Chapter Thirteen

The Philosophy of Regret

"Where are you going?"

"Out with Kol," Anya replied, applying lipstick. "Cross your fingers that he doesn't end up killing me by the end of the night."

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" Connor joked. "Who else would break my curse?"

The look Anya gave him could have frozen the fiery pits of hell. He sighed. "I didn't mean it like that, Anya."

He was in a better mood, more like the Connor she had grown up with, the Connor she loved. That was a good sign. "I know how you meant it," she said.

Anya had no idea where Kol was taking her. She could rule Vegas out, but she wasn't even sure that wasn't an option. He was an Original vampire with jewels and castles and piles upon piles of money- he could be flying her to Rome for all she knew.

"I know- I know I haven't been very nice to you as of late," Connor started to say slowly. "And I'm- you know- I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry, and I'm very… I'm very thankful that you're helping me."

She didn't bother to hide her surprise. "Thank you," she said, frowning.

He smiled at her- one that was only half forced. "Stay safe tonight, Anya," he told her.

Connor walked out her bedroom then, and Anya checked her watch before sighing. She had to leave now; if she wanted to be late enough that she didn't seem eager but not too late that he would leave without her.

It was a fact finding mission, or so she told herself. She'd find out more information about who killed her father, and about this Margaret Lewis, all the while getting closer to Kol. That was what she had to do that night.

She felt uncomfortable in her outfit; it was too short, too tight, and too revealing. But maybe the look when Kol saw how much of her cleavage was exposed would be enough to lighten the stress placed on her. She was nervous, to say the least. But then again, she was always nervous around Kol.

The entire drive to the Grill, she spent calming herself down. She hated her nervousness, her fear of him. But maybe it was healthy. It meant she knew that he was dangerous, that he could kill her with a twist of his wrist. It meant she respected his strength, his power. And maybe Kol respected her back for that.

It was a quarter past eight when she pulled into the parking lot. After taking a deep breath, Anya grabbed her purse and got out of her car. She was a little unsteady in her heels, and took careful steps away from her car to prevent from falling. She looked around the parking lot, but Kol was nowhere to be found.

Was he not going to show up? Was he at home laughing at her right now because she took his invitation- more of an order, though- seriously? She was already halfway to a panic attack when she felt someone standing just behind her.

"You look ravishing, Darling. Ready to go?"

She turned around to face him, and Kol smirked down at her. His eyebrow quirked up when he noticed how low the neckline of her dress was. "More than ravishing," he said, and the way his eyes raked down her body- an almost hunger within them- made Anya's pulse race.

His eyes met hers, and he held onto her gaze. "We'll have to do something about that later," he said, his voice rough, and Anya was caught by surprise at the little thrill that ran through her.

"But, until then," Kol said, voice going back to normal. "We have places to be. So, after you, Little Witch."

Anya didn't budge. "Where are we going?"

"Now, don't be a spoilsport, Anya. It's a surprise," Kol said, tossing her a smirk as he walked towards his car.

"Kol-"

He stopped and turned around to face her. "What? If I don't tell you where we're going, you won't go?" he mocked her, rolling his eyes. "That might work if I couldn't just as easily throw you over my shoulder and lock you in the trunk until we get there. Though that would cause a bit of a fuss, and might wrinkle your pretty little dress."

"Actually," Anya said, cutting him off. "I'd still go- willingly, I might add. I was just going to ask nicely."

Kol scoffed, but Anya walked closer to him, until she was within touching distance. "Please, Kol," she said softly, a light smile on her lips. "Will you tell me where we're going?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You think you can just bat your long eyelashes at me and I'll tell you everything you want to hear?"

"I'm not sure," she answered. "I guess we'll see."

Kol sighed, looking annoyed. He didn't answer for a long time, and Anya started to assume that he wouldn't tell her where they were going.

"Whitmore College," he told her finally.

She frowned at him. "You're taking me to a frat party?"

Kol smirked down at her. "Worried that your little ensemble will get all those college boys excited?" his eyes quickly scanned the short red dress again. "Don't you worry, Little Witch. If a boy so much as lays a hand on you, I'll rip their hands off."

He turned around and started towards the car again. Anya hurried to catch up with him. "If that's supposed to comfort me, it doesn't!" she exclaimed.

Kol just grinned mischievously at her, opening the passenger door for her. "Hurry up, Cinderella," he told her. "Your carriage awaits."

Anya stopped right in front of him. "Am I going to regret going with you tonight?" she asked him seriously, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kol rolled his eyes at her. "Regret is highly overrated, Anya. Don't regret anything you do, it's not worth the time or energy to do so."

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out.

He grinned at her. "I think you'll be able to do that on your own soon enough," he told her. "Now, come on. Time is ticking away and we're no closer to cheap beer in red plastic cups and half-naked college students."

"You know, I expected something classier from an original vampire," she told him, sliding into the car seat. "Like New York or Atlantic City or Las Vegas or something besides a college party."

