That whole night, we played truth or dare and watched some more horror movies with the guys. It was wild and hilarious to play games with them. They would come up with such childish and embarrassing dares for us and Emily and I were exhausted by the time we were finished.
"We'll see you next week again or something, okay?" Edward hugged me as we all stepped outside and I nodded with a smile.
"Was it you guys who were spying on us back at the restaurant too?" I playfully hit him on the shoulder and watched his eyebrows furrow in confusion.
"No? We only checked up on you tonight. Why? Did you see someone following you? When was it and what time did you see him-"
"Edward, stop, it was probably nothing then. I just thought I saw you guys or something." I brushed him off, not wanting them to get worried.
"Something could happen. We'll keep an eye on you and-"
"No. I mean, it's sweet you guys but no, you are not going to follow me around just because of my paranoia," I interrupted Alaric. "Promise me you guys won't do anything stupid, like following me or-"
"Geez babe, relax, we don't plan to. This might come off to you as a surprise, but we got better things to do than babysit you two." Edward hissed at me and Emily and I rolled my eyes before nodding. We said our goodbyes and after they left, Emily and I went straight to bed, feeling exhausted. Actually, "exhausted" was an understatement. I felt like dropping right there on the floor and sleeping wherever my head lands on first.
"Night Em." I cuddled inside my bed next to her, closing my eyes as she mumbled me a "goodnight" as well.
xxx
"But mom, I hate staying alone."
"Well darling, you have no choice. You can bring over Emily. You know how important this project is for me." My mom placed my food on the table and I looked at Dad for support but his eyes never left his newspaper. He was the same as ever.
"Why do you both have to go?"
"Because sweetie, your father has some business there too so we decided to leave for two weeks or so. We're going to Canada, Adriana. It's not so far away." It's at times like these when my mom was horrible at convincing people to get what she wants.
"Right, so what country do you consider far away then?" I got up from the table and walked over to the fridge in my kitchen, opening it and grabbing a soda.
"Well, honey, this is our job. And I asked you to come with us but you refused to, remember?" I heard my mom shout out, her tone getting impatient and irritated.
"Well, what am I supposed to do in Canada mom?" I shot back, coming back to the sitting room. "Anyways, never mind, you guys can go. But don't let Aunt Rose babysit me. You know how she hates me now." I grumbled under my breath and heard my father sigh in annoyance.
"She doesn't hate you-"
"She visited us last week and kept asking why I left the mansion the whole night, remember? And she still throws me those nasty looks." I made a face. My aunt Rose was another vampire worshipper in our family, probably the biggest one at that, so imagine how delighted she would be when she heard the news about me returning back.
"Our flight is in 2 hours Adriana, we barely had enough sleep last night even. I'm sorry that we have to leave so suddenly okay, but can you please bear with us? It's not exactly easy for us to leave you either." My mom finally walked up to me and I let out a sigh in defeat.
"Alright," I shrugged and she kissed me on the cheeks, her eyes flickering in satisfaction.

"Good. Now finish your breakfast, sweetheart."
xxx
"Emily, please take care of her alright?  If anything happens, call me right away. I told Aunt Rose to help you if you need anything and I left my credit card on the fridge," the moment those words left my mother's mouth, me and Emily exchanged mischievous glances. "You girls better not go on a shopping spree with that money." She eyed us both carefully and we nodded oh-so-innocently. The taxi arrived shortly and I watched my parents leave before I let out a sigh in relief. Emily and I went back inside and I grinned as I took the credit card from the fridge, my eyes praising the beautiful masterpiece in my hands.
"Shopping?"
"Oh you know it." Emily grinned back and we both rushed out, not even bothering to change our causal outfits, which were only shorts with plain white tank tops.
xxx
Emily and I hit one of the biggest shopping malls in town, but since we're short on cash, we only got one dress for each of us. After taking a taxi, we arrived back home and I was about to step out, when I noticed a familiar figure passing by the car from behind. My eyes swiftly turned and narrowed at the road before I grabbed Emily's hand.
