Bleeding Love (23 page)

“Bree's right,” Adrienne
answered. “How about we get all-sentimental and cheesy and mushy?”

Xavier shook his
head, not even considering the idea for a moment. He didn't know when he was
going to come back. It could take a number of weeks, months even. He wanted his
last day to be memorable. He turned to Adrienne and gifted her with a small but
endearing smile.

“I know what to
do,”

“This better be
fun, Xavier.”

“I want to go to
the park, not the forest but the park.”

“What?” The
vampires, Adrienne excluded, screeched. “It's sunny, you're not going to enjoy
it.”

“I want to be
human,” he then answered, his eyes staying glued to Adrienne's.

“Xavier,
seriously, you want to spend your last day at a park?”

Yvonne bit her
lip in slight irritation. She was riled up by the fact that Xavier was acting
like a crazed high school teenager, his feelings for Adrienne overpowering his
senses. No vampire in his right mind would choose to go outside in the
afternoon. The sun was high up in the sky, and Yvonne knew how hot a park could
get. However, Xavier didn't care as long as he was with Adrienne, and Yvonne
was annoyed by the fact that Adrienne didn't have to throw herself at him to make
him love her. She just had to be herself, both human and vampire.

“What do you
want, Ivy?” Xavier gave his full attention to the blonde vampire. “Run? Drink
blood? Hunt?”

“Don't tell me
she's hypnotized you already,” Yvonne whispered with her head bent down. “And
she did it without even trying,”

“You better stop
this, Ivy. My reason for going to the park has nothing to do with Adrienne.
You, of all people, should know that.”

Yvonne bit back
the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes. She was on the verge of
crying because she was so annoyed with Adrienne's influence on Xavier. She knew
from the moment Adrienne turned eighteen that Xavier would change. Before
Adrienne was aware of Xavier's existence, it had always been
Xavier–and–Yvonne
.
Even Aidan would tease the two of them, but Brianna, of course, didn't. Now
that the tables had turned, Yvonne was so mad because her one, single
imperfection—not having Xavier—overshadowed all her best qualities.

“No, I don't know
that, Xavier.” She walked closer to him. “What I do know is that you've
changed.” She then faced Adrienne. “And you can give yourself credit for that
one, hun.”

The other woman
smiled in return even though on the inside, she was dying to tear out Yvonne's
blonde extensions. She didn't know how much Yvonne liked Xavier but it must
have been tons, with the way she was treating Adrienne and the way she was
still throwing herself at Adrienne's fiancé.

“I'll take that
as a compliment,” answered Adrienne, grinning and winking. “Thanks,
 hun
.”

On the brink of
infuriation, Yvonne stomped her foot before she punched the air. She let out a
loud groan before she began the waterworks. Amidst her friends and enemies, she
started to release the tears welling up in her eyes, and as a friend, Xavier
walked over to the blonde and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I don't need
your pity, Xavier,” she said, her voice like acid, but she was slowly leaning
onto his chest. “I don't deserve this.”

“Just accept it.”
Adrienne was the one to answer. Her temper was also starting to rise. “Just be
thankful that he's always there by your side even if you're an alpha bitch, sometimes.”

“But he's always
with you.”

“Not anytime soon,”
Adrienne said, turning her head to face Xavier.

At that moment,
they locked gazes before both of their lips melted into small, discrete smiles.
On the other side of the room, Adrienne remained standing as she furtively
surveyed her fiancé, while he, on the opposite end of the room, grinned at her
before going back to tend to Yvonne's whims.

“So I'm guessing
going to the park is out of the question?” Brianna asked, sitting on Aidan's
lap.

“I was looking
forward to going on the swings.” Aidan smiled like an immature kindergartner. “And
you know, pushing Bree off the swings and the monkey bars!”

“Barbaric much,
Aidan?” Brianna asked as a tease. “You're going to injure me!”

“You two really
are the cutest,” and that was Adrienne speaking as a third-party observer.

“Look who's
talking,” Adrienne couldn't miss her best friend's suspicious smile. “The whole
hiding-behind-the-bushes thing is so old school, but when it's you and Xavier,
it turns into the sequel of
The Notebook
!”

“Shut up,”

“But it's so fun
to tease you two!”

Yvonne and her
posse rolled their eyes in distaste. Xavier, on the other hand, was smiling
like the Cheshire-cat.

“You haven't told
her, have you?” Xavier asked Adrienne, who in return shook her head.

“Tell me what?”

“I finally came
out of the bushes.”

“He's gay?”
Valerie asked. “No way!”

“You're 
gay?
”
Yvonne, Adrienne, Brianna, and Tatiana all asked in unison.

Everyone turned
to look at Xavier who looked as confused as all of them. Of course he wasn't gay!
No way in hell,

“That wasn't what
I meant when I said,
I came out
.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You
guys are sick and twisted.”

“So what did you
really mean, huh?” That was Adrienne. “What did you exactly
come out
of?”

“Oh damn,
Adrienne, are you playing with me?” She shook her head.

“So you really
don't have a clue?”

“With the way
she's twitching her eyebrows, it's a little bit obvious to say that she isn't telling
a lie,” Valerie remarked, smiling arrogantly at her smartass reply.

Xavier scratched
his head before he smiled an uncertain smile to himself. He started pacing
across the room, hands in his pockets, but eyes glued only on one person. He
had never given in this strong to his feelings, never ever. He could hide his
emotions so well, but right now, he didn't even care if he looked and sounded
ridiculous.

“I came out,
telling Adrienne that I love her. I am beginning to realize how tough saying
goodbye is going to be. It’s like hording memories,” he said, and the moment
the words escaped his mouth, he looked up, towards the ceiling, afraid to face
his fiancé.

