Rose

I got back to my house and slammed the door shut behind me. My mind was racing, my chest was aching, my lungs painful. I tried to take in a breath, I tried to think, to push it all away, but I couldn't. It was like everything, every emotion I ever felt, all the times I was taken somewhere else that I was able to lock away came flooding back. I made my way to my bed and lay down on the sheets. My head was pounding, my vision clouding, anger shooting through me. My hand shaking, my neck sweating. My phone rang. I answered it, trying to force myself to push everything down.

"Rose? Are you okay? Aly said something was wrong?"

"I can't breathe Sally!" I cried. "I can't breathe!" Tears fell freely, fast like a waterfall, endless like the ocean.

"Okay, Rose. I need you to keep talking to me okay? I'm on my way." I tried to take in a breath and failed again. My eyes hurt from the pounding headache.

"I can't see!" My vision was darkening, my head buzzing. Noise and voices came flooding through, as if there was a dam and someone broke it down and all the water came rushing down fast and hard. I curled up on the bed, my arms over my head.

"Facest bastard!" I yelled as I threw the book at the teacher after she was pestering the blonde girl.

My eyes watered, causing wet spots to form on the sheets.

"When I'm older, I'm going to make you go on fire like your hair!" There was a boy in the yard picking on Mason. I walked up, tapped the boy on the shoulder and pushed him.

"Leave him alone!"

I tried to move, I couldn't. It was like my body refused to function the way I asked it to.

"Leave! I don't want you to ever come back!" I yelled at my mom as she walked away from me, leaving me for the very last time. She never did come back to see me. Not until Spokane.

The car flipped and flipped, I could hear Lissa's scream as Andre pushed an arm against mine and Lissa's chest to try and keep us upright. I was dead, then I was alive.

He lay there, I stood over him after I killed the two Strigoi. I lay my head on his chest, talking softly to him until there are more people in the room.

"Stay away from him!" I slowly stood on shaking knees, holding the blunt sword, swiping it at anyone that tried to get close. I cried for him, I cried for the loss of my best friend.

"Rose?" I heard a familiar voice coming into my room. "Rose!" I was harder, still unable to breath. Sally climbed onto the bed, stoked my hair and rubbed my back.

"You're okay."

I've done it. I graduated, top of my class, the last Dragomir official guardian. I'm guarding my best friend.

"You're running ten laps." I pouted and looked up at Dimitri.

"Please?!" I cried, stretching my legs. "I'm tired."

"No, run."

I took a deep breath, I'm able to get some air into my lungs.

"I turned down Tasha's offer." Dimitri stood before me, he kissed me.

My tears began to come more slowly, my eyes started to drop.

"I love you Roza, forever and always."

My eyes closed and I fell asleep – or I thought I did.

My feet were bare on the lush green grass, a lake in the distance. I turned around confused. This was too vivid to be a dream. I walked around, mesmerized by the beautiful scenery. That was until there was a man standing in front of me.

"Wow, you haven't change much!" He said. I turned to see if there was someone else, but no – I was the only one there. "I've been trying to reach you for four years!"

"Hi." I reply.

"Wow, Rose. Your aura is amazing! There's some pinks, blues, reds, oranges and white!" He looked at me, walking closer – I took a step back. "Rose?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure who you are."

"Oh, stop being silly!" He said and moved closer as I took another step back.

"Rose?" His eyes widened. "Your aura is changing!" I stood there, looking at him. My head started to hurt. I clenched it in my hands and squeezed my eyes shut. I tried to breathe through the pain, taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. I don't know how long I was doing it for, but suddenly the pain stopped. I looked up.

"Adrian?" I woke up.

I sat up in my bed, my chest moving fast as I tried to take in breaths, easier that I was. I was changed into pajamas; my curtains were closed and my bed was messy. I threw the covers off, walked out of my room and heard voices in the kitchen. I slowly made my way down the stairs.

"Mommy!" Aly bounced off her chair and ran towards me wrapping herself around my legs.

"Are you feeling better?" Sally asked as Tom pushed a plate towards me. Tony looked towards me, worry in his eyes.

"I-I remember everything." Tom stopped what he was doing, Tony froze, fork in the air. "He is Aly's father." Sally nodded and handed me an envelope.

"They test results came back – he is."

"I have to go to them." Sally nodded.

"Go on, we'll keep an eye on Aly." I thanked them, kissed my daughter on the head and ran to get changed. I threw on random clothes from the floor and ran down the stairs.

"Mommy, where are you going?"

"I'm going to get your daddy, baby." And I ran. I ran all the way towards the hotel. I was glad I continued to train, to run, to stay fit. I was glad I still had my speed. I ripped the door open.

"Maggie?!" I called as I ran towards the counter. Maggie walked out, looking confused. "That group of people that came in – what rooms are they in?"

"Rose? Are you okay?" I nod my head in response.

"They're my family."

"Sweetheart, they left this morning." I stood there staring at Maggie and shook my head.

"No, they wouldn't." She handed me an envelope.

"They asked me to give you this." I took the letter from her and looked at it. It was Dimitri's handwriting. I thanked her and left, leaning against the wall as I took the paper out and started to read.

Dear Roza,

I know we caused you pain when we showed up. We never meant to scare you. We've made the decision to leave. We want you and Aly to have a great life, one you might not have with us. This is the hardest think I ever had to do.

I will love you forever and always.

Your Dimitri.

I took in a shaky breath, tears threatening to fall as I folded the paper and put it back in my envelope. I slowly walked back to my house. Sally and Tom were still there with Tony, Aly was still in her pjs.

"Well?" Sally asked, smiling brightly, until she saw my tear streaked face.

"They left." I handed over the letter and sat on one of the island stools. Aly walked over, outstretched her arms for me to pick her up and put her on my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck. Sally handed the letter over to Tom.

"What are you going to do?" Sally asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Aly still has school for a week before the summer holiday." I replied, stroking my daughter's hair as she curled into my neck. I felt the light touch of her eyelashes as they brushed against my skin each time she blinked.

"What are you going to so after that?"

"I'm going to get my man back."