RPOV

"Adrian, are you sure? This seems a little fast.", I was being led into a fancy restaurant where Adrian had informed me that we would be meeting 'the only part of my family worth knowing'. He hadn't told me this before we went out, but here we were now. I had been trying to find any excuse to keep me out of the apartment this last week and had somehow figured that hanging out with Adrian would be at least a little better than awkwardly avoiding any and all conversation with Dimitri. So, I found myself texting Adrian, asking if he was doing anything and we'd managed to go on a few dates this past week. I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. He made me feel…comfortable. He was fun to be around. I had even told him about the disastrous roommate situation I found myself in. He was sympathetic, but also a bit jealous.

"You could always come and stay with me, little vixen. Share my bed instead."

"A chivalrous offer, but I'm going to tough it out. I'll talk to him…eventually. I'll have to once his family turns up." He nodded, accepting my stance. He seemed to know that a bit more than my body was invested in my roommate, but he didn't push it.

"Of course. The offer stands though. And even if you aren't much into sharing anymore. I might even tough it out on the couch for you." I laughed at this. Picturing this very kempt man passed out on a sofa would be a sight and he could tell that I was trying. "Believe it or not, little vixen, I found myself on many a couches in my day. Passed out from, God knows what." He went away for a second, imagining those nights he couldn't remember.

He had confided in me that he had a serious alcohol and various drug habit not too long ago. He had gotten into a pretty bad accident, wrapping his car around a light pole. "No one else was hurt. Just me. And I thank the heavens for that every day. It could've been so much worse."

We had shared these little parts of ourselves, finding a comfort and affection that seemed to happen so instantaneously. It was different from Dimitri though. With Adrian it was like a stimulant. He came to me and I felt recharged and exactly like Rose Hathaway. With Dimitri it was like I could relax. I wasn't putting on a show or trying to convince him of anything. Well, I wasn't anymore.

"My family will be here tomorrow." He had said it as I was getting my shoes on to leave for work the other day.

"Oh?"

"I'm still not sure how I want to handle this, but I would like for them to meet you…" He trailed off. It seemed like he had been working himself up for this confession.

"I-um, okay." I finished lamely. What was I supposed to say? I want to meet your family too, but I don't want to just have it be them meeting your fake fiancé anymore. I want to meet them as me.

"Will you come to dinner with us on Thursday?"

I grimaced not sure a family dinner was the way to go. It felt too formal, too important. I wanted to be that important to him. For this to mean something to him, but I also didn't want to get my hopes up about it. "I can't on Thursday. I made dinner plans."

"Oh?" It was his turn to sound bemused.

"Yeah, just with Lissa and Christian" I lied, getting ready to text Adrian to make plans for us.

He nodded. "Okay, well, maybe you can join us for another outing. They'll be here for a while longer."

I stumbled on the sidewalk, shaking this past week from my head. I was with Adrian right now, I had to think about him.

"Not too soon at all.", he turned too me, taking my other hand in his, "Rose, this might be a bit forward, but I like you a lot. I want you to be a more permanent part of my life. I would very much like it romantically, but I'm willing to take what I can get with you."

I think I might have been a bit slack jawed at his openness for his feeling about me. It was so different from what I had just had with Dimitri. Then again, I had been going out with Adrian for almost two weeks, and not just the one week of almost straight fucking with Dimitri before his ex-fiancée showed up to cast so many doubts in my mind. Maybe this was how normal people acted when they liked someone. Or maybe Adrian's life threatening situation had made him more appreciative and less willing to not say exactly what people meant to him.

"You don't have to say anything about this now, I just wanted you to know."

With that, he took my hand and we went into the restaurant. We were led over to a table with five women sitting. "Olena!", he cried and one of the other women stood up to embrace Adrian.

"How wonderful you could join us!" it was like ice sliding down back as I heard her accent. Russian. Oh fuck.

"Olena, I want you to meet someone very special to me. This is-h"

"Roza" his voice cut Adrian off, and everyone's gaze shifted to the figure I should've guessed would be behind us.

