Chapter 11: You Sound Like Sex
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy
DPOV
I watched her sleep comfortably in my arms allowing myself the guilty pleasure of burying my face in her neck the way I used to. We had been so close to making love that it was physically painful to pull away from her like that, but I wasn't that guy. I couldn't take advantage of her in her intoxicated state. It was already bad enough that I allowed it to go as far as I did. Surely she was going to wake up and kick my ass for putting my hand on her like that, but in this moment, I couldn't care less. Being with her like that if only for a brief moment was pure bliss for me. I ached for her every night since she left and thoughts of her plagued my daily existence. Some people would say that it made me disturbed and that I should seek professional help, but for me, she was it. She was the one and I would never stop loving her no matter what happened. She had been my best friend since Kindergarten, my girlfriend since I was fifteen, the mother of my child, my wife and the love of my life for as long as I could remember. People who ended relationships and marriages and got over them quickly were never really in love to begin with. Sure she claimed to have moved on, but she hadn't give him her heart. That I knew for sure. I'd watched her on television appearances and read those interviews my sister had warned me about in magazines and there was one thing I knew for sure. She would never love him the way she loved me.
It was entirely obvious that her feelings for him were a substitute for the life she thought she couldn't have. Superficially they were the perfect match. He was rich, high society, clean cut and handsome. They looked fantastic together in photos and had that perfect easy going mentality meant for good friends, not for true lovers. It pained me that I knew she'd been intimate with him, but that was on the surface as well. She'd been physically intimate with him, but emotionally she hadn't given him a single piece of her life or her heart. She hadn't confided in him about her past. He didn't know where she was from and was never privy to any information about her family. Hell, he lived with her for how long and couldn't figure out she had an eating disorder. The man was obviously either dense or not as smitten with her as he seemed.
I dozed off content for the first time in a long time knowing that some part of her, however small desired me even if she didn't realize it. I woke early and she was still out like a light. I stoked the fire hoping it would keep her warm until I was able to fix the furnace. I covered her with all five blankets placing my hand on her cheek to make sure she was warm. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake.
It took me about a half an hour to make the trip to the hardware store and back and when I returned she was still sleeping peacefully. As I worked on the furnace, her phone must have chimed twenty times. Being the nosy man I was, I decided to snoop a little even though I knew she would kill me if she found out. Turns out I didn't even need a password because with the IPhone messages appeared on it without even typing it in. There were two missed calls and a voicemail from Adrian and three frantic texts from someone named Sydney Sage all warning her that her fiancé was in a tizzy because he hadn't heard from her in two days. I smirked to myself and went back to work. If things worked out the way I hoped they would, she would be all mine by the time we celebrated Christmas.
RPOV
I woke to the sounds of clanging and banging in the utility room. The last embers of the fire from last night still burned in the fireplace as the events of what had happened came rushing back to me. I inhaled sharply wondering how I had allowed things to go so far. Sure I was a little drunk, but not drunk enough to be out of control. I had known exactly what I was doing when I let him touch me and kiss me like that and I had liked it. It felt natural and I felt bereaved as I woke up alone. I longed for his warm body to be pressed up against mine once more.
"Heat is about fixed," he said climbing out from underneath the furnace. He was sweaty and had dirt smudges all over his face, but he was still handsome as hell in the light of day.
"Would you like some breakfast?" I asked knowing we were going to have to talk about last night, but I wanted to put it off for as long as I could.
"I would, what are you making?"
I snorted. "Nothing fancy. How about bliny?" I asked cocking my head to one side.
"Those require eggs you know," he told me.
I shrugged. "I know. They're for you," I said busying myself with the pans and assembling ingredients from the cupboard and the fridge.
"Are you just going to watch me eat?" he asked as I placed the plate in front of him.
"Ugh, I feel like puking," I grimaced clutching my stomach. "Five shots of Vodka is not something I should have ingested on an empty stomach," I said wrinkling my nose.
"When is the last time you ate?" he asked no doubt concerned at my unhealthy eating habits.
"I'm fine, don't go all father knows best on me," I griped pouring myself a cup of coffee. "Besides, I have a shoot on Wednesday and Javier will kill me if I gain a pound." He raised his eyebrow at me, but refrained from commenting.
"So about last night," he said broaching the subject cautiously as he shoveled the food into his mouth like he'd never seen food before. I'd forgotten what a big appetite he had especially when he'd been working on things. I'd actually become a pretty good cook in the year that we were married because he would come home from a twelve hour shift at the factory starving to death and in his words if he was going to make the money to pay the bills, then I had to at least keep house a little and have dinner for him when he came home. The first time he said that to me I'd thrown the television remote at his head shouting that while he worked all day, I had to go to school and incubate his spawn and that if he wanted dinner he would have to do for himself. Of course I caved after he lost ten pounds the first month we were married and I was worried for his health. Olena helped me learn how to make his favorite foods.
