Ferd don’t judge too quickly

"What exactly do you want?", I dragged the words as I looked from her to the ceiling, laying down on my back.

The bed dipped as she sat beside me but for some reason her proximity didn't bother me as much as it used to. That was a good thing I guess.

"How are you doing?", She stared directly at me and even though I could feel her eyes burning into my skin I still refused to look at her directly.

"Is that why you came up here? To find out if I'm okay?", My words were condescending and sarcastic but I couldn't seem to make myself care even when she visibly flinched at my words.

She stood up abruptly and turned away from me, "What is your problem Solace?".

Is this girl for real?

I didn't give away the internal struggle that was going on in my head, "Maybe you're my problem", I said calmly.

She didn't seem to expect that. I could tell by the silence that had settled around us that the last thing she had expected was for me to broach 'that' topic.

"I thought we agreed to let this go", her voice was so low and soft I almost hadn't heard her.

For the first time I looked at her, "I don't remember making such an agreement".

Her eyes narrowed at me, "Don't give me that bullshit".

"I'm the one with the bullshit!", I scoffed at her hypocrisy, "you're the one going out with Mario after you said you wanted to be with me!".

She glared at me, "Why are you doing this now", her voice rose an octave but I could've almost sworn I heard it break a little.

"Why are you even here", I countered back as my eyes stared intensely at her with a matching glare of my own, "maybe you should've left with your boyfriend".

Her expression fell and I knew I had gone too far but I couldn't take it back.

She sighed and sat again at the edge of my bed, "What do you want Solace?".

My eyes met hers, "Isn't it obvious. I want to know the truth, why are you with Mario".

She shook her head and stood up as if to leave the room, "I already told you", she sighed.

My hand held firmly unto her upper arm before she could turn to leave, "Then tell me again".

She didn't make an attempt to loosen my hold on her. She seemed to embrace it instead which served to confuse me further.

Her fingers gripped mine and she intertwined them taking me completely by surprise.

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again. You're the one I really want to be with Solace".

My brows drew together in confusion, "Then why are you really with Mario?".

I was surprised when her eyes bored into mine pleadingly, "I can't tell you why Solace. But believe it or not I am doing this for you, for us".

"Us?", I uttered disbelievingly.

That immediately ranked as the most absurd thing I'd ever heard.

Her grip on me tightened and she intertwined both of our hands again, "I know it sounds crazy but I swear it is the truth. I am only with Mario to protect you. I can't answer any more of your questions and I know it is hard but I just need some more time to figure everything out and until then I really need you to believe me and believe that my feelings for you are real".

Somehow I had gone from brooding over how she was an absolute horrible person who had wronged me to trying to decide if there was really something else to all this that was missing.

I dragged in a deep breath. My heart was beating hard against my chest. But I didn't look away from her as I asked the most important question.

"Why should I believe you Ariadne? After you betrayed me and went with Mario behind my back why should I believe anything you say?".

She didn't wait a second before I had my answer, her eyes looked up at mine and all I saw was sincerity.

"Because Mario isn't the one I love".

Before I even had a chance to find out just what she meant, her lips were on mine. I was startled at first that I didn't react. I could almost feel my heart inside my brain with how hard it was pounding.

It wasn't until she was about to pull away that I finally did something. My hands settled around her waist as I pulled her closer and kissed her back with so much passion. Passion that I thought was no longer there.

I heard a message tone chime in the room and we broke apart. Both of us breathing raggedly as she pulled for her phone from her front jeans pocket.

"It's Mario", she was still breathless from our sudden kiss, "he says there's a lawsuit against his brother-".

"I'm suing the Levi's", I spoke up and her eyes immediately looked up at me, "I'm done letting them get away with hurting me. Lewis Levi will be sorry he ever dared to take things that far".

There was a knock at the door and Ari and I both looked away from each other as Victor turned the knob and walked in.

He halted the minute he took in our appearances and it don't take long for a smirk to make its way into his face.

"Did I interrupt something?".

I didn't look at the girl beside me nor did I answer his question directly, "Did you want something Victor".

"Your mom wants to see you. She's in her room, I'll stay with Ariadne until you get back", I nodded a bit too quickly and rushed out of the room even quicker.

I kissed her.

I freaking kissed her!

Well.. she kissed me.

The confusing part was that I didn't regret it. I know I wanted to believe her and what she said. She had seemed too sincere to ever be lying. But I couldn't ignore a small voice in the back in my head telling me that this was wrong.

I buried that thought as I walked into my mom's room.

She was sitting at a desk in the corner of her room with a file open and her reading glasses on when I entered.

"Mom you wanted to see me?".

She looked up suddenly as if she hadn't heard when I had come in, "Oh hey honey she motioned me over to her and handed me the file".

I took it and stared at it suspiciously before I began to go through the file only to find a bunch of profiles on various males that looked around my age.

"What's this for mom?", I referred to the file.

She looked at me as if I was stupid before she stood up from her chair, "It's a list of candidates we picked to be your next bodyguard".

Next bodyguard? What!?

My eyebrows drew together, "What are you talking about", I asked confused, "where is Jason? I don't need another bodyguard".

Mom looked up at me curiously as if I'd forgotten something that I should've known.

The irony.

A few seconds passed before realization dawned on her face, "Your dad really didn't tell you did he?", She explained, "he fired Jason because he didn't prevent you from getting hurt. As of tomorrow, you'll have a new bodyguard".