The next few weeks passed in blurs.

I avoided everyone I could; only talking to Abe when he first talked to me, talking with Lissa scarcely, Adrian was postponed time after time and Dimitri… Well, I spoke only to him during our lessons, when I would ask him what I could improve on.

I know it's not right to push those who could help me away, but the pain I felt was ebbing away, replaced only by anger and rage at the fact that the first guy to hold my heart was keeping it locked away.

Dimitri seemed to know better than to talk to me. He was avoiding me as much as I was him, returning the favour I guess.

I'd catch him from time to time staring at me as I passed, no doubt remembering that hauntingly beautiful kiss we shared.

I knew I thought of it every moment I had nothing to do, nothing to keep my mind from remembering.

In class he'd sneak glances of me, but rarely would he ask me to answer questions, or read from text books.

The only words he would get from me would be, "Yes," or "Here," when he took the class' role.

The hardest art was actually dealing with both Adrian and Mason. I knew every one knew something was wrong, that something had happened to me. But those two just couldn't leave me alone. I'd wake up to a text from Mason, asking how I was or what I was up to that day, and I'd come home to 3 missed calls from Adrian, wanting to meet up sometime, to catch up.

All I wanted was time to move on, time to heal and get over that crazy arse Russian.

But no, they just couldn't let me go.

"Rose, please read the next entry on the handout." Stan's voice was a lot softer than usual. I guess even the teacher that hates me knows something is different.

"Sorry Sir, which entry?"

"Third down." He answered, looking up from his own handout.

I read the entry out, hating the fact that most of the people in this class were staring at me, as though I might break down crying half way through a sentence.

Just as I ended, the bell rang shrilly. Almost instantaneously, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I picked it up, and saw Adrian's number and photo pop up on my phone.

I wanted to hang up, to ignore his call, but somehow I knew clicking the red button on this call was too far.

"Hey th-"

"What do you want?" I interrupted him, tired of being pestered by him.

"That, Little Rider, was rude. I was calling you to tell you that I am picking you up, right now, out the front of the St. Vlad's. So hurry up, I'll be there in five."

"What if I don't want-" I started, but this time I was cut off when I heard the dial tone on the other end.

It was the beginning of lunch, and I still had the last two sessions before it was time to go home, yet, I knew I was going with Adrian. Equine was the last two classes anyway, and I wouldn't mind avoiding a certain teacher.

So I grabbed my bags from my locker and headed to the car park.

"Over here, Rose!" Adrian called, his head out the window of his black Mercedes.

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, walking over, slowly, to where he waited in the car park.

I climbed into the passenger seat, flinging by bag into the back.

"Hey! Would you watch the freaking leather? I just had it buffed and polished." He actually sounded mad that I had almost damaged the cream interior.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

"A café, or burger joint, somewhere with food. You need to tell me what's going on." Adrian started driving, fast, out of the car park. I could smell the tang of alcohol on his breath. I wasn't surprised he had already been drinking, but I wasn't happy about it.

"You've been drinking? And now you're at the wheel… Genius." I shook my head, but kept my eyes on the road. Some one had to.

"So what? Its not like I'm going to crash."

Like a bolt of lightning, a flash back blinded me.

I woke up, with Lissa's long blonde hair framing my face.

"Rose? Rose? Oh, you are awake – Nurse! She's awake." She called out, eyes widening in both shock and happiness.

I could see red in her eyes, and they were puffy, like she'd been crying.

'Liss," I croaked, my throat felt drier than a bone, like I'd had coal shovelled down there. "What happened?"

"The car… it flipped. I don't know how, but it did. They're all gone Rose, all of them." She couldn't hold in any of the tears any longer, she broke down, holding me lightly, but holding me.

Next thing I knew a nurse was checking my pupils and hear rate, before asking Lissa to let me rest.

I will never forget the words Lissa spoke to me that day, and how brave she was to do that.

Yet I couldn't be brave enough to talk to my friends? To face up to a guy I had 'loved'. I don't even know Dimitri, how could I possibly 'love' him.

"Rose? Rose? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bought that up." Adrian's voice caught up with me.

"It's okay. I'm fine. Just remembering some stuff I guess."

LPOV

"Christian, I'm worried." I said, turning my smaller car into the driveway.

"Why? You said you were on birth control. You are, right?" His brows raised, and I had to giggle.

"Yes, and its not about that." I pecked his cheek softly, turning my keys in the ignition, and listening as the engine noises stopped. Pulling up on the handbrake, I stepped out of the car, only to have my hand pulled down by my boyfriend.

"More." He demanded, kissing my lips harder than I had his cheek. He kissed passionately, and I felt his hand slip up my thigh –

"No. Not right now Babe." I pushed his hand back to my knee, separating our lips.

"You really are worried, huh?" His ice blue eyes met my own eyes, and the worry in his melted my heart.

"Yes."

"Is this about Rose? Because I am sure she will get over 'us' in no time, besides, you said she didn't seem mad with you." His hand enclosed around mine, making me feel safer.

"Yeah, it's about Rose, but not that. She just… She just seems to be so damn distant. Something has happened, but she won't tell me. Or at least, I don't know how to ask… For once in my life, I feel like we're not sisters." I looked down at the steering wheel, avoiding Christian's gaze.

"Vasilisa Dragomir, look at me right now." I felt his index finger touch my chin, turning my head to face him. "Rose is strong, God knows how she can handle living with me, but sometimes you just need to be there. Never mind words, she will tell you, if she tells you, when she's ready. Just act normal, okay?"

I nodded, and he kissed my lips tenderly and thoroughly. Not as demanding or urgent as before, but still full of fireworks.

"Thanks, I love you." I said, breaking the kiss.

