Hello my darlings! I hope 2017 has been good to you all thus far, and I'm sorry I know it's been forever. Writer's block is a bitch and so was my computer, but let's not dwell on that. Thanks for all of your amazing reviews last chapter, you people are the best readers a girl can ever ask for and I am so grateful for each and every one of you. My passion for writing aside, I do this for you guys so thank you.

Now this chapter is dedicated to let love win, a very special very amazing lady who is really close to my heart and is my own personal badass feisty as hell girl. Hope this makes you feel at least a little better Hun I love you!

I obviously do not own the Vampire Academy, and this isn't edited.

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

Chapter 53.

I don't know where the time went, but it was like I'd blinked and suddenly I was graduating high school, and well on my way to turning 18. Graduation was a couple days away now, and as could be imagined, there was an unmistakable air of excitement and anticipation at my house that, no matter what, could not be defused. Not when Lissa was the ring leader, always eager to discuss dresses and shoes and hair styles.

As for me, I didn't mind her excitement so much. She was hell bent on testing out new hair styles on me, but I liked being pampered and she knew that and knew well how to use it to her advantage. So, I let her. Because honestly, arguing with Lissa was pointless. It was Lissa's way or no way, much easier to just agree.

Another thing that was making me really excited was prom, particularly because I knew who my date was going to be. Now that my parents knew about Dimitri and me, it was a lot easier to be together. And, now that we didn't have to worry about getting caught, Dimitri had relaxed and was more giving when it came to his kisses. No longer were they fleeting and no longer was he hesitant.

That wasn't necessarily a good thing, because now he made me burn. With every kiss, every touch, I found myself falling just a little harder, just a little deeper. And every touch started a slow simmer in my blood that was quickly becoming a raging inferno. It was like he was gasoline, and I, an open flame.

The problem with that was plain and simple. Dimitri was a master of restraint. So though I found myself on my back beneath him more often than not, he refused to go all the way. Something that, of course, drove me insane. Why did he have to be such a dam tease? But the thing was I knew he wasn't entirely unaffected either. He was going to make me wait though, until I was 18 and if I knew one thing about Dimitri it was that he wasn't going to change his mind. He may not be as impulsive as I was, but he was every bit as stubborn.

"I love you," He said, and yep, my heart flipped. No matter how many times he said that to me, each time was like the first time. Each time sent a thrill of warm contentment shooting through me. I smiled and stared up into those depthless chocolate eyes.

"I love you, too." I said. Dimitri's smile was radiant. It was one of those full smiles he reserved for only me, one of those smiles that transformed his face and no longer was he just handsome. No now he was beautiful, and somehow, he was mine. Threading my fingers in his hair, I pulled him down bringing his lips to mine and kissing him with all the passion he stoked in me.

Dimitri kissed back, our lips melding so perfectly together, and as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer, it became clear as day. This was where I was meant to be. There was never going to be another for me. If it wasn't Dimitri then I would forever be single.

"Oh, baby girl," Mom said. "You look so beautiful." She stepped back, removing the towel she'd used to cover the mirror. I was almost afraid to look, but the look on her face, that look of pride and the love I saw shining in her eyes had me turning my head.

After being pampered literally the whole day by Lissa and Viktoria, I felt like a princess, but now-now I truly looked the part. Most of my hair was curled to perfection, falling down my back and shoulders, but some was braided, twined with sparkling golden beads. The pins that held them in place were unlike anything I'd ever seen before, but it certainly gave the illusion that I was wearing a real head piece even though it was just my hair that formed the crown.

I wore minimal make up, just enough to make my dark eyes pop as well as enhance my natural features. But it was the dress, that beautiful golden lace gown that stood out. It clung to my upper body, accentuating the swells of my breasts and flat stomach before flaring slightly at the waist. And the entire thing was decorated with beautiful jewels that looked like they cost a fortune, making it every bit as glittery as I'd wanted it to be.

"Wow," I breathed. Before tonight, I hadn't even seen the dress I was going to wear to prom. Liss and I had looked through countless fashion magazines looking for the right dress, but neither one of us had been able to settle on any particular dress. They were all so beautiful. So, my parents decided that they would choose for us, because apparently they'd had enough of our squealing and complaints. Neither of us had quite known how to react to that, but now as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't help but think we'd made the right choice.

Mom tossed me a pair of stunning golden heels that, if not for the fact that it was prom night, I would so not be caught dead in. But with this dress, they were an absolute must have if only for the simple fact that it completed my look. Grinning, I slipped them on then stood, walking over to my mother and kissing her cheek. "Thank you," I said. She shook her head and slipped the golden chain with her nazar around my neck before wrapping her arms around me. I was about to argue, to say that I didn't need her necklace, especially because I knew she never took it off, but again the look in her eyes stopped me.

Dad called to let us know Dimitri had arrived and the spell was broken. Butterflies came alive in my stomach, the beautiful kind. I couldn't wait to see him, to see the look on his face when he saw me. As if she could read my mind, mom smiled at me, handed me my purse and opened the door.

