A/N:
Hello my lovelies!
I wanted to take a time out to thank all my readers and especially the ones who review! It means so much to me. I know I'm going a little off format, so it's nice to know it's still like and accepted!
Special thanks to: stardreamer2608 (first reviewer!), debpreato, QTSuzie3, rose conde, Lizz91, Gigi256, Boochar88, LostOnAFantasy33, Swimming the same deep waters, kazzo96, AliciaHaryma, Badass Belikov va, LovesmesomeDanilalol, VATooovsessed, marcelammota, russia2774, katnipsc, Martianeskimo and all the guests (or maybe it's just one guest), who leave me lots and lots of love in review!
I know I've been bad and haven't been responding! Sorry for that. But at least I update frequently, right?
Thank you all!
Here's the next chapter, I have a feeling you all will like it!
Much love,
Kooki
As soon as Abe was gone and out of earshot, Dimitri whirled on Rose. "What the hell, Rose?!" He yelled. "You should have told me before your "friend"", he used air quotes, "was the gangster known as Abe Mazur".
"Hey!" Rose took offense, "He's a mobster, not a gangster!".
"It's that same thing! And any way you look at it, I'm indebted to him now. I owe Zmey a favor. And he is not the kind of man you want to owe favors to!"
"He didn't do this for you! He did it for me! You don't owe him a favor, you owe me a favor!", Rose replied furiously.
"I'm not sure that's better", Dimitri muttered.
Rose gasped then narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to let that slide because I'm starving and the only kitchen appliance I know how to use is a microwave".
"I'm making lunch now?!" Dimitri asked incredulously, wondering how he'd gone from respected guardian to cabana boy.
"Well it's either that, or I burn down the kitchen. Or," Rose paused for full affect, "we could use the credit card and order in", she let that hang in the air, knowing well and good Dimitri would rather make lunch himself than order in with Abe's money. Which made no sense since everything in the kitchen was bought with Abe money as well.
"Fine", Dimitri threw his hands up in the air and treaded to the kitchen.
"I'm going to go shower and unpack", Rose said. "Thank you", she threw back to him, minding her manners for once.
Dimitri got to work in the kitchen. When Abe said there was enough to last them the week, he was understating. There was enough to cook 3 meals a day with multiple courses and snacks in between for at least a week. The fridge was completely packed, as were the cabinets. Dimitri also noticed that all the appliances were new, as well as the cookware and all the other kitchen fixins.
Dimitri made a salad with bacon bits, it was the only way to get Rose to eat anything healthy. He cooked pasta and made a marinara sauce from scratch. Dimitri found a block of parmesan and grated it into a small serving dish. It would work well with pasta and the salad. He even had a batch of brownies in the oven.
As he was tinkering around in the kitchen, his focus was solely on the food. It was like his mind had shut off and he was on auto pilot. He wasn't thinking about everything he'd gone through, he wasn't consumed by the guilt, he wasn't remembering all the things he did to Rose. In fact, he noticed that ever since they walked into that apartment he hadn't thought about the past few months at all. It was freeing.
But it was a freedom he didn't deserve. All the people he killed, all the families he destroyed, they would never be free from the pain or the grief that he caused. Why should he get to be free?
Rose walked out in the living area and kitchen, feeling refreshed. Her hair was still a little damp. She found Dimitri at the dining table, brooding as ever. He looked like he was about to boil over.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked as she approached him.
"Everything", he answered.
She sat beside him and placed her hands on is forearm. "Talk to me".
Dimitri wasn't sure he if he could.
"Please, Dimitri. It might help", Rose nudged, completely ignoring the delicious smelling food laid out on the table.
"Just now in the kitchen. I", he took a deep breath. "I didn't feel pain. For a little while, making you lunch, made me forget everything else".
Rose was sure Dimitri would see the burst of hope that expanded in her chest, if only he were looking. "Dimitri, that's a good thing".
"No. It isn't, Rose. I don't deserve to ever find peace".
"You feel guilty for not feeling guilty for a little while?" she questioned, though she really wasn't expecting any reply. "Dimitri, look at me", Rose tentatively placed her hand on his cheek and gently turned him toward her. "I will say this as many times as I have to. What happen was not your fault. You didn't want to turn strigoi, you didn't choose it or ask for it. It happened to you. You are strigoi-Dimitri's biggest victim. You were not in control", she brushed his single tear with the pad of her thumb. "You deserve to move on and find peace. It may take a while, but I know it'll get easier with time. That's how grief is". Rose leaned in and kissed his forehead. And he let her.
Dimitri wiped his eyes. "You know that sounded suspiciously like a zen life lesson".
Rose couldn't help but laugh. It was infectious and brought a small smile to Dimitri's lips.
"Let's eat before I pass out from low blood sugar", Rose said dramatically.
A/N:
Before I go, I thought of a weird question. In LS, Adrian finds out in the worst possible way that he's lost Rose (well, tbh, it would be worse if he'd seen them in bed together, but still). Do you think he would have been less hurt if Rose dumped him, without him having to actually see Rose and Dimitri together? I mean, even if Rose had broken up with him, and let's say that she hadn't slept with Dimitri before doing so, Adrian would have known all along that Rose was still in love with Dimitri, that the reason for her braking up with him was painfully obvious. So in the end, would it have hurt any less had the chain of events gone differently?
Let me know what you think!
And don't forget to review!
Cheers,
K
