When we get home that night, Cam went of to his room and left me standing in the living room alone. He'd been doing that lately and he'd brushed it off by saying that he was tired after working all day and most of the night. I took it for what it was but I didn't like the little voice that kept nagging me in my head. I didn't want it to be right and realize that something was up.

I went to my bedroom and hopped into the shower. I washed my hair and scrubbed the make-up off my face. I changed into an old Elvis t-shirt that I had from my high school days and a pair of cotton shorts and fell asleep. I had no dreams that night and for that I was pleased.

When I woke up the next morning, everything in the apartment was silent. I checked the alarm clock on my nightstand it saw that it read 6:23. Cam didn't have to go to the club until nine, but normally he was up and working on his music.

I crept out of my room and into the living room. No one was there or in the kitchen that I could see. I peeked into Cam's room and found it empty. I went back to the kitchen for the landline phone to call him only to stop halfway by the coffee table. The answering machine was flashing, telling me that I had a new message. I pressed the replay button and listened to the monotone voice talk to me.

You have 1 unheard message. Message received at 3:17 AM.

3:17? What was this person doing calling at 3:17 in the morning? I got my answer when a high-pitched, feminine voice spoke.

Cammie! It's me, Natalie! I can't wait till you get here! I'm waiting for you! I know that I called you and talked to you at the club, but I just had to hear your voice again! Oh! There you are pulling up! Love you, bye!

End message.

I stared at the machine for what felt like an eternity. Natalie Dashkov. Victor Dashkov's pretty little daughter. Cam was cheating on me with her. I couldn't believe it, but the voice on the other line was hers, there was no mistake in that. The voice in the back of my head laughed at me and muttered an 'I told you so'.

Around me, I felt my world falling apart. The walls that I had built up around me crumbled into dust on the ground. The man that I loved and trusted when Dimitri broke me was cheating on me with a Moroi! She was part of the world that I had purposely left behind.

I started to move without really seeing what I was doing. I went to my room and changed into the jeans that I wore last night, a grey t-shirt that had a dream catcher on it, and my converse. I didn't worry about brushing my hair and left it in the curly mess that it always was. I packed my room up and anything else in the apartment that was mine that was truly important to me. Anything that was Cam's or reminded me of him stayed untouched. I grabbed my stuffed bags and threw them into the first taxi that stopped in front of me.

When I got to the club, I went straight to the bar. I grabbed a full bottle of tequila and took a huge swig before dumping my bags at a random table in the center of the room. I fell into a chair and stared at the glass bottle in my hands. I had never been one to drink a whole lot, but I was willing to make the exception today. Usually it was Adrian that drained an alcohol bottle before nine in the morning.

As I took another gulp of the Spanish alcohol, reality hit me square in the face. I couldn't work here anymore with Cam still here. I'd have to tell Tess that I quit because I can't be near Cam. I took another sip as I realized that talking to Tess face to face scared the living hell out of me.

I reached into my pocket to get my cell out to call Tess when a piece of paper hit the floor with a soft plink. I looked down to see Dimitri's guardian card staring back up at me. I gingerly picked it up and held it in my palm as if it was made of sand that the moment my hand tensed, the card would dissolve and be lost forever. That damned voice in my head kept saying that it was a sign. A sign that I couldn't let slip through my fingers.

I got up from my seat and went to the bar. I grabbed Mickey's ticket pad and pen and scribbled a note to Tess. If she ever saw me after this, she was so going to kick my ass.

Tess,

Some issues between me and Cam have come up and it is just impossible for me to work here at the club. I loved working for you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything that you have done for me. Please forgive me for leaving like this but it was the only way.

Love,

Rose

P.S.- Give Georgia the spot light. She deserves it the most and she's an amazing performer.

I slipped the note under the open tequila bottle on the bar and left with my bags. I didn't even clean off my make-up station back stage. I knew that Georgia and Cocoa would take care of my stuff.

I left the club and arrived at the airport just at eight. As I sat at the terminal to go back to Pennsylvania, I knew that the bar boys and band would be at the club in an hour. Tess, Sean, and maybe Cam would be finding out that I left in sixty minutes and by then I'll be long gone.

I boarded my flight and flew to Kansas City before taking a small plane into Pittsburgh. When I got off there, I hailed a taxi that took me to the gates of Court. I paid the guy and stood in front of my old home for the first time in two years. I must have looked odd standing there with my duffel bag on my left side and an old, beat up suitcase on my left because a guardian came up to me to check on me.

"Miss? Are you okay?"

I looked over to see the guy standing in front of me and smiled when I saw that it was Eddie. "I am now that I'm seeing your lovely face, Castile."

Eddie recognized me and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. He was smiling from ear to ear when he released me. "What are you doing here? I thought that you had something back in LA."

"I did. Things came up this morning so I had to come back," I explained. I must have looked convincing because Eddie smiled.

"Are you here for good?"

"Yep. I'm back in the guardian business." I looked at him then with a serious look on my face. "I'm hurting, Ed. I need to see Lissa and talk it out. Do you know where I can find her?"

Eddie knew better than to ask questions about what I needed or about what happened. "Yeah. Last time that I saw her was back at the condos. She might still be there."

I nodded and smiled. "Thanks." I thought for a moment before asking my next question. "Do…Do you think that I can get a job here? As a guardian? If I can't that's cool, but it would be nice to be back in the ranks again." I looked down at my duffel bag at my feet. I felt shy about asking this question and I prayed that Eddie wouldn't laugh.

"Sure thing. We're low on guardians lately and I don't see why Hans wouldn't welcome you back with open arms. You are one of the best guys we have."

I smiled at him and hugged him again. "Thanks." I let him go and grabbed my bags. "I better go find Liss. I'll see you around." With that, I walked back onto Court grounds and back into my old life.