Bleeding Love

by Ashley Andrews

  “That’s it? That’s all there is to this? Am I—?” She couldn't get the word out. “Like you?”

  Aidan nodded his head slowly.

  With that slight indication of agreement, she slowly curved her lips up into a grin. Brianna then raised one arm up to look at her skin. It had changed, morphed into the flawless, pale and soft, and porcelain delicate, vampire skin. She was like Aidan now, and she smiled in contentment. They weren't going to end up like Tristan and Yvonne.

  “Would you like to test your new powers?” Aidan's eyes shone brightly. “Or are you feeling a bit weak?”

  “Catch me.” She smirked at him. “If you can–” Her challenge was cut short when she saw a tree, located several miles away, crash into several other trees and sent them all to the ground as well. The two looked at each other, and arrived at the same conclusion, they nodded. There was only one plausible explanation for that.

  “Xavier and Adrienne.”

  Brianna shook her head. Someone needed to smack some sense into those two. Hadn’t they heard of global warming, reseeding the earth, the green initiative? What kind of person just knocked down trees willy-nilly?

  She beamed vampires!

  * * * * *

  “You're still slow, you know!” Xavier shouted, closing in behind Adrienne.

  “How can you say that? You haven't caught me yet?”

  Xavier's tone became playful. “Oh yeah?”

  “Oh, yeah!” she shouted back, and before he could finally close the distance between them, she jumped into a tree, and ran to the top.

  The wind blowing at the top of the trees was a little cooler than it was below. The cool breeze soothed her face. It was relaxing just to be able to run around at a speed unfathomable by humans. It was freeing, and it made her forget about all the decisions she would soon need to make.

  Sitting, she slowly leaned back and rested her whole body against the tree trunk, a thick branch in between her legs, with her arms resting at her sides. She sighed in contentment. She didn't care if Xavier caught up to her now. They could enjoy the dazzling scenery together. She could even see part of the Pacific Ocean from here, over acres of untouched foliage. She saw many different species of birds flying in the air. The billowing clouds above them. The wonderful backdrop was a melting pot of land, water, and air coming together. She couldn't wait anymore. She needed him to join her right away.

  “Xavier, up here!” she shouted down below. “The view is awesome!”

  “Coming!” She heard his muffled voice, and in a matter of seconds he plucked her from her seat, spun her around and placed between his legs. He settled her back against his chest. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Caught ya.”

  She tugged his arms around her waist and settled into him. She couldn't believe they were finally a couple. What surprised her even more was how their school mates took the news. They weren't surprised when they found out that the two were officially an item. She couldn't help but laugh when Sabrina and Max told her about the wagers on how soon the two would be married. Xavier had even laughed at the bets covering how long the two would stay together.

  Brianna had placed a hundred dollars on forever. Easy money.

  Adrienne chuckled softly at the memory.

  “I have to ask you something, Adie,” Xavier said, cutting her reverie short. “It's actually been bugging me for the past few weeks.”

  “Umm?” was her reply. She turned around in his arms. Thankful the tree branch was thick enough for her maneuver. She was now facing him, looking in his eyes while she waited for him to speak. When his mouth remained closed, she hooked a finger under his chin and tilted his face upwards to meet hers. She kissed him softly. She saw the worry in his eyes. His entire body going stiff.

  “Say it,” she pressed, her voice soft.

  After a few seconds of waiting, Adrienne finally saw Xavier make a move. He dug his hands in one of his jean pockets and fished for something. It was too bad vampires didn't have x–ray vision. The suspense was seriously killing her.

  “I know that it’s a given that we will marry some day. We are bound together as mates,” his voice quavered. “The thing is—”

  Adrienne frowned at her boyfriend. She had no idea what Xavier was going on about. His hand remained inside the pocket of his jeans, and she seriously wanted to know what he was hiding.

  “The thing is, I haven't asked you to marry me properly.” Slowly he stood up and balanced himself on the tree branch. After a second of trying to steady himself, he knelt down on one knee before her.

