Between Us (Adrianna.)

[Odion Martins]

Odion wasn’t sure what he expected to find when he found Lani, but it hadn’t ended well. It seemed like no matter what they were always fighting, with or against each other it didn’t matter. His explanation had been long winded and Lani was obviously going to need some time to think things through and Odion didn’t blame him.

Obviously he had not been invited to stay and was calmly storming out of the apartment building. His actions were fierce, like pushing open the door with intense force, but his face was serene. For all anyone could know the force behind the push could have been unintentional. This of course, was not the case.

He quickly stopped in his tracks, spotting someone he knew all too well. “Oh great…” Odion said aloud, watching Adrianna with viper-like eyes. His old perceptions of her stirred within him and he was immediately on the attack. There was no doubt in his mind that she had been there for Lani while he was away. There was also no doubt in his mind that this only made Lani even more confused about what love could be. Odion wasn’t going to let that go so easily.

“Don’t worry,” he said, because all he could do now was stand his ground. “We already spoke; you don’t need to get involved.” Of course, she would get involved, and Odion couldn’t time warp away because that was out of commission for who knew how long. God that had been the longest flight of his life.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna had been under watch lately. After the almost relapse, Lani wouldn't let her out of his sight and he was starting to feel more like a mother figure than a best friend. It was ridiculous, but she couldn't say she'd be any different if the roles were reversed. Lani meant the world to her and she wouldn't want anyone to ever hurt him, not even himself. She'd probably baby him more than he was babying her, but that was what she did anyway. It was natural for her to be so motherly because she'd learned how to be such a great caretaker at a young age.

She had just finished up class and texted Lani (who knew exactly how long it took her to get to his apartment from campus) as she was leaving. If she took any detours along the way, she was sure she'd get about fifteen million calls or texts asking where she was and then he'd give himself a heart attack or something because he was worrying unnecessarily about her. He was such a worry worm and though she loved that he actually cared what happened to her, he nagged way too much.

The thought made her smile briefly as she got out of her car. Today was one of those good days. No bad flashbacks, no urges. Everything was going well and she was ready to cook Lani a nice meal and settle in to maybe read one of the books that he had littered around the apartment. She half wondered if Adam would be around, but then, she didn't much care either way. He was pretty nice, a little on the creepy side, but whatever, she didn't care. If he was dangerous, she knew Lani wouldn't let him around her, so clearly she had nothing to worry about.

Until she looked up anyway.

As she did, her eyes flashed to the red hair and she realized then what that creeping feeling was. A familiar ability. Too familiar for her taste and definitely unwelcome to her. Adrianna stopped in her tracks and nearly dropped all of her books, but her grip tightened and she clenched down on her jaw. There went her good mood. "Don't worry? Who the fuck do you think you are to tell me not to worry? Why'd you come back? Can't you just let him get better without you wrecking his entire world again by coming back? Fucking selfish prick, that's what you are," She threw her books to the ground, the telekinesis she felt from Lani inching out to catch them before any damage was done. Then she stepped forward, "What'd you say to him?"

[Odion Martins]

Odion laughed menacingly and he covered his mouth, sniffing loudly before he approached Adrianna and glared down at her. He wasn't opposed to hurting her. “Oh I’m sorry, was I getting in the way of something?” He asked with a sneer. “Honestly, your small mind couldn’t even begin to understand what happened, and I sure as fucking hell don’t have to tell you anything.” If Lani chose to do so, that was his prerogative. There had a been a time when Odion had tried to get to know Adrianna, had tried to be friends, but he was outnumbered here. He was pretty sure no one was on his side anymore.

“Don’t get your hopes up you dumb cunt, you’re too weak.” Odion remembered a time where he knew that Lani showed everyone a different side of himself. But Odion knew Lani better than anyone, all of his sides and all of his shortcomings. He knew what they’d had was real, and he knew that Lani wasn’t truly himself around Adrianna. He could be broken, and he could be protective, but it would never compare to what Lani and Odion had together. Odion didn’t give a damn what Adrianna thought of him anymore, he was just tired.

