Blood on Roses [COMPLETED]

Twenty-Two: Live On

"People who are beneath you will try to bring you down with them. Stay above those pathetic pests. If you feel angry, pet a puppy. That always works for me."
~ Ashlynne Nolan

TWENTY-TWO

There wasn't a way out of this one. My only choice was to tell Ashlynne the truth. Of course, not the real truth. I said that I was friends with Zach, and I put two and two together when they spoke of each other.

"He talks about me?" Ashlynne repeated quizzically.

It was relieving that she was too shocked about that to focus on the fact that Zach would never willingly be friends with someone.

"He says I'm foolish and incomprehensible, doesn't he?"

I recalled the time when Zach said he couldn't understand me, then compared me to his "dumb sister." I nodded. "He does, but he also says the same for me."

"Oh, we're at my house." In the midst of our conversation, I didn't notice that muscle memory brought me back.

"I guess I'll be off now. I'll consider what you said. See you around, Hazel."

Ashlynne turned around as I opened the door. I was going to ask her to stay, but I couldn't offer her a drink like I usually did with my human friends. In that second of hesitation, she headed off, walking quite briskly in her heeled ankle boots.

I kicked off my sneakers by the door, and it slammed shut on its own accord. Startled, I did a one-eighty.

My eyes met a pair of raging pale blues. His arm extended to the door, meaning that he had been hiding behind it and shut it behind me.

A brief tingle of concern ran down my spine. He heard Ashlynne's voice from outside. What was he doing here? How'd he even get in?

"How do you know that moron?" Zach interrogated. "Why did you tell her to talk to me? I don't want her anywhere near me. She'll only drag me down."

I scowled, matching his expression. "Just two days ago, I agreed to stop reading you on the condition that you'd be honest with yourself, yet here you are, spewing nonsense that you don't mean."

He glared at me coldly. "Quit acting as if you know me, Hazel, and stop meddling in my personal shit."

I flinched, but I stood my ground. "You two clearly care about each other a lot, so why do things have to be like this? It's not like anyone would be in danger if you just return to a normal sibling relationship."

Zach's glare visibly hardened. Then, at vampire speed, he seized me by the arm and pinned me to the door. I matched his glower and commanded, "Let go. This is a terrible habit of yours."

Ignoring my words, he glared down at me and trapped me in between his arms while retaining a firm grip on my wrist. I once again received a close-up of his mesmerizing features.

Just then, his pale blue irises swirled into a dark and malevolent black and red. The red rings around his pupils glowed brighter in rage than ever before. As lethal as they were, they held a beautiful glint to them.

I oscillated between my love and hate for him.

"You're opinionated, irritating, and surely the nosiest person I've ever met." His fangs as sharp as a viper's, he hissed, "Did you forget what I can do to you? Don't mistake me for a weakling like Ashlynne. When I say I can break you, I mean every word."

I listened to my fictitious heart that'd be pounding if it still existed. His threats, although menacing, no longer affected me.

We were back to square one. No, further than that. Even when we first met, he didn't act as hostile as he was now.