Chapter 2
Sorry it took so long. But this chapter is RELALY LONG! I am also going to add links at the end with what the hair and dress look like for those who would like to know!
I was glad that they'd already ordered me a few slices of pizza and a warm fudge brownie. I smiled as I sat down.
"Where's Dimitri?" Alex asked.
"He'll be back soon." I replied and started shoving the pizza own my throat.
We sat they're for a while chatting, as I ate and Chrisitain and Lissa continued to plan out summer. Then I felt Dimitri's hands rest on my shoulders.
"Hey" I said leaning back my head to see him. He hid a small bag behind his back.
"Hey." He replied back. He towered above me and I smiled getting up from my seat.
"So are we ready to head out?" I asked checking my cell phone. It was nearly 2:30 pm
"Yeah." Replied Lissa. "I got everything I wanted."
"Okay, lets go then." I said getting up. Then I saw something black run past in my side vision I whipped around to search the malls busy food court. I didn't see anything and I relaxed a little but walked closer to Lissa then before.
"Hey whats up?" she whispered, touching my arm. "You see tense."
"I just saw something, but don't get worried, it was nothing."
"Okay, but relax, it's daylight isn't it." She said a little jokingly.
"Strigoi isn't the only threat Liss."
"I know" she said giving me a little hug. Before we walked out into the parking lot. I heard a far off squeal of tires and spun around to see a car heading straight for us. Dimitri and I reacted instantly along with the other guardians who encircled Lissa as I pushed her out of the way. But the tires spun towards us again.
"Get her out of here!" I cried getting ready to grab my stake as I heard people scream as the tires squeaked again. It headed towards me now and I felt Dimitri grab my arm and yank me away to the black SUV that Lissa was already in. He slammed me into the side and put his body protectively in front of mine. I opened the door and we both climbed in.
"Go." I said and I heard our car peel away as I leaned my head against the seat as looking over at Dimitri who was sitting right next to me.
"Are go alright?" he asked touching my knee who now that he asked, it did hurt. I lifted my shorts a little. It was swollen and I winced.
"It's okay. But what the HELL was that?"
Eddie spoke from the front. "I'm not sure I tried to snap a pic of them but it's too blurry to see closely."
I shifted my weight. "Who were they after?" I asked
"Lissa." Replied Alex, Christians other guardian, swiftly.
"How can you tell?"
"They had her in their sites."
"Oh…..Son of a-" I bit my lip and saw Dimitri had popped my knee cap back in. "…Thanks."
"No problem." He said touching my shoulder. We all sat in silence on the way home. Lissa helped me out of the car and hobbled back to my dorm.
"Hey are YOU alright?" I asked sitting down slowly to ease my aching knee.
"Yeah I'm fine, just frazzled. But tonight your night, don't be worring about me."
"What?"
"Your dinner with Dimitri!"
"Oh" I said giggling "That."
"Yes…THAT! Now come on we have to get you ready."
"All I have to do is change we have an hour."
"Pfffft! Your hair, make up. This is your night!"
"Fine fine fine."
"Come on!" She said pulling e into my bathroom. She sat me down on my make up chair and turned on the curling iron. "Now close your eyes."
I did and as she swiped eyes shadow across my lids and a thin coat of eyeliner. Foundation and blush. "Open" she said as she put a little light brown eyeliner on my bottom lid. "Look." She said. I did and saw a perfect complexion looking back at me. She'd put on light light blue eye shadow to complete my dress. I looked perfect. She grabbed the curling iron and set down at doing my hair. It took FOREVER.
"Is it done yet?" I whined.
"Patient! I'm almost done" She did one more curl. "There." I spun around in the chair and I couldn't help but smile.
"It's perfect…" I said tearing up.
"Whats wrong? I thought you liked it."
"No, No, I love it. I just…" I stood up and hugged her tightly. "Thanks." She hugged back.
"Oh Rose. Now let's get your dress on you have to meet him soon."
I nodded and we walked back into my bedroom and she helped me slip it on. I took one last glance in the mirror.
"Where am I meeting him?"I asked
"You'll see." She said with a mischivious smile as she lead me down the hallway to the parking lot. Where Eddie was waiting next to the Black SUV. He leaned against it lazily. I smiled.
"He planned all of this?" I asked. Lissa nodded.
"Have fun!" she whispered in my ear before opening the door and giving me a light push. I sat in the car and felt excitement rush through me.
"So Eddie, where are we going?"
"Eh eh eh Rose, I am not going to tell you."
"Oh please." I begged. He shook his head. I sank back into the seat and crossed my arms. He smiled back at me. I sat in the car completely wondering where we were going. We drove for a while, coming into downtown. And then stopping next to a tall fancy hotel. Eddie shut the car off.
"Here you go milady. " he said smiling opening my door for me. I smiled at his almost mockery
"Where do I go?"
"I'll show you." He said looping his arm in mine and leading me in. We went straight up into the elevator.
