Listen to Mine by Bazzi

"Welcome to another vlog of Vina and Adrian take New Yorkkkkk," I sang into my phone camera. We were stuck in the annoying New York traffic; I was relieved I wasn't the one driving because I wasn't a patient person.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked Adrian raising the camera higher to capture both of us in view.

"It's a surprise," he smirked.

"I don't like surprises, I have a feeling he doesn't even know where we're going," I whispered into the camera as if Adrian wasn't next to me.

"Why exactly are you vlogging?"

"Just gathering evidence for when all these go to shit and you'll see that I was right, a trip to New York won't make us friends."

"Have some faith, will you." He said with a smug grin.

"I'm trying, Parker but so far I can't say I'm impressed," I said and his incredulous stare made me laugh.

"You're one difficult woman, Vixen."

I made a 'tell me something I don't know' face into the camera and burst out laughing when Adrian looked at me as if he was concerned about my behavior.

"We're pausing here," I said and stopped recording. I turned to look at him and he had a weird smile on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said still smiling.

"Whatever, I need some good music for this agonizing traffic," I sighed and connected my phone to the car's Bluetooth. I put on my go-to-playlist and turned up the volume. I moved my shoulders as the beats of Livin' la vida loca by Ricky Martin echoed in the car.

"She's into superstitions, black cats and voodoo dolls... she'll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain...upside, inside out, she's livin la vida loca. She'll push and pull you down, livin' la vida loca." I did little dances with my arms and shoulders as I sang along. I could feel Adrian's eyes on me, following every little movement as if they drew him in.

"This should be in the vlog," he said picking up my phone and unlocking it with my face.

I smiled at the camera as I screamed the lyrics and moved my body. I snatched the phone back after a while and said, "Your turn."

"Hell no."

"Come on, Parker, don't be shy," I smirked.

"Trust me, Vixen, the last thing you wanna see is me dancing. This song was practically made for you, and I don't wanna spoil it with my awful dance move."

"I don't care, just give me something Parker." I teased.

"Vixen," he groaned rubbing his stubble as he stared outside the traffic.

"Fine, I'm changing the song, but you must dance."

I changed to Yo Voy by Daddy Yankee.

"Ella hace todo seducirme y yo voy voy voy..." I whispered the lyrics unable to stop myself from dancing. Adrian's eyes ran down the length of my body, lingering longer on my hips and slowly moving up to my lips. He bit on his bottom lip and adjusted in his seat.

"Sorry Vixen, I have had too many embarrassing moments and I don't want you to witness one," his lips quirked into a small smile.

"Remind me never to go on a road trip with you," I frowned and turned down the music as the traffic started moving. I stopped recording and sat back, looking outside the window at the view.

"You love my company, admit it."

I scoffed and said nothing. We drove for a few minutes before we pulled into a parking lot. We walked into a tall building. I waited a few feet away while Adrian spoke to the receptionist. He walked back to where I stood, scrolling through text messages from my mom who was asking me if I could stop by the house today unknown to her, I was in another state.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights," Adrian said as I sent a quick text to my mom telling her I was busy with schoolwork.

"Please don't tell me we're going bungee jumping," I said and he smirked, not giving me an answer. "Is that the surprise?" I inquired already panicking.

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything, well except rats and elevators."

"Fuck you," I hit his arm playfully and he laughed.

"You'll love it, I promise." He assured me.

"I'm not putting my life at risk because of you, Parker."

"That was heartbreaking, Vixen." He faked a sad look, and I shook my head at him.

A man in glasses, khaki shorts, and a blue t-shirt walked up to us with a paper in his hand. I stood back while Adrian answered his questions, he asked for our IDs, and we showed him. He asked us to follow him, I looked up to Adrian as if asking for his assurance of my safety.

"Have you ever been on a helicopter?" he asked putting his arm around me. I didn't shrug it off as I usually do.

"No."

