah," she says, smiling. "My little collection."

Curious, Adrian starts looking through her collection. He crouches in front of the shelf, fingers brushing along the spines of the DVDs. At first, he’s genuinely intrigued, until he realizes what kind of movies they are. Five minutes later, the interest on his face fades. Most of her collection consists of romantic dramas, comedies, and biographies—genres he almost never watches.

He exhales quietly, trying not to make a face.

"You busy?" Bianca suddenly asks.

Adrian shakes his head.

Her eyes light up. "Wanna watch this one?" she says, holding up a DVD.

"Right now?" Adrian’s brows furrow when he reads the title: A Walk to Remember.

"Yeah, now..."

Not wanting to disappoint her, Adrian finally nods and puts the DVD into the player.

As the movie plays, Adrian finds himself touched by the story of a boy who supports his girlfriend through leukemia. He glances at Bianca and sees tears rolling down her cheeks. A small smile appears on his lips.

"Typical girl," he says, standing up to grab a tissue from the table and handing it to her.

"Thanks. It’s a good movie, right?" Bianca asks as she wipes her tears.

"It’s okay." Adrian leans back, arms loosely crossed. "Honestly..." He pauses for a second. "It wasn’t bad."

Bianca chuckles. "Just ’not bad’? That’s all you’re giving it?"

He sighs, rubbing his neck. "Okay, fine. It got me a little. The guy—Landon—he changed so much because of her. I didn’t expect that."

"Love does that to people," she says softly.

Adrian looks at her, a faint trace of doubt in his eyes. "Yeah, I guess. But not everyone gets a love like that."

Bianca’s voice is gentler now. "True. But some people do. And I think... even if it’s short, it’s still worth it."

He studies her face for a moment, thoughtful. "You really believe that?"

She nods. "I do."

Adrian falls quiet again. Then he murmurs, "She didn’t even make it to the end of the summer... but he stayed. That part... stuck with me."

Bianca’s expression softens. "That’s what made it beautiful."

The two-hour film surprisingly touches Adrian, even as a guy who doesn’t believe in love.

After a few moments of silence, Adrian stretches his arms above his head and glances at her.

"Wanna watch another one?"

Bianca turns to him, eyes still a little misty. "Another movie?"

He gives a half-smile. "Yeah. I’ve got one I want to show you."

She tilts her head, curious. "What is it?"

Without saying anything, Adrian stands up and walks over to his shelf. He pulls out a DVD and holds it up with a smirk.

The Shining.

Bianca’s eyes widen. "Seriously?"

Adrian chuckles. "What? It’s a classic."

"That’s the one with the creepy twins, right?"

"And the axe. And the hallway. And Jack Nicholson slowly losing his mind."

She gives him a skeptical look. "You’re really switching from a tragic love story to this?"

"Balance," he says simply, sliding the disc out of the case.

Bianca shakes her head, half-laughing. "Alright. But if I can’t sleep tonight, it’s your fault."

Adrian grins. "I’ll take full responsibility."

Throughout the film, Bianca keeps squealing or covering her face. Adrian stays relaxed beside her, clearly more entertained by her reactions than the movie.

When it finally ends, Bianca exhales deeply. "That’s it. No more horror for me."

Adrian smirks. "So... didn’t like it?"

She gives him a look. "Let’s just say, horror doesn’t suit me. I’d rather cry over a cheesy love story than scream every five minutes."

Adrian just chuckles in response. They both stand up, stretching a little after sitting for so long.

"Didn’t realize we watched for over four hours," Bianca says, glancing at the clock.

"Time flies," Adrian replies.

Without another word, they head to their own rooms to take a shower.

***