  Suddenly, Adrienne's whole body shook with tension and fear.

  “Adrienne Stahl, will you give me the honor of agreeing to be my wife?” He removed his hand from his pocket, revealing a black velvet–covered box. He opened the box to reveal a beautiful engagement ring. The band was made of white gold, and around it were small carefully–shaped diamonds. The gems glistened under the slowly setting sun. Its beauty was priceless. Then suddenly, the answer wasn't so obvious anymore.

  “I love the ring.”

  As if taking that as the answer, Xavier move in the attempt to slip the band around Adrienne's finger, but the female quickly retracted her hand. “But I can't marry you, not yet.”

  “What?” Xavier's voice cracked. He wasn't expecting that from her.

  They loved each other, so he thought that was enough, but unfortunately, she had other priorities to take care of. Other things were higher on her to–do list.

  Xavier couldn't help but frown and bite his lip. He'd never been embarrassed to this degree. Being a virgin at his age was almost unheard of, having his marriage proposal rejected was even worse. He couldn't meet her gaze.

  “I want to marry you, but not right now,” she said, placing a hand on his cheek. “I want to go to college, and you need to go back to Europe. I can’t go with you right now.”

  Xavier remained frozen; his hand tightly wrapped around one of the branches at his side. Her answer was bittersweet, both good and bad. It was a realistic response, and one he would just have to accept. “It's not like I would ask you to give that up.”

  Adrienne chuckled before nodding her head. “You got that right,” she answered, crawling closer to Xavier.

  When they were a hairsbreadth away from each other, she lifted her arms up and placed her fingers possessively over his cheeks. His skin was warm, and all–in–all, he felt stiff, his body unmoving and eyes unblinking. They remained staring at each other for quite a while, and after moments of waiting, she spoke up.

  “I am saying yes to your proposal.” She gave his lips a small, chaste kiss. “All I'm asking is for you to wait, for the engagement to be a long one.”

  He released a deep breath, and because of the altitude and cooler climate, they both saw the air escape his mouth. His whole posture seemed hesitant, and because of that, Adrienne came to the conclusion that Xavier was scared.

  “Yale won’t hold the scholarship for me. You have to understand that.”

  He abruptly let go of his hold on her, and she only wished that everything was going to end well. “What is five years compared to the centuries we’ll have together?” Her grip on him tightened with the forcefulness in her voice. “I love you, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to throw everything else away.”

  “I love you too.” He shook his head slowly, as if he was having a debate with his inner self. “So I understand, and I don't want to be a selfish bastard.”

  Adrienne laughed at that before she slowly clasped his hand, opened it, and picked up the ring. She slipped it onto the proper finger then raised her hand and admired the glittering diamonds. She was forever bound to him, and even though that fact seemed scary, she felt confident in their future. Only bliss and happiness enveloped her body.

  “But what's college without dating?” she then teased, chuckling softly at her own attempt at a joke. “I don't want people to think I'm a hag or something.”

  Xavier's eyes darkened before he slowly broke out
into a small laugh. He should have been used to Adrienne's sarcasm by now, but he realized that his fiancé's hold on him was much stronger than he expected. He seemed to take most of the things she said seriously, and he bit his lip at this thought. He was very afraid that he would lose her.

  “You surely don't dress like a hag,” he replied, and in return, Adrienne turned her head downwards to look at her choice of clothes for the day.

  “And don't start with the topic of dating when you’ve just accepted my marriage proposal.”

  It was winter, yet in this area it was still warm enough for her to wear a pair of bright yellow shorts with a complementary white tee. Her Chuck Taylor's were low cut, and her long, endless legs were fully exposed. Surely, a hag wouldn't have this kind of wardrobe, especially at Christmas time.

  “Just think of it this way,” Adrienne began, crawling closer to Xavier. She was thankful that the branch held them. She was still hanging onto it, with Xavier resting against the bark. “You'll be worried as much as I'll be.”

  “What are you going on about?”

