~ Chapter Four ~

"Tasha!" Lissa jumps up from her seat and throws her arms around Christian's aunt. She gives a smile as Lissa pulls away, just as excited as Tasha is.

Tasha laughs and says, "it's so good to see you again, Lissa." She glances in my direction and adds, "Rose, so lovely to see you too. How is guardian training coming along?"

"Same old, same old," I mutter and stand from my seat. I wonder if she knows that Dimitri told me. From the looks of it, it's possible he didn't tell her.

Once Tasha and Lissa are both done hugging and exchanging hello's, Tasha looks between the two of us, a big grin tugging at the corners of her lips. I stare and admire the natural beauty she has, the long scar on the side of her face. I scold myself for thinking like that. She's taking Dimitri away from me. We can't be friends or allies.

"Have either of you seen my mischievous nephew?" She asks.

Lissa frowns. "Not since yesterday morning."

Tasha notices I don't say anything and raises her head at me, her eyes scanning my face.

"Rose," Tasha announces my name. "What about you?

I shrug, my hands balling into fist. Drop it, Rose, I say to myself, and reply to Tash's question with, "yesterday night. We had a small exchange."

Lissa raises an eyebrow, asking for an answer to an unsaid question. Though the bond, I hear Lissa say, we'll talk later. I give a slight nod in her direction, not enough for Tasha to notice though.

"Look, I need to go," I jab a thumb to the direction of the doors. "Lissa, eat something. Please."

"Wait, Rose," Lissa grabs my arm and pulls me back. In a low whisper, she asks me, "are you okay?"

I pat Lissa's hand. "Yes, Liss. Don't worry 'bout me. I'm fine."

"Okay," she says, a flash of concern crossing her face. I really hope she doesn't drive herself crazy worrying about me.

I turn to go, but quickly stop when I hear Tasha's approaching footsteps.

"Rose, wait," Tasha's voice rings out. I swivel on my heel and face her. "I heard that the ice is still a bit frozen. Maybe we can go ice-skating one of these boring old school days?"

Excitement fills Lissa's face. "Oh my God! That would be awesome! Rose-" She looks at me. "What do you think?"

I give a big, fake smile. I try to play up to Lissa's excitement, but it fails miserably. "Maybe. We'll have to see, you know."

"Great!" Tasha gives me a sincere smile, and I can't help but smile back.

I turn to leave, this time without anyone stopping me. Outside, the cold night air sends a chills down my spine. I shudder even though I'm not that cold. I take a mental note to bring a jacket next time I go out.

The cool shower water runs down my back, giving the chilly feeling of a cold morning. I turn the nozzle and step out of the shower, reaching for a towel. I wrap it around my bruised body. Why did I have to get so beat up when training?

Someone knocks on the door.

"Be there in a sec!" I say, rushing into my dorm and grabbing a pair of jeans and a cute black blouse. I slip them on with the rest of the casualties before opening the door. For a second, I'm hopeful it's Adrian or Lissa, or even Christian. No such thing happens.

It's Dimitri.

I clear my throat and say, "Dimitri, hi."

"Can I come in?" He asks, looking around the room. I nod and step out of the way, letting Dimitri inside. He steps in and takes a seat on the edge of my bed. He must think it a risk, because he moves to my desk chair instead.

I close the door behind me and sit down opposite of him, on the bed. We sit in a comfortable silence that wraps around us. The more we sit like that, the tenser the friction between us becomes, and it gets harder to be quiet.

I run a hand through my damp hair. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Rose," Dimitri says, "you know exactly what I want to talk about.

I sigh. "Okay, let's talk then."

"I'm doing this for a reason, Rose," Dimitri says. "It's better that we have seperate charges. Lissa belongs as your charge, and I'll take whatever I can find."

"Lissa doesn't belong to me," I point out. "Besides, I might not even end up as Lissa's guardian. If you haven't noticed, my slate isn't the cleanest."

He seems to be fighting himself, because he keeps putting on a tough expression. "Rose, I don't want you to be angry."

"I'm not," I explain. "Look, do what you have to. I don't care anymore."

"Yes you do," he replies. "You do care. You just won't admit it."

I bite my bottom lip and turn away, slipping off the bed and on to the cold floor. . . Why does this happen to me?