"Well, today you're ticking that off your bucket list. We're touring New York in a helicopter. We get to see everything from the sky."

I didn't know what to say, I was having mixed emotions. There was anxiety, excitement, and maybe shock.

"Are you trying to impress me, Parker?" I looked up at him biting the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from smiling.

"Is it working?" He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked down at me. I was amused by the height difference, the fact I had to tilt my head to the side to look at him. I tried not to be hyperaware of his thumb drawing lazy circles on the skin of my shoulder, of how good he smelled, or the heat radiating from his body and feeling him so close that my body tingled.

"I'll tell you after the tour."

We came to a stop in front of an elevator, Adrian and I exchanged looks as our tour guide pressed the button for the elevator. I took a deep breath as I felt my pulse rising and my heart pounding.

"We'll meet you at the top, we just need a moment," Adrian said, and the man nodded. He pulled me to the side as the elevator opened, we watched the man walk inside and as the elevator closed.

"Is going to be a long way up, ready?"

"You don't have to always take the stairs with me, you know?"

"I noticed my cardio has improved since I started taking the stairs with you, I don't think I'm ever taking the elevator again." He said and I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

"Shit, I just made you blush," he said pointing at my face.

"You wish," I said wiping the smile off my face and pulling away from him to find the stairs.

"You can't resist me for long, Vixen," he whispered in my ear from behind. I felt a wave of current flow through my body from the husky sound of his voice and the soft brush of the heat from his body. I tried to shake it off, but I could already feel the goosebumps on my skin.

We were both out of breath by the time we made it to the top floor, me more than Adrian. I had to hold onto his arm till I was able to catch my breath and stand on my own. We listened to instructions about safety measures and seating positions. The tour guide introduced us to the pilot and led us to the helicopter. Adrian helped me first into the helicopter and took the space beside me. We put on seatbelts and headsets.

"This is so exciting!!!" I screamed as the helicopter slowly took off the floor.

I enjoyed the tour more than I expected, I took so many pictures even added more to our vlog, and made every say something into the camera. I also recall gripping Adrian's arm so hard whenever I saw something I found spectacular and squealing like a fangirl, I was sure they were sick of me by the time we returned.

"I don't even have to ask, you were obviously impressed Vixen," Adrian said once we got into the car. I ignored him and went through the picture we took; I couldn't stop myself from smiling at the adorable photos. He was right, I had the time of my life on that helicopter tour. We stopped by a museum on our way and I made Adrian take pictures of me with several monuments, artwork, and beautiful backgrounds. We took a walk in the central park after, I sweet-talk Adrian into getting ice cream. We threw random questions at each other about our likes and dislikes, unpopular opinions, and taste as we walked down the park, the hot sun giving us more tan than intended while the warm breeze blowing my sundress and tanned thighs and disheveling Adrian's raven hair. We both admired the picturesque view of lush deep green grass and trees blending perfectly with the vibrant array of colors coating the flowers and leaves. It had been a long day and I enjoyed every moment.

I was exhausted by the time darkness took over the sky, Adrian was excited about watching a basketball game at Madison Square Garden tonight. I agreed to go with him even if I hated watching basketball games and didn't understand shit but the glow in his eyes and that attractive smile curving his lips when he told me about it made me forget about my sore muscles and heavy eyes.

Maybe seeing a basketball game in person changed my perspective about the sports game, maybe it was the tall, good-looking, and athletic players roaming the basketball court that made me fall in love with the game or maybe it was watching Adrian's mix of emotion throughout the game. When he was disappointed I was disappointed when he was excited I was excited. I started cheering for his favorite team with him even if the most good-looking men were on the opposite team and I might have quietly pumped a fist and whispered 'yes!' when the gorgeous guy with the neat corn rows scored from the opposite team. I got so invested towards the end that I was on my feet with Adrian anticipating every move, every jump, every dribble, and once that final whistle echoed throw the stadium and Adrian's team won, we shared a hug. It was a 'we just shared a special moment' hug, a hug that made me sink into his arms while his one arm wrapped around my lower back while he embraced me as he buried his face in my neck and I could feel his body relax. It was a hug that lasted longer than five seconds. When we both pulled away, we shared an awkward smile and headed to the exit in silence.