"But, don't you have to check in or something." I asked, he shook his head and I just complied. Once we reached the top level we walked outside then he abruptly turned.
"Go through that door and I'll see you tomorrow."
"But wait! What? I-"
"Just go." He said before leaving. So I did carefully push open the door and was amazed at what I saw. The orange sun glowed brightly as it had just begun to set. There was a small open party like tent set up against the wind. A table was inside it along with 2 chair and and on the ground 3 black shiny presents with silver bows. I realized suddenly that I really was on the roof top of the hotel, a sky scraping hotel. I searched though, for Dimitri. But I found nothing.
"Dimitri?"I called out "Dimitri?"…..Nothing.
Then I felt hands wrap around my waist, I was about to push them off and attack but I heard his velvety voice.
"Do you like it?" he asked. He sounded like a little kid asking if his picture was pretty… I spun around in his grasp and looked straight into his eyes.
"I love it." I pushed up against his chest and reached his lips. "It's perfect." I whispered. He kissed me passionately. When we broke apart I saw he was wearing nice black slacks and a striped light blue shirt. He seemed to notice me dress now too. He touched my hair.
"You look, truly amazing Roza. I can hardly explain it." His eyes were wide with love. "Perfect, you always look perfect, but now…now you're a real God.." He said giving me another kiss on the forehead.
"Did you just say I look like a God?"
"Yes, why?"
"Nevermind…" I said smiling to myself remembering my high school memorys of when I'd first met Dimitri. "You cleaned up yourself Comerade." I joked giving him a light punch in the arm. He smiled at the old nickname. He spun around on his heels playfully.
"You like?" he asked laughing. I grabbed one of his wists surprising him.
"Very much so."
"Good. Are you hungry?" He asked. I gave him a classic Rose look. "Sorry dumb question." He replied getting the message instantly. "Come on." He lead me to the small party tent. It had 3 out of the 4 walls covered with the white canvas to block out any wind or heat. He pulled out the chair for me.
"A real gentleman" I remarked. He laughed and went over to his chair and sat down.
"Food or presents?"
"Food, I want to leave the best for last."
"Alright then." He leaned under the table and pulled out 2 plates. My favorite pasta, along with a slice of real Italan looking pizza. My smiled widened.
"You know me way to well" I said looking down at the plate of food. He smiled, proud of how well he had down at choosing everthing. He reached across the table.
"I can't believe your 19." He said with a dazzled look in his eyes. As if recalling a long lost memory.
"And your almost 26."
"Hey don't remind me Roza. I have all summer!" He said with a laugh.
"Age doesn't matter anymore though. We're together, we don't have to be apart, nothing can keep us apart anymore."
"Enless Chrisitain and Lissa break up…" he said with a little humor.
"That's not funny." I said in a scolding tone, but I did think it was a little funny. "Dimitri?"
He looed up with his mouth full of food. I nearly choked of laughter of the look on his face. Then he started laughing too. And it was just a moment of pure bliss being there, sharing this time with the man I loved so much. Once we finally choked out the last of our laughs I grew serious.
"When did you know?"
"Know what Roza?"
"That you loved me?" I asked. I realized it was a odd question to be asking now. But I wanted to hear him say it. He didn't seem to think it was odd at all though, because he grinned widely.
"Before or after strigoi." He said. He had gotten much better about thinking about that time as strigoi, I was proud of him.
"Before, when we first met. Back that fall, 2 falls ago now I guess, almost 3." I thought about it. We'd been at college for almost a year, so yes 2 falls ago, or maybe a year in 3/4 's or something.
"You know when I first saw you that night, the very first night, I was amazed."
"At what?"
"At how well you were trying to defend Lissa, even though you'd lost so much blood, and I mean come on you hardly had any training" he paused. "I couldn't really say it was then though, because I knew you were…" he searched for the right words. "Different, in a good way. But I couldn't put my finger on it. But I knew you had passion the moment I saw you. Drive, I guess would be a better word, or determination. That's why I fought to make sure you stayed at ."
"Thanks for that by the way."
"Yeah. I guess, I think it was one of the training sessions. I wish I could remember which one. I just suddenly, knew, that you were, I don't want to say the one, but I think that's what it was. You were the one. But I obviously didn't say that, because I was your instructor."
I tried to think back even harder to that fall when everything in my life had changed. It was so long ago it was hard to imagine my life back then, before Dimitri was strigoi, because I'd been shot. Everything…
"The lust charm, when I saw you, um naked." He stumbled a little over his words.
"It's okay Dimitri, you HAVE seen me naked since then." I said laughing a little.
"You have no idea how hard it was for me to pull away from that. Because you were so, amazing."
"Okay we can moved on from my naked body." I said, that earned me a little grin.
"And the day Natalie attacked you. I knew that I had to do everything to never loose you again, because that day Rose. When I saw what she did to you, I cant ever explain how hard it was. You were so young, and it was your first strigoi." I played with the pasta on my plate remembering it all.
"I hesitated…" I said sadly.