  Adrienne smirked at that. It was either his mind had seriously drifted off to some strange land or he was clueless about his God–given physical attractiveness, though the latter was highly unlikely. Xavier always used his looks to annoy her and exaggerate his being a smartass.

  “Don't play dumb with me,” she said, flicking one of his cheeks. “Do you seriously think that while I'm away at college, you won’t be fighting of legions of admirers?”

  “What about them?” he asked nonchalantly.

  “You're not the only one who's threatened by our temporary separation.” She closed the gap between them and placed a kiss on the curve of his neck. “But if you really do like me, then—”

  “I don't just like you, you know. I love you—“

  Rolling her eyes, she cut him off. “My point is,” She paused then grinned. “While I'm gone, there's probably going to be a plethora of bloodsucking whores willing to be at your beck and call.”

  He laughed at her choice of words. Only Adrienne would be so colorful.

  “But I trust you like hell, so trust me too.”

  “It's the guys I don't trust, Adrienne.”

  She skipped to Plan B. “Fine.” She pursed her lips before continuing. “I promise that if they try to pull anything on me, I'll suck the energy out of them.” She couldn't help but smirk at this. She loved being the only psychic vampire in the vicinity. “I think you should believe me when I say that.”

  “How can I not, when I've personally been a victim of your wrath?”

  Their lips met in one soft kiss. At that moment the branch supporting them gave way and they fell, crashing to the forest floor.

  They reveled in the exhilarating drop, the thrill of falling faster and faster, and the satisfaction of the harsh wind whipping against their bodies. It was more freeing than running as fast as lightening. When they finally landed in a pile of soft forest debris, leaves in all shades of green were sent flying all around them. They didn't sustain any injuries or wounds. They weren't limping or wincing in pain. They were only dirty, and they laughed at this before closing the distance between them once again. In one swift second, they pulled apart when they heard someone speak.

  Immediately, they crouched low, growling quietly, facing the intruder together.

  “Are you seriously going to bite me, Adie?” After a few seconds, Brianna moved in front of the two, and they saw the blood stains on her cardigan. “You wouldn't.”

  Adrienne's lips turned up into a full–on smirk before she asked,” And why is that?”

  “Because.” Brianna bent low. “You'll have to catch me first.”

  Before Bree was able to show off her newly acquired gifts, Adrienne stood up and focused her psychic weapons.

  Brianna couldn't even inch away since the vampire princess had started to slowly suck the energy out of her. However, even if Bree was feeling tired and drained, she wasn't wincing in pain, and Brianna realized that Adrienne had been careful with her. She had no intention of hurting her very close friend. She just didn't want her to run away.

  “I'm glad I'm not the newbie anymore.” Adie grinned.

  Xavier chuckled at his fiancé's statement before sidling up to her, winding an arm around her waist.

  Adie continued, “Maybe I can teach Bree the ropes of being a bloodsucker, although teaching her to hunt won't be on my itinerary. Killing deer is like, eww.”

  “Well, it's your lucky day, ladies,” That was Xavier being the usual smartass. “As that is Aidan's and my specialty.”

  “Gross!” The two women shivered in disgust before Adrienne continued. “Next time you're going to kiss me, brush your teeth first! I'm not swapping spit after you’ve fed from an animal!”

  “Bite me, Adrienne,” Xavier then answered mischievously, and to add emphasis to his statement, he flashed his sharp, white fangs. “Or would you like to do that after I’ve gone hunting?”

  Adrienne's eyes darkened and burned with a sudden desire. But it wasn’t something she wanted to admit to. Instead she said, “How many times have I said there will be no hunting—” She never got to finish her sentence.

  Xavier ran up to her, throwing her over one of his shoulders. He continued his swift sprint with Aidan and Brianna following closely behind him. Adrienne, meanwhile, was pounding her fists against his back.

  Her boyfriend laughed at her feeble effort to get him to stop. Saying, “I'll have the deer, and you get the rabbit.”

  Adrienne rolled her eyes before she exhaled deeply. “Just because I've never killed an animal doesn't mean I'm that weak.”

