Hola, my lovelies! Guess what? You guessed it! A new chapter! This one just flew out, so I said, "What the hell!"

Thank you again for all your generous reviews/comments/favorites/follows. I honestly can't tell you how much it has meant. It makes me want to get the story to you sooner, rather than later.

I'm going to shut up now...

DISCLAIMER: I own only the plot. Richelle Mead owns everything else.


Chapter 12: Reconciliation

"Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, as a wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld

(RPOV)

It had been a week since the restaurant debacle. Rose had tried to refocus, pursuing her studies with vigor. Christian and Lissa had not pushed her to talk about it, which Rose had appreciated. Seeing Dimitri again that night had brought up old feelings, which wasn't surprising. She was determined to put that time behind her, and look only towards her future, which was why, when she stepped out to the hostess podium the following Monday night, she was completely caught off guard to find Mr. Morrison waiting for her.

"Ah, Rose, right?" he asked a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes. Hello, Mr. Morrison," Rose replied, politely. "What can I do for you?"

He tapped his chin as if profoundly contemplating her question. "Well, first off, you can call me by my name." He extended his hand towards her, "I'm Ivan Zeklos."

Rose started to extend her hand until she suddenly registered his last name. She trembled as her eyes grew wider. No, it couldn't be! It had to be a coincidence.

Ivan, noticing her change in demeanor, quickly walked around the podium to her side. "Rose, what is it? Are you okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.

Rose's hand lifted to her forehead, as she closed her eyes. She wondered if they were possibly related. Taking a deep breath, she looked up into Ivan's worried eyes. She had to shut them again quickly. It felt as if she had been slapped, as she was pulled back to another time, with another person.

She opened her eyes again, this time looking anywhere but his face. "I'm fine. I apologize. I know, or rather, knew someone with the same last name. It's someone I'd rather not think about."

When she managed to glance at Ivan, she saw his eyes were wide. Just as quickly, they narrowed and his fists, hanging at his side were clenched. "You're talking about Jesse, aren't you?" he said, matter-of-factly.

Again, Rose's eyes widen. "How did you know? Wait, you're Ivan? You're Dimitri's friend and his manager?"

Ivan nodded, his features softening. "That's me. Which must mean you're his Roza." He saw her tense at his words.

"I am not his Roza," she spat.

Contritely, he replied, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I meant that it's what he called you. He spoke of you, you know? When he got back? He thinks very highly of you."

Rose let out a humorless laugh, "I'm sure. Ripping someone's heart out and using them is a sure sign of someone's high regard."

Ivan's face tightened. "Rose, please tell me…you have to know he would never do that! Yes, he could have handled the whole thing better, but he truly cared for you. No, he truly cares for you, still. What he did, he did because he cared."

"Ivan," she cried out, in frustration, "he told me I was no one. He said I was a distraction, hat he was bored! Even if he thought it was better to push me away to protect me, he could have found another way!"

Ivan sighed, seemingly resigned to Rose's low opinion of Dimitri. "Rose," he said, softly, "do you care about him? If you could strip away the stupid way he handled things in the end, would you still want to be his friend?"

Rose paused, pondering Ivan's question. Pushing past the hurt and anger, she realized that her answer, was of course, yes. Even while suffering through the pain and anguish, Rose had yearned to talk to him, to hear his voice – his laugh. She had wanted to be close to him and see his smile. "Yes, Ivan, I care about him – even now. I don't know if I can forgive him," she said, her voice low.

Ivan nodded, "I see. Is there anything he could do to earn your forgiveness?"

"I honestly don't know. It's not only my forgiveness but my trust. I don't know if I can trust Dimitri not to turn on me like that again. Besides, it's not like he's been beating down my door, asking for those things."

Ivan shook his head, realizing how stubborn they both were. "Rose, part of that is not his fault. He had a movie to finish shooting and then everything that goes into the final product. As we speak, he's in Europe right now at another premiere, before he flies off to a bunch of other cities to do the same thing again. I can tell you this. This entire situation has been eating away at him since he came home, and Dimitri Belikov doesn't get easily affected."

