Orange Roses - REVAMPED

Chapter Nineteen: The Secret of Trusting

Keeva looked over me. She tapped my knee and my leg jerked up. She patted my cheek until the skin turned red and I swatted her hand away.

"Matty, let her look at you," Drake said to me, standing by the doorway in her office.

"She doesn't need to tap my knee!" I said. I curled my fingers into the sofa and tensed. I needed to get ready to go. 

I looked at Keeva. She did her hair up in big curl before piling it up on top of her head. She did her eye makeup even though I'm not sure why. Elves naturally were beautiful. Not a flaw in sight. What did I need to know about her? Erasmus didn't know what he was talking about. It didn't even matter. 

"No dreams? No nightmares?" Keeva asked. 

"No," I said. The words came out too quickly and Drake looked at me, but looked away when I looked back at him. 

"Will you two relax, whatever it is?" Keeva said. "I don't want Matty stressed out. I don't need you stressed out, Drake. Not after everything." She looked back at me. "I really hate when you two fight. Can't you just make up, whatever it is?" 

I looked away. "We're not fighting." 

"Can you at least try to lie a little better?" Keeva asked. 

"What about you?" I asked. 

Keeva pulled back a bit from me. "What was that?" 

I clenched my jaw and kept it shut. 

"What is going on with you two?" Keeva asked us. Drake and I didn't look at her. "If you two are going to act like this, I'm going to send Antonio with you-"

"No!" I said as I stood up. The last thing I needed was the vampire hanging over me if I was going to this thing where Ari was with Oracle. "We're okay, I promise. We're just..." 

"It's awkward," Drake said first. Well, he wasn't wrong about that. Actually it was a good way to describe how it was. Drake ran a hand through his hair without looking at either of us. "It's uncomfortable to think that someone has been walking in my head and seeing it all." 

Keeva nodded. She patted him on the shoulder. 

"Come on, Drake, let's get a drink. We can talk about it." Keeva shot me a look and then winked at me. She led Drake out of the room. 

I sighed and relaxed. 

As soon as they left, Antonio came into the room. Did he just have a sixth sense when to come and bug me?  

"The dragon is in a bad mood," Antonio noticed.  He took a look at me. "And so are you." 

"Antonio, not now." I said. 

"I wanted to check on you since you're able to walk around now and that you had to get help from Oracle." Antonio looked at me. His face twisted and for a second, I thought I watched his mask slip. "Is Ari alright?" 

I wasn't sure if I could lie to him at that moment. He looked a lot like how my mom looked when she held onto me. Scared. He looked scared. Vampires aren't supposed to be scared. They're one of the most powerful creatures in the world. I'm pretty sure the only creature that could stop them were faeries, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure. 

And then I thought about the video in Ari's head that played. The one where Ari looked at Antonio and in the memory, how much love reflected in Antonio's voice. 

Antonio changed the subject.

"You're going to his concert though." Antonio said. "With Oracle."