Susceptible

Chapter sixteen

"W-What do you mean?" I was so confused, I couldn't understand what was happening. My ears were still ringing and I felt disoriented. I grasped onto the edge of the desk as I backed into it.

Alex chuckled, and though it resembled his normal laugh, it was hollow and dead sounding to my ears.

"I told him that I murdered you in cold blood. Don't you think that I riled him up just a bit?" He cocked his head at me and his voice got higher at the end like he was asking the question to a child.

I never knew that was his goal, that didn't make sense with what had happened here, between us.

"But I thought you had just told him that... told him that I was dead so you could be with me? That's why you tried to kiss me afterwards right?" I didn't want to understand what he was implying.

Alex laughed again, louder this time, and ran a hand down his face shaking his head.

"Grood grief. Not everything's about who gets the girl at the end of the day. There's bigger things at play here; you're just a pawn." Alex spat the words out at me like knives piercing my skin.

I felt so childish and small in that moment. How could I have been so naive to think it was about me? I backed further into the desk my back digging into it. I wished I could curl up and just dissapear. I could feel my throat closing up and my resolve slowly slipping away.

"No he wouldn't.. he wouldn't do this though.. not if he thought I was already dead.. there would be no point..." I couldn't think clearly and Alex was standing in the doorway, my only escape, making me feel more trapped.

"What if I told him how you fell in love with me though? If I told him how you thought he was a bad boyfriend?"

"No that's not true!" I screamed at him and grabbed my hair at the roots. This wasn't real. This couldn't be happening. Those were his words, not mine. Those had to be his words, I would never think that right?

"How he couldn't save you in time. How he willingly just traded over your life. Still think that wouldn't drive him a little bit insane?" Alex mocked.

"Stop it!" I screeched at him, he had to stop, I couldn't handle anymore. The reporter's voice was suddenly loud bursting in my head though I couldn't understand what she was saying as Alex rhythmically continued to taunt me. I was going insane.

"You see Adriana all our little talks they were wrong. Sam cared about you more than we thought. Cared about you so much that the thought of your death has driven him to the crime he once swore to stop. You. You had influence over him. His actions depended on, bended around, your existence, your actions. You are the reason he's now a villain."

"You lied! You said he took it okay! You said he didn't seem to care that I had died. You lied to me!"

Alex shrugged his shoulders and propped back against the doorway. I was hysterical. I wanted to rip his throat out. I bounced off the desk ready to pounce.

"So you knew? You knew from the beginning that taking me would destroy him! And then you played me into believing that he didn't care about me. That you were doing me some kind of favor. Then you made up these fake feelings for me to confuse me?"

"No that's the only part you're wrong about Adriana." Alex's voice softened, "My feelings, those are real. You may have been the pawn, but that didn't stop me from caring about you once you were here."

"You bastard!" I spat at him. "How could you ever expect me to believe you again! You're sick Alex. You make me sick." I moved closer to him. "And if you ever believed for one moment that I could have feelings for you, you're wrong absolutely wrong." I pushed on him with one hand and Alex grabbed it his face and voice turning hard again.