"It's so easy for you to leave," I voice my thoughts. "How is that possible? After what we've been through together. Dimitri, I loved you, and you loved me." I gulp down the huge lump in my throat. "Why is it so easy for you to leave me?"

"Roza," I don't bother reminding him that I told him not to call me that anymore. Dimitri sits beside me on the floor, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. Warmth spreads throughout that area. "Please, you need to forgive me."

"Why?" I ask icily. "Will it make it easier on you?"

"It's not about me," he replies coolly.

"I know," I say. "To you, it's about Lissa, Tasha, and everyone else but us."

"Rose," He says sternly. "I've always loved you, I still do. But this offer. . . It comes once in a lifetime. I'm a dhampir, I must protect the Moroi from the enemies that want to harm them. Don't you see?"

"You can protect Lissa," I whisper, cupping my hands in my lap.

He shakes his head. "That's your job, for you to do. I don't have the bond with her."

"That's a pitiful excuse."

Dimitri sighs. "Perhaps it is," he says. "But I want you to be her guardian."

I don't know what gets into me, but I slap Dimitri hard across the right side of his face. "I hope that hurt, Dimitri Belikov."

"It did," he replies a simple answer.

"Good," I nod my head, satisfied. "How long?"

"Hm?" He looks up at me and stares into my eyes. I think about the kisses we've shared, the moments that have affected me so much. I break the gaze and look down at his lips.

"I don't know," he whispers. "It won't be permanent. I don't think it will be."

"Do you promise?" I ask, glancing up at him.

Dimitri takes a deep breath and says, "I promise, Rose."

I put my face in my hands and exhale a deep, long sigh. It's all I can do not to let tears fall down my face. I look up at Dimitri. I've loved him for so long. So, so long. Everything about him, inside and out. His gorgeous face and eyes, his dark-colored hair - almost chocolate brown - and his perfect lips. His Russian accent that I want to melt to so many times, and everything else about him. His protective guardian side, the tough wall that he puts up that only I can break through. I feel myself crumbling a little bit more. I reach up and stroke Dimitri cheeks, pulling him into a long and lingering kiss. He kisses me back, and that electricity shudders through me. I stroke his cheek with my thumb, exploring past his cheek and wrapping my arm around his neck, pulling him deeper and deeper into a kiss. The kiss intensifies and I feel Dimitri clasp my back, his strong hands keeping me steady.

"No," Dimitri breaks away from me, both of us breathing heavily. "Rose, no. Please no."

I gaze at him and reach out to touch him. He grabs my hand and studies it, and then plants a soft, gentle kiss on it.

"One time, Dimitri," I plead. I'm pitiful, exposed; it saddens me how much he can make me break. "Just one more time, Dimitri."

I pull him into another kiss, and this one last much longer. His hand runs up my back and into my hair, stroking the long strands of the hair he loves so much. I wrap my arms around his neck, planting small kisses on his cheek, his temple, and then his forehead.

"Roza," I hear him whisper. "Sweet Roza."

I return my lips to his, and we kiss for another intense, electrifying, beautiful moment of ours. I don't ever want to stop, just to stay in this moment forever, never for it to end.

Dimitri drops his head on to my chest, and I feel him breathe heavily. I wrap my arms around him, comforting him as best I can.

"I-I love you, Dimitri," I whisper into his ear, stroking his small-bone as he sits there, taking comfort in the closeness of our bodies.

Dimitri lifts his head so that he's gazing into my eyes. He studies my face, and one of those rare smiles appear on his face. He pulls me into another kiss, and when we break apart, he says, "I love you too, Roza."

We sit like that for a long time, holding each other, kissing every so often, and savoring every second that we can. I know that by tomorrow, he'll be back to his normal self. It will be like none of this ever happened.

"Is this it, Dimitri?" I ask him, my voice low.

"Hm?" Dimitri mumbles, his face buried in my neck.

"Is this it?" I repeat, my voice breaking.

Dimitri cups my face in his large hands, staring at me intensely as if trying to remember every single part of my face. "Only if you want it to be."

I touch Dimitri's cheek again, trailing my fingers over his lips that I've kissed so many times. I study him, and finally smile, realizing what I want.

"I don't ever want this to be the end," I tell him, and before he can reply, I pull him into a passionate kiss. His hand brushes against my neck, happily kissing me for probably the last time.

When we stop kissing to catch our breaths, I whisper to no one in particular, "I don't ever want this to end."