His eyes. They were hard to miss, a bring green shining from the dark colors of the club. I considered making a run for it, but I knew that would make the boss cut my pay. How hard would it be to avoid him for one night?

I turned around and walked towards the back where I was about to go on. Would they notice? I doubted they came here for the dancers, probably just the infamous drinks that could have you off your ass after two. Maybe they came because it just had high ratings. Maybe they'd leave soon.

"Hey," my best friend Jessica said. "You ready?" I just smiled and nodded. I didn't want to stress her out for no reason.

"I always am." She gave me a smile and continued on to wherever she was going.

I walked back where my clothes were laid out for me. It was a pair of pants that we're practically panties and has high straps on them to show off my hips. The top was practically a flashy push up bra. On top I slipped on an old oversized tee shirt.

I walked out as another girl walked off. She rolled her eyes.

"It's horrible tonight."

Outside as I neared my stationed pole I noticed what she meant. We had twice the usual crowd and they were all leaning against the platform, sweaty hands with dollar bills laying on the surface.

I just smiled and put a hand on the pole, walking around. I began my routine, doing a few dips and twirls before I fell to my knees to pull off the tee shirt. Money began to fly at me.

I crawled forward and sat up on my knees, pushing out my chest and throwing my head back. I felt sweaty grimy hands pull at the strings of my bottom and the cups of my bra, uncomfortable crinkled money making an appearance.

I pulled myself back to get to the pole and finish my dance. I was pretty talented, though I have to give that to my natural agility due to being a dhampir. I could do things the regular girls couldn't.

I started to do my walk to the crowd and then got down and did the sluttiest thing ever. I humped the floor.

It made me feel sort of cheap, but that's when the cash really started flowing. I laughed, as if I were enjoying myself. When I stood from that I blew a kiss and walked off stage.

I sighed, thankful I hadn't seen any familiar faces other than a few regulars. I went back to where my things were and began to take the money from the scraps of clothes I had on. It was easily a few hundred, a couple people had three twenties.

I packed it all in my bag and then the boss came in.

"You have a special request in room 3." I nodded, relieved. Personal dances were better than going out in crowds. I could have time to think about what had happened without all of the noise.

I hadn't seen Adrian since I'd noticed his eyes earlier. It was highly unlikely they'd all just say around at a place like this.

I opened the door to the room and it was dark.

"Want me to cut the light on?" I laughed.

"No." My blood went cold. I swallowed, trying to stop the new shake in my knees. I tried to calm my breathing, I didn't want to seem weak in this moment.

"So you guys did stick around?" I went to cut the light on anyway, hating how trapped I suddenly, felt when a hand clamped down on mine.

"I don't want to see you like this Roza. Leave it off."

"Just leave me alone," I snapped, backing up from where I guessed his body was. "I have work to do."

"Why not do something better? Doesn't this seem a little low?"

"You're in here to repay Lissa for saving your life again, right? Did she tell you to insult my work also?"

"I'm not repaying-"

"Like hell you aren't, you live and breathe for her. I can't exactly get a good job when my school doesn't even exist to humans. I have no high school diploma, and this pays well."

"Come back to the Court. We all miss you."

"No you don't," I hissed. I didn't want to cry, Rose Hathaway did not cry.

"We all made mistake-"

"They were mistakes they were choices. Choices to shove me and away and now I'm gone don't go trying to drag me into this again." I opened the door and light flooded in, allowing me to see his face. His hair was short, only about two inches long. He had the same dark eyes and I still had to look up to him in my stilettos.

"Don't try to talk to me again."

I ran, yes even in these shoes, and went back to where my bags were. I changed into a hoodie and jeans faster than I thought possible and washed off all of the makeup in the bathroom. My sweaty hair went up in a bun and I pulled my hood on.

I went out through the back, sending Jessica a quick text I wasn't feeling well. I got in my car, breaking the speeding limit the whole way home to the apartment building Jess and I shared.