  “I meant what I said as a compliment, you know,” his voice was teasing. “Because you have so many other assets, I like to think that I can provide for you in other ways.”

  Smartass, she thought, eyeing the seductive grin he had on his face.

  “If you know what I mean, Adrienne.” He winked at her.

  Chapter 17: Finale

  5 years later,

  “Tristan, shut up!” Adrienne screamed at the top of her lungs. “I'm going to kill you if I miss my flight!”

  The man in question simply laughed out loud and crossed his arms over his chest. He continued chuckling, walking across the room at a leisurely pace, as his best friend, out of breath, finished her packing.

  “I still don't know why you're in such a hurry. You've just graduated,” he said to her, his voice slightly serious. “Are you sure you don't want to go with Ethan and me? The cruise will be fun. I can promise you that.”

  He had that mischievous glimmer in his eyes, and Adrienne immediately knew that fun for Tristan meant lots and lots of women.

  “And watch you two try to hit on those Brazilian girls?” her voice took on a playful tone. “Thanks but no thanks. I'll be doing just fine in Austria.”

  “We're not going to try hitting on them, we will, Adrienne.”

  “As if they're going to buy it.” Adrienne rolled her eyes before finishing her packing. She zipped her luggage closed, locked it, placed it on the floor and did a little jiggy dance. She was ready to go.

  She was about to say something to Tristan, but then, someone knocked on her door. She assumed it was Sabrina, just getting in from New York. When Adrienne opened the door, she saw the familiar mop of red hair. Max was nowhere in sight, so she guessed the couple still hadn't patched things up from last week's nasty argument.

  “Don't even ask.” Sabrina held a finger up. “The bastard's avoiding me by taking night shifts, although he sent me a text instructing me to tell you to, 'Have a fun time in Austria.' He couldn't even say those things straight to my face.” She entered Adrienne's room with a frown on her face before she plopped down on the bed. Sabrina looked more bitter than sad. Maybe she wasn't mad at him anymore, just annoyed, and was just waiting for him to make the first move and apologize.

  “Well, you can't blame the guy. You threw his blueprints out the window.” Tristan looked sym
pathetic, and Adrienne began to wonder how Tristan, Ethan, and Max managed to stay friends for this long. “Those are pretty important documents for an engineer.”

  “Well, it was in the trash can,” Sab reasoned, rolling her eyes at Tristan's bias. “What was I supposed to think?”

  “Never, never,” Tristan's eyes flashed impishly,” Mess with a man's things.”

  “And if you two continue this, I'm really going to miss my flight.”

  “So you're still not going to be persuaded to join the two man-whores on their cruise?” Sabrina asked, starting to stand up from the bed. “Last time I talked to Ethan, he said that you three were going to rock some Brazilian ass.”

  “That's because you and Max backed out on these two megalomaniacs,” Adrienne teased, referring to Ethan and Tristan.

  “Not my fault a trip around the world is a lot more enticing than a bunch of booty–shaking South Americans. I swear all the girls would steal my spotlight if I went with them, can’t allow that.”

  “And the clock's ticking down people. Do we want Adrienne to see the geek or not?”

  Sabrina laughed at Tristan's awful and immature jab. “High school was so five years ago, Tryst.”

  The three of them left Adrienne's room before they headed down to the garage and stowed the bags in the trunk of the SUV.

  “I can't believe you've been in love with the guy for this long, Adrienne. For five years? And you haven't even seen him since we graduated from high school,” Tristan said, amazed.

  “Well, if you're best friends with someone like Brianna,” said Sabrina. “Love takes a whole new meaning, seriously. Like she and Aidan have a spotless relationship, no fighting, and no bullshit. Max and I are like the total opposite, all fighting, and all bullshit.”

  “And after all those fights comes the make-up screwing,” Tristan said, laughing.

  Sabrina smacked him on the back of the head. “At least I'm getting some action, med school's wiping your horny ass clean,” was Sabrina's quip.