"Fine, let's say all this is true. What do you want me to do about it?" Rose said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"All I ask is that when he comes around, wanting to talk, that you listen. That's it," he said, his voice calm and low.

As Ivan started to leave, Rose called out after him. "Ivan."

Turning he responded, "Yeah?"

"About Jesse. How is he related?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

She saw his features harden again. "He's a distant cousin, thank god. I have as little to do with him as possible. Look, Rose, I hope it's okay, but, well you know Dimitri and I are close. He told me about Jesse…about what he did to you. I know it won't make things better, but I want you to know how sorry I am. He's always been trouble," he said. "I'd like to ask another favor of you. Promise me that if Jesse comes back around to harass you, that you'll call me," he said, handing her his business card.

Rose looked down at the card, rubbing it between her fingers. She hadn't expected any of this, least of all a relative of Jesse's caring about what happened to her. Smiling, she looked up at Ivan. "Thank you, Ivan. I appreciate that you're looking out for Dimitri, as well as offering to help me. He said you are a good man. I can see why."

Ivan blushed slightly at Rose's compliment before turning to leave. As he opened the door, he turned back, saying, "Remember what I said, Rose. Just listen to him."

Rose nodded as Ivan walked out onto the busy street. Glancing down at the card, she slipped it into her pants pocket. She saw that it was nearly time for the first dinner patrons to arrive, so she gathered up her stuff, preparing for the evening.

(DPOV)

After two grueling weeks, the premiers were complete. His last stop had been in Sydney, and he was now arriving back into Los Angeles after a tough, nearly fourteen-hour flight. By the time he got home, it was a few hours earlier in the morning than when he had left Sydney. He shook his head in amusement at the thought.

Ivan had arranged to have his kitchen restocked, which was a relief. Dimitri unpacked his bags before grabbing a quick shower. As he was stepping out, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pants pocket and saw Tasha's name on the display.

"Hey, Tash. Did you get in okay?" he asked.

"Yup just walked into the house," she said. Dimitri could hear her dogs barking in the background.

"I see the children are happy you're home," he said.

"My babies are always glad to see me, aren't you my schnookums? Yes, you are. Mommy loves you," she rambled at the pets.

"Tasha!" Dimitri yelled. "Talk now; animals later."

Laughing, she said, "Sorry. So, the reason I was calling was I wanted to see if you want to fly up to New York with me next weekend? I'm going to take this time off to visit Christian. Thought, oh, I don't know, you might want to see a certain someone?"

"I don't know, Tasha. We just got back, and I'm exhausted. Besides, I'm sure Ivan's going to have me looking over a bunch of new script submissions for my next…"

"Dimitri Belikov!" she barked. "What did we talk about in New York? Was I wasting hot air? You said you wanted Rose back in your life. Well, I'm giving you the opportunity to give it a go. The man I know is not a wimp. So, grow a pair!"

Dimitri couldn't help but laugh. Tasha was nothing, if not direct, which was one of her more endearing qualities. "Fine," he playfully growled. "Make the damn reservations and let me know when. If this goes south, however, you know I won't ever let you live it down."

"Oh please," she replied. "I'm wonderful, and you know it. It's my awesomeness that makes us such good friends. Especially when you keep in mind that I'm always right."

"Goodbye, Tasha," Dimitri said as he hung up. He was surprised to find he was chuckling as he hung up. He couldn't remember when he had laughed in earnest.

(RPOV)

A week later, Rose returned from class. As she exited the elevator into the penthouse, she could hear voices coming from the living room. Upon entering, she saw a woman with dark black hair sitting on the sofa next to Lissa; her back turned to Rose. Lissa, looking up, waved Rose over. "Rose! Come and meet Christian's aunt, Tasha. She's here visiting for the weekend."

