Eddie stumbled into the hotel room, and ran straight for the bathroom, collapsing in front of the toilet, and heaving his guts up.

"Told you that you couldn't handle the alcohol." I said, standing by the bathroom door.

"Go away." He moaned, as he heaved again. I chuckled. I poured myself a class of Vodka and began drinking it, as I waited on Eddie to exit. When he stumbled out, he went over and laid down on his bed.

"So what happened to your Russian chick?" I asked.

"She went to the bathroom, and I ditched."

"Awe, the poor girl… you just ditched her like that?"

"I had no choice. I didn't want to throw up on her." He said.

"That would have been a story." I told him. He groaned.

"My head is pounding."

"You didn't even drink that much." I said.

"I haven't ate much either." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"I've gone almost all day without eating, drink non-stop, and never throw up. You're such a bitch when it comes to alcohol."

"Will you shut up. I'm sorry I'm not an alcoholic Adrian."

"Yeah, yeah." I muttered. He closed his eyes, and held his head.

"How were things going with Sabrina?" He asked.

"They were going until you came and fucked it all up." I told him.

"Sorry bro." He muttered. I just nodded.

"Just sleep, you big baby." I muttered. I watched as he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep. I wanted to go back to the bar, back to Sabrina, but what guarantee did I have that she would even still be there. I looked at the clock. It was only 3 a.m. That was my guarantee. I walked over to Eddie, and pulled the stake out of his holder and shoved it into my pocket. I knew he'd beat my ass if he knew I was leaving without him, but I could really care less. I walked outside to the car, and got in, driving back to the bar. When I got out, and walked inside, I turned to find her sitting at the same booth, but with a different guy in front of her. I stood back, watching her face, her expression. As the moroi talked, she'd fake a laugh, or a smile, but in her eyes, I could see she was completely bored with him. She actually looked like she kind of wanted to shoot herself. I chuckled from a distance, but her head snapped up and she locked gazes with me, but then narrowed her eyes.

"Excuse me." She said, before getting up.

"Are you here alone?"

"Uhm… Yeah." I said, knowing she was referring to me not being with Eddie.

"Are you out of your rabbit ass mind?" She asked me. She'd said something similar the night she'd saved me in the alley outside.

"You know, from the looks of it, me showing up did you a favor." I said, motioning over to the boy still sitting in the booth. He sighed.

"That doesn't matter. It was stupid for you to come back here alone."

"I didn't come unarmed." I told her, revealing the stake in my pocket.

"Do you even know how to use that?" She demanded.

"Let's hope I don't have to find out." She shook her head.

"You'll never learn, will you?"

"I came back because I wanted to hang out with you more." I admitted, looking down.

"So, you risked coming alone, risked getting attacked by strigoi to see me again?" I nodded once. "You really are stupid, aren't you?" I looked up at her.

"I would think you would take it as a compliment."

"I think you're stupid for taking such a risk, Adrian. What if I would have left? Then who would have looked after you?" She asked.

"I don't need anyone to look after me. I am not a child." I snapped, remembering Rose and I talking from earlier. My heart lurched as I thought her name.

"I didn't say-." I shook my head at her.

"You were right. It was a mistake coming back. Good night Guardian Merlon." I said, before turning and walking out. I started into the parking lot, to my car when I heard the door open, and heard her call my name.

"Adrian, wait… What did I say?"

"You didn't say anything, Sabrina. It was a mistake coming back here without Eddie." I said. I opened the door. I felt my eyes starting to water, so I quickly looked away.

"Adrian, are you okay?" I looked up at her.

"I'm fine. I'll see you later, I hope. Goodnight Sabrina." I said, before getting into the car, and backing out, going back to the hotel. I left her standing there in the parking lot like some kind of drunken break up scene. I was stupid to go back. I was stupid to put myself out there. She was right. I was a fucking moron. When I got back to the hotel and walked in, Eddie was automatically standing.

"Where the fuck have you been?" He all but screamed.

"I was at the bar."

"Why did you leave? You should know better than to leave without me. Damn it, Adrian. Do you know how big of a risk you just took? You could have been killed. Lissa, and your mother, and Rose would have my head if I let something happen to you." He said.

"What?" I asked.

"What?" He asked, confused by my question.

"You said something about Rose." I told him. He shook his head.

"No I didn't."

"Eddie, God damn it. Don't lie to me." I growled at him. It was bad that I came in to him screaming at me, but it ended up being me yelling at him.

"Adrian, it's nothing… honestly."

"You're lying to me. I can see it in your aura. I can see it in your eyes." I snapped at him. I took a step forward, putting us in each other's face. I wouldn't hit him, and he knew that… but I wanted too. He sighed.

"I talked to Rose, before we left… and she made me promise to look out for you, not to let you do anything stupid. She knows you, and how you think. She knows you were hurt, and she knows how you respond to emotional pain. She was worried about you. She blames herself."

"It is her fault." I roared, walking past him. Here I was lying too. It wasn't her fault. She loved him more than anything in the world, and I knew that. I was stupid to make her pretend she loved me, that she felt something for me. Hell, she'd almost had sex with me. I wished we would have. God, what I would do for that one experience with her. I shook my head. I sat down on my bed, and put my hands in my head.

"She knows I'm a wreck." I murmured. He nodded.

"Yes, she does."

"She knows I'm hurt."

"She knows it's her fault." He said. He was staring at me.

"It isn't her fault, Eddie. It's mine."

"How do you go about taking the blame for someone else cheating on you?" He asked, giving me a smart ass look.

"I knew she loved him. I didn't want them leaving together. Inside, I was hoping he'd meant what he said, hoping that his love for her really had faded, but I saw it. It was in her eyes every day. Every time I kissed her, touched her, she was hesitant. I knew her body was with me, but her mind was with him. Why I let it go on, why I let her pretend, I'll never understand." I said, running my hands through my hair.

"It was because you love her, and Adrian… In a way, she loved you too."

"Oh, don't go there. She tried to feed me that shit too, and I didn't buy it. What makes you think I'll buy it from you?" I demanded, standing up, pacing beside my bed.

"Because she busted her ass for you, to protect you, she tried to be with you. You may think she felt no remorse about what she did to you, but Adrian… I talked to Rose and Dimitri both, and they both feel like utter shit. You can see it in their eyes, how ashamed they are of the way they hurt you." He said. I shook my head.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. I just want to go to bed." I turned away from him, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"If you ever, and I mean ever leave this hotel without me at this time of night again… I will break my foot off so far up your ass you're going to be able to pull it out of your mouth. Got it, Ivashkov?" He demanded. I met his gaze. Whether the boy annoyed the hell out of me or not, he looked out for me, and wanted the best for me. I nodded once.

"Got it." I said, before showering and crawling into bed. As I laid there, staring at the ceiling, hoping for sleep to come, I did something I vowed I would never do again. I found Rose's dream, and slipped into it.