I closed my eyes, inhaling sharply.
"Thank you for not taking advantage of me," I said finally looking him in the eye.
"You know I wouldn't do that to you. I'm an honorable man Roza and I didn't want you to hate yourself or me in the morning."
"I was just as much a participant in what happened as you were, so let's leave it at that," I told him hoping he would drop the subject.
"It can't happen again," I added placing my coffee cup in the sink.
"No promises on that. I would never take advantage of you while you were drunk, but sober you're fair game."
"I'm getting married," I said forcefully.
"In my eyes and the eyes of the law, you are still my wife and pursuing you is my given right."
"Well you better behave yourself when we get to New York. If you screw things up between me and Adrian, I will hate you forever."
"Well you see there, we're already making progress," he said with a smirk.
"Almost having sex one time is hardly considered progress."
"No, but you just admitted that you don't hate me. I'll take that as a good sign," he said popping the rest of his bliny into his mouth. "Thanks for breakfast honey," she teased slapping my ass as he left the room.
"Figures he would take everything I say literally," I muttered picking up my phone that had been making noises for the past few hours. I'd tried to ignore them, but I knew I was going to have to face the music soon.
I decided to call Sydney first to see what I was walking into on Monday.
"Where the hell have you been? Adrian and Mia have been blowing up my phone wondering why the hell you've been MIA for the past two days!" she cried not even bothering with pleasantries.
"I know. I'm sorry. I've just had a lot to deal with these past few days," I said rubbing my head in frustration.
"You slept with him didn't you?" she deadpanned.
"What? No, I didn't sleep with him," I said truthfully.
"I knew it. I knew going back there was a bad idea and you'd get sucked back in. I mean come on he's like the most gorgeous man I've never laid eyes on," she said talking about the time she'd found the photo of Dimitri and I with our son that I secretly kept inside my jewelry box underneath the satin. She had gone on and on about how hot he was and how stupid I was to leave Russia when I had such a hunk waiting for me at home.
"I did not sleep with him!" I shouted.
"Okay, but you wanted to, I can tell. You sound like sex," she said.
"What? How can a person sound like sex?"
"They just can and you do so admit it. You came close."
"Okay okay, last night we came close, like really close," I admitted putting my head in my hands.
"Rose, whenare you coming home. Adrian is frantic. He thinks you're leaving him."
"What why would he think that?"
"Gee I don't know. You get engaged and then skip town the next day, lie to him about where you are going, say you'll be back in a few days and it's been almost a week. Then on top of that you don't answer your phone. With what you just told me, I don't think he's paranoid."
"This is so not happening," I muttered. "I will call him. I'm not leaving him. Last night was a mistake and it won't happen again."
"Who are you trying to convince me or you?" she snorted.
"Shut up," I told her quite agitated because I knew she was right. One more close encounter with Dimitri and I was a goner. Hell, I was ready to jump his bones the minute I woke up this morning, but the fact of the matter was that he wasn't good for me. He lived a simple quiet life here in Baia and would want me to stay with him here and raise a family. I couldn't do that. I certainly had no desire to stay here and give up the life I'd built for myself in New York and I was definitely not interested in having anymore children. If I'd learned anything about myself is that I was a terrible mother and no child should have to have me as theirs.
"So when are you coming home?" she asked.
"Our flight leaves Monday at six am. So I'd say Tuesday around the same time."
"Our?" she questioned. Crap! Had I said that out loud?
"I kind of lost a bet last night," I told her.
"What type of bet?"
"Holy shit, you're bringing your husband home with you?" she cried after I'd explained what had transpired at the bar last night.
"No, as far as everyone else is concerned I am bringing home some friends."
"Yea, one of which you are married to and almost slept with last night."
"Why do you have to be so dramatic?" I hissed. "He wants to see what my life in the city is like and once he does, he'll high tail it right back to the rock he lives under now and Adrian will be none the wiser."
"You don't sound so sure about that."
"Well I am so stop. Everything is going to be fine unless some big mouthed blonde opens her big mouth," I threatened.
"Hey my lips are sealed. This is going to be one hell of a train wreck to watch. Hey can I sell tickets?"
"Goodbye Sydney," I said hanging up on her.
APOV
"Why haven't you answered my phone calls? Are you alright?" I asked concerned not only for the safety and well being of my fiancée, but also concerned that things between us weren't right. When my phone rang in the middle of the night, I dashed out of bed to answer it hoping to God it was Rose. I hadn't heard from her in two days and I was frantic thinking the worst.