Rose walked toward the two, a smile on her face. As the woman stood up, Rose's smile faltered. Before her stood the woman that had been in Dimitri's arms at the restaurant. She was as stunning as Rose had remembered. Her dark, silky hair hung just above her shoulders, laying in gentle waves. Her makeup was light but expertly applied. Her lip color was a lush red. She was smiling warmly at Rose, her hand outstretched. "Rose, it's a pleasure. I don't know if you recall, but we met briefly a few weeks ago at Christian's restaurant."

Rose paused, warring internally between snubbing the woman and accepting her introduction. Deciding not to offend Lissa, she extended her arm, lightly grasping the other woman's hand. "Yes, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"I was sorry you had to leave so suddenly that night. Christian said you weren't feeling well."

"Oh, yes, well I've just been stressed lately, with school and everything," Rose said. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go and study. I've got a big test coming up," she lied. Rose felt an urgent need to remove herself from the duo. Her chest felt heavy as if a brick lay upon it. Wiping her clammy hands on her pants, Rose excused herself, making her way up the stairs.

"Rose," Lissa called out after her. "We're going to have dinner tonight at the restaurant. We're leaving at seven, so be ready." Rose realized it was an order and not an invitation. Sighing, she continued up the stairs without responding. She knew arguing with Lissa would be futile.

After entering her room, Rose set her book bag on her small desk before falling back on the bed. How the hell was she going to get through tonight? After a few moments, she stood up and made her way to her desk. Pulling out her books, Rose sat down to review her notes from class. She hadn't been entirely dishonest. She did have an exam coming up, but Rose knew the material and would have no problem passing.

Before Rose realized it, it was already six. Leaping up, she ran into the bathroom, taking a quick shower. After looking through her closet, she decided on the dress she had worn to the opening. For whatever, reason, she wanted to look especially lovely. Her inner voice, of course, informed her in no uncertain terms, the reason for her choice. You're jealous, it murmured. Scoffing internally, Rose quickly got dressed before curling her hair and applying a smattering of makeup.

At seven sharp, Rose descended the stairs. She found Lissa and Tasha seated in the same spots she had left them earlier. Both women had changed, and both looked ravishing. Lisa dress was a blush-hued, elegant knee-length, V-neck, sleeveless cocktail dress. A wide matching belt wrapped around her frame just below her chest. Tasha was wearing a long-sleeve, embellished cocktail dress in nude. All-over beading covered the jewel neckline. With its fitted silhouette and straight hem, it hugged her slim build perfectly. Well, there went her plan to outshine the whore. She shook her head gently, admonishing herself for the name calling. She didn't know Tasha, and from her brief interactions, had deemed her as nothing but pleasant.

"Rose, you look amazing!" Tasha cried out, a genuine smile gracing her lips. "That dress was made for you."

Rose blushed slightly, even more ashamed of her earlier thoughts. "Thank you. You look incredible as well, both of you."

Lissa smiled, but Rose sensed something more behind her eyes, almost like worry. "Liss, is anything wrong?" Rose asked.

"What?" she squeaked. "No, no, I'm fine. Just really hungry."

Shrugging her shoulders, Rose followed the ladies as they made their way toward the elevator. "Christian is already at the restaurant. He had to take care of a few things."

They exited the elevator and slid into the limo. The trio arrived at the restaurant about a half hour later. Hans opened the door, assisting each woman as they exited. Lissa led the way as they entered the restaurant.

Jasmine, the other hostess, guided them to their table, nestled in the back corner. As they were sitting down, Rose surveyed the room. It was an occupational habit. As her eyes moved over the tables, she found Christian standing at another table, tucked in a dark corner at the opposite end of the restaurant. As he walked back toward their table, Rose was able to glimpse the customers with whom he had been conversing. Her eyes grew wide as they found his. He was staring at her, a small smile on his lips. His hair was hanging loose, framing his face and the three-day stubble she had found so enticing.

"Oh, look! It's Ivan and Dimka!" Tasha exclaimed. "We should see if they want to join us," she suggested. Rose, still starring at Dimitri, failed to notice the sly smiles on their lips, as Lissa and Tasha looked at one another.