DPOV

I had been disappointed but not surprised by Rose's rejection of my invitation. Ever since the night I had to leave the apartment, she seemed to be gone more frequently. It seemed like she might have even been seeing someone new now, with the way she was always on her phone. I chose to attribute her newfound interest in her friends or something equally innocent and banal.

Seeing her in the restaurant, I nearly had the wind knocked out of me. The dress she had on was black, fitting just a few inches about her knees, it accentuates her figure, taunting me with the knowledge with what I knew lay under it.

"Roza"

A slight chill seemed to go through her. She turned to look at me, and I just stared back, unable and unwilling to look away from her. For her part she didn't seem to be willing to stop looking at me either. Why I didn't know. I wasn't dressed too differently from how I would for class. Slacks and a white button down, the only new part was the blazer thrown over it.

It was only when Adrian tugged on her elbow, then sliding his arm around her waist that I processed the image in front of me.

"You've already met Dimitri, but let me introduce you to everyone else. This is Olena, my aunt. Yeva, my personal fortune teller." Yeva reached out and wacked Adrian's arm at his words, but the good natured smile that was underneath her scarier exterior told me she didn't seem to mind. "And this is Karolina, Sonja, and Viktoria; my cousins" gesturing to each of my sisters in turn. My sisters, my mother, my grandmother. I should be introducing Rose to them. I should be the one with my arm wrapped around her waist. She should've been coming here with me. I should be the one pulling out her chair right now, helping her decide on a wine she would like. Instead, I was sitting there, only able to watch as she seemed to slip into sync with my family.

I was right about her and Viktoria hitting it off. They seemed like sisters. The only bitter part of the night was Adrian slipping his arm around her, pulling her chair closer to him, touching her, being close to her. Resting his hand in hers under the table. She was seated between Adrian and I and I almost reached out for her other hand while she talked with the other members of my family.

"So, Dimitri. How do you know Roza?"

Rose kept looking down at the pasta that was almost gone, not willing to make eye contact as I stared at her again, I was starting to realize I might have just been staring at her the whole night. I stuttered, trying to find some answer to how we would know each other. Well you see, she's actually coming home with me tonight. She's my roommate and former lover, though we were only together for a little over a week. And yet, I can't seem to find myself able to sleep unless I'm imagining her there with me. Wrapped in my arms.

"He met her when she came over to place one day. Dimitri, Ivan, and I were all catching up before Rose and I went out." Adrian filled in the silence, and in doing so, made himself a more central character in Rose's life.

"Yes" I almost snapped the word back at Adrian. "And Rose and I have been friends since." I could hear the underlying venom in my voice, and I'm sure my mother could too. I switched my gaze from Adrian to my mother. Maybe subconsciously, I felt Rose's hand gently squeeze mine before letting it rest on my leg under the table.

"Dimitri, what is wrong with you? I didn't raise you to be this way, especially in polite company." She chastised me in Russian, I smirked at the idea of Rose being polite company.

"What did she say?" Rose asked, now very interested in what I could understand.

"Nothing", all three of my sisters chimed at the same time, which I knew only intrigued her more. Maybe if things had been different, she would try and get the answer out of me later that night. I shivered at the thought of how effective that would be.

Dinner wrapped up fairly quickly after that, and soon I had my family in a cab back to their hotel. It was then that I realized I was alone on the sidewalk with Adrian and Rose.

We all stood around awkwardly, realizing we were at a crossroads. Either Rose would come home with me, where she lived, or at least slept…Or she would go home with Adrian.

RPOV

I would have gladly relived the moment I had to pack up all of my things from Jesse's place and move out level of humiliation, over standing on the street corner with Dimitri an Adrian. Unsure where to go next.

Just as I was about to make a witty retort when Adrian's driver pulled around the corner. "Let's go Rose, we can go and get that dessert no one else seemed to want.", he filled in. He tugged gently on my arm and I willingly went with him, unable to stop myself from looking back and seeing the hurt on Dimitri's face as I did so.

"Well, little vixen. You certainly know how to make an evening interesting." He practically purred from his corner of the car. "So it seems my dear cousin is the one who captured your attention and talked his way into your bed?"

