The metal gates clanged open but as usual he was too weak to raise his head up and see who it was. Not like it mattered anyway; every time those gates opened it cleared a path for torture and terror. The bright emerald green which was once his eyes no longer existed, so, with dimmed colored irises he took in the sight of the buckets at the end of the tubes and scoffed.
"Th−They're not...full yet." He forced the words out.
"No, but you're done here." The familiar voice filled the cell even though it was spoken as a whisper. As though her voice pumped energy through him, his head raised gave a small smile to the woman who helped him the night before.
"What do you mean I'm done? There's still three more buckets to be filled here." He nodded towards the empty buckets which were connected to the tubes.
"Screw it Adrian! Those buckets are the difference between life and death for you and you can't die." Before he could speak she ripped the needles and tubes out of his flesh causing him to flinch for just a minute. "Here," She dug into her pocket, pulled out a bandage and stopped his blood from running out of his skin.
"What are you doing? You're gonna get in trouble for this!"
"Let me worry about that ok. What you need to do right now, is get the hell out of here and back to your friends. They need you." She was very serious as she untied him from the chair.
"But the buckets−
"Let me worry about that, Adrian."
"They might kill you!"
He was free from the chair and she pulled him up holding his face in her hands. Staring him straight in the eye she spoke very carefully to him. "Listen to me, you are going to leave and don't worry about me ok. There's a black SUV parked just outside the door. Get in and get out." She pushed the keys for the car into his palm.
"Won't they come looking for me when they see that I'm missing?"
"They don't care about you, Adrian. They got what they wanted from you and that's your blood. What happens to you after doesn't matter to them. Now that they got what they wanted they have no reason to stay here in California anymore so they're gonna leave. Don't worry about them looking for you ok? Just go back to your friends. They really need you trust me."
"Why do you care about me so much? Why are you helping me again?"
"Here," she said pulling something out of her pocket and completely ignoring his questions. "this is yours." His necklace laid in the palm of her hands.
"Thank you." He took it and hooked it around his neck, where it belonged. "For everything."
The woman smiled and touched his and the look in her eyes said that she wished she could've left with him; but Adrian knew she couldn't. "Now go! Go!"
He hesitated before he left and turned to her one last time. "Are you gonna be ok?"
"I'll be fine." She tried to fake a smile and Adrian wondered if she was trying to convince herself of what she had just said. "Now please, go."
Without another word he ran through the doors and darted into the designated car. It was years since he'd driven but driving wasn't something you just forget. The speed of the car however definitely was something he's forgotten. He had to slow it down sooner though, as a black SUV speeding through the streets of California in the bright daylight wasn't something normal. He was surprised that he made it out of the building without any trouble at all. Then again, they were werewolves, not federal agents. Adrian had been in California long enough to know the way home, however instead of driving his new car there, he drove it into the parking lot of Stefano's one of the most popular coffee shops in California. Partially because he craved a good latte and partially because there was a familiar face seated at one of the tables.
"I'll have an−
"Espresso Romano." He smiled taking a seat next to her.
"Uh that's right." She said to the waitress and looked back at him through confused eyes.
"I'll have a latte." He spoke as the waitress scribbled on her notepad and walked away.
"How did you know what I wanted?" She asked still confused.
"That's the only type of coffee you'd drink at this time of day." He leaned in closer to her with a smile. "I told you Cate, I know you."
"Well," she leaned in as well. "I don't know you. I remember you saving my life that night but that's all I remember. Now please stop stalking me before I inform the police."
Silently, he stared into her dark cocoa bean eyes before smiling and said: "I am going to find a way to get your memory back."
"Get my memory back? Dude, I remember just fine." She leaned back into her chair and shook her head. "Look you can't remember what you never knew; and I never knew you."
"Listen, Cate I−
"I don't wanna hear it ok, and you have got to stop stalking me. My boyfriend isn't gonna be too happy about that."
"Your...your boyfriend?" He said the word like he didn't know its meaning.
"Yes, my boyfriend."
"What do you mean your boy−
"Hey babe, I tried calling you and you didn't pick up. Then I saw you here so...here I am. You forgot about our movie didn't you?"
"Oh my God, I am so sorry. I just had to have some coffee." She smiled standing up.
The pain that usually formed in Adrian's head whenever something was terribly wrong was ten times its intensity at the moment. In fact, it was ten times its intensity from the moment the boyfriend started talking. He hadn't even seen the face, but he didn't want to.