"Adrian, I am so sorry. Things here have been hectic with the winter storms and with my family. Last night the heat was out and it took all night to fix. I should have called. I've been preoccupied and a very bad fiancée. Can you forgive me?" she asked. The tone in her voice was telling me that she wasn't giving me the whole truth, but I was so grateful to hear from her that I didn't push the subject. I would wait until she came home, that is if she ever did.
"When are you coming home?" I asked nearly ready to get on a plane and fly to Russia to get her.
"My flight leaves on Monday at six. I should be home very early Tuesday."
"Rose, should I be worried? Is there something you're not telling me?" I asked unable to take being in the dark anymore.
"I have a lot to explain when I get home, I know. Please be patient with me. I came here to sort out some family issues and have stumbled upon a few new ones. I promise I will tell you everything on Tuesday," she said sounding sincere.
"I miss you," I told her knowing I sounded like a whiny high school girl. We had known each other four years and it had taken me almost three years of flirting, bringing her flowers and planning romantic evenings to get her to go out with me. She was quite fickle. What had confused me the most was that she wasn't seeing anyone else. She just kept refusing to get serious with me. We'd go to a movie or have coffee. She'd kiss me and laugh at my jokes, but that's as far as it went. Finally after I'd nearly given up I asked her to be my date at a gala for my father's company and she'd come home with me after. We never spoke about commitment, but she'd let me know in no uncertain terms that she was mine. After that things were great and went very smoothly and three months ago I had asked to move in with me in anticipation of my impending proposal. I was thrilled when she said yes and things had been picture perfect that is until the day I proposed. She had fun at the party, but I could feel her pull away from me later that night. We'd made love, but it didn't feel normal. She was tense and didn't sleep well tossing and turning all night. Then the next day she'd hurried out of the apartment lying to me about having a photo shoot running off to Russia. I didn't know what was going on with her, but I was done ignoring her shady behavior. I was going to have to do a little digging on my own. I just hoped that what I found wasn't as bad as I feared.
DPOV
I laughed silently as I continued to shave having listened intently to her conversation with this Sydney girl and then with her fiance. She was so sure that I wouldn't be able to handle her life in New York, but I was far more prepared than she thought. I'd already seen what it was like and granted I wasn't thrilled about it, but I could definitely handle it.
"What's on the agenda for today?" Rose asked flipping idly through a magazine as she sat on the couch.
"Well I thought you might like to have your father and brother over tonight. It would mean a lot to them I'm sure. I could make dinner and you can visit," I offered.
"Sounds good to me," she agreed. "I'm just going to have a shower and change."
I sat on the couch picking up the magazine she'd been reading. I sighed as I realized it was a bridal magazine. I thought back to the day I asked her to marry me and boy was that a disaster.
Flashback
I waited nervously outside the door to her father's house wearing my best shirt and good jeans fumbling in my pocket for the ring my mother had helped me pick out and loaned me the money for.
I hadn't seen her in almost two weeks. She'd been avoiding me and dodging my calls since school let out. I'd been to her house several times trying to get an answer for her odd behavior, but all Mason would tell me was that she'd locked herself in her room saying she wasn't feeling well. It wasn't entirely strange for her to be angry with me for one reason or another and ignore me for a day or two, but two weeks was beyond ridiculous. I was beginning to worry that she was going to end things with me and I was determined to get her to talk to me so on Wednesday, the day I only worked until three, I decided I was going to go over there and force her to see me. As it turned out, I needn't have bothered. That was the day her father, one of the most feared businessmen in Eastern Europe, barged into the factory, slammed me up against the wall with a knife to my throat and ordered me to take care of the mess I'd created. I of course had no idea what he was talking about, but he was eager to inform me that his daughter was pregnant and I was to blame. To say I was stunned was an understatement. I thought back to the last few times we were together and realized that we'd missed a step on Prom night. I'd briefly realized we hadn't been entirely safe right away, but brushed it off figuring the odds were slim that anything would happen. Apparently I was wrong. What I couldn't understand though was her reluctance to see or talk to me. Wasn't it good measure to at least call the guy who knocked you up and tell him about it? Not to mention that I wasn't just any guy. We'd been together for years and we were in love or at least I thought we were. I was so confused right now that it hurt to think. One thing was for sure, Rose and I needed to talk. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying unsuccessfully to get Rose to answer her phone finally calling Lissa in desperation.
"What do you want Dimitri? I'm under strict orders not to speak to you," she answered.
