Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Academy or the quotes they belong to Richelle Meade.

Bad Memories

Rose POV

I pulled my knees to my chest and curled into a ball in my bed. The haunting memories of Dimitri filled my mind. Lissa sat on her bed, watching me, begging me to talk with her eyes. I didn't want to. I couldn't!

I had tried to kill my love. I failed. All his lessons came crashing back at me and I felt stupid. How could I have forgotten all the times he beat those sayings into my mind? Don't turn your bad. Don't leave until your kill is successful. Never hesitate. And a lot of other lessons he'd taught me! I was an idiot. The letter he'd wrote explained it all:

You forgot another lesson: Never turn your back until you know your enemy is dead. Looks like we'll have to go over the lesson again the next time I seen you-which will be soon.

Love, D

I was shaking uncontrollably and Lissa tried to console me, but I pushed her away.

He was in a precarious position himself, straddling the rail as he tried to lean over far enough to get me and actually hold onto me.
"Let go of me!" I yelled back.
But he was too strong and managed to haul most of me over the rail, enough so that I wasn't in total danger of falling again.
See, here's the thing. In that moment before I let go, I really had been contemplating my death. I'd come to terms with it and accepted it. I also, however, had known Dimitri might do something exactly like this. He was just that fast and that good. That was why I was holding my stake in the hand that was dangling free.
I looked him in the eye. "I will always love you."
Then I plunged the stake into his chest. It wasn't as precise a blow as I would have liked, not with the skilled way he was dodging. I struggled to get the stake in deep enough to his heart, unsure if I could do it from this angle. Then, his struggles stopped. His eyes stared at me, stunned, and his lips parted, almost into a smile, albeit a grisly and pained one.
"That's what I was supposed to say. . ." he gasped out.
Those were his last words.
 I struggled to breathe.

"I'll find you. There is no place in this world you can hide from me. I'm watching.
Love, Dimitri"

That did it. I jumped out of the bed and tore from the room and outside. I was met with a cool breeze. Yes, this was so much better. I was shivering, but it didn't matter. Focusing on the cold would let me not think about Dimitri.

"Hello, little dhampir," a familiar voice asked and was followed by the familiar smell. I gave Adrian a cold look and rubbed my arms. "Someone's in a bad mood. Don't you remember a certain someone lending you money?" He blew out a puff of smoke, causing me to gag.

"Get over yourself, Adrian," I growled. He looked at me and shrugged. "I'm not in the mood." He laughed.

"Anyone would be able to see that, Rose. Me? I like to push your buttons. What's on your mind?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"Right now? Getting away from you," I said. He laughed as I walked away. He followed.

"You're cold," he said suddenly and handed me his leather jacket. "Don't want my girl getting sick." I slipped it on since I was cold. I glared at him.

"I'm not your girl, Adrian."

"Says you."

"Says everyone."

"Your little man's gone now, Rose, time to move on and enjoy life!" I spun around.

"Now is not the time, Adrian, can't you see that?" I hissed and walked away. He didn't follow, thankfully.