Hi Everyone! Here is the argument you've been waiting for…I hope I don't disappoint anyone.
If so, just lie to me….LOL…..I hope you like the twist I have added to Adrian's character.
Thanks for all your reviews.
I own nothing…We all know who does!
Terri :-)
CHAPTER 40
ADRIAN'S POV
I wasn't expecting the reunion I got from Rose. I guess my surprised reaction was evident as I unconsciously jerked as she embraced me.
"What's the matter, Adrian? Rose caught my gaze, her eyes filled with concern. "Did I do something wrong?"
I gave her a tortured smile. "No, never. You could never do anything wrong. Your greeting just caught me off guard, that's all. I wasn't sure on how you would receive me.
I was really nervous to come here and see you." I said; pressing my lips to her forehead.
She smiled up at me. "I must admit that I was nervous when I saw you. I thought you wouldn't want to see me either. Since, I hadn't received any phone calls. And I didn't call you because you told me not too. So, I assumed you were still mad at me."
I gave her a remorseful grin. "I am sorry I told you not to call me. I was acting so stupid and no, I am not mad at you." I took a deep breath and released it slowly.
"But, we do need to talk. Is there somewhere we could go and be alone? Maybe we could take a walk?" My voice was shaking slightly from nerves.
I saw the worry in Rose's face. "Yeah. See, I knew there was something wrong."
I gave her a sideward glance as we walked. "I never said that there wasn't anything wrong. I just said that you didn't do anything wrong. You've never let me down, Rose.
Never... It seems as if I am the one always letting you down. Old habits die hard, I guess."
I grabbed a hold of Rose's hand, entwining our fingers as we walked along the quickly darkening streets of the small town.
Rose shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous Adrian. You've never let me down. Why would you say something like that?"
I turned to her; while taking both of her hands in mine, holding them tightly, and positioning them over my heart. I was afraid when I told her the truth. I probably wouldn't ever hold her hands again.
"Rose, I hate to tell you that I have let you down, but you just weren't aware of it… until now. There is something I need to tell you."
Rose's eyes were searching mine, frantically looking for an explanation. "What are you talking about Adrian? You are not making any sense at all."
I took another deep breath and exhaled. It was the moment of truth. "Rose.."
I paused briefly, trying to gather my courage. "The night that we had our argument, I went to The Tavern."
"Okay, you went to The Tavern? And?" She was encouraging me to move forward with my story.
" I ran into some old friends…we were dancing, drinking, and I got pretty drunk. I mean inebriated. I did something I regret more than anything I ever done before. And no matter what I do, or how hard I try…I can't take it back."
Rose was staring at me with confusion written all over her features. "What did you do, Adrian?"
I half choked on the words as they left my mouth. "I was dancing with Ashley Conta and she..well…she kissed me while we were on the dance floor.
But, the worst of it was; we went back to her apartment, and she kissed me again. And I didn't stop her. I allowed it to happen and I kissed her back. I am so sorry."
Rose was looking at me like I was deranged. It appeared as if she were having a difficult time deciphering what I had just said to her. "What…what did you say? I don't understand what you're saying?"
"I left the bar with Ashley Conta. Rose,…. I cheated on you with her. I am so sorry, babe. Please forgive me. I was so drunk. We only kissed, nothing else happened." Everything came rushing out of my mouth in one panicked breath.
Rose dropped our joined hands as everything came crashing together. I reached for her hand again and she jerked back from me, not allowing me to touch her.
"You only kissed? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You only kissed…you went home with her. Were you planning on having sex with her, Adrian?" She was screaming at me with complete fury.
"I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't know what I was planning to do. I was too drunk to rationalize anything I was doing. I barely knew my own name. I am sorry. I love you, Rose."
Before I could register what was happening. I felt her slap me across the face. Hard. Rose glared at me with a look of pure disgust in her eyes and so much hatred in her voice as spoke to me.
"Don't say that to me. You don't have the right to say that to me... Not anymore."
My heart was completely broken to see her look at me with so much disappointment and disgust. "Rose, please…listen to me. Please let me explain."
"No! Adrian, I can't trust you anymore and without trust, what do we have?...We have nothing."
I begged her. "Rose, don't say that. We have a lot. You can trust me."
"No, I can't and when you put your lips to hers, you proved that to me." Rose was becoming quite calm with the situation and I found it eerie that as she calmed down, became more rational. I was changing.
She wouldn't even listen to me and it was starting to make me angry. "You can trust me. I will prove it to you. I mess up one time and you condemn me? Condemn us?" I shouted at her.
"You shouldn't have messed up at all. And it's been twice…..You've messed up twice." Rose accused.
My voice was rising again. "No, I didn't. Who? When?"
"Caitlin, remember?"
