Playing The Player

Chapter 11

Waking up is no longer the pleasure it was. There is a fleeting moment where Adelaide is whole again, but it evaporates once she remembered the events of last night. Her eyelids were drooping and leaden with sleep, but snapped open as violently as if she'd awaken to the sound of a siren indicating an alien invasion. By the time her eyes were open and her brain started working, she was overwhelmed by where and how she woke up. Ignorance of this situation is even worst than being abducted by aliens.

Not that she's tried, and not that aliens were real.

Except now, Adelaide might consider visiting an enchanted planet and discover new life forms.

The same guy who was fighting for his life yesterday, the same guy who tried to protect her, the same guy that was- wait- dead?

"Julian?" Adelaide was dumbfounded. Could she be dreaming?

Julian smiled and sat next to her now-awake figure on the bed- which she magically was transported to.

"Good morning, Angel," he said. "Sleep well?"

"You're a zombie, aren't you? You died yesterday!" Adelaide accused, backing away from the half-dead, half-alive Julian.

Julian let out a laugh, knitting his fingers between her hair. "No, Delle, I didn't die. Remember how I told you that dragon was an illusion by Apate?"

"Yeah."

"Those men were an illusion."

"No way."

"Yes way."

Adelaide stared thoughtfully at Julian (whom was confirmed to be a hundred percent alive), trying to explain one detail.

"But we weren't in Apate's garden," she pointed out. "We were- and still are- in Mendela. Unless Apate has control over Mendela, then they couldn't have been an illusion. And even if they were, how come you passed out?"

"Good point," Julian began. "But, Apate actually controls a bit of Mendela, too. And that area we were in was protected by her. And I passed out because I lost too much blood, so it took a while to wake up again. Once you killed the men that were close to me, and the others got far enough, I woke up again- fully healed."

"That's impossible."

"Back in California."

"Who took you back to the hotel?"

"Me."

"Did John say anything?"

"No."

"As usual."

"Yeah."

"This is crazy."

"Tell me about it."

For quite a long time, they merely stared at each other, wondering what they were going to say and who was going to say it first.

"Hey, Delle?" Julian said, uncertainly.

"Yes?"

"If I told you something, would you promise not to get mad?"

"I guess so."

"What if I told you-" Julian began, hesitantly.

"Told me what?"

"-That I had feelings for you?" Adelaide was quiet, unsure of what to say.

Finally, she fixed a firm expression and said something Julian didn't want to hear. Ever.

"I don't do relationships," she said simply.

Julian looked at her hopefully, pleading silently that she would take that back and say it was a joke and that she really loved him back- but, she didn't.

"Oh," Julian whispered. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Adelaide demanded. "I should be the one apologizing to you, Casanova. No the other way around."

"I shouldn't have said that. It's my fault," Julian insisted. Adelaide just watched him doubtfully, wondering if that was the right thing to say.

"Can I ask why?"

Adelaide bit her lip, contemplating whether a broad answer would be best. But, she didn't give a broad answer. He has the right to know.

"My dad left my mom when I was around five," she started, shutting her eyes.

Maybe it's best if I don't continue? This might get messy, Adelaide thought. No, he has the right to know. Wait- actually, he doesn't! He's so secretive around me, so why should I tell him everything?

As if hearing her thoughts, Julian started telling his own story. "Actually, your beginning sounds a lot like mine."

Adelaide met his gaze, surprised. "It does?"

Julian nodded. "Pretty much. It ends the same way yours begins. My dad's mom died a few weeks before I turned six. He started drinking, a lot, each night. He became crazy, and started cheating on my mom. Soon enough, my dad found another woman he really liked, and he started going out with her. He stayed over at her house, for a night, then a day, then a week, and once for seven months. My mom thought he left her, so she started dating another man. My dad came home after seven months and found out that she was cheating on him. He killed my mom's date, and I was forced to call the police. In the end, my dad ended up committing himself. My mom hasn't been the same ever since."

"That's a messy story," Adelaide whispered sympathetically.

Julian smiled sadly. "I know."

After that, Adelaide got enough confidence to tell Julian her story- and so she did. She told him everything- how her dad left her mom after a trip, how they didn't know if he was alive or not, how her mother had a heart problem. Everything.

"So is that why you don't want to fall in love?" Julian asked when she finished. "Because you're afraid you'll get heartbroken and hurt like your mom?"

"Yeah," Adelaide whispered.

Julian smiled. "Don't expect me to leave you anytime soon, Angel. We're going to be together for a long, long time."

"Don't remind me," Adelaide said with a smirk.

"Tough luck. I just did."

"What's our next move?"

"First, we get lunch; I'm starving," Julian replied. "After that, we get going. And off to Divindale we go."

"Sounds nice. I'm looking forward to lunch."

"Same here, Angel," Julian commented with a grin. "Same here."

And at that moment, Julian realized the most important objective of this trip. Oh, it wasn't getting the Torch Rings from the Ring Bearer.

It was better.

Casanova's mission, was to get Adelaide to fall in love with him- blindly.