Chapter 4: Acceptance

I woke up and Zane was talking quietly with Dimitri. Dimitri noticed I had gotten up and smiled warmly. "Goodmorning, sunshine! I was about to head out and get some food! Any requests?"

I shook my head then rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Two o'clock in the afternoon! You slept about twelve hours! Congrats!"

Zane rolled his eyes. "And now that she's got some sleep, after we all eat, we can get going."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Dimitri was about to open his mouth when Zane cut him off. "We'll talk about it later. Dimitri, go."

Dimitri bowed down dramatically and muttered a comment before leaving. Which left Zane and I nice and alone. 'Can you say awkward?'

"So...can you tell me why I left now?" I asked after a few moments too long of silence.

Zane took the chair by the door and pulled it by my bed. He sat down and stared me straight in the eyes. "I only know what you told me before you left. I don't know the full story. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me but well that's clearly not possible at the moment."

I processed what he said. "Okay, well, can you at least tell me what I told you?"

"You said it was too much to explain." He said, dismissively. "Regardless, there's no point in toying you with just partial information, you might as well wait until we know the full story. However, there is something I would like to discuss with you."

'Way to change the topic.' "Shoot." I said, letting it go.

He thought for a moment then nodded. "We are engaged. When Dimitri and I do take you home, we will be married. I will never press myself on you in any shape or form, we can have a strictly professional approach. What do you wish of me?"

My head spun. 'What the fuck?!' "Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up there buddy. I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I'm some demon princess, never mind an engaged one. And how does a marriage be professional? What the hell is up with that?"

Zane sighed. "You have heard of arranged marriages before, correct? It's often been used as a political move, for our species, it's a strategic one to keep the royal family strong. Only certain demons are allowed to marry you and I'm the best choice."

I snorted. "Says who?"

His eyes narrowed. "Your father. And honestly, with your little runaway stunt, you're lucky to have me at all." 'I don't want any of this, and I'm lucky?'

I laughed without humor. "Oh really? I'm so lucky to have been recaptured when I clearly ran away for a reason. I mean why else would I not tell you, my supposed old best friend and fiance, where the hell I was going and why? Oh I know, maybe because it wasn't some other thing, maybe you were the reason. Maybe I was trying to get away from you."

I've never been the best person at reading people. I'm pretty bad unless it's obvious. And it was obvious that I hurt him with what I said. And it's not like a we'll laugh about it later sort of hurt thing, it's a you-just-got-a-brand-new-puppy-and-i-ran-it-over-with-my-car-twice-on-your-birthday sort of thing.

Zane closed his eyes, like if in doing so I couldn't see his pain. "Perhaps." He said softly.

Part of me was still angry, mostly because I was so confused. The other part of me felt insanely guilty for what I just said. I mean, I don't have any idea what our friendship was like in the past, but he obviously cares about me. And I was just a real bitch. "Zane-"

Dimitri came bursting through the door, McDonalds bags in hand. "Whose hungry?" He asked happily, before looking at the situation. "Whoa, who died?"

Zane was up and gone in the blink of an eye. "Where'd he go?" I asked Dimitri. "And did you see that? That was crazy quick!"

Dimitri was looking out the door, concerned. "He's getting some air. Probably wants to be alone. And would definitely kill me if I went to talk to him about whatever the fuck just happened between you two." He said, shutting the door and giving me a serious look. "So you get to tell me."

It was not a question, but a statement. And honestly I felt way too guilty to lie or be stubborn and not tell him. 'Maybe he can help me fix it.' "He started talking about the marriage thing and I got upset and confused and then he said how I was lucky to have him to begin with, then I freaked out on him and said he's probably the reason I left." I rambled.

Dimitri sat down where Zane was and put the food on the floor. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I get that you know you hurt him. And you probably feel a little bad. But honestly, you should feel worse."

'Oh, that's nice. And to think I ever found you attractive.' "What do you mean?" I asked quietly, keeping my comments to myself.

He opened his eyes, which were swirling with emotion. "I'll tell you a story, it'll explain a lot. And when I'm done and Zane gets back, I need you to apologize."

I nodded. "Agreed."

