Warning: this chapter may contain some disturbing scenes and does mention sex. I look forward to hearing what you guys think.

xx

Chapter Eight

Rose POV

"Hey Lissa." I said, slightly confused. My best friend was standing in our corridor with her phone in her hand, looking like a supermodel as she leaned against the wall. "What are you doing out here?"

"I didn't want to go in without back up." My stomach dropped with a single question playing in my mind.

"What has she done?" I asked, storming in. "What the fuck?" I exclaimed as I took in our apartment. I had only been gone for about 3 hours, yet she had managed to trash everything.

"Is she still here?" I wanted to kill her, but then I don't think that feeling has ever gone away.

"I haven't heard her, but I didn't want to explore further then the living room just in case I saw something I couldn't burn out of my brain." That was fair enough. The state of the living room made me want to run away back to Dimitri's. It had been turned upside down. Books and DVDs that we had organised to alphabetical perfection scattered the floor, joining the pile of clothes that mom had scattered everywhere.

"Can you call the locksmith; we need to have it changed." I should have done it the second Jessie and I had broken up, but I had completely forgotten that he had a key. Such a stupid fucking mistake.

"Why?"

"She has a key."

"How the hell did she-"

"Jessie."

"You're kidding me."

"Nope. Giving him one was obviously the biggest mistake of my life." Collapsing on the couch, I curled up, placing my head on my knees. How did my life get so fucked up?

"I thought dating him was."

"Well this comes close second. They are both so fucking unbelievable."

Lissa sat down next to me, shoving a pile of clothes on the floor. Not that it mattered; we'd have to spend hours cleaning it up later.

"What happened this morning?"

"She did the usual Janine Hathaway act with a twist; it was my fault Jessie had cheated, but it would all be alright because if I was to apologise to him he would take me back." Like that would ever happen. Not when I had Dimitri.

"She didn't."

"Oh but she did."

"Are you -?"

"I didn't spiral. Jessie is basically the human version of cancer to me now; painful and life draining but there is no way I am going to let him win."

She smiled "I'm proud of you."

"For what."

"For being strong. For becoming a better woman than the one who raised you. For dumping Jessie. You have a job, you're supporting yourself and you're going to school on top of that. What I am saying is, you're amazing Rose."

"I wouldn't be anything without you. I would probably have become a whore if you hadn't been there."

"I don't believe that."

Before she could say anything else, we heard a small noise coming from my room that disturbed the hell out of me. We could clearly hear my mother was moaning and grunting. The look on Lissa's face said it all; a mixture of fear and disgust as the banging started. I was going to have to get a new bed, and new sheets, and maybe bleach the room. No. I would burn the room.

We were about to get up and leave when we heard him speak, the voice clear and loud enough that we could hear it from the couch we were sitting on. A fresh wave of nausea hit me as I realised the two people that had caused me the most pain in the world where having sex on my bed.

That was it; I lost control, my anger coming back in full force and this time taking over my body. Taking my mom's bags that were still in our living room, I threw them out into the corridor, picking the rest of the clothes she had off the floor. Her work suits followed. Soon, she would too.

"Rose, don't" Lissa said, trying to stop me as I picked up the baseball bat we kept for security purposes and stormed to my room. Throwing open my bedroom door, my worst fears were confirmed. My mother on her back, completely naked as Jessie screwed her. They were too wrapped up in the disgusting act to notice my entrance.

In a fit of rage, I charged toward the bed; grabbing Jessie I threw him off my mother with such force, he smashed into the wall, groaning as he slid down and slumped on the floor. I hoped I had done some damage.

"Rosemarie, what in the hell?" My mother didn't even have the decency to cover up.

"Don't talk. Don't say another fucking word. I am going to leave with Lissa; we will be gone for a couple of hours. By the time we get back, both of you better be gone or I will call the police."

"Rose" Jessie tried to talk, but I swung the bat up so he flinched. He had never looked so small, curled up in a ball naked. The only way he could have looked more pathetic was if he was crying. I was so tempted to make him cry.

"No. I am done with both of you. You are both dead to me."

"But I am your mother."

"I have no Mother. I haven't had one for a long time."

"Rose" Jessie tried to talk but I started to swing the baseball bat to him. I was so close to smashing his head. "You should have left my life a year ago you bastard. Leave. Me. Alone."

Lissa had to hold me back from smashing something, grabbing the baseball bat as I tried to swing. She wasn't as strong as I was, but she had some power behind her, practically dragging me out of the room. The front door slammed behind us as she steered me out of the building; clambering over the clothes in the corridor. She knew better than to tell me to calm down.