"Love you too."

####

RPOV

"And then he left me there… I don't think I've cried like that in a long time, gah, I'm such a baby." I said, wiping tears from under my eyes before they began to run freely.

Adrian, for once in his life, didn't make a comment or joke but listened. I don't even know how he managed to get me to talk, but I had to let it out. And he had been there.

He silently handed me a napkin from the dispenser on our table.

"Thanks," I said, wiping at my eyes again.

"Jerk." He blurted out.

"Wh-What?"" I said, not sure I had heard him right.

"This Dimitri, what a jerk. He doesn't deserve you, at all. Sure, there are problems in that relationship, but damn it, if he won't fight, he doesn't deserve you!" I had never heard Adrian be so mad, ever. Not even when I stole his liquor, or if a girl turned him down. No, Adrian wasn't mad. He was pissed off.

"No, he has a point. We would be doomed, I mean, he works for Abe. That's a tragedy waiting right there. " I said shaking my head, picking at my burger.

We had decided to eat at a burger joint, but hey, who doesn't love greasy food.

"Don't talk like that, Rose. Look, I think we all know that I want to be with you, " I just sighed, as Adrian spoke what I knew. " but there is no way in hell that I'm going to watch you suffer like this. The way I see it, you have two options;

You either confront the Russian, and try to make it work, if he said okay.

Or, you can move on."

Did he have to be so honest? Would it actually hurt him to just say something comforting? However hard it was though, he was telling the truth, and I knew which option I had to take.

"Yeah, I guess just this once you're right. I'm going to move on." I said it firmly, placing both of my open palms on the table.

He laughed at my sneaky comment, before leaning in, eyes watching my lips like prey. "Good…" He murmured.

"No, no way! Put it back in your pants." My hands moved from the table to shove him back.

"But…" He pouted, giving me puppy dog eyes.

"No. Please, Adrian, I tod you this as a friend, not so you could take advantage of me."

"You're right this time Little Rider, I'm sorry. I shall take this to the grave." Adrian put his hand over his heart, or where it should be, over the top of his loose white tee.

"Thanks Man. Lets go though; I need to talk to Lissa." I stood up from the wobbly table, and grabbed the remains of what I think was my third burger.

"So you're really taking that with you?" He asked, eyeing of the burger.

"Ahh, yeah, duh, why wouldn't I? You paid for it." I said, stuffing it in my mouth.

"Wait. I thought you paid for it?" He patted his pockets wildly, trying o find his wallet.

I felt smug holding the most likely very expensive, leather wallet up. It was missing at least thirty bucks, not that he's miss it.

"That my friend, is pay back or driving me around half drunk."

"I think you'll find Rose, that I am at my best half drunk."

I didn't reply, unless you count hurling his wallet at his head.

####

LPOV

I watched Christian groom his horse, from at least five feet away. I'm way too scared of them to go any closer, especially when they towered over me like his.

"Come over here Bub, I need you." He pleaded, raking his hands through that dark hair, driving me crazy.

"No." I said, tempted beyond belief to walk over there.

"Why?"

"Because that thing will kill me. Didn't you say it was like 23 toes tall?"

He cracked up laughing, bending over to clutch at his stomach. When he finally stopped, he had tears in his eyes.

"N-no Liss, 17 hands high. Oh, you're a cutie." Christian corrected me, then made me blush.

"Why do you need my help?"

"I need you, just come here. I promise he won't hurt you. See, look, he's sleeping." Christian put the small tack box on what's-his-face's back, and the horse didn't move, proving he was fast asleep.

I took a few careful steps towards Christian, to which he responded by holding out his hand.

I placed my hand within his, and was surprised when he pulled me towards him, crushing our mouths together. At first I was tense, worried his horse would I don't know, kick me or something, but nothing happened, so I relaxed and returned his passionate embrace.

I was getting into, the way you do, our lips mingling, but I wanted more. So I tried pushing him towards the tack room. He didn't agree it seemed, as he pushed me back. He was pushing me so my back was against his horse's shoulder, and I could feel him put his hand on the black gelding's wither.

The next thing I knew, the horse was bowing, one front leg stretched out, whilst the other kneeled underneath the beast. I was at first alarmed, but the way Christian looked at me… it was calming.

"Relax, this is going to be fun. Trust me." He whispered softly in my ear.

"Okay, I trust you." Gently, he lifted me up, and lowered me onto the horses back.

"Okay, when I said I trusted you, I didn't think you were about to put me on the savage beat." I said, gripping tight on the horse's mane and neck, hoping that I wasn't about to come flying off.

"Flame won't hurt you, just breath. I don't think I've ever seen that shade of purple before." He joked, softly kissing my apparently purple cheek.

"Shuddup boy." I said, clinging on like a baby to its mother.

He merely chuckled, and patted Flame's rump.

I gasped as the horse, 'Flame', got back on all fours.

I was even more surprised, happily though, when I felt Christian get on behind me. He rested his head on my shoulder, his nose tickling my neck. He was hugging me, softly, reassuring me that I was safe.

I leaned around, kissing him. He kissed back and before long we were back to our heated ways.

"Hey do you want to, ah, on Flame?" Christian winked at me.

"Kinky." I whispered.

"Oh my god! My poor virgin eyes!"

I whipped around, nearly falling off the damn horse, to see Rose, hand over her eyes, in the stables.

####

Sorry for any mistakes, I just wanted to get this up here as soon as possible ^^ Thank you all for the birthday wishes! They made my day as much as any other present.

Again, editing took me exactly 2 minutes, as my editor was unavailable.

Disclaimer: I don't own the charries, Richelle Mead does. Please respect this.

Please Review!