Chapter 41

Arden seems to take her time thinking of the perfect way to phrase this big kids version she wants to so desperately tell me about, like it's the true notion of the winter games.

Like Adrian's version wasn't scary enough, I can already feel my heart pounding at the mere thought of it "I thought you guys said the winter games were held every fifteen years?" I ask. Adrian smiles at this, and i feel like I'd just recieved a reward for being a good girl.

"That's what makes this one even more dangerous, and why everyone is in a panic". That would make sense, I think.

But why would this have to happen when I had decided to go into a seemingly crazy deal to help someone get thier inheritance back. I don't even know if I'm to call it an inheritance anymore. His family is definitely not broke or stranded or at a loss for money. This beautiful dress I'm wearing proves it.

It feels like what a princess would wear, with it's hemmed edges and large but oddly comfortable flair. The gown even has pockets. Arden let's out a groan of frustration at the way her mind seems to leave her blank on the issue of this other version she wants to present.

I catch Adrian staring at me from the corner of my eyes. He sees me watching him and Immidiately directs his gaze somewhere else. His cheeks seem to flush, well not as much as it's from the biting cold but at the shock of getting caught. I think the blush is more from shame rather, as he comes up to me while Arden keeps on pacing up and down a narrow hatch of grass.

"I'm really sorry" he says and I raise an amused eyebrow "What for?" I ask and he groans like he's silently pleading with me to not do this to him. I can feel my tummy contracting as I let out laughter that I was trying to hold, and Adrian gives me an expression that says he thinks I'm messing with him. I wave a hand at him to at least tell him sorry for laughing at his abashed confession, and also tell him that he has nothing to worry about. The thought behind his appology in itself is enough to make me forget whatever qualms I might have had at catching him staring at me.

The thing is though that I don't think I was annoyed to catch him staring at me. He knows of the way Lucas dumped me and humiliated me, he knows of the way what I'd been dumped over had been totally stupid, and irrelevant, and yet he chose to trust me with something he wouldn't even trust himself with, I think.

He chose to give up his bed for me and sleep on the cold hard floor, he knew he had the opportunity to do whatever he wanted to me, and then turn me out the next morning but he didn't. Instead he wanted to appologize for just staring at me because i might not be comfortable with it.

"Can you just sum up your version in one word?" Adrian asks a still pacing Arden. "The winter games isn't for kids" she says looking at me, her eyes hold a pain to them "If you make a single mistake you're dead". I feel like it's already begun.