Dangerous Lives

Chapter TwentyTwo

APOV

I just stared at Rose. "Take. Me. Back." She hissed every word. I couldn't believe my ears.

"Rose, that's the addiction talking-" She laughed.

"It's my life. Take me back!"

"No." I said, my voice becoming high pitched. "Are you even aware of whats happening? Right now, some doctors are trying to save your life. That Strigoi drank most of your blood. We found you in your bed. Alone. With his blood in your mouth. You meant nothing to him."

"Where's my son." She was trying to change the subject. She never wanted to talk to me about Nathan. About her addiction. But her question definitely shocked me into shutting up. Shit. I just looked at her. "ADRIAN!" She shot off of the bench. I'd never met the child. She never talked about him. Although he was barely a week old. I put my hands out as in trying to calm her.

"When we found you, you were alone. T-there wasn't a baby. I-I'm sorry." The tears started falling down her cheeks. I didn't know what to do. I needed to get her to calm down. "I-I've got Alexa. She's asleep in the other room, safe. I-"

"Keep her." She bit out turning away from me and hugging herself.

"Wait-what?" Rose wiped her eyes. She looked sullen, understandably so. I'd be probably raging drunk right now if I were her.

"She-she knows you Adrian. She probably thinks of you as her second father. I can't take care of her right now. I-I don't have any money. I don't have a job, not even a high school diploma. I just can't." She refused to look at me now. She fumbled with her wrists. I didn't know what to say. I was in shock.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Just go away."

If someone attempted to take Alexa away from me, they'd win. I was an alcoholic. I smoked. I wasn't a good role model. But if Rose trusted me... I did have money. I did have a home. But my father would cut me off eventually. Then I'd be screwed. Shaking my head of the thought I shook my wet hair and threw some gel in it. It had been a while since I'd actually looked clean. The bruise under my eye didn't help.

I found Alexa back in my spare bedroom where I'd left her, curled into the sheets, sound asleep. Why she loved that teddy bear she was holding so much I had no idea. My goal was to get to the infirmary to see Rose. However, I needed to watch Alexa. She hadn't slept on the plane. Alexa was a miniature Rose and I knew waking her and forcing her to walk around was an awful idea. So instead I went downstairs and flipped on the television. A story was airing about Lisa and Rose, though it was mostly about Lisa and her daughter Vanessa though.

"Adrian?" Alexa whispered from the small hallway. She jumped up onto the couch and into my lap, before I could say anything and was fast asleep in seconds. I got a call from Lisa a few hours later that Rose was somewhat lucid. I picked up Alexa, who's face was pressed to my neck. Her little breaths hit my neck, giving me chills. I threw a blanket over her. It was cold out and she didn't have a jacket.

"I wouldn't take her in there." Lisa said. She was sitting in a chair outside of Rose's room, dressed in her pajamas. Her head and wrists were bandaged and she looked pale as a ghost. Her daughter was nowhere to be seen. "Rose is... unhinged." She put her arms out. "I'll take her."

"Where's your daughter?" I asked carefully untangling Alex from me. Lisa sighed.

"They're giving her fluids." She said. "I'm suppose to have that stupid stick with me too but I don't like needles." Neither did Rose. "Vanessa was born in a digusting dungeon." She sighed. "She could die from some disease. I could die. My advisor has yet to show up. I know I'm going get screamed at." Most likely. We snuck out in the middle of night. Eddie, although he wanted to find Rose, had wanted Lisa to stay because she was the queen. That was a serious obligation. But being Lisa, she'd wanted to find her best friend more than run her people.