But if he was so confident, why bother saying anything at all? Odion had been jealous at one point, and knowing that Adrianna had been there for Lani when he hadn’t been only served to make the redhead fierier. He moved past her and stepped over her books. “Have fun with your babysitter.”

[Adrianna Carstyn]

"You were getting in the way of Lani getting better. But of course you clearly don't give a shit about anyone besides yourself," Adrianna snapped. She didn't much like swearing or being rude, but seeing as how he'd started all of this, and considering the last time she'd thought about him, she figured it was best to make an exception. It wasn't like he was going out of his way to be polite to her. Lani's best friend, such an insignificant title apparently. "I don't need to understand what happened anymore than you left him when he trusted you. When he loved you. Do you know how fucked his mind is about love now? Not that you give a shit, you learned from the best how to fuck someone over." Rhett had done his fair share on both of them, only for Odion to turn around and be just as bad. Any connection she might have felt with him had been ripped to shreds when she was there holding Lani while he cried.

"Fuck you," She spat at him. He was weak. Leaving Lani and not finding what he was looking for so he comes back to what he knows will never let go of him? That was weakness. The worst part was Adrianna couldn't say that she'd be surprised if Lani took him back anyway. It was the only love he knew, the worst kind of love. All consuming and gut-wrenching. He deserved better, despite his own flaws, he at least was a good person underneath it all. Odion was scum. Nothing. Adrian may not have been shown all of Lani's sides, but she knew him better than anyone gave her credit for. She still had a connection with Lani that Odion would never understand. Horrible as it was, cancer had been their connection from the start.

Adrianna smirked, "It's pathetic ya know? You crawling back here to try and make things right when you know you fucked up bad and taking it out on me because I was here. Worried I'd snatched him up maybe?" It had crossed her mind, briefly, but she knew it wouldn't be good for her or Lani. At least not now. Both of them were mending their broken hearts as friends and that was how it needed to stay.

[Odion Martins]

“How am I getting in the way?!” He didn’t care if he was yelling. “It’s my fault right? We all know that, so I’m trying to make things better. Don’t let those rose coloured glasses get in the way of seeing the truth, because there are always two sides of the story, so if it makes you feel better to see me as the villain, go ahead, but some things are just out of anyone’s control.” Adrianna had always been someone who wanted the whole picture before she judged anyone, but as soon as it was Lani who was involved, it didn’t matter who else got in the way. She was more selfish over Lani than anyone Odion had ever met. And he would be damned if she called herself Lani’s best friend, not when Lani had whispered that to him so many times.

Odion laughed. “If you’ve already made up your mind, why ask if I’m here you dumb wench? Don’t you think I’m aware that I hurt him? Don’t you think he’s hurt me too? Fuck, you can’t even see past your own nose.” It wasn’t until Rhett was implicitly mentioned that Odion turned back around and slapped Adrianna across the face. Odion would’ve done anything, anything in the whole goddamn world to understand why he couldn’t remember anything right now. “Don’t ever compare things you can’t even begin to understand.” He had heard enough about Rhett tonight – why was that what everyone assumed? No one, not a soul, had given him the benefit of the doubt. That his staying in Europe was not of his own volition.

He laughed again. “Good one,” he said. “Fuck you, that’s what people say when they’re too fucking idiotic to think of anything else. I’m glad it’s not me you’re trying to defend.” Odion hadn’t been this angry in a very long time, and he had just spent the last fifteen minutes trying to hold it together for Lani. He certainly didn’t owe Adrianna the same favour. Odion clenched his jaw and shook the mind of Lani and Adrianna together out of his mind – if Lani had damned love, then he wouldn’t have ruined his friendship with Adrianna. The brunette was simply trying her luck at playing mind games when she didn’t know how. “I took it out on you?” Odion let out a singular laugh, “I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my whole life. I just asked you to leave your nose out of where it doesn’t belong, and you pushed me because you’re mad at me, so who’s taking that out on who now? You’re not a fucking saint, so quit pretending like you are – Lani can defend himself.”

