Rose's POV. The pain still plagues me.

The sun shone brightly into my dingy little motel room that had been mine for the last year and a half, when I'd decided to settle here permanently. Here, being half way across the world and over a 20 hour flight from St Vladimir's, that fact alone had comforted me that no one from my past was going to find me no matter how hard they tried. I'd chosen this location randomly and I had no ties at all that could lead even the most talented Private Investigators to me; which I'm sure Lissa had tried. Royal people always had a way with Investigators.

Two years ago, I'd just been through hell and back transforming Dimitri back into his Dhampir state when he'd "informed" me that love fades, and his had. That very night after a four hour breakdown, I'd packed what clothes I hadn't ripped up, what valuables I hadn't smashed and the little bit of money I had saved and left Saint Vlad's for good, leaving behind the only place I'd considered home.

From there I walked and hitch-hiked all night until I got to a decent looking motel and stayed there and slept for a few hours before continuing on.
I'd soon met and had a brief relationship with a rich Moroi who'd brought me a couple new outfits and a plane ticket to wherever I wanted when we broke up on mutual agreement; which happened to be as far away from Montana as possible.
I'd drank and partied as much as I possibly could, which was about every waking moment. It wasn't long after I left school when Stay High by Tove Lo became my anthem - every word of that song was how I was constantly feeling, and was constantly drinking to forget.

Relationships these days didn't happen; I had no friends and no one here knew my real name. That's the way I liked it. No one knew what I looked like normally too, because I'd stopped eating properly and my main diet was alcohol so my weight dropped and I was constantly walking around with bags under my eyes. My hair was always short and dyed light purple, my face full of piercings and I had heaps of small tattoos. Whenever I had the chance to work or pick someone's pocket for money or a phone to sell, I'd put away some of the money and got new ink. My tattoo artist/piercer was the closest thing I had to a friend, and even then we barely spoke.

I got up from my surprisingly comfortable bed and got straight into the shower. I'd decided last night, that I was going to find work. So far, I had managed to get by with flatter and petty theft, but I'd had enough. From now on I was going to pay my way like any other half decent person.

I'd always been able to score free drinks, but this partying lifestyle had served me well but it was time to accept what happened two years ago and make something with my life. I had graduated a Guardian, but that world wasn't where I belonged anymore. Since I was in the human world now, my Vampiric Guardian training didn't count so I was basically a high school drop out. Maybe I could become a combat instructor since I'd always had top marks on fighting. I bit my lip in thought. I really had no idea what I wanted to spend my time doing.
I sighed and got dressed in my best formal clothing and decided to try waitressing or bar tending for a while. At least until I had some idea as to what I wanted to do. Never had I ever thought this would be my life, not Guarding Lissa. It was what I'd always panned on doing, but I'd let her down when I left school. That thought alone had tears stinging my eyes and my insides wracked with guilt. Of course, I wouldn't have left her if I wasn't certain Eddie and Dimitri would look after her.

I sighed, grabbed a musli bar and made my way to the nearest bar to play my luck with employment.

oXoXoXoXo

I'd managed to get two part time positions, one at a day and night bar and grill as a waitress and the other was a bar attendant. My last two years of constant drinking and partying had led me to learn a lot about alcohol, so that was bound to come in handy.
Both places gave my first shift the following week so that left me the rest of the week to do what I did best, party.
Partying felt different now I had something to look forward to, something productive to put my mind to that didn't involve giving myself liver failure.

On the last night of my free time, I'd spotted this interesting looking human who actually intrigued me. He had shining dark blue eyes, freckles spotted his good looking face, wavy sandy blonde hair and was of a fire man's type of build. I didn't know his name and was sure he hasn't noticed me listening in on his conversation.
He'd be talking about anything and everything the whole night, he was interesting and had a nice smile.
Yikes, did I just think that? I shook my head and gulped down the last of my drink - one of the few I actually paid for myself - and made my way out of the club.
I was about to turn the corner when someone tapped my shoulder, panic surged though me and I turned quickly, grabbing the strangers' wrist and pinned him against the wall, bending his arm upward. He grunted in surprise and his sandy coloured hair shone in the street light. I took a calming breath and let him go.

'Why did you creep up on me like that?' I asked firmly. The guy turned around slowly, rubbing his wrist.
'I didn't mean to scare you,' he told me in his thick Australian accent and held his hands up to prove he didn't mean any harm. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.
'Hey,' he called, jogging a bit to catch up to me, not that I'd gotten far since I wasn't that tall.
'Yes?' I asked, not stopping but actually picking up my pace.
'Who are you?' he asked me. I frowned and glance at him sideways.
'What's it to you?' I responded quickly. His interest in me had me confused. Why was he following me instead of drinking his Rum and Coke back in the club and spinning conversation about the definition of colors, which is what he was taking about when I left.
'I just wanna get to know you,' he answered, a small frown playing on his handsome face. I stopped suddenly and turned my hard gaze to him.
'Why would you want to do something like that?' I questioned bluntly. Normally I don't spend so much energy on people who who tapped me on the shoulder in the street. The last guy got a broken nose before I left him.
This guy seemed lost for words, though. His eyebrow twitched and he ruffled his hair.
'I, um. You look like someone I want in my life,' he told me after another minute of hesitation. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply, trying to quickly think of a nice way to let him down. A relationship with anyone at all, let alone a human, was the last thing I wanted.
'Look, um, whatever your name is, I'm not exactly the type of person you want in your life. I haven't been for a long time and I'm cool with that. Please, for your own good, leave me alone.' Once again his eyebrow furrowed and he looked at the ground. I turned sharply on my heel and walked in the direction of my motel.
'My name is Riley,' he called after me. I rolled my eyes.
'Don't try find me,' I called back. I smiled, things were looking up for me.

A/N: I realise it's short, but the next chapter should make up for that. Tell me your thoughts on Riley? What sort of tattoos should Rose have? What would their meanings be?