"What I want is an explanation for why my girlfriend is avoiding me," I said not wanting to tip her off that I knew about the baby. I didn't want Rose to be even more angry when she found out her father had ordered me to marry her or else.
"That would be up to Rose to discuss with you."
"Please Lissa, I'm desperate. I need to get her alone. Can you help me?" I pleaded.
She sighed. "I guess, but only because I don't agree with what she's doing to you," she said agreeing to help me. So here I stood on the front porch fully prepared to ask Roza to marry me. I would have to be the first to admit that I was scared shitless. It wasn't that I didn't want to marry her, because the thought of being with her for the rest of our lives and the thought of our child growing inside her made me blissfully happy. It was just that I knew her and if she wasn't speaking to me it was because she was not happy and an unhappy Rose, was not one that was likely to accept a shotgun proposal. Nevertheless, I was going to ask anyways.
She opened the door and her jaw dropped as she registered that it was me on the other side instead of Lissa, whom she was expecting.
"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly crossing her arms.
"I'm here to take you out. I know you're angry with me and I want to make up for whatever I did. I was hoping you'd agree to have dinner with me," I said praying to God she accepted.
"I'm not hungry," she snapped preparing to slam the door in my face, but having anticipated her sullen reaction, I'd already stuck my foot in the door.
"Come on Roza, you have to talk to me sooner or later. We've been together too long for you to just shut me out like this," I pointed out hoping she'd buy my lame excuse.
"You know I'm not taking no for an answer," I reminded her.
"Fine," she finally acquiesced shutting the door behind her as she joined me on the porch.
"You look nice," I complimented her taking a chance as I kissed her cheek softly.
She rolled her eyes and tugged at her sweater, which I could tell was already becoming a little too snug around her waist.
"Where are we going?" she asked as I helped her into the cab of my truck.
"You'll see," I told her. The ride was silent save for the country music I had coming from the radio. She wouldn't look at me and I could tell that tonight was not going to be easy.
"We're eating in the woods?" she asked as I pulled up to our favorite picnic table next to the lake. I had set up a checkered table cloth and had some of those fake candles that glowed lit all around it to make it feel more romantic. After all this was the night I was asking her to spend the rest of her life with me.
"Are you cold?" I asked offering her my jacket from the car as she sat down at the table.
"No, I'm fine."
I began pulling things out of the back of the truck. Mama and Sonya had helped me pack a romantic picnic full of foods that were soothing to the stomach as Mama said she may be feeling a little nauseous by now.
"Would you like to tell me what's on your mind?" I asked as I took my seat across from her at the table.
"Not particularly," she muttered munching on a few crackers. I sighed, but plunged ahead with my plan.
"Roza, I brought you here tonight because this is a place I feel holds all of our good memories," I started being far too nervous to hold it together any longer so I figured why not just get it over with.
"Right here at this picnic table was the first time I knew I was in love with you. I was thirteen and you were eleven. I was sitting here tying my shoes and you were running away from Ivan who was chasing you with a big sprig of poison ivy. You somehow lost your footing and when I heard your terrified scream the only thing I could think of was that I couldn't lose you. The way you flung yourself into my arms sobbing hysterically after I pulled you to safety assured me that you were the one for me. Since that day there hasn't been a single moment I didn't want to spend with you and that is why I wanted to bring you here, where it all began for me to ask you this question." I held my breath as I dropped to my knee pulling the ring box from my pocket.
"Roza, you are my world, the light and love of my life. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" I asked.
The look on her face as I stared up at her expectantly was not a happy one.
"I see you've spoken to my father," she said icily before getting up and running away from me.
My shoulders slumped and I snapped the ring box closed as I scrambled to my feet to catch up with her.
"Roza wait!" I called as I made my way through the trees to the spot where I knew I'd find her. She had always run to the waterfall when she was upset or angry and sure enough there she sat her knees to her chest and her shoulders shaking with sobs. I perched myself next to her pulling her into my arms.
"Everything is going to be okay Roza," I told her holding her as she continued to sob. She turned her face so it was pressed into my neck seeking comfort the way she had always done.
"Everything isn't okay," she sobbed. "I'm seventeen and pregnant."
"I know," I told her stroking her hair softly. "I'm going to take care of you and our baby," I promised.
She eventually came around and agreed to marry me. It saddened me though that I would never know what her answer would have been, had she not felt obligated to be with me because of our child.
End Flashback
Uh oh! Sydney knows, Adrian is going to start digging and what a terrible way to find out your girlfriend is pregnant… Lots going on in this 4,300 word chapter. Let me know what you think. Next up is dinner with the family and possibly the Christmas Party and then it's back to NYC to let the fun begin=)