Lissa took me to Christian's place, the ride silent as she drove. I wanted to cry, I could feel the tears building up inside me but they just weren't flowing. I just couldn't cry over them anymore. I think I just felt relieved. I was finally done with them. They couldn't come back in my life, they wouldn't be that stupid. I was going to have to change my number and Lissa said we would call the locksmith the second they left the place. We couldn't take any chances with them getting keys.

As she drove on, the pain in my chest started to numb. By the time we got to Christians place I just felt empty. People were talking around me, but I couldn't make out the words clearly. I swore I heard my name a couple of times, but I just couldn't bring myself to focus. I was in a daze; I didn't really fully come back to it until I was sitting on Christians couch. Someone was calling my name.

It sounded an awful lot like Dimitri.

What was Dimitri doing at Christians?

I felt myself being lifted as he placed me on his lap, his arms cradling me as I cuddled into his chest. Right then I knew that this is where I wanted to be.

Dimitri POV

I had gone to Christians, hoping for some help on my case. Though as we tried to sort it out, he became even more confused than I did. "I don't understand." He kept saying as he flicked through the file for the millionth time "Her symptoms don't make sense. There is physically no reason for her to end up like this. She should be fine"

"Maybe not a physical one."

"What are you on about Dimitri?"

"What about a mental one? Did you read Alto's newest paper? I mean I don't like the man, but he had a few ideas there."

"What the one about how mental injuries can cause physical symptoms? Sounded like a load of old Fraud crap to me." I had thought that the first time I had read it. Alto had always been a bit out there for me, most of his theories stemming from Freudian beliefs which I found ridiculous. But still.

"What other explanation is there?" I asked. I had been working on this thing since Roza left, my mind snapping into work mode. I finally felt like I was on to something, and thankfully, I still had a full 7 hours before my shift started tonight. That would mean I would probably bury myself in books for most of that – I wouldn't be able to sleep until I figured it out.

Suddenly, the front door opened. Lissa came in with the worst look on her face followed by my Roza. My stomach dropped. Roza looked like a zombie, dragging her feet as Lissa helped her to the couch. "Liss, what the hell-"

"Rose's mother is in town."

The second he heard that Christian was out of his chair, crouching down in front of Roza as he started a rudimentary medical exam. "What happened? It's almost as if Rose is in shock."

"Janine basically trashed our place, and then we walked in on her and Jessie...if I say it I'm going to throw up. It's going to take me days to get the image out of my mind."

"What the fuck was Jessie-"

"Don't ask me, I can't explain this. Janine did really like Jessie when he was dating Rose; I saw her flirting with him more than once but I didn't think she would actually do something like this."

"Rose, can you hear me?" Christian called out, but my Roza barely responded.

"Roza?" I called out. There was only a slight response, but it was still better than the one Christian had got. I couldn't help myself; in a second I was at her side, drawing her onto my lap. She was shaking a little as she curled into me, her head resting on my shoulder. Kissing her forehead, I held her close as I rocked her gently. It broke my heart to see her like this. It was strange to think that it had only been a couple of hours since she had wrapped herself around me.

Rose POV

Dimitri held me for a long time before I let go and got to my feet. What I really needed was to punch something, preferable Jessie's face. The bastard. For some reason, with him I was always left feeling like a victim and it fucking sucked. I hated him. I wanted him dead. And not just death, I wanted him and my mother to die the most painful death imaginable.

I was starting to scare the crap out of myself. I had never felt this much hatred before.

"Roza," Dimitri said, taking my hands in his. I could feel myself shaking. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to go to bed. I want to sleep this away and pretend that the last couple of hours didn't happen. But I need to go back to my place –"

"Roza..."

"I need to make sure they've left so we can change the locks. And I need to grab my work top. I missed classes today; I can't not go to work."

"No." Lissa said her firm face on; she was funny when she tried to take charge. "Christian and I will go; I can't have you becoming a murderer."

"Liss-"

"It's my place too."

"But she's" I couldn't formulate the words. I had to get used to the fact that I had disowned her; I had no idea what the call her now. She truly meant nothing to me now.

"It's fine." Lissa said as she and Christian got ready to leave. "I'll call Ivan and fill him in; he can come as back up. Just stay here with Dimitri. Where's your work top, I'll grab it for you and some extra clothes as well."

Five minutes later, Dimitri and I were left in the apartment. I had meant what I had said; I really did want to sleep. I wanted to forget everything that had happened, and I wanted him to help me do that. Leading him to the spare room, I collapsed on the bed.

"Roza."

"Can you just hold me Dimitri? Please?" I asked, turning around until I was facing him. Gently, he lowered himself down until he was laying next to me, his arm placed over my head so I could comfortably snuggle into his side. Throwing my arm around his waist, I had to get as close to him as possible.

Reaching up I placed a small kiss on his jaw line "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking care of me, and for not running."

"Trust me when I say this Roza, I could never run from you."