"I succeeded in initiating you to join the Rangers," Adrian said as we entered our suit at 2 am, all I wanted was to jump in bed but I remembered that I had loads of schoolwork, and if I didn't work on it today, I would be behind and I won't get any extension.

"You can thank the fine piece of men that graced that court, they made it worth watching," I said stretching.

"Did you have fun? Have I at least done enough to win you friendship?" He asked staring at me with a softness that told me how much my answer would mean to him.

"Yes, I enjoyed every second of today. It just felt like for a moment I could forget about schoolwork, worrying if I would pass this semester, missing my shifts at the café and worried I might get fired, my Dad almost..." I paused realizing I was about to say too much.

"It was a great day, but I'm still not sure about the friendship thing," I smiled and walked away.

I took a shower and grabbed some books, my binder, my laptop, my iPad, and flashcards. I found myself falling asleep before I could get through the first chapter. I decided to go to the living room, realizing my bed was the problem. I drank a can of energy drink I found in the ridge and sat on the floor in front of the glass table.

Adrian came out a few minutes later in nothing but grey lounge pants that hung low around his waist. I forced myself to look away and focus on the book in front of me.

"You can study tomorrow; it's been a long day." He said, his voice hoarse and tired from sleep.

"I'm running behind on a lot of schoolwork."

"Can I help?" He ask and I looked up at him with a 'are you joking?" expression. He shrugged and took a seat.

"I'm not looking for any distraction right now."

"I'll take that as a compliment. I'm just keeping you company. I don't want you to feel lonely. Don't worry you won't even know I'm here."

I sighed and flipped to the next page. I spent the next hour taking notes for my care plan and doing a twenty-minute quiz. Adrian hasn't said a word, and the room was awfully silent. Only the tall lamp at the corner of the sectional lit up the dim living room. I yawned and stretched my arms and neck, I looked back and found Adrian asleep on the couch. All thoughts of finishing my reading and assignments were gone as I sat there and marveled at his beauty. I wanted to paint him, to draw the hard lines and contours of his body, trace his full lips and hard jawlines. I wanted to run my fingers through his soft hair and I wondered what it would be like to kiss Adrian Parker.

I wanted to discretely capture this moment and add it to memories of this trip, I felt like a creep as I picked up my phone and opened my camera. I got the perfect angle that put all of him in the frame like a Greek God sprawled on his throne knowing he held so much power and beauty to steal any woman he wanted. I tapped on the screen to take the picture, my eyes widened when the flash from the camera and the sound of the click made his eyelashes flutter and his eyes open.

Dumbass

"Are you taking pictures of me, Vixen?" he asked with a smirk, sitting up smoothly. I tried not to watch how his arms and stomach muscles flex at his effortless movement.

"No, I was taking a selfie," I said, scrolling through my phone.

"Let me see," he snatched the phone from my hand.

"Hey!" I tried to collect it back from him, but he moved it away from me.

"Hmm, was the camera facing the wrong way? Should I be worried you're obsessed with me?" he asked looking at the picture of him I took. I tried to snatch it back, but he moved it away from my reach.

"Give me back my phone, Parker," I cried. I jumped on him, making him fall hard to the ground and me landing on top of him.

"Fuck!" Adrian winced at the pain when his head hit the wooden floor.

"Ay dos mio oh my God, I'm so sorry," I said standing up from his body and collecting my phone from him first.

"Are you okay?" I asked biting back my laughter.

"I think my skull cracked." He groaned sitting up while I laughed.

"How do you feel?" I asked stepping closer and checking his head for any bump or bleeding.

"Apart from feeling like my head is splitting open; confused," he said and winced again.

