Adrian was thankful. Thankful that at last one of his prayers was answered pretty quickly. Late on Saturday evening, his team was informed that their man, the same one they were after, had surrendered. He realized he would be tracked down so he did the sensible thing and he was now back in police custody. After he escaped the forests, he apparently walked into the nearest police station and just gave himself up.
This news could not have come at a better time for Adrian. As soon as they got it, everyone began organizing their equipment, weapons and gear and started the trek back out. At least their stint there wasn’t a lost cause. Along the way, they found some marijuana fields and destroyed them. That would only mean less weed finding its way on the market.
When Adrian finally returned to the apartment late on Saturday night, it felt strange to him. It felt cold and empty and lonely. Although Cory’s car was parked outside, the minute he turned the lock and stepped inside, Adrian immediately knew she wasn’t there.
The apartment was too quiet. There was no laughter or giggles to soothe him. There were no delicious smells wafting through the air to greet his nose, either from her food or her signature scents of floral or citrus. None of these things greeted Adrian as he opened the door. He stared at an empty, cold apartment and was instantly reminded of the unhappiness and pain he’d caused Cory right there yesterday.
He dropped his gear and made his way to the bedroom. This only served to confirm his suspicions. Cory was gone. A golden glimmer on the bed caught his eyes. On closer inspection, it was something dear and precious to her. Her wedding ring. What was Cory’s wedding ring doing on the bed?
As he sat on the bed and played with it in his hand, the cold, harsh reality became all too real for him to bear. Adrian sank into the bed and his entire world crashed before him. The woman he loved wasn’t in it anymore. She left him and his worst fear had come true.
He was going crazy from not knowing where Cory was or what was going on with her. All sorts of madness rushed through his head. Adrian was becoming sick with worry. He grabbed his cell and dialed her number. It went immediately to her voicemail. He must have called her at least fifty times after that. She never once answered his call. He left just one voice message after all that.
Maybe he just needed to hear her voice again. No, that wasn’t enough. How could that ever be enough? He needed Cory here with him, back in his arms again. He had to find her. Wherever she was, he had to find her. He had to make her understand that it was never his intention to hurt her. That he loved her with all his heart. That he couldn’t possibly live here without her. In this apartment. On this island. On this earth.
Adrian needed a long cold shower but rushed out stark naked when he heard Pitbull and Chris Brown’s “International Love” lyrics belting out. His cell phone was ringing. He didn’t have time to see the caller flashing across the screen. He just grabbed the phone and answered. The first word to come out his mouth was, “Cory?”
“No, this isn’t Cory. What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you see my number calling?”
“Oh, hi, Anna.”
“Oh, hi, Anna? Is that all I get?” an irate Anna asked on the other end.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was Cory, okay?”
“Adrian, what’s wrong?” Anna asked. “And don’t tell me nothing because I’m hearing it in your voice. Where’s Cory, Adrian?”
“I don’t know, Anna. She left. I came home and she isn’t here, okay,” Adrian answered in a low voice.
“What do you mean she left? What’s going on over there?”
“Look, Cory found out some things she shouldn’t have. It should’ve come from me telling her personally. But now she knows and she hates me for it.”
“What exactly did she find out, Adrian?” Anna persisted.
“Anna, I never even told you this before, okay.”
“Told me what?”
“I can’t be without her. I love her too much, Anna. But she doesn’t want to even talk to me or see my face for that matter.”
“Adrian, but what could you’ve possibly done to deserve that?”
“Remember when I asked you to pull that news clip for me? The one when Cory’s brother was shot. I was there that night, Anna. I was part of the patrol unit that shot and killed four men two years ago. The driver of the car … that was Cory’s brother. He was killed innocently. But we didn’t know that, we had no prior knowledge that he wasn’t a gang member or that he was even in that car.”
“Hold up, Adrian. What’re you saying?”
“I’m saying that I was responsible for killing my wife’s brother,” Adrian shouted through the phone. “But I swear I didn’t know that before. But that’s not what she thinks.”
“Oh, God. So what does she think, then?” Anna asked in horror.
“She thinks that I deliberately lied to her and used her to hide the facts. She thinks I’m a murderer, Anna.” Adrian paused after saying this. He still couldn’t believe Cory called him that. “I had already fallen in love with her when I found out. What was I supposed to do? I know that I should’ve told her everything from the beginning. I know that. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I’m willing to take responsibility for it. But I just want to talk to her and tell her everything. I just need her forgiveness. But it’s too late. She already left. I just want to see her again, Anna. I just want to hear her voice. I just want to hold her and comfort her.”
“Adrian, I know you, okay. I understand why you felt you couldn’t even tell me about this. Because you wanted to protect me. I get that. And I get that you didn’t tell Cory because you didn’t want to lose her. Though it was stupid! But I understand why you did what you did. And I know it couldn’t have been an easy decision for you. But Adrian, you have to tell her everything now. Why you did what you did. That you love her and can’t stand to be without her.”
“Anna, I want to. But I don’t know where she ran off to.”
“So you’re going to let that stop you? You just have to find her, Adrian,” Anna was beginning to sound just as frantic as Adrian now. “You have to find her and tell her and make her understand. Use all your resources dammit. You just have to find her.”
“I don’t think that’ll work, Anna. You know how stubborn Cory is. Besides she doesn’t even want to speak to me.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to sit there and do nothing?” Anna’s voice was now rising. “Adrian, I know you’re a fighter and I know you love Cory more than anything in this world and I know you’ll do anything, whatever it takes to win her back. So don’t you dare give up now. I’ve seen you battle death. I’ve seen you battle terrorists. I’ve seen you battle loneliness. Now you have to battle for the woman you love and the life you want with her.”
Now he would have two hysterical women to calm down and Adrian couldn’t handle dealing with another frantic female on his hands again so soon. After a long silence, he finally broke it.
“Sis, thank you.”
Anna laughed. “For what? I love you, bro. And I want you to be so amazingly happy. In fact, Adrian, since the first time I saw you and Cory together, I’ve never seen you so happy before. You’re always there for me so all I need is for my one and only and most amazing brother in this whole world to be so very happy. You deserve it after all you’ve been through.”
Adrian was glad his sister had put things into perspective for him. No matter what happened in the end, Adrian believed it was his duty to find Cory, tell her everything, and beg her to find it in her heart to forgive for all the pain and grief he caused her and her family. She deserved that much. Then maybe, he could go on from there somehow.
“Anna … I’m going after her.”