Author's note: I hope this finds all you lovely readers well. I've adjusted a few things and there are only a handful of chapters to go. Please let me know what you think of this chapter. And if you ever have any questions or comments, you want direct answers to, you can as me over on Tumblr at booksrockmyface.

Happy reading!

Chapter Eleven

They had moved so many times Adrian lost count. It was less than six. And all in a hurry. All in the dead of night. And all with Sydney quaking in fear as she rode in the car with so many Moroi and dhampirs without an easy exit. She usually sat between Eddie and Jill, taking comfort in both of them for many understandable reasons.

Adrian slowed down on his smoking tremendously in this time. He focused on sketching almost constantly. He stopped watching Sydney so much and just hoped she would come around.

Jill leaned into his shoulder. "I feel the water."

He smiled at her. "Lucky for you we got a private beach house this time."

"And Mr. Mazur said we might be here for a while. Come down to the beach with me. Sunset over the water is so pretty. And you should draw it."

Adrian nodded and gathered his things. Jill chattered to him as they walked together down to the water. He listened kindly, but didn't really focus on the words she was saying. He was caught up short by the sight of Sydney sitting on the beach staring out at the sunset. He sat down and immediately started drawing her furiously. He barely noted Jill say something before she wondered away.

Sydney looked over her shoulder at him and then quickly turned back to the view. "Are you drawing me?"

"I always draw you, Sage." He responded softly.

Sydney sat quietly after the small exchange. He could see how stiff she was. Her eyes kept darting to the side where Eddie stood guard. Eddie had barely left her side. One would think she was the royal in need of guarding and not Jill.

After he was done, Adrian slowly moved to her side, but not too close. He sat the sketchbook open in the space between them. He folded his arms over his knees and breathed a sigh of relief in the dying light of the sun.

Sydney looked down at the drawing in vibrant yellows and oranges of the setting sun. She picked it up and examined it. "You are a fantastic artist."

"Thanks." He looked at her and their eyes locked. Then he quickly looked away. After a long silence, he said, "I can't remember a time before I loved you, Sydney."

"There you go with your charm." She mumbled. She placed the drawing in between them once more.

"I'm being honest. It was all darkness before you. I drank myself into a stupor every day because I couldn't deal with myself. There was a bit of lucidity when I was chasing after Rose…" He shook his head. "I wanted to better myself after I met you, not to impress you, but because you deserved it. But I don't know if I even deserve you, Sage. Not anymore. And if you want me to leave you alone, I will. I'll help them find somewhere safe for you and then I'll go and you never have to see me again."

Sydney looked desperately between him and the guardian. Tears filled her eyes. "I'm so scared, Adrian." She whispered desperately. "You don't deserve me because I don't even know who I am anymore. They broke me. I tried so hard to keep who I was. But it's like that was my shadow. A dream. I don't know what's real. Jill has told me. And Eddie. But I can't be me when all I know is what other people told me about my life." She looked down at her hands. "And the magic even… I can't even begin to think about that aspect."

Adrian leaned closer. "If you're willing… if you would give me a chance… I'll make a different life with you. I just need to be with you. I haven't been able to do much more than exist since I've been worrying about you. And when we were together, I was truly happy. I never was before."

She pressed her face into her hands and sobbed. "I'm sorry." She stood suddenly and ran for the house.

He got up to follow, but a hand stopped him. He looked over to see Eddie.

"Give her just a while longer." The guardian said.

Adrian sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can stand it."

"Hold on. I need you to do it for Jill. And you need to do it for yourself and Sydney."

Adrian looked toward the house once more and then back at Eddie. He gave a small nod and then sat down once more on the ground.

After a while, Jill sat down beside him. "She actually let you sit beside her. That's a good start."

"She still ran away." He dug his fingers into the sand that was still warm from the sun.

His friend shrugged. "You've still made progress."

"You made progress." He argued. He brushed off his hands. "You and Eddie. Even Rose. But not me. She doesn't care. She can't anymore."

"Don't get defeated. She sits in the same room as you without running cringing. She can have a civil conversation with you at the dinner table. She let you draw her. You're making progress, Adrian. And you need to remember that it's the same way you did it before."

He nodded and looked over his shoulder at the house. "It would be easier if we weren't moving so much."

"It probably would." Jill agreed.

"But we have to keep you safe, too."

She nodded. "Maybe we can make it home soon."

Adrian gave her a kind smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I know you miss your mom. I hope we can figure something out for you."

"I sure hope so." She wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

They watched as the stars slowly started coming into view. They reveled in the peace of the darkness for just a short time more and then went into the house to join the others.

Sydney watched Adrian for the rest of the evening. She was on a more human schedule than the rest of them took and was just starting to wind down. She sat and read on one end of the couch and Adrian on the other. Jill sat between them.

She tapped Jill's arm and leaned in to whisper, "Switch places with me."

"Are you sure?" Jill asked.

Sydney nodded and stood. She sat down in the middle, just a little closer to Jill than Adrian.

He watched her from the corner of his eye, but kept his expression as neutral as possible, though his mind began running with the excitement of it. Tentatively he repositioned himself to drape his arm across the back of the couch behind her head. His eyes locked with Sydney's a moment and he started to move away.

"Don't." She said softly. "It's fine." She went back to her book, but was growing tired. She tried to hide a yawn, but was unsuccessful. She stood and looked down at Adrian. "Would you like to… maybe do something sometime?"

Adrian's heart nearly beat out of his chest with the meaning of her words. "I'd like that a lot. I'll find a place. Somewhere open with a lot of people?"

She nodded, "Okay." She quickly left the room.

Adrian did a quick fist pump and then pulled out his phone and started doing research.