I took one step out of my room, and my heart stopped. My eyes went wide and I couldn't take a single step. Hell, I wasn't even sure I could take a single breath. Lissa was standing at the top of the stairs in a shimmering jade gown that complemented her eyes perfectly and looked as though real jade stones had been sewn into the fabric. Like mine, the dress fit perfectly, clinging to her upper body and flaring at the waist, the skirts moving around her with every step she took.

As though she sensed my eyes on her she turned and I had to catch my breath. She was beautiful, truly beautiful. Her hair was twisted into some fancy up do, drawing attention to her slender neck and pail skin, but a few strands of that platinum blond hair was curled and left down to frame her face. She wore minimal make up as well, but the eye makeup seemed to make the already beautiful jade of her eyes sparkle. She smiled at me and I smiled back as I walked over and took her hand.

"If you weren't dating my brother," I said to her. "I would so drag you to prom." Lissa laughed and rolled her eyes.

"You would first have to play for that team silly," She said. I giggled because yeah, she was so right. She kissed my cheek. "You're beautiful."

"And you're stunning," I drawled making her giggle yet again. Together, hands still linked, we descended the stairs, radiant smiles on our faces.

In the living room, my parents sat with the entire Belikov clan, but our eyes weren't drawn to them. Oh no, they were drawn to the guys dressed in tuxes. Their eyes went wide as they took us in, doing slow crawls up and down our bodies. Lissa and I looked at each other once before letting go and going to our respective men. Dimitri wrapped me up in his arms immediately and kissed my head.

"Roza," He said and those butterflies from earlier flared up again. "You are beautiful, so beautiful it hurts me." He stared into my eyes and as I held his gaze, the rest of the world existed no more. It was just him and I and that now familiar crackle of electricity where our bodies touched. Dimitri lowered his head and pressed a tender kiss to my lips, one I would've been happy to prolong but our awing audience broke the spell and whisked us off for pictures.

We left soon after and I decided as we were let into the transformed auditorium, that nothing, not even the fact that every pair of female eye turned in our direction, was going to ruin this night. How could it? I felt like I'd stepped into a fairytale just for the night, and, I already had the most perfect guy at my side and we were surrounded by our closest friends. So, no, I didn't care who stared. He was mine, something he was glad to show off as he kept an arm wrapped around my waist, or maybe that was just to ward off the other guys, not that I cared.

"Dance with me," Dimitri said sometime later. I started to say no, not really one for dancing, but the look in those eyes made the word die in my throat. I nodded and he took the crystal wineglass out of my hand. I had no idea what he'd done with it, because suddenly I was wrapped up in his arms and he was leading me out under the twinkling lights of the dance floor.

Wrapped in his arms, I didn't care that my dancing skills were pretty much none-existent. He guided me with an expert ease that left me feeling graceful and sexy, beautiful and free. I laid my head on his chest as we moved and closed my eyes, the rest of the world fading into nothingness.

I was lost in all things Dimitri. From his familiar smell which wrapped around me to the steady thud of his heart beat beneath my ear, to the strength and warmth of his body pressed so close against mine. And my body responded, melting against him like 2 halves of the same whole.

When the song ended and he led me off the dance floor, I couldn't help but keep my arms wrapped tightly around him. I kept my eyes closed too, trusting him completely to not let me fall. The blood in my veins had turned molten, my stomach tightening as a rush of liquid heat flooded my core.

Dimitri sat me in his lap and I almost wanted to scream with frustration, certain that he didn't feel it or if he did, he wasn't going to do anything about it, but when I opened my eyes and looked up into his, I gasped. Dimitri's eyes were darker than I had ever seen them, the chocolate brown almost completely swallowed by black now. He pulled me closer and keeping my eyes locked on his I threaded my hands in his hair and kissed him hard.

He kissed back just as passionately and pulled me closer. I closed my eyes again, the crowd didn't exist. Nothing and no one existed except for him and me and our lips. He thrusted his tongue into my mouth and I groaned and gripped his hair harder as they tangled in a deadly battle for dominance. A battle which I lost, but I didn't care. I was beyond the point of no return now, my body having gone pliant and liquid in his arms.

We broke the kiss, I wasn't sure which one of us did probably me seeing as how I could hardly breathe, and Dimitri seemed fine as he pressed his lips to my neck. I gasped and pressed myself closer as I opened my eyes and looked at him. I groaned his name, but he stopped kissing my neck and I growled.

"Don't stop," I gasped, but he shook his head and got to his feet with me still in his arms. When his gaze locked with mine, there was no question of whether or not he felt like I did. It was clear as day in those dark orbs and so was the question of if this was what I wanted. I nodded, still breathless and unable to form a single sentence. But I didn't need to, because Dimitri got it and he led me outside, his eyes saying in no uncertain terms that there was no going back now.

Yes I really did just end it like that XD! And I know it's pointless to ask, but do you guys want a lemon next chapter? You know how to reach me, but just in case you live under a rock, review and tell me! Also let me know if this chapter was up to your liking! And I don't need to tell you that I'm wrapping this story up soon, do I?

Review lovelies and I shall post again soon, I promise! Again I'm so sorry for my disappearing act, you guys! Thanks for always sticking with me! I love you all.

XXX

Roza