Jake P.O.V.

I lightly stoked her hair as she slept. The beep of the heart monitor faded into white noise as I focused on the girl in front of me.

Even in unconsciousness tears slipped out of her eyes slowly. I wiped away the relentless tears as they trailed down her ghostly pale cheeks. The feeling of helplessness washed over me, stronger than ever before and I slowly wound my fingers through her limp ones.

I stayed there for what felt like a few seconds but it was probably hours. The quiet click of the door opening to Adriana's hospital room made my head snap up and glare at who was disturbing us.

A rugged man in a suit stood at attention by the door. I brushed my hands off on my jeans and stood up to face the man. He must be the private investigator my mother hired.

"I have new information Mister Collins, sir."

I waved my hand expectantly, telling him to report.

"The man responsible for the shooting was identified as Michael Marqua. He is a famous assassin that is known never to fail deposing of a target. He charges quite a sum for his services. We have him contained but he refuses to indulge any information in his client. We suspect the buyer is from the company Mrs. Collins bankrupted only recently and after studying the position of the bullet in Miss Layman's body, the bullet was meant for you but she intercepted. That woman saved your life Mister Collins."

Ah, now that he mentioned it I do remember reading a business report that a company that produced the same technology goods as us was recently bankrupted and closed. I spun around to the angel laying on the hospital bed behind me. She hurt herself for me? Why would she do something so reckless?

I could barely speak and my voice came out as a thin croak,

"Leave us."

The man nodded sharply once then vanished without a sound.

I walked back over the Adriana and stroked her soft round cheek gently. If the bullet had been moved over even just two millimeters it would have ruptured her heart. Bookworm almost died for me.

The mere thought of that baffled me. Didn't she hate me? My heart clenched tightly seeing her lying in front me, wounded with a bullet that was meant for me.

The door opened and this time a doctor entered. He ignored my questioning gaze and checked on Adriana, which I was happy to let him do. After a few moments of stiff silence he turned to me with a little smile dancing across his lips.

"She is doing well. This is a strong young woman."

He gently ran his thumb over her forehead and before I could think I smack his hand away and glared at him.

He looked alarmed and flustered as he took a step back and bowed his head apologetically,

"I am deeply sorry sir. I was not making an advance on your fiancé."

I groaned and ran my fingers through my eyes. I was rather flattered that he thought I could get a wonderful girl like Adriana. I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"No I am sorry. I am just worried about her."

The doctor nodded in understanding,

"I would be the same way if my wife was just shot."

He stood up to leave but I grabbed his sleeve to stop him,

"You are married?"

The doctor looked confused but nodded.

"How did you tell your wife you loved her when you weren't a couple?"

The doctor looked surprised but still replied,

"I knew for sure I felt that way and just told her. That is the most effective way to do it, I believe."

I nodded thoughtfully and let him go, dismissing him with a wave of my hand. The doctor silently left and I turned back to Adriana. I ran the back of my hand down her cheek and softly kissed her forehead. I whispered against her cool skin,

"Please get better."

I felt her move slightly under my lips and when I pulled away her green eyes were gazing sleepy up at me.

"Hey Mr. Muscles. What 'r ya doin' here...?"

I frowned at her,

"What are talking about?"

She gave a loopy grin at me,

"Ya still ripped, Mr. Muscles?"

I rolled my eyes when I realized she must be drugged from her surgery a few hours ago.

"Why does my chest hurt Mr. Muscles...? Did ya punch me or somethin'?"

She giggled at her joke and her pupil's were off. One was huge and the other was tiny. Her eyes flicked all over the room before they trained on me.

She whimpered weakly,

"I'm tired."

I brushed her hair away from her face and held her hand,

"Then go to sleep. I will be here when you wake up."

Adriana smiled softly and closed her eyes,

"Hey guess what Mr. Muscles?"

I smiled at her and whispered what.

