Adaline (The Wallflower Series Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

two years behind them. Despite their familial relationship, Carla rarely even acknowledged the girl when they crossed paths in the hallways. He didn’t know how true the rumors were, but it was said that she was deaf which left many people uncomfortable around her.
    As he exited his vehicle, he heard her slight cries in the air and knew he couldn’t very well ignore them. Making his way over quietly, Dominic gently touched her shoulder to gain her attention and took a seat beside her.
    “Hey…are you okay?” he asked. When she didn’t respond, he assumed that maybe the rumors had been true and she was completely deaf, which left him little options for communication being that he knew nothing of sign language. Feeling like an idiot, he began to stand once more but stopped as her sniffling paused.
    “Why are you even talking to me?”
    He could hear an accent in her speech he assumed was because of her disability. “Whoa,” he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I thought you were deaf.”
    At that, she immediately stiffened. “Why the hell were you trying to talk to me then?”
    “I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect. I honestly was just worried.” Dominic returned to his seat and looked at her fully now that her head was no longer bowed. With the setting sun warming her dark skin, he was mesmerized. It shined, completely blemish-free, in the light, accentuating the fullness of her lips and her doe-like eyes.
    “I’m Dominic,” he introduced himself.
    “Adaline.”
    “Nice to meet you, Adaline. That’s a beautiful name.”
    She merely shrugged and looked away. “If you’re looking for Carla, she’s still getting ready.”
    He could tell by the way she sneered when she said Carla’s name that his girlfriend had something to do with the way she had stormed out of her home. “Well, would you mind if I sit here with you while I wait? I could use the company.” Dominic knew she probably wouldn’t be willing to talk about the reasons for her distress but knew from his own often lonely experience with the Vikhrovs that having company sometimes made things so much better, even when words remained unspoken.
    Adaline looked at him with uncertainty but paused at the comforting smile that decorated his face. Their eyes locked and she immediately felt heat rising to her cheeks as she sat mere inches away from the boy she had crushed on for so long. He had never known of her existence before but now, here they were.
    “Sure. Why not?” she responded softly, her tears drying as she leaned back on the bench as well. Together, they sat there in mostly silence, watching as the sun set in the sky.
    The memory seemed just like yesterday as Dominic cleared his throat and took a seat beside her. When her head turned in surprise, he gave her that same comforting smile and signed,
    “Hello, Addy.”

Chapter Three
    Adaline eyed Dominic warily as he took the seat next to her. While she had been excited to see him once more after discovering Carla had invited him and his family, she had never expected him to seek her out. That was even assuming he was here right now to speak with her.
    “What are you doing here? You should be at the wedding enjoying the festivities.”
    Dominic merely shrugged. “I think Carla has gotten her point across pretty well already- she’s successfully moved on.” He laughed slightly at that. “I don’t know why I was surprised to receive an invitation. It’s just like her: petty and churlish to the end. She may have moved on from me but she sure hasn’t changed much.”
    Adaline didn’t know what to say to that. She was sure Carla wasn’t expecting her actions to be so translucent but to the people that knew her, there was no denying her real reasons for bringing Dominic to her wedding.
    “Why did you come then?” Adaline found herself asking instead.
    At that, he let out a deep sigh. “I needed to get away for a bit. Any distraction would do really.”
    It was with that statement