“It's going to be
harder for me to say goodbye. Dumbass,” she replied, her voice only a whisper.

“And what better
way to say goodbye than at the park with your closest friends?” That was
Brianna, who was chuckling evilly at her best friend and with her boyfriend.

Valerie and
Tatiana, although hesitant at first, finally agreed to expose themselves under
the sun thanks to Aidan's oozing sex appeal and his powers of persuasion. It
was only Yvonne holding out now, but she was going to be a difficult rock to
crack.

“It's Xavier's
last day, Ivy.” Aidan wasn't even making an effort to sound sexy. He was too
disgusted with the way the blonde kept throwing herself at his best friend. “Don't
be a bitch, be a friend.”

“And suffer while
Ms. Perfect here gets Xavier all to herself?” She was glaring daggers at the
vampire princess. “No thanks. I'm out.”

“No,” Xavier
started, sounding genuinely honest. “I want you to come.”

“But I don't
want 
her
,” She pointed a finger at Adrienne. “I don't want her
there.”

Xavier frowned;
disappointed with the way Yvonne was acting. As a friend, the least she could
do was to 
pretend
 to be happy, but she couldn't even do
that 
for 
him. She really was self-centered, but he still
couldn't hate her. They were close friends, but evidently it wasn’t close
enough.

“Then I'll see
you when I see you, and I don't know when that will be.”

He smiled
sheepishly at her before he exited the room with the rest trailing behind him.
They all left Adrienne's residence as they walked to the park, chatting
happily, but deep inside, they were all disappointed with the fact that they
were going to have to say goodbye tonight.

“So Frederick's
been forcing me to invite you to dine with us in Florence,” Henrietta began,
narrating to Carter Stahl the events of her life. “But of course I had to tell
my husband how busy you are with having to rule a kingdom 
and
 a
school, but I don't think he understands that.”

“Because he just
rules a kingdom,” Adrienne's father replied sarcastically.

“I don't think he
understands the burdens we call teenagers.” Henrietta Kristofferson turned her
head, so that she could eye the two passengers in the back seat. “No offense to
you darlings.”

Xavier and
Adrienne eyed each other before they broke into awkward grins.

“None taken.”

“Tell dear
Frederick that I plan to visit Europe in a few months,” Carter Stahl then said.
“He's been badgering me to accompany him on one of his hunting trips.”

Silence befell
the passengers of the car, and even Adrienne knew why everyone looked so
disappointed all of a sudden.

“But we all know you
won’t be going hunting anymore,” was Henrietta's answer. “But hunting or not,
you should still come and visit us.”

“Definitely, and
I'll even bring Adrienne with me,” he answered. “How does that sound
,
 Xavier?”

Said person
looked at his fiancé, who was grinning embarrassingly at him. Adrienne's face,
he could see, was slowly being tinted with red and pink hues, and because of
her adorable state, he couldn't help but pat her head. Then, his hand trailed
down her shoulder, then to her neck, until they finally rested over her clasped
hands.

“I'll be happy to
show her around Europe,” Xavier answered.

“I've always
wanted to go to the Red Light District, you know.”

“Are you planning
to apply for a job while you're there?” Xavier then teased.

“Now that you’ve
suggested it.”

“You do know that
your dad is here, right?” Xavier was grinning at her. “And that he can hear
you?”

Adrienne nodded
as she leaned further into her seat. She could already see the airport coming
in to view and a few airplanes taking off and landing. She wondered which airlines
Xavier and Henrietta were going on.

“Dad has always
wanted me to get a job, right, Dad?”

“Don't push his
buttons too far, kiddo,” was Carter Stahl's reply to her daughter's question. “His
sense of humor isn't the same as yours.”

“What would you
do, sir,” Xavier began, “if she were serious?”

“He would disown
me on the spot,” Adrienne answered automatically.

“Damn right, kid.”

“I'd love to see
you at boarding school, dear,” said Henrietta, softly laughing as she checked
her bag to see if she had all her valuables in it. “The girls would be in a
frenzy!”

“Oh don't worry!”
She was already laughing with Xavier's mother. “Xavier will show them how to do
things the American way!”

“And you're proud
that you've tainted my impeccable breeding?” Xavier's eyebrows rose
suggestively. “Pfhhh. Americans.”

“You're one to
talk,” Adrienne answered. “You're still one of us even if you're going back to
your real home.”

“Oh, really—” he
started

“This is the time
to say goodbye, kids,” Carter Stahl interjected without feeling sorry about
interrupting Xavier. “So make it special because you two don't know when you're
going to see each other again.”

From the
backseat, Adrienne and Xavier saw how their parents eyed each other
mischievously as if the two of them had worked up a plan. With nothing to lose,
the teenagers took advantage of the time they were given to say a proper
farewell. They left the car and headed over to the spot where the trolleys
were. With Adrienne leaning against a wall and waiting for him to say
something, Xavier spoke up first.

“Thanks for
everything, Adrienne,” he said, smiling. “You, uh, taught me things I never
would have done if I hadn't met you. Things like carnivals, and that silly I
Never game.”

“I'll just take
that as something good.” She then winked at him.

“What I don't
think I can thank you for is having you suck my blood,” he teased, messing up
her hair.

“What a way to
say goodbye, Xavier.”

“But seriously,
thanks for a 
lot
 of things.” He looked at the car and saw
Carter Stahl unloading the luggage. “I'll miss you.”

Slowly and
nervously, he walked closer to Adrienne, his arms beginning to open to take her
in for a hug. His heart was thumping loudly while her legs were starting to
weaken. Should they hug? Give each other a peck on the cheek? On the lips? They
didn't know what the right thing to do was, so they followed their instincts.