"Oh, I don't know, Tasha," Lissa said. "I'm not sure Rose would feel comfortable."

"Oh?" Tasha responded. "Rose, would you feel uncomfortable if my manager and Dimitri joined us?"

Rose's eyes flicked toward Tasha. She was having trouble understanding what Tasha was saying, her mind still reeling. "Uh…I…," Rose stammered.

(DPOV)

Dimitri had known this was a bad idea from the start, but he had let Ivan and Tasha talk him into it. He still wasn't sure how they had enlisted Rose's best friend and her boyfriend. As they sat at their table, waiting for the three ladies to arrive, Christian had walked up to their table. Ivan and Dimitri were nursing their drinks.

"Mr. Zeklos. Mr. Belikov," he said, his voice flat.

"Please, Christian, I think we're past formalities. Please call me Ivan. And, this," he said, pointing towards Dimitri, "is Dimitri. The somewhat unwitting pawn in our little production."

"We've met. Listen, I just wanted to stop by and make some things clear before Lissa and Rose arrive. If I get even a whiff of trouble, if Rose even looks like she's going to cry, I will throw all of your celebrity asses out of my restaurant. Are we clear?" he growled.

"Of course," Dimitri said.

"Tasha seems to think you're not the total douche we think you are. My aunt has never lied to me, as far as I am aware. She seems to think you care about Rose. I'm willing to give this a chance, on her word," he said, before pausing. "And I happen to like that fact that you popped Jesse in the mouth," he added, a small smirk on his lips.

"Thank you. I know you don't know me and have no reason to trust me, especially after what I did to Rose, but I want you to know I will never hurt her again. If she doesn't want to see or speak to me after tonight, I'll respect her wishes and leave."

Christian nodded, "Okay." He turned as he heard Lissa's voice. "Well, it looks like it's showtime," he said, turning to leave. Stopping, he turned back around. "Oh, and Dimitri? My friend Eddie knows all the great spots at sea to dump a body so no one would ever find it," he said, an evil grin on his face. "Remember that."

Dimitri slowly nodded, not entirely sure Christian was kidding. He downed the rest of his drink, as Ivan stood, indicating they should make their way over. Tasha had given them the signal that it was time to begin the groveling.

(RPOV)

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Ivan and Dimitri rise and walk toward them. She hadn't noticed Tasha waving the duo over. As they neared, Rose began to feel her temperature rising, as her hands suddenly felt quite moist. The pressure on her chest was increasing as they drew closer. Finally, reaching the table, both men stopped as Tasha stood to greet them. She kissed Ivan on the cheek before pulling Dimitri into an embrace. Dimitri kissed her cheek, returning the embrace. Rose tried not to watch, instead peering up from the corner of her eye.

"Oh, Rose, have you met Ivan Zeklos and Dimitri Belikov? Oh, my, of course. You met Ivan at the dinner," Tasha said.

Rose took a deep breath before raising her head to look toward the two men. She tried to keep her eyes focused on Ivan. "Yes, a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Zeklos."

"Oh, please, Rose, I think we know each other well enough for you to call me Ivan. As much as I've heard about you, I feel like we're already friends," he said, smirking.

Rose's eyes flew to Dimitri. So, he had told Ivan about her, she realized. As if reading her thoughts, Dimitri said, "Yes, I couldn't help but sing your praises to my friends, Rose." He was wearing a genuine smile.

Rose blushed, looking back to Ivan. "Well, Ivan, it's good to see you again," she reached out, offering her hand. Ivan lifted his hand to her lips, placing a light kiss on the top. "Your friend spoke highly of you, as well," Rose said. She couldn't bring herself to say his name. Rose noticed the flash of hurt in Dimitri's eyes, as he picked up on her omission. Internally, she shrugged. She figured if she were going to be stuck in his company, he'd have to deal with it. "What brings you back to New York, Ivan?"

"Working on a little project with my man, Dimitri here. It's all hush hush for now. Hopefully, it will be a successful venture. The negotiations might be a little rough, but we think the other party involved will eventually warm up to the proposal."