"Oh but Sweet Anya," Kol said, getting into the driver's side. "In order to get to those places, you have to pay your dues, work your way up. I'll start you at the frat party you seem so eager to shame, and see if you're able to handle yourself. Then we'll talk about going to the city."

She frowned at him as he started the car. "Do you even know how to drive?" she questioned skeptically.

"I guess we'll find out." He smirked at her as he pulled out of the parking lot and started towards the college.

She was in for a long night.

~LIP~

I won't leave you, he said. Trust me, Anya, I am not abandoning you, he assured her. Trust me, Love, he asked of her. She nodded, trusting his word. She stuck to his side like glue, but that didn't matter any.

The minute they walked into the fraternity, Kol spotted a group of drunken college girls, his eyes lighting up, and he was gone, out of sight. She yelled at him to come back, but her voice was lost in the noise of music and voices and screams.

So Anya was left to fend for herself. She got her cheap beer in the cheap plastic cup, and stood around awkwardly, feeling the gazes of the college students on her skin. She had a horrible time, and was cursing Kol out in her head. But then, after downing a few beers, suddenly she felt light and easy.

After a few more, Anya was actually having fun, all by herself. She was dancing alone in the corner of the room, the plastic cup of beer spilling onto her bare skin. She didn't need Kol to have fun. The beer tasted awful and the music was so loud her ears were ringing, but she was either drunk enough that she didn't notice these things or too drunk to care.

It wasn't long until she grabbed the attention of others. She felt arms wrap around her waist as she danced, and someone press against her. She frowned and tried to pull free, but even drunk, the frat boy who had a hold on her was stronger than she was.

She felt the arms around her waist ripped off of her, and then she heard a shout and a quick crunch. Next thing she knew was that it was Kol she was pressed up against and he was smirking, clearly proud with himself.

"Hello there, Darling," he said, his hands on her waist. "You look like you've had a few."

"And you look like you've had a few drunk sorority girls," she retorted, gesturing to the blood in the corner of his mouth.

His grin widened. "I admit, I might have fed on some unsuspecting women."

She was too drunk to care if they were still alive or not. "And what about the boy I was dancing with?"

"Dancing? Is that what they call it nowadays?" Kol spun her around, and Anya felt the world spin around her. It didn't stop until she was in his arms again. "From my view it looked like he was getting rather friendly with you."

"So what if he was?" she countered, swaying to the music or from being drunk, she didn't know. "Does that bother you? Make you jealous?"

He smiled then. They were both talking rather loudly, to be heard over the noise of the party going on around them. He liked drunken Anya. She was a good friend of his, an entertaining one. She had no filter, she spoke what was on her mind. Drunken Anya was one of his favorites.

"What if it did, then, Love?" he raised an eyebrow at her, taking the drink out of her hand and finishing it. "What if I told you that I want to rip the eyes out of every man in this house so that they can't look at you the way they are right now?"

He winced as the bitter liquid went down his throat. Maybe he should have taken Anya somewhere classier. Then maybe he would get to drink better quality alcohol.

He could feel her heart racing, he could feel the vibrations. Kol loved the feeling of her heartbeat. The way it raced under his fingertips gave him this sense of power he loved to have. He leaned in closer to her then, so close that he could feel her breath against his cheek. They were so close to each other he could feel the vibrations of her heart against his own chest, feel her blood pumping through her veins. They were so close to each other there was practically no space between them.

At that point they were just swaying to the music that played around them, with no real movement whatsoever. One of Kol's hands went down to her thigh, just below the hem of her dress. "I have to tell you, Anya," he said, his nose skimming her neck as he pulled her even closer against him. "That dress of yours looks great on you. But I do think it would look even better on my bedroom floor."

He felt her shiver, and she leaned against him almost automatically. "I bet you say that to all the girls you bring with you to parties," she said quietly, but he heard her perfectly. He was almost hyperaware to the arm wrapped around his neck, to the hand gripped on his shoulder, to the hair that brushed against his face.

"Oh, believe me, Darling, I have plenty of lines," he whispered back. "But that's one I saved for you alone."

She closed her eyes. She knew she would do something she'd regret if she stayed so close to Kol for much longer, but she stayed where she was. Anya couldn't think of anything she wanted to do more than feel Kol's lips against her own at that moment.

"I don't regret it," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Regret what, Little Witch?"

"Going here with you. I don't regret it. I will in the morning, but not tonight, not right now. Regretting is overrated," she assured him.

He grinned at her. "That's my philosophy."

Then, before she could do or say something to stop him, Kol kissed her. He kissed her fiercely, his mouth almost bruising hers with the force at which his lips pressed against hers. Anya kissed back, her arms wrapping around him as tightly as she could manage.

She would enjoy herself tonight, and regret it all in the morning. That was her philosophy.

~LIP~

A/N: sorry for the wait guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Review!

~Abby :)