In our apartment Jessica's mom was laying on the couch with Addison. She turned around and grinned at me with her new teeth.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She got up and wobbled to me on unsteady legs. I smiled and lifted her.

"You're early," she commented. "Nothing happened, did it?"

"Well I saw some old friends and I couldn't be there any longer, but no danger. Jess will stay full time." Her mom nodded.

"This life is a hard life, Hun. One day Addy will have to know who she is and it'll be hard for her too. We're just shields for them." She sighed and walked to the door, looking back at he sleeping baby I held in my arms.

"It gets easier," she said. "You'll never forget them but it gets easier. I wish I'd left before Jessica was born. When they told me they wanted to take her from me because I was a blood whore, unsuited to raise a guardian, we left and I don't regret it once." She left and I sighed, looking down at the baby in my arms.

"Mommy, I sleepy." She wiped her chubby hands across her eyes and I smiled.

"You have to take a bath first, okay sweetie?" She shook her head and gave me a big pouty face.

"But, I not stinky. I sleepy." I smiled, kissing her forehead. I carried her to the bathroom and started the water.

"Tomorrow do you want go hang out. I'm off work, we can go to the park or maybe go to the zoo," I smiled at her. "What do you think?"

"No bath." The water was warm so I went ahead and began undressing her as she stuck her bottom lip out. I made her get in the tub and some inner excitement came out as she smiled, picking up the bubbles from the top.

There was a knock on the door and I sighed, hating leaving her alone in there. I kept the door open so I could hear if she slipped or something.

I opened the door and immediately wanted to slam it back. There before me stood Lissa, Christian, Dimitri, Eddie, Mia, two guards I didn't know, and that pair of green eyes. I got to see those eyes everyday and it made me sick.

"What do you want?" I snapped. My heart was beating so fast it could have burst from my chest. I wanted to cry, but that would be weak.

"Rose, come back. I've been trying so hard to find you, the bond is back again, did you notice?" Lissa asked. "You shut me out, I need you back. It's been almost three years and I need my best friend back, I accidentally find you in some club and I can't let this go!"

"Just leave, I'm done with all of you. You've made your decisions now stop trying to go back on them."

"We didn't-"

"No! You don't get the chance to come back here and apologize. I'm finally happy and you can't come screw this up for me."

"Happy stripping and giving lap dances, it doesn't seem too classy," Adrian whispered.
"I can see your aura Little Dhampir. You're far from happy."

"Blame that on your presence."

"Rose please don't block me out, I need you, I-"

"Mommy! Mommy! I want more bubbles!"

I saw everyone's faces turn surprised and look at me. Why did she have to yell at a time like this? Why couldn't I have shut the door just this once.

"My niece," Lissa mumbled.

"She's nothing to you, you left me."

"You left."

"Physically, how is what you did any better?"

"Who's the father?" I turned to Dimitri.

"One night stand, a total dead beat. We're better off without him."

"Let me see her," Adrian growled.

"Who do you think-"

"Let me see!" He pushed in front of me and I stumbled, trying to catch him. My hands made contact with his shoulder just as he looked in the bathroom and I felt the blood leave my body.

Addison wiped bubbles from her face and smiled at him. Their identical eyes made contact, only she was laughing and he was frozen solid.

(A/N)

I know, another cliche from me yet again, but I just love his plot line and I keep writing stories similar trying to finally find one I can connect with. Maybe this will be the one!

Also, my other work is currently on hold. For those of you who have been following me for a while you know about my old "Knocked Up" story. I had planned to write a sequel and I will, but the first book will not be uploaded. I deleted it from the website and my laptop. I've grown a lot in the past couple years and I despised the way I wrote it. The sequel will not need the first book, so it'll be a stand alone novel.

Please add me on wattpad ellipism and my Instagram is "disstrust" if you want to keep up with me regularly. I don't post about my writing there, but you might like it anyway. You can also DM me and we can talk through Instagram if you'd like. But, I hope you guys enjoy this new work!