"I could've sworn I just saw Alaric."
"Alaric? You mean the Ardelean brother?" Emily's eyes roamed around the area before my eyes narrowed at the street again. And then it hit me.
"I think I have an idea of what's going on," I almost groaned in annoyance before getting out of the car. "Follow my lead." I added softly to Emily, who looked at me in confusion before nodding.
"I think somethings wrong today. I keep seeing things." I said out loud and Emily gave me a look as we entered the house.
"What's going on-"
"I'll do the talking. They can hear your voice but not mine, thanks to this." I held out the vervain necklace and Emily continued to give me the crazy look as I let out a painful groan, very loudly, might I add.
"I feel like dying." I let out another painful moan before motioning Emily to step towards the door as slowly as possible. Without warning, I grabbed the doorknob, swiftly opening the door and sure enough, the Ardelean brothers stumbled inside, some of them already lying on my floor as Emily and I stepped aside.
"Need anything, guys?" My words dripped in sarcasm as I folded my hands across my chest, putting my weight on my right foot.
"About that-"
"No, we're good."

They all started clearing their throats and picking themselves up and I looked at Emily, whose mouth was still slightly open in disbelief.
"You guys promised not to follow around." I almost whined and Tyrell stepped forward, pressing his hands together and bringing them closer to his lips, as if he was about to come up with the stupidest excuse ever.
"I got nothing, you guys handle it." He stepped back when I glared at him and I looked at the guys. I noticed that Vincent, Draven, Jason, Finn, Danny and Kevin were missing now, making me feel slightly disappointed. I wanted to see Draven so badly.
"We wanted to make sure you were safe and, uh, invite you to the party at our place." Edward spoke carefully and I narrowed my eyes at him before shrugging, not really wanting to miss the opportunity to see Draven. Wait, what? No, I shouldn't go, it would make things worse between us.
"Um, thank you but-"
"We insist. Show up around 8, we'll wait for you outside the mansion." Raymond stepped forward and I looked at Emily, who was now beaming in excitement.  I guess one of us is going for sure then.
"Alright, we'll be there."
xxx
That night, Emily and I wore the new dresses we got only today. I was wearing a skin tight off shoulder scarlet red dress with matching black and red lace up heels. My hair was tied up with a light touch of make up, thanks to Emily. She, on the other hand, wore a gorgeous blue dress, that effortlessly reached all the way down to the floor, showing off all her curves and long legs. We both admired each other for what seemed like forever before I looked at the time, and my mind went completely blank again. It was almost 8. The thought of seeing Draven made me feel nervous and my hands immediately started to sweat and tremble but I quickly clutched them together, shaking my head. I was going to go. And I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to "accidentally" bump into him tonight. I just missed him so much and felt so desperate to at least see him once tonight.

Emily took my hand and we stepped out of the house and took the first taxi. We arrived at the mansion shortly and by now, my heart was pounding so loudly against my chest, I'm sure Emily can hear it too now.
"Hey!" I heard someone shout and looked to my right to notice the Ardelean brothers. They all apologized to the girls and people around them and I gulped when they brushed through the crowd to walk up to us.
"Hey, long time." Jason hugged me first, someone I haven't even seen for ages. I hugged them all, except Danny, who simply gave me a nod with a smile, which was very new by the way. He was the most arrogant one of them all but I guess he has softened up a bit now. Vincent and Draven were still nowhere to be seen and I bit my bottom lip as they guided us inside. As expected, the place was beautiful, with people already making their way to the ballroom. I inhaled deeply,  feeling the nostalgic sensation rushing through my veins. Oh, how I missed this place.
"Adriana?" A familiar voice called and I froze before turning to face Vincent, his eyes slightly widening in surprise. His hair was loose, cascading down up to his shoulders and the suit he wore made him look so good. But then again, this wasn't the first time I've seen him like this.