Rose nodded as if understanding what he was saying. Her eyes kept flitting between Ivan and Dimitri, her muscles seeming to have taken on a life of their own. Dimitri, however, appeared to never take his eyes off her.

"Well, would you mind if we joined you? We haven't seen Tasha in quite a while, and I'm sure you and Dimitri have a lot of catching up to do," Ivan said pointedly towards Rose.

Rose looked to Lissa, a silent plea on her face. Lissa seemed to avoid eye contact with her, instead looking around the restaurant. "I wonder where Christian went? I should probably go find him," she said as she stood rapidly, making her way towards the kitchen. As she passed by, Rose reached out, trying to grab her attention. Almost as if trying to avoid her, Lissa slipped just out of reach and continued to the kitchen.

Tasha spoke up as Lissa was walking away, "No, of course, we don't mind, do we, Rose?"

Sighing in resignation, Rose responded, "No, of course not." She put on her best fake smile, as the two men sat down. Dimitri, of course, chose to sit next to Rose, while Ivan sat next to Tasha. Rose suddenly noticed that Dimitri hadn't sat down next to Tasha. If they were together, she figured they would have sat together.

"So, Tasha," Rose asked, a hard look in her eyes. "How long have you and Dimitri been together?"

Tasha, nearly choking on her drink, flashed her eyes first at Rose and then Dimitri before breaking out in a laugh. "Oh, no. Dimitri and I aren't together. Well, at least not in a romantic sense. We co-star in a few films together and have known each other for many years." She smiled warmly at Dimitri. "No, we're just close friends." Turning to look pointedly at Rose, she continued, "Dimitri is an excellent friend. Sure, he can be stubborn and make rash, stupid decisions sometimes, but it's usually because he cares and doesn't want the people he cares about to get hurt."

Realization slowly dawned, as Rose put the pieces together. Tasha knew! Of course! If she and Dimitri were good friends, he probably would have confided in her. Her eyes found Lissa, peering out from the kitchen, Christian standing next to her.

Rose stood up abruptly, tossing her napkin on the table, nearly knocking over her glass of wine. "Seriously?" she shouted, not caring who heard. "Wow, you all must think I'm pretty stupid if you didn't think I'd figure out this was an ambush."

Tasha, using all her acting skills, feigned ignorance, her eyes fluttering, her mouth slightly open, as if aghast. "Rose, I don't know…"

"Stop! Just stop! Wow, you're almost as good an actor as he is," she said, jerking her thumb at Dimitri.

"Almost?" Tasha said in surprise. "Please, that hack learned everything he knows from me!"

"Oh, I don't know Tasha," Ivan jumped in. "I would say that Dimitri is probably a bit better than you, I mean come on, remember that one scene…"

"Shut it!" Rose yelled. Shaking her head, she moved around the table. "You all are nuts! Did you think this would work? That I could forgive and forget what happened? Just leave me alone. You can all go to hell," she spat out before turning and stalking towards the exit.

Lissa ran out the door behind her. "Rose, wait!" she called out.

Rose stopped, panting heavily. Whipping around, she threw all her pain and anger at her best friend. "How could you?" she cried.

"Rose, I'm so sorry. Please let me explain," she pleaded.

Holding up her hand, Rose replied, "No. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. You're my best friend, Liss. How could you help them?" She felt the tears starting to push their way out. Pushing the heels of her hands to her eyes, she tried to squelch them before they fell. She knew once that damn broke, she would fall apart.

"Rose, please let me explain. I thought, I mean I just figured if you two talked. I don't know; I just believed you could either get some closure or maybe mend fences."

"Lissa, that's not your call! You know how much he hurt me. Why in the hell would you think this was a good idea?"

"Because, Rose," she started, her voice sounding determined. "As much as you say you've moved on, we both know you haven't. You have feelings for him. Yes, anger is one of those, but so is caring. You miss him, Rose. And, he misses you. Tasha says he's been a wreck since the beach. All he wants is to talk and to try and explain."