"Let's go to the ER, you might have a concussion," I said grabbing his arm and helping him up. He grabbed a black zip-up hoodie and wore it with nothing underneath. I was in red plaid tiny shorts with a bow at the front, and a white hello kitty crop top that did little to hide my puckered nipples but I grabbed a fleece hoodie and wore it on top, it stopped at my mid-thigh hiding the shorts underneath. I called David as we took the stairs, I apologized for waking him up so early. He was waiting at the entrance with a small smile. How does he still have a suit on and look like he just took a shower?

"Take us to any good hospital you know around here," Adrian said to David as we entered the car.

"Shit, Vixen" he groaned as he touched the back of his head.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered assessing his head again, trying to make use of whatever skill I have learned so far from nursing school. "tell me if you're feeling any different," I said.

"Maybe flattered that you decided to study me instead of your books, what were you planning to use it for huh?" he said with a smug look.

"You should stop talking, it'll make the pain worse." I lied.

It was a short ride to the hospital, I held Adrian's arm as we walked into the ER. We waited for almost an hour with Adrian placing his head on my shoulder and holding onto my arm like a scared kid. A nurse came over and called us in. I was asked to stay back and only Adrian left with her. I tried Chloe's line again and she sent me to voicemail. I sighed and decided to check my school email and Blackboard for any new messages. I chatted with Becca and Janiya on the group chat Becca created, I felt left out as they exchanged pictures of designer shoes and where to go for spring break. I left the group chat and checked the time, it was almost 4 am.

"It's only a mild concussion, the Doctor said I will be fine," Adrian's voice pulled my gaze away from my phone.

"Ok, let's go," I stood up and began to walk away.

"If you don't hold me, I might fall," Adrian said behind me. I stopped and turned around to look at him. I rolled my eyes and held his arm, I could feel him smiling.

We walked to the car and entered, Adrian moved closer and placed his head on my shoulder. I looked down at him and found his eyes closed.

"You know, for a guy you are very clingy," I said looking outside the window at the beauty enveloping the city.

"Only with you," I heard him whisper. I fought the smile tugging at my lips and the warmness on my cheeks. I took in the beauty of the city. The traffic lights, large billboards, and neon lights on shops illuminated the sky in luminous incandescence wrapping the whole city in a web of energy. How could anyone sleep in such a city full of life and miss out on the beauty?

The car came to a stop, drawing my gaze away from the Highrise buildings on the block. I looked beside me at the hotel building.

"Hey," I whispered, tapping Adrian on the arm. He woke up with a sigh and sat up. I opened the door and stepped out.

I flexed my neck as we walked into the suite. Adrian grabbed my hand before I could move to my room, he pulled me gently to him.

"Are we friends now?" he said with an enchanting smile that made his eyes sparkle under the light above us, I wanted to tell him I loved his dimples but held the words back. I was becoming too soft around him.

"I'm still indecisive," I said as if I needed more convincing.

"Even after you almost split my head open?" he asked brushing a strand of my curls behind my ear, it sent warmth through my body. The little gesture affected me more than I anticipated.

"It was an accident," I hit him playfully, he laughed. "Is your head still hurting?" I asked.

"No," he said. "Go to sleep, Vixen."

"I don't feel like it, I have to study. Go and get some rest."

"I can help you study if you want, I can't sleep either," he said quickly when I turned around to leave.

"I guess you can help me with my flashcards."

"Whatever you need, Vixen," he beamed.

"Please put on a shirt."

"Of course, I would hate to cause any form of distraction." He said sarcastically.

I returned to my reading spot with a bottle of water and two bags of sour candy. Adrian joined me a few minutes later wearing a black t-shirt that didn't make much difference to his bare torso, I could see the slopes and ridges of his pecs and abs from the way the t-shirt glued to his skin.

I threw a Ziplock bag filled with my flashcards at him, he grinned as he caught them. We shared the sour patch as he asked me questions from the flashcards.