Hello my darlings! Sorry this took so long, but I've kind of been unmotivated where this story is concerned! Also, I've been trying to wrap up Summer Romance. That goal has been met, so if you haven't read it I suggest you do so...

Ok, I don't own VA, but you know that already don't you?

I didn't know what love was until I met you.

Chapter 36.

DPOV.

It was Friday night and I was lying in bed reading a book. My best friend Ivan Zeklos had been trying to convince me to come to some party with him, but he'd finally given up. Maybe there was something wrong with me; I mean which college student refused party invites?

"You sure you wouldn't come, D?" Ivan asked once more coming out of the bathroom. I shook my head.

"Nah, I'm good." He gave me a curious look.

"Look Dimka, if this is about R-"I held up a hand to silence him.

"It's not. I'm just not in a party mood. You know I'm antisocial, Ivan." He rolled his eyes and muttered something indiscernible.

"Whatever," He said. "See you later, then." I nodded and he left.

Silence fell again and I went back to reading my book. I should've known though that it wouldn't last. A knock sounded at my door a few minutes later. Who the hell could that possibly be? Didn't Ivan just leave a couple minutes ago?

I thought about ignoring it, but decided against it at the last second. When I opened the door, I concluded that ignoring it would've been a better idea. Her smile was big and bright, her eyes seeming to glitter like falling snowflakes.

"Dimka," She said happily. "I thought you might be here. Are you busy or can I come in?" Everything in me screamed to tell her off, but seeing her so happy, I couldn't do it.

"Sure Tasha, come on in." I moved aside and opened the door fully so she could enter.

As she did, I noticed for the first time what she was wearing. A tiny dress the color of her eyes and spiky matching heels. Admittedly, she did look good, but I imagined that dress on another body, one with curves in all the right places.

"What are you doing in here and so alone?" Tasha asked, sitting down in the chair near my desk.

"Oh, just relaxing," I said to her. "It has been one hell of a week." Tasha nodded and just like that we were able to get a conversation going. We ordered some pizza and put in a movie. All in all, the evening was going well. Or it was, until Tasha made the mistake of snuggling up against me.

I glanced away from the screen only to find her already looking at me. Those icy blues were as dark as a wintery evening. Her tongue slipped out, moistening her lips. I should've known what was coming next, but as Ivan often said, I was way too trusting.

I didn't see the collision until it was dead on. Her lips pressed against mine, slow and testing. Her eyes drifted close, but I froze up. I couldn't kiss her back. Not when my body yearned for another. In one swift motion, I backed up. Tasha's eyes flew opened, dusky with desire.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I snapped furiously. Her eyes grew wide, in fear or confusion I didn't know, and quite frankly, I really didn't care.

"Dimka I-I'm sorry. It's just that we were having such a good time, I just thought-"

"No Tasha," I all but growl. "You didn't think. If you had, you would've remembered that I told you I didn't want to be anything but your friend. I told you how I feel about Roza, and yet you continue to throw yourself at me. What friend does that?"

"I'm sorry. I thought you were over her. I mean, I don't hear you talking about her or anything," She said.

"I'm not over her and you know I like to keep my private life private! I thought you could respect my wishes but clearly you cannot."

"What are you saying?" She asked. I took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down.

"I'm saying Tasha, that I can't be friends with someone who cannot understand that I don't like her like that. I think you should leave."

"But Dimka,"

"Now, Tasha! Get out or I'll call security." Her eyes went wide before she flew off the couch and made a bee line for the door.

Fuck, what the hell was I going to do now? As I gathered up the empty pizza box and soda cans, I remembered the last time I'd seen Roza. It had been at her birthday party. She'd looked so stunning and enraptured when I'd told her how I felt about her. Then when I'd told her that we couldn't be together until she was older, she'd looked disappointed, but it had not taken long for understanding and reason to take over.

I hadn't seen her since then, and not for lack of opportunities. I hadn't seen her, because I didn't trust myself to be around her. No matter my feelings, Roza was still young. I wouldn't take that away from her. My Roza was nothing if not resourceful and she wasn't known to sit around waiting for anything. She'd written me a letter and sent it with Vika.

Maybe I'd taken the cowardly way out, but my intentions were good. I didn't respond to her letter. Instead, I'd sent a short message with my sister. A message which I hated myself for every single day, and one which had earned me the very angry wrath of Viktoria.

"Your love has faded?" Viktoria had spat. "Dimitri, I see the way you look at her; I see the way she looks at you. How the fuck can you tell me that love faded?" I'd done my best to get my sister to understand. It had taken a lot of convincing, but in the end Viktoria had understood.

"I get why you're doing what you're doing," Viktoria had said to me. "But I refuse to be a part of this. If you want to drop that crap about love fades on Roza, you are going to have to do it yourself. Roza is my friend Dimka; I can't willingly break her heart when I know you're feeding her lies."

I couldn't felt her for that. Vika was young but she was very smart. Once she set her mind on something, there was no changing it. So, I'd accepted her conditions. She was right, too. I couldn't break her heart, not when I was feeding her lies.

So, I never replied to her letter. I told myself that I wasn't really breaking her heart. With time, she would forget about me and move on, even if she did haunt my dreams.

Running my fingers through my hair, I sighed. Maybe I was going to regret this tomorrow, but tonight I was going to throw caution to the wind. I showered quickly and changed into faded jeans and a regular shirt. Then, I texted Ivan. I needed to forget about Roza in the same way that she would forget about me. What better way was there to do that than to go to that party and get totally wasted? Thankfully, that was exactly what I planned to do.

So, now we know how Dimitri feels, what he has been up to and what happened on Rose's birthday, but what do you guys think is going to happen now? Is this really the end for RXD or will they somehow make their way back to each other?

Word of advice, before you guys start cussing at me and throwing things or flaming, take a good long look at the summary! Let me know how you guys felt about this chapter, k?

Review lovelies, and I won't doom them to hell… ;) Well, even now I make no promises; you know how teenagers can be! *cackles evilly...*

XXX

Roza