A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to update. I sort of got lost. Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

CHAPTER TWO

" We are alone with our changing minds;
we fall in love 'til it hurts or bleeds "

Glancing up the dark stairs, there was no sound except my quiet footsteps. Where the hell would he be? I thought. There was no way a guy from the Royal Court could find his way so easily around our house. Even more surprising than that, the fact that no one seemed to care. At all. All they said was that he needed his space. I didn't think so, though. If I was in his place, I would want someone to talk to me. And no one did. And it infuriated me.

Why am I doing this?

Slowly, I tip-toed out the door, casting one last glance at Nikolai, who was asleep on the couch.

I was only in a hoodie and pajama pants, which now, seemed like one of the worst ideas I've ever had. It wasn't that I didn't know how cold it was, per say. I just didn't know it was this cold.

Where are you, Ivashkov?

I rounded the corner of my house, something I'd never do past midnight, nor would I have thought of it till now. All I could remember was Adrian making his way out the door before anyone could say anything —except my mother, of course, who seemed to like him more than anyone in the house. She'll probably be glaring at Nikolai until the day he actually decides to apologize to Adrian. Which will be never.

"You didn't really have to come look for me. Even though it shouldn't be a surprise, most women do."

I jumped, turning around, surprised at how close he was. I glared at him. "Funny," I said, "We'd thought you'd left somehow, I didn't think you'd be out here."

"Oh, really? So you weren't looking for me?"

I scoffed. "No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

I shook my head, pushing him further away from me. He chuckled. "Right. So you just decided to come outside?"

"Yes." I bit my lip, wanting to change the subject and used the first thing that came to mind. "And what was up with the whole 'beautiful name' crap? You know I have a boyfriend."

He looked up—actually, he looked down at me, he was so tall, especially when we were so close—with what I suppose were supposed to be angelic eyes. "What? I'm not allowed to think you have a beautiful name?" he paused, as if lost in thought for a moment. "And, actually," he said, "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

"Yes you did!" I exclaimed, "What else would Nikolai be doing at our house?"

Adrian laughed, at my sudden panic attack, I'd bet. I sighed. "Thought he was your brother or something."

I glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest, "You're a terrible liar, Adrian Ivashkov."

"Actually, I'm an excellent liar, Viktoria Belikova." he said, smirking. "But I just don't find it necessary to use my charm on you, although it already seems to be working all by itself."

"Cute," I muttered, annoyed. I have barely spoken to him and I already felt like I was talking to a middle-schooler. He almost reminded me of Paul. "So what," I demanded, "Are you using your so-called charm on anyone else?"

I didn't think he would answer. "Sure," he said, his trademark smirk never leaving his face. "Your sister—what's her name? Sonya?"

This time, I did punch him, but lightly, in the chest. He staggered back a bit, but otherwise it went unnoticed and didn't seem to hurt him at all. Which made me want to hurt him. Really hurt him. "You did not just say that." I said angrily.

My anger didn't seem to bother him at all. "I did, actually."

"You should know better than to piss an eighteen-year-old dhampir—who'd graduated."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, "You've graduated?"

I rolled my eyes. "Are you kidding me? It's October, if I hadn't graduated, I'd be in school."

"Right, right. That's why your nephew is missing, right? Your brother wouldn't shut up about your family on the plane ride—I was stuck next to him and Rose the whole time." He paused. "What was his name again—?"

"Paul," I said. I'd regret looking for him already. "Whatever. I'm going back to bed."

Adrian blocked me. "Leaving so soon?" he smiled down at me.

"It's almost 1am, Adrian." I said lazily. I felt weird under his gaze, and I was so thankful for the darkness. I didn't want him to see me.

He didn't let go of my arm. Now he was serious. "We need to talk."

I looked him in the eye, somehow knowing exactly what it was he wanted to talk about. "Not now."

"Why not?"

I jerked my arm away from his. "I don't want to, okay? It's really not the time." I didn't look at him.

"Viktoria—"

Now that I looked up at him, and there was no way out.

I tore the rest of the flower, and it was now in a million pieces on the floor. I shifted, getting comfortable with my back to the wall of the outside my house, and the cold floor under me finally seemed to finally be warming up.

"Okay," Adrian said. For a moment it seemed he didn't know exactly what to say; I had answered all his questions. Which were some stupid ones.

"Adrian, I couldn't have stood up to those guards anyway," I said, "And I didn't know you—I don't really know you now either."

Adrian smiled at me, he looked uncomfortable sitting on the ground, but otherwise seemed to be having the time of his life. "Alright, any questions for me?"

I focused on him, "Just the obvious," I said, "Why do you use so much gel?"

He laughed, and I did too. "No," he said, "serious ones. Come on, I can handle it."

"My questions... they're stupid."

"Can't get any stupider than mine. Shoot."

I looked away. The rumors going around drove me crazy. "What'd you do exactly?" I knew he had stolen something. But maybe what we had heard was a lie. It couldn't be true, could it? It was way too simple. "What got you... you know, stuck here? With us?"

Adrian shook his head, still smiling, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "You were right."

Aw, now I felt wrong; out of place. I bit my lip. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. "I told you," I said.

He turned to me. "No, it's okay. But.." Adrian sighed. "Can I tell you later? After I get my thoughts together?"

I nodded.

"Thanks." He ran a hand through his hair. "You must be tired anyway,"

"Yeah," I stood up. "Here, I'll show you your room."

Adrian nodded, and we headed to the house.

My only thought was that I couldn't trust him, but at the same time I did. Like when you talk to someone you don't know; they seem nice, but there's something inside of you telling you otherwise.

Suddenly, my head was reeling. My cheeks were flushed. If he couldn't tell me that one thing, how was I to trust him? Why did he have to think about it? Would he want to lie to me or something? Think of something that actually made a good lie?

Adrian stopped so suddenly my breath caught. He turned to me, so close I could almost feel his breath. My cheeks heated. "Adrian, what—"

"Viktoria.." he said, trailing off.

"Yeah?" I tried to look past him, to see if there was something there, but he reached out, taking hold of my arm. It wasn't a tight grip at all, but somehow I could feel it down to my bone.

Some emotion played out on his face that I couldn't quite read. Almost as if he had found something out. Or maybe something troubled him. Confusion spread out through me.

I didn't want to look at him but I didn't seem capable of stopping myself. We were too close and there was too much tension between us both. His emerald gaze burned as it meant mine. He lowered his head, and I forgot how to breath.