Odion stood up a little straighter, realizing that he would regret what had just occurred, but he had to admit it felt good to yell at someone. In the back of his mind he decided he had never really like Adrianna anyways. His mood mellowed and he realized this was useless, it was all insult and a yelling match and Odion couldn’t stand to be so near to Lani, knowing how upset the blond was because Odion could feel the way their powers were clashing like tidal waves against a cliff. “Get out of my way you despicable twat,” he said, shoving past her and continuing through to the parking lot. He refused, absolutely refused, to put more ammo into her mouth – Lani was going to hear all about this, and as Odion closed his eyes so that his mind could catch up with him, he wondered who Lani would chose to have in his life if he had to decide at gun point: him, or Adrianna.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

"Leaving him alone would help him get better! Letting him recover before you come trapsing back into his life would help him! You never gave him a sporting fucking chance!" Adrianna had tried so hard to help Lani at least be able to think about Odion without it hurting him. She'd thought she was making progress with him, but she knew it had a lot to do with him fixing her own problems and that was why he wasn't quite so hollow around her. He wanted to fix her after what happened and it kept his mind off of his ex for the time being. Adrian had never been quite so protective of anyone outside of Lani in her life other than maybe her mother. But it was different, in some ways at least. Both of them always tried to be their strongest for her, trying their best not to be vulnerable. She'd seen them both vulnerable, but they always had some form of strength behind them. Lani wasn't supposed to be the one taking care of her though, the way that her mother had. Lani took care of her because she didn't have anyone else and she took care of him because it was the least she could do.

Adrian could take whatever insults he threw at her, each one she would keep to herself. Lani didn't need her to add to his decision by telling him horrible things about Odion. But when she brought up Rhett, and he slapped her, she knew it would be hell trying to explain the way the blood rushed to the surface beneath her skin. It wasn't like she could say she fell or that it was just her being warm if it was only one cheek. "Hit a sore spot did I?" She said after recovering from the slap. It was the first time she'd ever been hit by someone. Adrianna knew enough about Rhett and it had been Odion that she'd seen after the encounter she had that ultimately set the impending doom of her relationship with Lani in motion. She'd thought that they had an understanding, that they both hated Rhett and that he simply shouldn't have come back. At the time, she'd denied to the blonde that Odion was anything like him and that Lani wasn't Talen. Unfortunately, she could see now that she had been very wrong and maybe Rhett had been the one looking out for her. The idea was laughable though because out of the two of them, she knew neither of them took her seriously. Too sweet, too innocent, too forgiving. Not even a hint of a threat from her.

"What the fuck ever. I have a reason to take my anger out on you because you're the only person that I have reason to be pissed at. You say you're not taking it out on me, but I guarantee you didn't slap the last person that brought up Rhett," She said levelly. No use in yelling at him, it didn't do any good. "And who said I was a fucking saint? I don't remember implying that at any given point. You're right though, Lani can defend himself, but you can be damn sure that if someone hurts someone that I care about, I'll get involved." Adrian decided to keep back the comment about him not understanding because she didn't know what his life was like anymore than he knew hers. All she knew was that he had a twin brother that left for some reason or another. She wondered if it was his brother in this situation, if he'd react the way that she had.

Odion shoved past her and she moved before he could knock her over. "You know, I really hope you enjoy your time with Lani...we both know he's going to give into your bull shit anyway. Maybe this time around, you don't fucking massacre him, okay?" Because she more than likely would not be there to catch him the next time. If he chose Odion, what kept the redhead from making Lani hate her just as much? She turned around and picked up her books before continuing on towards the apartment. She felt sick to her stomach and her cheek burned. All she had to do was keep herself in control in front of Lani. Maybe she could think of something to explain the redness of her cheek. Why give Odion the satisfaction of being right, thinking she would run crying to Lani just because he hit her. Maybe before she'd have done that, but she didn't need to this time.