"Explain what? How he used me? How we destroyed me with his words? How do I forgive him for that, Lissa?" she cried.

"You don't," Dimitri said. Rose had failed to notice his approach. "Rose, I'm sorry. This isn't what I had planned."

Anger radiated from her, as she turned toward him, "Oh really? What was your big plan? Did you think some pretty made up words were going to fix this? You said it yourself; you're an actor. How could I possibly believe anything you ever say?"

"I don't know. This is new to me. I've never hurt someone as I did you. And even if I did, I've never had to own up to it and try to repair the damage. Everything has come easy for so long - too easy."

"Yeah, well guess what? There's no quick fix for this," she said, waving her arms between them.

"I know that. All I can ask is that you give me a chance - a chance to explain. If, after I finish, you never want to see me or speak to me again, I'll leave," he said, pleadingly.

Rose stared at him, her eyes narrowed. She felt a part of her aching to acquiesce. The other part still raged over what he had done. In a flash, Rose recalled something her father had told her once. It was after one of her eruptions over her mother. Abe had conveyed to her that, as much as Janine had hurt them both, if she had come back and asked for forgiveness, he would have granted it with no question. He said it hadn't been because he could forget what she had done, but that if Abe didn't forgive her, how could he ever expect to ask forgiveness from others.

Rose deeply inhaled before she spoke. "Lissa, please go back inside and apologize to Christian and the others for my outburst."

Lissa nodded mutely, turning to walk back into the restaurant. "Oh, and Lissa, I forgive you. Don't ever pull this shit again," Rose yelled. Lissa looked back, a small smile on her lips as she nodded before walking back in.

Rose then turned her attention to Dimitri. He stood there, having moved somewhat closer, his hands shoved in his pockets. Rose almost laughed as she took in his posture and attitude. He looked like a little boy being reprimanded for some youthful indiscretion.

"As for you," she said, pointing at him. "I will agree to hear you out, but I make no promises. If I even get a whiff of some actor bullshit, I walk."

Dimitri's head shot up, a stunned expression on his face. A small smile began to form before he pushed it down. "Thank you, Roza."

"Rule number one - do not call me that," she spat. "No terms of endearment allowed."

He nodded, "Okay. I understand." Pausing, he asked, "Any other rules I should know before we start?"

Rose tapped her chin, before replying, "Yes. Since I haven't eaten, you have to feed me. And, it's ladies choice."

Dimitri chuckled, "Of course. Anywhere, in particular, you'd like to go?"

"There is," Rose said, before turning to hail a taxi.

Climbing in, she gave the driver the address. About thirty minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the brick building in Brooklyn. Getting out, Dimitri paid the driver. Rose walked inside, as Dimitri followed.

"Rosemarie!" Roberto, the co-owner, called out, before enveloping her in a hug.

"Hey, Roberto. How's business?"

"Can't complain. You want the usual?" he asked, not even glancing at Dimitri.

"That would be great," Rose replied, before turning to Dimitri. "I'm ordering a Keste Pizza. It's got tomato sauce, imported buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, arugula, pecorino gran cru, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. That work for you?" she said, more as a statement than a question.

"That sounds great, Rose."

Finally glancing up at Dimitri, Roberto's eyes widened. "Hey, aren't you that guy? You know, the one in that film?" he said, in his thick New York accent.

Dimitri chuckled, "Yeah, I'm that guy, from that film."

"Wow! We got ourselves a real, freakin' live movie start here," he said, calling back to his staff. "Hey, Vinny, go set up our table in the back room. We don't want our special guests here to be disturbed while they feast."

He led Rose and Dimitri to the back. A table was being set up in a small, private room off the main dining room. Roberto pulled out Rose's chair, while Dimitri took the seat next to her.

"So, Rosemarie, you didn't tell me you knew…" he said, turning to Dimitri, "I'm terrible with names. What's your name again?"

Rose stifled a giggle, as Dimitri smiled, replying, "Dimitri Belikov."

"Right, right. I knew that," he responded. "So, Mr. Belikov, how do you know our Rosemarie?"