I let out an exasperated sigh. "Christ Rose, now let's be fair. I had nothing to do with that and you know it. I had no control over that situation.
I was not a willing participant when she kissed me. You know that was all a set up on Cailtin and Tatiana's behalf."
"Oh, okay! I will give you that. But, what about Ashley? Did you have control over that situation? Were you a willing participant in that one?" I could hear it in Rose's voice that she was getting ready to flip out on me.
I bowed my head. "Yes, I did have control, as much control that a drunk could have over any situation. And yes, I was willing. I won't lie to you Rose."
"You won't lie to me, but you can break your promises." I could feel her staring straight through me.
I jerked my head up to meet her gaze. "What promises?"
She shook her head and gave a small, disgusted laugh. "Nothing, it's stupid. I shouldn't have even thought that you could be serious at that time."
"Tell me. I want to know." I was bursting with curiosity.
"When you gave me the dating proposal. Why is it, that you could easily fulfill #8, which was the hardest thing on the list to guarantee somebody. But, you couldn't keep promise #7, when it should have been the easiest to fulfill, if you truly loved me."
I looked at her with shock. "You remember that? You remember what I wrote to you on that list?"
She gave a sad nod of her head. "Of course I do. It was important to me. That was the day I decided to give you a chance, to allow myself to fall in love again, to fall in love with you. And it was a big mistake."
"Rose, don't say that. You don't mean it. I am truly sorry."
"Adrian, you keep saying that, but why did you do it then? Am I not enough for you?"
"Jesus, no Rose…You're everything to me. You're more than anything I've ever wanted."
"Then why? Why did you do it?"
I shook my head, knowing I didn't have a real answer for her. "I don't know. But, what I do know is that I can't lose you, both of you. You're all I got. All that I want. You're my family. It meant nothing. She meant nothing."
Rose became very cold when she spoke. "Well, that's makes it even worse . You should have thought of your family when you went back to another woman's apartment with the intent to have sex with her.
You should have realized what you would lose before you did what you did and to lose us over someone who meant nothing to you…. was a total waste."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What was she insinuating? "Are you ending this? Rose? Are you leaving me?"
She just stood there staring at me, not daring to remove her eyes from mine.
I couldn't take the silence as I SCREAMED at her. "Are you? Answer me, damn it!"
She lifted her chin defiantly. " I don't know Adrian. After everything we have been through, how could you do something like this? Do I mean so little to you? No, do WE mean that little to you?"
I tried to reach for her again as she pulled from me. "Can you forgive me? I will do whatever it takes. I will change anything that I need to change. Just don't leave me."
For the first time since I told her the truth about Ashley, tears started to fall from her eyes. "You are not capable of change. I don't know what to think anymore, Adrian. I can't believe that you could do this to us.
You have humiliated me. I don't know what I want. I just need some time to sort things out. NO! I know what I want…. I just want you to go back hom…"
I had the oddest sensation come over me. "Strigoi." I whispered urgently to Rose.
She looked at me, confused. "What are you talking about? There are no strigoi. I would sense them."
"Listen for a minute. Can you hear them? There is a man and a woman. They are watching us and they can't understand why I am not attacking you."
I felt as if I were losing my mind. What the hell was happening to me?
"Attacking me? What are you talking about? What the hell is going on, Adrian?" It became eerily silent. "Oh shit! You're right. There are Strigoi."
Rose finally sensed them as she poised for an attack, with her stake ready for the fight.
While we stood on the darkened street, two strigoi stalked towards us out of the nearby woods.
"Get behind me Adrian. I can handle this. I may want to kill you, but I sure the hell don't want them to kill you. Big difference. Now, get behind me."
"No, Rose. They think I am strigoi. I don't understand it. I am confusing them. Maybe we can use this to our advantage."
The female strigoi noticed Rose was distracted by me and attacked her. She came at Rose, delivering a blow to her left cheek.
But, Rose wasn't having any of that, as she repeatedly punched the strigoi in the face.
It was strange that the male strigoi stood beside me watching the fight between the female and Rose. It was like he was watching a sports game.. He wasn't paying any attention to me. When rightfully, he should have been trying to kill me.
It was then I realized I was able to hear his thoughts, and her thoughts. I felt as if I were having an out of body experience. There was too much happening around me.
I heard in the male strigoi's mind that he was going to attack Rose when she was engrossed in battle with the female. It was like I became someone else as I reacted. I screamed. "Rose, watch out!"
Both strigoi turned to look at me. I grabbed the male during the chaos, giving Rose a chance to position her stake, and plunge it deep within the female's heart.
The male fixed his red eyes upon mine and then he spoke in the most sinister voice. "Why are you helping her? What are you?"