"You did, but you had to, because after that you never did again."
"Except with you." Now this time I was the one who dared to look up.
"Well I'm glad you did." He said. My heart raced a little hopeing we'd finally talk about this, because we always moved around the subject about him as strigoi. "Rose." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to ruin our dinner, but can I ask you something now" I looked straight into his eyes and answered.
"Of course."
"The day that you dropped out, to come kill me, why'd you do it" there was no hesitation in his voice now.
"You know why."
"You love me, but you risked everything. Becoming Lissa's gaurdain, your graduation, your training, your life. You risked it all, why"
"Because I knew that if the situation was reversed, You would have done the same for me. You would have come and killed me so that I wouldn't have to live my life being something I hate with all my soul. My living soul, that is."
He studied me in that minute where we sat silent. It was like we suddenly did know everything about one another now. Every piece of the puzzle was together, fit together and made everything else make sense.
"I would have."
"I know."
"Roza?" he suddenly smiled after another long minute. "I love you more than anything, or anyone on this entire planet. This time I didn't reply. I just stood up at the same time as he did and he took me in his arms and kissed me. I held onto his chest feeling his breath against my warm cheek. Feeling his hands rub the back on my lower back. I couldn't imagine my life without him in it. With us together.
"Happy Birthday Rose." He murmured softly in my ear as he kissed my neck.
We finished eating after that. And for dessert he had a fudge chocolate brownie Sundae made for me with whipped cream and caramel, and sprinkles. I practically ate it all in one bite. Then once I was done he set the three gifts on the table. Each one had sleek black and silver paper or bag. One was a thinner medium sized box, wrapped in black with a curly silver bow.
"Did you wrap this?" I asked, seeing how neatly it was done.
He laughed. "No Roza, Lissa did help me a little, but just on the wrapping. I picked it all out myself, no help from you." He mentioned at the end. Because I had told him all I wanted was him for my birthday.
I opened the smallest one first. I gasped at it even though it was so simple. A picture, taken just as the sun was setting, back at . Dimitri was on one side in wind pants and a white t-shirt. And I was on the other side in tight grey spandex running shorts and a athletic tank top. My long hair was pulled back tightly into a pony tail. We were running side by side down one of the paths near the gym. It was taken from the back, but Dimitri and I were looking at each other so you could see our faces. I was smiling brightly and he was smiling too. It was such a rare, very rare, moment. One, because back then he never really smiled at me. And two, he almost never went running with me. I couldn't believe someone had captured this on film. Taped to the back of it was a tube of my favorite lip gloss. I felt a long tear drip down my cheek.
"How did you get this? Who took it?" I asked through my happy tears.
"Lissa took it." He said, happy he'd surprised me.
"Really?"
"Yeah, she said she didn't think much of it back then. But I asked if she had any good pictures. She gave me that one."
"I love it."
"I knew you would."
He pushed the next long skinny box. I think I knew what it was the minute I saw it. I got shivers all over. I opened the box and gleaming back at me was a perfect silver stake. It reminded me of the one I'd taken from the mansion when Dimitri was strigoi. It had swirls all along the side. And near the bottom it had something etched in. It was in Russian though. Under the stake was a velvet blue cushion in the box and a small piece of paper.
Translation: For Dimitri on his 19th birthday. Stay safe my son.-Your Mother
I looked up at Dimitri. "This was yours." He smiled and nodded running a finger a long the long edge.
"Flip it over" he said excitedly. I did and saw he'd etched in something of his own under the one is Russian.
For Rose on her 19th Birthday. I will love you forever. –Dimitri
I again stood up and he gripped me tightly. "How did you do all this, so perfect, so so perfect." He just smiled and I opened the last gift. Inside the bag was a velvet jewelry box. I opened it to to find a perfect heart necklace.
"I just thought… it was pretty."
"It is, I love this too." I kissed him now, pushing his breath down his throat. I felt his warm smile.
"Did I do good?" he asked through our kisses. "I wanted to get you more, but I was low on cash, and-"
"Dimitri. You did amazing, you made this the best birthday ever."
"Does…does it make up for the 18th birthday I-I I missed?"
"Dimitri! Yes, yes, but you had nothing to make up for." I touched his chin and tipped him down so I could see his eyes. "You have no idea how loved I feel, I couldn't have asked for anything more."
He closed his eyes and rubbed my back as he pulled me tightly to his body. "I'm so glad Roza." He kissed me. He rocked me back and forth as the blazing orange sun.
"I have no idea you put this together. I have no words." I said closing my eyes and leaning into his chest.
"No words needed Roza. Come on one more surprise for my 19 year old…." He pulled me towards the door with a grin that I loved on his face.
The Dress:
.com/s/aidan-mattox-strapless-paisley-print-chiffon-gown/3143853?origin=category&resultback=6050
The Hair:
./_
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW because this Chapter took FOREVER to write!
And if you're a Beyond Tomorrow Fan don't give up hope I am currently writing Chapter 11 right now!