"I think I technically talked my way into his bed." I grimaced at first, then laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation I had found myself in.

"What am I doing?" I asked out loud, not necessarily for Adrian, but hell, I would take any advice or guidance at this point.

I looked over at him and saw him swallow hard, looking down at his hands, "what do you want to be doing?", he asked in such a shy and vulnerable manner, my heart almost broke a second time. Adrian had been so kind, so helpful, and so willing to listen to all the toxic sludge I seemed to have pouring out of me. And here I was, about to say I wanted to be with Dimitri, wrapped up in his arms, laughing about the dinner we just had with his family.

"I saw how you were with him. God, it's so obvious to probably everyone, but you two. He couldn't stop looking at you for half a second and he might as well have ooze green with the envy he had when I pulled your chair closer to mine." He sighed heavily, "I never had a shot. I thought-when you talked about your former lover, that I might have a chance, you seemed so hurt by him. I thought I could show you how well I could treat you, how good I could be for you. Everything I had would be better than whatever that prick could have given you." There was a long pause, "but my cousin is a good one. I can tell he's just waiting, wanting to treat you right. Wanting it to be you. That moment when he said your name and you turned, both of your eyes lit up. Like a little kid on Christmas." He shook his head, and looked up at me now. Clear heartbreak in his eyes. "I'll do whatever I can for you. Whatever it is you need me to be I will, Rose. I meant what I said, I want you in my life."

I didn't know I was crying until I felt the tear drip off my face onto my clasped hands. "Adrian. You're too kind to me. You've seen me. You know- I don't deserve this. I don't deserve this kindness from you."

He grabbed my hand, "you do, Rose. You don't understand how much you've helped me too. I feel like I have reason to get up and participate in this world. Every moment with you is motivation to be someone as kind, humble, and well, as bad ass as you are."

I gave a small shuddering cry as he said this. "I wish it could be you."
He laughed at that, "no you don't. You wish it was him saying these things. He's thinking them Rose. I don't know how anyone who has met you couldn't think those things about you."

The car stopped moving and I realized we were outside Cheesecake factory. "I also had cheesecake ordered, I could see you eyeing it on the menu before we left. It should be-ah! There she is, a woman ran out to the curb and Adrian grabbed the bag from her, sliding back into the car.

"If all else fails, at least you'll have cake.", I laughed at this. "Come on, let's get you home."

DPOV

I slammed the door as I got into the apartment. I took off my jacket and hung off a chair in the kitchen before sitting down at the table. I rubbed my face in my hands, trying to process everything that had just happened. It was almost the perfect evening. Rose had met my family. My family had loved her and she seemed to love them. We would be going to breakfast in the morning, Rose had been invited but, 'wasn't sure about her schedule tomorrow. I'll have to double check.', but I knew her schedule by now. It was wake up, avoid me, go to work, and avoid me as long as possible before going to bed. I slumped back in the chair.

Almost the perfect night. Rose had looked so beautiful; she had seemed so happy. Then the night ended with her leaving in another man's car. A sob almost formed in my throat at the thought of her back at Adrian's right now, talking with him, being close to him, maybe even kissing him. My blood boiled at the thought of her with him, with anyone. But it was made worse knowing it was someone I knew too. Someone I knew could give her the world.

I knew Adrian in his wilder days, he was a player in every sense of the word. A party boy. Once he had his accident though, he came to his senses, and turned into someone respectable and far more serious than any of would have thought possible for him. It made it worse. I could justify taking her away from someone like the old Adrian. Someone who would just want to get into Rose's pants. But this new man, he was good. He could take care of her, be there for her, give her everything.

I don't know how long I sat there. Mulling through all of it, but eventually I stripped down to my briefs and got ready for bed. I hesitated as I about started pulling out the couch to form my normal resting place. Then decided on Rose's bed for the night. She was sleeping somewhere else, I reasoned. I just wanted to fall asleep with her scent wrapping around me. I pulled her pillow under my arm, cuddling it to me and inhaling deeply, imagining it to Roza's hair, not just her lingering scent. And for the first time in a while, I was able to peacefully drift off to sleep.