Chapter 12

Alexander was furious.  

It took all of his self-control not to march back into the mansion and finish what he had started. It would help satisfy his raging anger—the hot molten lava that was coursing through his veins.

His grip on Adrianna’s wrist tightened as his emotions threatened to bubble to the surface.

She immediately gasped in pain and tried to pull her arm away. “Alexander…let go. You’re hurting me,” she huffed. 

His stormy blue eyes flickered towards Adrianna’s frightened face before he quickly released his grip on her. “My apologies for saving you from an asshole that was going to take advantage of you sweetheart,” he drawled before sauntering past her and towards his sleek black motorcycle.  

Alexander pressed his lips into a thin line as he stared out into the horizon. The mansion that was located upon a hilltop provided a dazzling view of the city streets below for anyone who cared to enjoy it. It was a beautiful sight, if only he could calm himself down enough to appreciate the scenery. 

Alexander closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. He needed to control himself and his emotions. In and out, in and out, in and—

“It’s kind of breathtaking isn’t it?” said the soft female voice behind him.

His eyes flew open but he did not turn to look at Adrianna. “I suppose.”

There was a pause of silence. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.”  

“Clearly there is if you’re in a pissy attitude again. What’s wrong?” 

Alexander gritted his teeth at her question. He hated when people asked him so many questions. “Aren’t you supposed to be drunk or something?” 

 Adrianna rolled her eyes. “I may be slightly intoxicated, but not completely drunk.”

“Well once you’re fully sober, the incidence with that asshole will hit you like a ten-ton brick.”

“Hey! What’s the supposed to mean?” demanded Adrianna in annoyance.

Alexander sneered. “Just exactly what I meant. By tomorrow morning, you’re going to be sober and have a sob party about the fact that bastard almost raped you! So really I should be the last person you should be asking that question to.”  

Adrianna’s mouth dropped to protest, but she get herself couldn’t speak. Her body started to tremble.  Hurt, anguish and a sense of dread filled her being.  

He was right. 

Something wet fell onto Adrianna’s cheek and before she knew it, tears started to fall freely down her face. “You’re a real jerk you know that?” she bit out while trying to wipe her tears away. “And here I was starting to think you were somewhat decent. But oh how wrong I was…” she hissed angrily.  

 Alexander watched her impassively. “You silly girl. What if I wasn’t there? “ He snarled. 

Without thinking, Adrianna flipped the middle finger at him. “Fuck you. You’re just as much of an asshole as Greg was. Don’t forget that.”

She started to storm off, but half way through she turned around. “Oh and one last thing, you should go see a psychologist and get your head checked. I know you’re hiding from your problems under that cold and rude façade.”

Alexander immediately swore under his breath and ran after her. He was getting nowhere with this insolent girl. Given that this was mostly his fault that he couldn’t control his manners around her. 

When Alexander reached Adrianna, he grabbed her arm but she quickly jerked her it from his grasp. “Get away from me!” she yelled. “Haven’t you had enough to torture me with for one day?” 

Alexander growled in frustration. “Look I’m sorry—“  

Adrianna let out a humorless laugh, not turning to look at him. “Well doesn’t this feel familiar? One minute you act somewhat nice, the next you act like a shithead and then when all is said and done, you apologize. I don’t know what you want from me, but I really can’t handle this cycle of abuse. I tried to give you a few chances, but it’s already your third strike.”

Alexander ran a hand through his jet-black hair and heaved irritated sigh. “Okay I get it. I was an ass—” 

“Still is.”

He glowered at her. “Alright fine, still is. And you know what? You are right. I am hiding behind my façade. Maybe I do need a psychologist because there is something very wrong with me,” Alexander paused and looked towards the ground.  “I have a bad tendency to hurt people and sometimes I don’t feel anything at all…”

“Yeah I sort of realized you’re a psychopath, go on.”

Alexander scowled. His strategy to be partially honest with Adrianna really seemed to be a bad idea now. But yet for some reason, he found himself droning on. “Yet when it comes to you, I have no idea how to handle myself. No one else has made me feel angry, irritated and content at the same time,” he explained before swallowing nervously at the next thing he was going to say.

“You asked me what I want? Well I want to be friends because honestly, you are the best part of my day and when I saw that bastard’s hands all over you, I was seeing red. So yes I was angry and I displaced my anger on you instead of finding a better way to channel it. I’m not asking you to forgive me, heck to even give me another chance. But I am asking you to understand me.”

Adrianna stood in stunned silence at Alexander’s speech. She didn’t want to believe him, but his words sounded so sincere. Everything he said pained her as much as it pained him. She felt his anguish and maybe that was why she spun around.

“That’s the longest thing you ever said to me. I guess maybe I was wrong you’re not a psychopath, just a sociopath,” she teased; earning heated a glare from Alexander. Adrianna sighed at his reaction before she reached her hand out towards him and placed it on his chest. 

“What the hell are you doing?” demanded Alexander in bewilderment. He was not used to such a warm intimate touch. Although he had the pleasure of having other women in his bed, nothing felt like this before. Just the touch of her hand was enough to burn through his shirt and heat up his skin.

“I’m just checking to see if you have a heart,” she said with a serious look. “And it looks like you do! Congrats! You can feel something with it.” 

At those words Alexander immediately recoiled from her. It was her. He had long suspected Adrianna to be the girl from his childhood, but those very words were enough to send his thoughts back in time.

