Sold: Survival (complete)

5

Okay guys. Let me level with you. I love that everyone loves this story and wants me to update. However, I got married and just got back from my honeymoon. Cut me some slack.

To make it better, I'm giving my Instgram to you guys (mainly because there's no personal information, just pictures) so follow me :) vanessa.piccolo

I passed Crystal on my way upstairs. She watched my every move. I hadn't forgotten her smashing my head against a countertop though. Hell, if I couldn't even trust Mariah I was probably wrong about Crystal too.

I stopped just above her and turned back to face her.

"What about you?" I asked flatly. "Do you have a hidden agenda as well?"

She shook her head. I could see her fear painted on her face. It gave me a sense of security.

"I haven't forgotten what you did to me," I commented.

"Anna I'm sorry," she rushed.

"No, you're not. You've been a bitch to me ever since I got here. Why?"

She looked like a drowning woman. I knew she was at a loss, but I wasn't letting her off the hook. She deserved to squirm a little for being rude to me for so long.

"I was jealous," she whispered.

"That's the story you're going with?"

"He slept with me and left me for you. What was I supposed to do? Take it up with him?"

"That's exactly what you were supposed to do."

"I didn't have anything to do with the council," she stated.

"I know."

Surprise colored her face as she stared at me. I knew Crystal was just a jealous ex and nothing more. I even understood where she was coming from. If I ever met Azrael's little human I probably wouldn't be polite. A year ago I would have been too weak-minded to say anything to her, but I was different.

Liam quietly followed me upstairs. I left Crystal alone and confused as to what happened. She might have been a bitch, but she wasn't working against Liam and I knew that.

We made our way to his floor. We didn't speak at all. I wasn't in the mood to carry on conversation.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way," he commented.

"Find out that everyone hates me? No, it was great," I dead panned.

"Anna-"

"I'm tired and I want to be alone right now."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll have someone fix up your room when you're ready."

"It's probably fine the way it is."

"You don't want a personal touch to it?"

"No. I just want my dog and some privacy."

"Alright. I'll have someone bring him up."

I nodded and went inside the room. The door closed behind me with a soft click. I felt a little bad for being short with Liam, but he completely blindsided me. He should have told me that he had an idea who was behind this. If I had been more prepared, I wouldn't have felt so crappy about the entire castle despising me.

Still, I shouldn't have taken it out on him. It wasn't his fault that everyone hated me. It was my fault, I guess. I didn't think I did anything, but receiving special treatment from Azrael had probably caused most of the tension.

I laid on the bed and tucked my arm under a pillow. As much as I wanted to be the strong, independent type, I knew I was still the same girl. I had changed everything about myself, but deep down that didn't matter. I couldn't really change who I was. I could change my behavior and maybe my appearance, but not the foundation of me. I would have to accept the fact that I couldn't be what I wanted to be. Oddly enough, I was okay with that. Maybe I didn't need to change everything about myself. I had made it for a year with Azrael as myself. Even though everyone else hated me, I liked who I was. I had never hated myself. Why should I care if other people didn't like me? Liam seemed to like me as a person. Bridget loved me and accepted me the way I was. There were people that loved me. Hell, even Azrael loved me. Even if I was mad at him, he still cared about me. It wasn't like the entire world hated me; just the majority of the vampire world I had been introduced to hated me.