"Maybe Jake doesn't hate me after all..."

~~~~~~~~~

"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR OR I AM GONNA GO HULK-BITCH ON YOUR ASS AND THE ONLY THING I'M GONNA BE SMASHIN' IS YOUR TINY-ASS BANANA NOW OPEN THE DOOR!"

I winced as I heard Madison pounding on the locked door. I wanted to keep my "tiny-ass banana" not smashed thank you very much.

When I opened the door Madison flew past me and rushed over to Adriana.

"Oh no... Poor sweet thang..."

Madison brushed the hair out of Adriana's face then whirled around and gave me a glare that would make even the world's strongest man's balls shrink.

"What the hell happened to my innocent little nerd?"

When I said hesitated she walked coolly up to me then punched me in the jaw.

"I SAID WHAT HAPPENED?!"

I refused to flinch under steely gaze and slid my business-like mask.

"We were at the mall and there was a sniper on the roof and was aiming for me but missed and hit Adriana."

Madison's eyes softened slightly and she didn't say anything as she sat down in the chair I had previously been brooding in.

The room was silent till Madison began whispering softly,

"It was in seventh grade. I had always been there for Adriana, ever since I was able to walk. I didn't care that people made fun of me for being friends with her, I loved her. She was like my own sister."

Tears started to pour down Madison's face,

"But in sixth grade I started cheerleading. I turned into the stereotypical slutty cheerleader bitch. I turned my back on Adriana, I left her because she was a nerd who was dragging down my popularity. I watched as girls and guys bullied her, I walked away when she was tripped in the hallway, I wasn't there to help her back up and wipe away her tears."

She paused to sniff then continued,

"Then everything went to shit. She started showing up to school with blotchy bruises and ripped hair. She had come up to me and asked me to save her but I didn't listen. God, why didn't I listen to her?"

Madison buried her face in her hands and sobbed,

"I left her and went to my new best friend Tirana's house, were her uncle raped me."

My jaw dropped in horror. One, she was friends with Tirana? Two, she was raped when she was in seventh grade?

Madison lifted her face from her hands and sniffled quietly and she clasped Adriana's hand like a life line.

"Because I didn't listen to her, I had my virginity taken from me, something that should have been my choice. The next day I managed to go to school but Adriana wasn't there. I ditched school and took the bus to her house. Oh God it was horrible Jake. She was lying on the sidewalk, so bruised and bloodied and frostbitten I couldn't even see it was her. Later, she told me she was mugged but I noticed the way the flinched slightly whenever someone touched her."

She smiled softly at Adriana before turning back to me,

"Ever since that horrible day I have been there for her. I gave her love when everyone else turned their back on her. Now, the one time I haven't been there she gets hurt."

She laughed bitterly and humorlessly.

I walked over, at a loss for words and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Madison...I had no idea..."

She laughed dryly,

"Of course you didn't no one knows."

I blinked in shock and whispered,

"No one...?"

She shrugged,

"Only my parents, that creep, and you. Not even Adriana. It would only hurt her so I kept it from her."

I shook my head in shock. Madison kept something from Adriana? I would have thought that was impossible.

Madison took a deep breath and stood up. She kept her face blank and serious,

"You have some explaining to do to Adriana. I expect you to when she wakes up. Give this to her later for me 'kay?"

She revealed a grocery sac I didn't even see that she had. I took it from her and gave her a little smile. She smiled back and walked out of the room.

I called after her,

"I won't tell anyone!"

I chuckled when she yelled back,

"Of course you won't or I will cut off your tiny banana and feed it to the monkeys!"

I opened the grocery sac and frowned at what I saw. I sighed when I pulled out a tub if Rocky Road Ben and Jerry's ice-cream and a heavy metal CD. I read the sticky note and groaned,

"Heard your health has been kinda ROCKY lately. You have some HEAVY METAL in your life too (Haha get it? Metal? Bullet? What? Too soon?) I hope you enjoy this when you aren't admiring Jake's muscles and yes, I know you will cause I would too! >.

I set the ice-cream and CD on the small nightstand by Adriana's bed. Just as I sat down in the uncomfortable chair when the bed sheets ruffled. I opened my eyes to see Adriana's piercing green eyes trained on me.

"Jake...?"

I swallowed nervously. This was going to be fun to explain.

~~~~~~~~