It was nearly a month until he was able to escape his father and see Addy again. After getting into the fight with his brother, he was severely disciplined for his actions. He endured through what no other eight year old had to go through. It took a toll on him, it took a piece of him and yet the only thing that kept him going was the thought of the strange girl waiting for him.

Alexander did not expect her to be waiting for him after being missing for a month, but she was there in the tree house at the same time they usually meet.

“Xander!” cried Addy as she ran and nearly tackled him to the ground. “Ohhh I miss you so much! So, so much! Where were you? I was so worried you wouldn’t come back!” she rambled while giving him a big hug.

Alexander groaned and pushed her away. “I’m okay.” 

Addy giggled. “Okay that’s good! Do you want to play a game?" 

He shook his head. “No I’m not in the mood.”

She gave him a frown. “Aw why not?”

Alexander just shrugged.

“Oh…” sighed Addy before her hazel eyes brightened again. “Well Christmas is coming up soon! Did you make a list of what you wanted?” 

He shrugged again. “Christmas is dumb. There is no such thing as a fat guy with a white beard dressed in a red suit that flies magical reindeers on Christmas Eve."

Addy stuck her tongue out at him. “Well Santa Claus only gives gifts to good boys and girls. If you don’t believe in him, you get coal!” 

Alexander shrugged. “Well I’m not a good boy then. In fact, father says not to express emotion, so I don’t have a heart.”

Addy’s eyes widened. “REALLY? I don’t believe that!” she stated before she stuck her hand on his chest. 

“W-what are you doing?” asked Alexander in surprise.

Addy gave him a big smile when she felt the constant rhythmic beat of his heart. “I’m checking to see if you have a heart. Duh! And you do have one. So don’t tell me that you don’t have one when you clearly do,” she stated.

Alexander snorted and rolled his eyes. “Whatever…”

“Alexander? Alexander? What’s wrong?” asked Adrianna in concern.

He immediately shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on the girl in front of him. “Nothing, it’s nothing. You surprised me there.” 

“Oh well you didn’t look happy when I told you had a heart…” trailed off Adrianna with a slight frown. 

Alexander sighed. “Look I get what you were trying to do there, but I’m too messed up to have empathy for another person. It is just fact.” 

For the second time today, Adrianna surprised Alexander when she grabbed his hand and placed his fingers against her neck.

“Tell me that you don’t feel something? A connection—an understanding with me, someone, anyone?” she asked, desperately grasping at straws. 

Alexander closed his eyes. He wanted to say no. He felt no connection. It wasn’t possible for him, but all he felt was warmth and the yearning to be close to another human being.  

Everything about Adrianna right there and then was enticing. Her strength, her weakness and her beauty despite the tears she cried. 

There was a moment of silence where Alexander stared into her eyes and she looked dauntingly back. Then without thinking, he slid his hand to the back of her neck and slowly leaned in to kiss her. 

Just before their lips could touch, a male voice cut through the thick air.

“Adrianna! Are you out here?" 

Alexander suddenly jolted away from Adrianna and took a step back from her. He immediately closed his eyes to clear his head and find his common sense back. That was a bad move on his part—a really bad move. The last thing he needed was to get into some messed up love relationship with his childhood friend, only to have to kill her.

Adrianna blinked a few times, trying to get out of her daze. “Um…yeah I’m here Simon. Did you get everyone rounded up? I’m ready to head home.”

Simon sighed. “No, everyone’s still partying but I could take you home,” he replied before glancing to the side to see Alexander beside her. He raised an eyebrow. “Oh did I intrude on something?”

Adrianna shook her head. “No, no not at all. Please take me home.” Then she turned to Alexander and gave him a sheepish smile. “Consider us acquaintances for now. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at the library for our lab report."  

With that the two headed down the road, leaving Alexander to burn a glare into Simon’s back.

“Ooh, cock-blocked by the hipster I see,” laughed a voice. 

Alexander turned to give another death glare to the intruder. “Didn’t I warn you last time—”

The boy merely rolled his eyes. “Yeah, something about my tongue and whatever. Relax, it was a joke.”

“You are absolutely useless,” uttered Alexander under his breath before he placed his black carbon helmet on and hopped on his sports motorcycle. “I’ll see you around.” 

When Alexander returned back to his condo, the first thing he did was take his anger out using the punching bag. He had to gain control of his emotions again. There was something wrong with him, and it was his lack of control that was getting him into trouble.

After what seemed like hours, Alexander found himself in the washroom, gripping the white sink and staring into the mirror. His blue eyes were swirling in a monstrous storm of anger. Nothing could quench his burning rage. Nothing could remove his thoughts about her. 

Truth be told, he still couldn’t believe that she was his childhood friend. He didn’t want to believe it. Not when he had to terminate her.

Alexander growled and threw his fist against the mirror. 

It cracked into thin lines and shattered into a million pieces. 

Blood started to drip down his knuckles, but he felt no pain.

The rage that had been coursing through his blood died down.

He was numb.

He could not feel anything. 

She was wrong.

He had no heart.

Friend or not, Adrianna Spencer was as good as dead.

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A/N: Hey everyone! I finally got time to update, that being said, I probably won't have time to update until early December due to my course work. Thanks again to all my awesome readers who stick with this story. Keep giving me suggestions or tips. Let me know how you like it! And last thing, if anyone wants to make banners for this story or anything like that, let me know too :)