He looked at Rose, his eyes shining. "We met a couple of months ago in California. We were both on vacation. She's the best person I know." Rose's eyes widened, a slight blush tinged her cheeks.

"Yes, she is one of a kind. She's been one of my best customers since she moved to New York. Sweetest girl I ever met," he said, smiling warmly at Rose.

"Yes, yes she is," Dimitri said quietly.

"Well, let me get your order in. Yous guys want anything to drink? I've got a lovely red that's got your name on it, Rose."

"That sounds great, Roberto," Rose replied.

After he left, Rose and Dimitri sat in silence. Rose fiddled with the napkin she had placed in her lap. Dimitri was looking around the room, taking in the décor. A few minutes later, Roberto brought back the wine. As he started to leave, after pouring some into each glass, Rose and Dimitri cried out, in unison, "Leave the bottle!"

Looking at each other, they burst out laughing. Both felt the tension loosen somewhat, as each took long sips of their wine.

"Wow, this is good," Dimitri said.

"Yes, it is," she replied. Waiting for a beat, she continued, "So, you wanted to talk and to explain?"

Dimitri sighed, setting his glass back on the table. "I did, I mean, I do," he amended, quickly. "Rose, I want, no I need you to know that everything I said, before Ivan's call - I meant every word. I never lied to you, up until then. I am so ashamed of how I handled everything. I acted rashly, out of fear and anger. Not towards you, but toward whoever took those pictures."

"Jesse," Rose whispered, looking down at the table, interrupting him.

Looking at her confused, Dimitri replied, "What?"

"It was Jesse. He took the pictures. He tried to blackmail me into keeping my name out of the press. He wanted fifty grand, but I couldn't pay it. After I moved here, I never heard from him. I still don't know why he stopped."

Rose looked up. Dimitri's eyes were hard and cold, reminding her of that day he had broken her heart. His fisted hands rested on the table. "That son of a bitch," he growled.

"Yes, well, after the first few weeks I kept waiting for him to call me and demand the money. When I didn't hear from, I just put it behind me. Like the old saying says, 'Let sleeping dogs lie.'"

Dimitri snorted in derision, "'Dog' isn't the word I'd use to describe that bastard." His expression softened as he looked back at Rose. "Rose, I have a confession to make. If we're starting over, which I hope we can, I need to tell you something."

Rose felt her breath catch, fearful of what he might say. She nodded, signaling him to continue.

"Jesse contacted Ivan right after I got back from the beach. We didn't know it was him. We only knew someone was demanding $50,000 to keep your name out of the papers. I tried to find out who it was, but could never get close enough," he explained. "Rose, the reason you probably haven't heard from Jesse is because I paid the money."

Rose's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening. She was at a loss. She had no idea what to think or say. After all that happened, she had never imagined Dimitri helping her, let alone paying that much money to her blackmailer. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Wait! Did you do that for me or your career?"

Hurt crossed his features as he reached a hand across to lay gently over hers. "I did it for you. I could care less what people think of me or what the studio thinks. It took what happened between us and what I did to you, to make me realize that. I've been so caught up in holding onto my life that I never realized that the life I had wasn't worth keeping if I didn't have you in it."

Rose felt her eyes moisten, tears threatening to spill. She gently squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Dimitri," she said softly.

"Rose, I know I don't deserve it, but I'd like for us to start over. Above everything else, what I miss most is our friendship. You're the one person in this world that I can talk to and who gets me. My feelings go deeper than friendship, but if that's all you're able to give, then I'll gladly accept that."

Rose stared into Dimitri's eyes, looking for any sign of treachery or pretense. Finding none, she nodded her head. "I think I can agree to those terms. On one, no, two conditions," she stated.

"Name them," he replied.

"First, no more lies or deceit. I want to get to know the real you," Rose said, emphatically.

"And second?" he asked.

"You take me out for hot chocolate and chocolate doughnuts tomorrow morning," she grinned.

"Deal!" he exclaimed.