I reacted quicker than I ever knew was possible, switching the man's position. It was the perfect opportunity for Rose to kill him.
"Rose, stake him." I said as I held him with his arms behind his back, exposing his heart. Rose lifted her silver stake, ramming it into his chest. The strigoi's mouth flew open to say something, but it was too late.
Unfortunately, I knew exactly what he wanted to say... "Traitor."
I loosened my grip on him, letting him fall to the ground. What the fuck?
Rose stood there with widened eyes. "What was that all about?"
I rubbed my face and sat on the ground, because my legs were about ready to give out on me. My mind was trying to come to grips with what just happened.
Rose kneeled beside, resting her hand on my shoulder. "Adrian, what just happened?"
I looked up at her, dazed. "They thought I was a strigoi and that I was a traitor for not attacking you."
"I don't understand. They thought you were a... strigoi?"
"I really don't understand either. But, maybe it has something to do with all these changes I've been going through. It is hard for me to explain."
Rose had a confused look on her face. "What changes? And, please try to explain. "
"I have been feeling different. I've noticed that my senses have enhanced greatly; my sense of taste, smell, and especially touch. Also, I've noticed a difference in my strength, and what just happened now, was the strangest of them all. But, it's not the worst of
it."
Rose threw her hands up. "Wait! Let's just slow this down a bit, because my ass is confused. What was it that was so strange to you? Besides the obvious, of course."
"Before you even had a chance to sense the strigoi…. I heard them approaching us." I said; shrugging my shoulders.
"You heard them?" Rose questioned.
"Yes, but not in the traditional way of hearing something. I could hear what they were thinking. I knew they wanted to attack you."
"Me? Why only me? You're the Moroi. I would be their second choice for a meal."
I sighed. "I don't know. They thought I was one of them. I was even able to see where there hideout was. There are at least 20 of them living right outside Baia. I knew that the male was going to grab you once you were
engaged with the female. That was why I yelled at you. I could see their plan of action laid out before me."
She gave me a half smile. "Thank you. But, I am not worried about finding the coven of strigoi right now. I am much more interested in these changes in you. You said that there was an even worse part of your changes. What is that?"
" I have all this uncontrollable rage in me at times. Whenever you become angry, it's as if I take it from you. Once I absorb it, it is like I have no control of my actions."
She gave a short, non-amused laugh. "If I didn't know better, I would say it sounds like you have a shadow-kissed effect. If that were the case, it would explain a few things. Your mood swings, your inability to control your anger, and
no real impulse control once you are enraged. But, even if you had these effects, it doesn't excuse the fact that you cheated on me. I am shadow-kissed and I've never had such an urge. My urges are strictly violent, I think."
"I don't know Rose. I was just a theory."
"How long have you been going through these changes?"
"It started when I was discharged from the hospital. They started out real subtle and now the changes have grown significantly. When I had returned home from my night at the bar." I glanced up to see the sadness on her face.
"Lissa had come to the apartment to confront me about what I had done to you. Once we started to discuss things, it became a little heated between us. I then explained the changes to her. We had come to the same conclusion that
maybe when I was close to dying and I drank your blood, it may have transferred some of your "gifts" to me. But, I still couldn't explain why my senses and strength had altered so drastically. And the only explanation we could come up with
was the strigoi blood that Tatiana had force fed me."
Rose stood with her hands on her hips. I could tell that she was really upset, but I didn't know why. "Why didn't you turn strigoi then?"
"Good question. Either, I didn't get enough of the tainted blood in my system, or my spirit blood mixed with your shadow-kissed blood, and the blood of a strigoi caused me to become something entirely different. I don't have an answer for it."
"Hmm. Maybe you could give me an answer to something else then?" Rose stood before me stone faced.
"I will try." I answered honestly.
"How is it that you knew something different was happening to you for two weeks and you didn't bother to tell me? And better yet, you felt the need to share it with Lissa instead of me? Not only have you betrayed my trust in you
by cheating with another woman. But, you decided to put your problems in the hands of my best friend instead of me, your once fiance."
I was utterly devastated as I meet her eyes. She had made her choice about us. My bad judgement has once again caused her pain.
"Rose, the whole thing with Lissa was by accident. She just happened to be there and tried to help me sort it all out. I would never confide in her before you."
She gave me a sarcastic grin. "But you did. Didn't you?"
"Rose. Be reasonable." I pleaded with her.
"Adrian, just go home. I have a lot of things I need to think over. Maybe I will talk to you in a week or so."
I stared at her, trying to convey to her how truthful my words were. "For what it's worth… I am so very sorry and I love you and Ethan more than anything." I turned and walked away, leaving the reason for my whole existence behind me.
Okay! I have updated twice in less than 24 hours... And updated 4 times in 4 days...
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Terri