Dimitri sighed. "I'm an only child. Always have been, I think at this point I always will be, but anyways, I came from a family of no name and no worth. Most families have like at least one person in history who was cool, and then there's my family that does not. So kids didn't really associate with me much. They were all trying to get to know bigger and better people, so they could get closer to you and your family, and didn't give two shits about me or the few others that I'm sure were like me. I don't really know if there were any, I just like to think there is so I don't feel as lonely-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, honestly I find your rambling adorable, but how does this explain anything?"

He sat up straight. "Right. So, me, wicked lonely, kinda pissed off at the world, right? I walk over towards one of the tunnels that lead up and sneak past the guards. I wasn't gonna run away like you did, but I will admit hearing about your little escapade made me curious about them. So I'm walking-"

"Dimitri-"

"I'm getting there!" He exclaimed. "As I was saying, I'm walking and I see a blond haired kid my age, standing in the middle of the tunnel, just staring. So I, being an asshole, decide to go scare the piss out of him. I sneak up and pounce on him, knocking him to the ground. I surprised him, though much to my displeasure he never screamed, and he stares up at me and says 'You're not who I was hoping you'd be.'"

"Was this kid Zane?" I asked.

Dimitri smiled. "Of course. I told him I was trying to scare him and that he ruined it, he apologized, which confused me to no end. So I asked him about it. I mean, what was he doing there? And why is he being all polite when I just assulted him? And you know what he says?"

I shook my head. "What did he say?"

"He said, 'I'm waiting for the most amazing girl in the world. She's my best friend and she means the world to me and I was hoping that if I waited here, she'd come back for me. I know you probably want to fight or something, but without her, I have nothing to fight for.' Yeah, he was talking about you."

'Zane really, really cares about me. And I just...' My eyes watered a little bit. "Oh." I said softly. "What happened next?"

"Oh I punched him. Hard. I mean, it wasn't hard to figure out he was talking about the run away princess and I thought it was dumb to sit around waiting for you. You ran away, why would you come back? Anyways, so I point that out and he just sits there and says I remind him of you, too fiery for my own good I think is how he described it, and I sit down next to him and we start chatting about everything. Everything.

"And it turns out, we got along really well. I didn't really take your place as his best friend, but I was pretty much a substitute. And I had never had a friend, so I was excited. But anyways, in knowing everything there is to know about Zane, you should know this; the night you left has fucked with him ever since. He's admitted it himself, but even just hearing his stories in how he use to be with you around, he's obvsiously different now. And something you don't remember, he helped you escape. He could've easily turned you in. And you did offer for him to come with you, but he stayed behind and lead them off your trail, putting himself at major risk."

I took all this information in. "So did I tell him why I was leaving then?"

Dimitri shook his head. "You said you couldn't marry him and that it was too complicated to explain. You were in quite the rush."

"I see." I said, mulling over this new information.

"I don't think you left because of the marriage though. You guys had been best friends for years and you found out a week before, there were no issues then. It had to be something else." He sighed. "But we won't know for awhile. So, I'd appreciate it, if you were more fair to Zane. He's done a lot for you and he cares about you a lot."

"You're right."

Dimitri smiled wide. "No one's ever said that to me before!"

I couldn't help but smile, he was adorable. "There's a first time for everything."

He handed me the bag of McDonalds. "Here, have some. I love this stuff. We don't have it down there, but ever since the first time I've had it up here, I'[ve become an addict."

I took out some luke warm fries and sighed. "That's because you didn't grow up with it." I took a bite. "It's okay, but as far as burger joints go, it's way down the list."

The handsome man took out a burger. "Okay, what's the best burger joint?"

"Five Guys. Hands down."

"It sounds a little gay to me."

I laughed. "Doesn't make it any less amazing."

Dimitri smiled beautifully. "Probably not. But if I ever do eat there, you'll never hear me talk about it, because I am not going to put myself in the position of explaining me and five guys."

We both laughed and Zane walked in and we stopped. Dimitri gave me a look and I stood up. "Hey, Zane, listen I'm-"

"Save it. It's not important. What is important is getting your memories back. So, I made some calls and checked us out of this motel. Our next stop, the Oracle."

'Who the fuck is the Oracle?'