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As I collapsed on the bed, now changed into a pair of sweatpants and freshened up for bed, I couldn't help but think about what the hell just happened.

Did I say too much? Was I too mean to her? Did I hurt her feelings?

Well, she kept hurting mine. I know she wasn't doing it intentionally, at least not all the time anyway. But she was hurting me. Her snide remarks, her little comments, her accusations, the way she was blaming it all on me. It didn't feel good. And it wasn't true, we both know that.

I have no problem admitting to her that I did something wrong, I know I did and I'm sorry for the fact that my decisions hurt her, but she won't even admit that she did something wrong.

She won't admit it but she won't be straightforward and tell me she blames me completely. She acts like she resents me and it was all my fault but when I ask her, her words don't match her actions. It's frustrating, it's exhausting, and it's pissing me off. She's not being honest with me.

Why isn't she being honest with me? We would always be honest with each other. Well, until I ruined that. But does she really have to drag this out?

I huffed, digging the heels of my palms into my eyes and groaning softly. "She's driving me crazy," I mumbled. I pulled my hands away, dropping them on the mattress but kept my eyes closed. I took a few breaths before opening them and staring at the ceiling. I turned to turn the lamp off but then froze.

I blinked a few times, feeling panic start within me as I jerked my hand back and sat up on the bed. "Oh my God, shit, shit, shit, fuck."

Spiders. I hate spiders. Spiders scare the living shit out of me.

I inched forward to grab the phone and call someone to remove it, moving as slowly as I could. As my hand neared the phone, it jumped onto the receiver. "Ahh!" I took multiple steps back, putting a hand on my chest to catch my breath. "For fuck's sake, why are there spiders in a place like this? It's not like we're in the middle of the woods! Where the hell did that even—" My gaze landed on the open balcony door and my eyes widened as I ran over to close it before I let, god knows, what other insects crawl in.

Not just spiders, I hate bugs in general. Cockroaches, spiders, crickets, bugs. Any fucking bug or beetle? I'm out of there. As I went back to the phone—

I don't know what I thought I could do in front of a whole ass spider.

Then I saw another one. I gasped and let out a yell, taking several steps back. "Oh my— What the fuck? What the actual fuck?!" I backed up and headed towards the door. As soon as I swung it open, I came face to face with Emilia.

She stood with one hand up to ring the doorbell but stopped when she saw me. She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. I blinked, staring at her. "Why the hell are you screaming? Somebody's going to make a complaint to the front desk. You should be kicked out of the hotel for being a disturbance and public nuisance. What is it?"

I glanced down at her clothes while opening my mouth to answer but no real words came out. Just a mix of, "Um, I... Uh, you... I don't— What?"

Her brows furrowed and her nose scrunched up a bit. "I'm leaving. Don't be loud." She spun around.

I forced myself to snap out of it and stop staring at her black silk pajama set, but good God, in all the years I've known her, she's never worn a silk pajama set. The singlet and the shorts that barely reached her mid-thigh. I cleared my throat, grabbing a hold of her top between my thumb and pointed finger.

She froze and then swiveled around to face me, the few short curly strands around her face that weren't in a bun, dangling. "What?"

I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards me.

"What are you doing? I'm not going in there, let go," she huffed.

"I need your help," I admitted.

"With what? Call the hotel staff. I'm tired and I want to sleep, let me go."

"Help me first."

"No, I'm not helping you."

"You don't know what I'm asking for help with," I retorted.

"I don't care what it is, I'm not—"

"There's a spider here, Emilia!" I hissed in a whisper.

"So, why..." she trailed off, staring at me. "Why are you whispering?" she asked, speaking at a normal volume. "And I'm not helping you with anything. I just came to tell you to keep it down before somebody complains about you."

"You're making me stand here, argue with you when that spider could be crawling into my bed. Actually, spiders. Yeah, there are two." "So call hotel staff and ask them to get rid of them, Adam."

"They'll take too long."

"I'm not a spider catcher."

"But you're not scared of them."

"So?"

"So get rid of it! Help me!"

"Why should I?"

I stared at her. "Come on, are you serious? It's not gonna do you any harm. Just help me, please!"

She eyed me warily for a minute and then sighed, letting her arms drop. "You're not going to be quiet unless I do it, are you?"