"Let me just find the waitress and pay for the jam tart I had earlier and we'll be on our way ok. Don't worry the opening credits don't make the plot any juicier so it's ok if we miss it." She pecked his lips and left in search of the waitress. Her boyfriend took a seat opposite Adrian and took a sip of the espresso she was drinking.
"Sometimes I think she loves coffee more than she loves me." He laughed looking at Adrian hoping for a response. When there was none he spoke again. "Lovely weather here huh?"
"What is it?" Adrian asked softly, almost as a murmur.
"What is what?"
"What is it?" He repeated a bit louder. "What is it that you want?" He looked him in the eye with a layer of ice over his.
"I don't understand."
"Of course you understand!" He knocked his fist down onto the table causing some of the coffee to spill.
"Relax Adrian. I see you've developed quite a temper." He smiled wiping the beverage off of his coat with a napkin.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you with her?" Adrian demanded. "Was it you? Were you the one who wiped her memory?"
He laughed and pushed the teacup aside. "I found her like that, so no. It wasn't me."
"Then who?"
"I was just as confused as you are, Adrian. But, to answer your other question, I am with her because I love her."
"Bullshit!"
"Maybe I don't but she believes that right? No harm done."
"If you touch her−
"Didn't you hear? I'm the boyfriend...of course I touch her."
Steaming with rage Adrian shoved his chair back and grabbed him up by his collar and was just about to punch him when Cate returned.
"Are you ready?" She asked then frowned. "What's happening here?"
"Nothing, your um friend here does martial arts. He was just showing me the best angle to take for a jaw breaking punch." The guy said pushing Adrian's hands off of him. "Thanks man."
"Oh, he's not my friend. We should get going; the credits usually just take up about a minute."
"Right." He said taking her hand and looking back at Adrian briefly. "It was nice seeing you...what's your name again?" He pretended to be clueless. "Oh that's right, it doesn't matter anymore."
Unable to say anything for the first time in his life, Adrian slowly sat down. His eyes which were now moist didn't leave her. He continued to look at her until she was no longer in sight. It wasn't until the waitress came with his latte when the tears actually leaked out of their emerald green carriers.
"Here's your latte." She set it down onto the table. "I'll be right back with− Hey are you ok?"
"Uh yea," He said quickly wiping his eyes. "I'm fine, thanks."
"You don't look fine." She took a seat next to him and brought out a baby blue handkerchief from her apron's pocket. "You have pretty eyes. Don't let tears hide that."
He took it and wiped his face and eyes and gave her a small smile.
"It's that girl isn't it?" She asked. "The one who was just here with you."
"How do you−
"I saw the way you looked at her. It's the look that every girl longs for." She smiled. "She's lucky."
"She's gone." He said and she knew he wasn't just talking about the fact that she was gone from the coffee shop.
"Things are only truly gone when you stop pursuing them." She stood up and touched his face. "The only thing I know about you is the type of coffee you like and the times you come in here for it. But from what I've seen, by that look on your face and especially your eyes, you don't seem like someone who gives up. I know you're not so please, just prove me right." She said turning away.
"Wait," he held her hand. "Why do you care?"
"Like I said, you have pretty eyes. They're prettier when you're happy." She left with a smile.
He started on his latte and as usual he enjoyed it despite how he felt on the inside. Again, as if they were programmed, his eyes went to the spot where she disappeared with him, holding his hand with pure and absolute love for him. And he, well, he didn't love her. He admitted it. Adrian wasn't surprised. He didn't think he loved anyone. Everything he did was for him and his selfish purposes. He didn't care about Cate; therefore he had to be using her. But what for? He shook his head in silence. None of it mattered unless Cate remembered. She had to remember. And he wasn't giving up. He finished his coffee and took out a crumpled twenty dollar bill from his pocket, smoothed it and put it on the table. He got up but sat back down again, borrowing a pen from a nearby coffee customer and writing something down on a napkin:
The coffee was great as usual. You're talented I must admit. Thank you...
What you said to me...it really helped me. I was on the verge of giving up.
I'm gonna try my very best to keep these eyes pretty, as long as you promise
to always be my waitress whenever I come here. My name is Adrian btw.
Maybe sometime you can tell me yours.
He left the note under the money and headed for the door. As he passed the door he slowed down just enough to remember again how happy Cate looked when she walked out of here with her boyfriend. All he ever wanted for her was happiness and now she was. It hurt Adrian knowing that she was happy not knowing who he was. It hurt to know that she was happy without him. But what hurt the most was that she was now happy with Reid.