"Hey, how-" I gasped when he pulled me into a hug and I could feel some people staring at us but I ignore them and hugged him back.
"I've missed you so much. I was planning to drop by but I've been so busy trying to-" He paused when the boys cleared their throats and I frowned in suspicion. "Anyways, it's so good to see you, really." He took a step forward and I noticed the Ardelean brothers walking past us, towards another bunch of people.
"It's good to see you too," I pulled back and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears. "I thought you would still be upset."
"Oh I am," his voice turned serious and I immediately looked up at him in guilt. "But I missed you so much so I can't really take it out on you right now." He smiled a little, pinching my cheeks slightly and I brushed them away before grinning.
"I missed you too." I smiled again and he was about to say something when Tyrell started calling him.
"I'll be back. Don't wander about." I nodded as he walked off and let out a sigh.
"Oh my god, it's him!"
"Draven is here, let's go!"
"Hey, don't push me!"
A herd of girls started squealing and whispering, causing my breathe to hitch. I turned around and instantly, my stomach hardened when I saw him walking into the ballroom. Seeing Draven in a suit made my hormones jump up and down but then again, I shouldn't have these kinds of thoughts towards him now. His dark hair was disheveled, making his eyes stand out, the ocean blue eyes making my knees feel weak to the ground. I gulped slowly and froze when his eyes met mine briefly, a void of emotions filling inside of them before he tore our gaze, causing my heart to drop. He continued talking to more people, a smile playing on his lips as he nodded his head and made his way to the other side of the room. Did he see me? Of course he did. I know I asked Draven to let me go, but seeing him giving me the cold shoulder made me feel worse than I thought. My throat tightened and I suddenly felt sick. I don't know what was going on with me but it made me feel worse with each passing second. I quickly scurried my way through the crowd and jogged outside before practically running upstairs to my room. At least, the room I used to stay in this mansion. I bolted inside and ran to the bathroom, quickly washing my face. Tears were now threatening to spill and I realized just what a bad idea coming here was. I was making it harder for the both of us. Or just me, seeing that Draven seems to be doing fine now. I wiped my face and quickly slipped out of the room, dragging myself through the hallway and froze when I saw Draven walking through the hallway as well. My movements froze for a moment and I noticed that he was now staring at the floor as he kept walking, his thumb brushing against the corner of his lips before he looked up to notice me. I saw something flash in his eyes but he continued with his fast pace, walking right past me. My heart broke at how distant we felt now. If I knew it would be like this, I would have never left. I didn't want to become a stranger to Draven. I couldn't handle it.
"Draven?" I called out before I could even stop myself and gulped, turning my body around to face his back. He came to a sudden halt and I noticed his body tense up a little before he casually slipped his hands into his pockets, turning around to meet my gaze, a stone hard emotionless look taking over his face now. "Um, I wanted to know how you were doing." I said slowly, walking up to him and watched his eyebrow shoot up.
"You should worry about yourself." He said shortly and started leaving when I grabbed his hand. I felt his body tense under my touch before he took my hand, slowly ripping it away from his.
"Don't do that." He said darkly and my mouth slightly hung open at his cold words.
"Sorry..." I apologized and before I could say anything more, Draven brushed past me and back downstairs. My insides started to churn and I found myself running downstairs, quickly walking out of the mansion. I met Emily outside and quickly grabbed her hand, ready to leave when she spoke.
"Adriana, I have to stay with my parents tonight. My mom's fever is acting up again and I am so sorry to leave you alone in the house and-"
"It's alright, I understand." I cut her off quickly, realizing that Edward was standing right next to her now.
"Alone?" His eyes narrowed at me and I gave her a warning look as she nodded.
"Alone, as-as in without a friend," Emily stuttered and I watched Edward raise a brow at me in suspicion. "Without me." Emily added and Edward hissed at her, his eyes briefly closing before looking down to meet Emily's innocent look.