I shook my head.

"Move."

I stepped aside, leaning against the door as she walked into the room and passed me. I shut the door behind me and watched from here.

She went to the balcony door right away, jumping up to reach and unlock it before pushing the glass door open. She turned to me after that. "Where?"

"Near the phone," I mumbled.

She glanced at me, her eyes slipping down to my chest but then she looked away. "Why are you half-naked?" she mumbled, grabbing two tissues from the tissue box on the coffee table near the balcony door and then walked around the bed to the nightstand.

"I sleep half-naked," I answered.

"Put a shirt on," she demanded, glancing at me over her shoulder and then turning her attention to the table. "I don't see any spiders here. Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"Why would I dream about spiders?"

She paused. "You did once."

"That was once," I scoffed. "And I was eight years old."

"You freaked out and then climbed in through my window into my room. Who does that?"

"Obviously, an eight-year-old that's terrified of spiders."

She rolled her eyes and crumpled up the tissue, catching them. "You were more likely to fall off that tree and break a leg. But you chose to take that risk and climb in through my window."

"I don't like spiders," I huffed.

She snickered, walking to the balcony and dusting the tissue over the railing before coming back in, locking the balcony door. "I thought you wanted to be Spider-Man growing up."

"Yeah... without the spider bite."

She threw the tissue in the bin and then shrugged. "There you go. All done. Now keep it down," she scolded.

"Did you kill them?" I asked, blocking her way to the door.

"No, I just threw them off the railing. Why would I kill the innocent spider?" She watched me, amused.

"What if they crawl back in?"

She rolled her eyes. "If they didn't die when I crumpled up that tissue, then they definitely didn't survive falling off the railing. I think you're fine. But maybe next time, don't leave the balcony door open. I bet you did."

I glanced at the balcony door and then looked back at her.

"Can you move? I really want to go to sleep and you're blocking my way to my room," she said, waiting for me to get out of her way.

I stepped aside again. "Please. Go ahead, show yourself out," I said, being unnecessarily rude. I knew I was doing it but I couldn't help it. With all the attitude she gives me, it's hard not to do it back.

"A 'thank you' would be nice but who am I kidding?" she scoffed, grabbed the door handle. As she pulled it open, I moved behind her, pushing it closed with my hand on the door. She huffed and tried again but I held it close. "Adam, I swear. I didn't come in here on my own to bother you. You called me in here to remove spiders because you're too scared of them. If you want to pick another fight with me, I make no promises about not beating the shit out of you," she rambled without spinning around to face me.

"I have the whole week to pick fights with you, I'll start tomorrow, don't worry," I mumbled, my eyes staring at her hair and then moved down to the back of her neck. My eyes got caught on the thin, delicate gold chain around her neck. It was hardly visible but it shone under the light and I found myself taking a step closer to her subconsciously. "Why are you still wearing it?" I asked without intending to. I was just thinking it, but it came out. I closed my eyes, cursing at myself as I felt her stiffen, her back flush against my chest with how close we were.

"What?" she questioned, her voice just above a whisper. She took in a breath and tried the door again but I forced it shut harder this time, leaning into her even more to hold the door shut.

I clenched my jaw, keeping the door shut while she struggled to open it. "Emilia."

She stopped trying and sighed in defeat. "What do you want, Adam?" she asked.

"Why do you still wear it if you hate me? The ruby."

She took a small step forward, away from me, and then spun around to face me, blinking her eyes up from my chest and to my face. "I can hate you and still like the necklace you bought me. It was expensive."

"I'll take it back. Give it to me."

She stared at me, anger flaring in her eyes. "I will. Do you really want me to?"

I glanced down at the ruby sitting on her chest, my eyes naturally dropping to her cleavage. I huffed, closing my eyes and looking back up at her face.

She lifted a brow at me, lifting her hands to the clasp of the necklace. "Do you want me to take it off?" she asked, her voice daring me, taunting me.

Why did that sound...

I pulled her right hand down with my left and took a step back, pulling her with me. I yanked the door open with my free hand and then pushed her out gently. "Go."

She chuckled dryly and then rolled her eyes, spinning around and going into her own room.

I shut the door, resting my forehead against it.

Goddamn it. She's not the Emilia I knew anymore. She's not my friend. She's something different, she's something... else.

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