"If you keep lying with that pretty face, I'll kiss you and shut you up." He said in a monotone voice but it still made Emily blush furiously before she pressed her lips together into a thin line. Before they could say anything more, I waved her off and took the first taxi, getting inside. I could see Edward calling me but I ignored and gave him an apologetic look as the driver took off. After I came home, I immediately took a shower, stripping off my tight clothes and slipping on a tank top with comfortable black shorts. My heart was still racing after meeting Draven and I started to feel sick again. I hated feeling like this. I hated having this sick feeling in my stomach. Shaking away any thoughts about Draven, I quickly got into bed, burying my face into the pillow. You're going to be fine, Adriana. It's fine. Everything's fine. I kept repeating those words in my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. You're not fine...
I finally broke into tears, but for some reason, I was afraid to cry. Afraid that Draven could hear me right now and realize my feelings towards him. But he wasn't even here. And it was okay for me to cry. I shouldn't keep it in and feel so trapped and suffocated. It was okay to cry. To feel helpless and heartbroken at times. More tears spilled down my cheeks as I sobbed harder, closing my eyes shut. Just go to sleep. Hours passed by before I finally drifted off into a deep sleep.
xxx
The next morning, I woke up with a terrible headache, my eyes stinging due to all the crying from last night. After washing my face, I went downstairs to my sitting room, grabbing the milk carton and groaned when the bell started ringing. God, why did Emily have to show up so early. Not even bothering to do my hair, I started walking towards the door, the constant sound of bell ringing making me growl in irritation.
"I am coming!" I snapped, taking a huge sip out of the carton and opening the door. Before I could gulp down the milk, my eyes widened at the familiar figure, causing me to spit out whatever was in my mouth in shock. I stared, horrified, as the milk splattered all over Draven's face and clothes, his eyes now completely shut before his eyebrows furrowed together in both disgust and frustration.
"Really, doll face?" He muttered, wiping some of it from his cheeks before stepping inside, while I still stood there, baffled.
"Wh-what-are-are you doing here?" Oh wow, at least I managed to spit that sentence out without dying.
"Heard your parents are gone for a few weeks. So I thought I'd live here for a couple of days until they return." He explained casually, walking up to the sitting room sofa.
"Wh-what do you mean? why?" I asked in confusion. Now don't get me wrong. I wanted Draven to stay. But I needed explanations first.
"It's still not safe for you to be alone, Adriana." I watched him walk up to the kitchen and followed him inside. He walked towards the sink and started washing his face, making me blush slightly. He was worried about me. As if reading my mind, he turned around and walked up to me, his eyes boring into mine with no emotion. "Don't misunderstand though. I only came here because of Dexter. He might still be onto you and until I take care of him, I can't let you get hurt. I don't want you to get hurt because of me." He explained and my stomach hardened at his words.
"Oh." I lowered my eyelashes on the ground, feeling embarrassed to have hoped for something more. Of course he would have moved on. I left him. It was natural of him to move on from someone who left him like I did.
"You've been crying." He grabbed a tissue to wipe his face and I went silent, my eyes slightly widening at his words before I shook my head.
"I didn't." I said in a firm tone and watched him finish drying up before looking down at his wet grey shirt and then at me again.
"Yes you did." He said in the same, emotionless tone.
"No, I haven't-"
"Yes, you have." He emphasised and I didn't have the strength to argue back, so I simply landed my gaze back on the ground. "You can't lie to me even if you wanted to, Adriana." He walked right past me and I gulped softly, my heart aching at his cold attitude.
"I'll crash at your parents bedroom, is that okay with you?" He asked, picking up his bag that he had thrown off on the kitchen floor and I looked up at him hesitantly. Should I? It's better to have him here than to be alone, right? Or did I just want him around for my own reasons? I shook away those thoughts and met Draven's eyes again as he raised a brow at me impatiently.

"It's a simple question, Adriana, yes or no?"
"Yeah, you can."

xxx