A/N: Thank you for everyone who saved my story as a favorite, who followed and liked the story.

Sorry for not updating the past few days, but life was crazy, like always XD

I hope you enjoy one of the last few chapters. Looking forward to hear about your opinion.

Stay safe and healthy, now read and enjoy.

Chapter 21

Arriving back at the table I silently sat down.

"Are you okay? Tasha said you weren't feeling that well?" Lissa asked. "I'm fine, thanks." I said coldly, giving Tasha another look.

Dimitri besides me kept giving me worried glances, but kept quiet most of the time. For some time Lissa and Tasha talked and Christian occasionally chimed in. Apparently he was more of the quiet loner.

However after we sat there for another hour, she started flirting with Dimitri again, this time even more obvious. When his phone ringed, he excused himself, apparently it was an important call about something work related.

A minute later Tasha got up under the guise of wanting to smoke. When Dimitri wasn't returning after some minutes I walked out to check up on him. Opening the door I heard Tasha's voice.

"Don't you realize this. If you would come with me you could work with me at the gym and we could start a family. I'm a real woman and I'm ready for this. Unlike that little girl you have back there. She won't be able to give you what you want the most right now." With that she leaned in to kiss him but I ran towards her and my fist almost collided with her face. In the last instance a warm big hand caught my arm however, so I wasn't able to connect with her nose. I really wanted to introduce her face to my fist, but Dimitri's grip was too tight.

"Let me go." I hissed at him, but he simply embraced me, giving me no chance to hit this bitch in front of me.

"Tasha, I thinks it's better you go." This voice belonged to Christian. He and Lissa must have followed me outside and witnessed everything.

"But-" This time Dimitri cut her off.

"It really is for the best. I don't appreciate how you talked about my girl. And I've already told you years ago, that I'm not feeling the same way for you that you feel for me." Glaring at me intensely she stormed off and left the four of us behind.

"Sorry about that." Christian said as we all sat down at our table. We still needed to pay and it was a wonder no waiter came after us as we all headed out. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." Dimitri shook his head. "Your aunt just doesn't know when to give up." Turning towards me he looked me into my eyes. "I hope you're alright?" I just shrugged it off, not in the mood to discuss what just happened in front of Lissa and Christian, who admittedly wasn't as bad as I thought based on his first impression.

"How about we all head home." Lissa suggested and instead of going separated ways we went together to Dimitri's car after we paid the bill.

Dimitri would take all of us home. We would first drop off Christian and after that he would drive Lissa and me home.

Arriving at Christian's apartment, Lissa got outside with him to get her things from inside.

"You're really alright?" Dimitri turned towards me as Lissa shut the door. "Yeah. Perfect. How else would I feel if an old friend of my boyfriend treated me like dirt the instance she knows we're in a relationship, threatens me to keep away from him and later even tries to steal my man." The anger was obvious in my voice.

"Look." When I refused to look at him, he took my head in his hands. "I'm sorry the evening turned out to be so chaotic. Just know that I never even considered her indecent proposal."

His reference to one of my favorite movies made me smile, but only a little.

"She was right though. I know that you want a family and she's also right that I'm not ready to give you this just yet. Maybe-" but he cut me off.

"Don't you dare say anything more. Roza. I love you. Yes, you're still young and not ready to start a family. But you know what? That's okay. Who says I'm ready for it?" I looked at him surprised. "I want to be selfish and spent some more years just with you before I have to share you with our kids." And with these simple words he calmed me down.

"Thank you Comrade." I leaned in and kissed him. Moments later Lissa sat down in the back. "Guys, I leave you alone for two seconds and you're already all over each other." She said teasingly.

"Ha ha, very funny Liss. Don't think I haven't noticed you kissing Spark every chance you got." I shot back. We both started laughing and Dimitri just rolled his eyes.

Back at our house Dimitri dropped us off and gave me a sweet kiss, before drove home.

"It was quiet an eventful dinner." Was all I said to Lissa before heading to my bathroom to get ready for the night. Sleep was restless and filled with nightmares about Dimitri leaving me for Tasha.

The following week went by in a blur. My parents prepared everything that needed to be managed last minute before Saturday would come.

At school even my friends seemed to have no other topic than the party. "I can't wait to see who you are going to bring as your date." Adrian teased me. Mason overheard his step mother calling mine and apparently they've talked about me bringing a plus one. Now my friends pressed for further information.

"I told you that you'll meet him at the party." Somehow I felt uncomfortable telling them and preferred for them to find out in person, when I had Dimitri by my side as back up. I know it is ridiculous to want my boyfriend's help with my own friends, but no matter how it sounded, I felt better with him there.

Ever since finding out about my date and I confessed that it was my boyfriend, Mason was in a particular bad mood. This made me feel even worse. But I couldn't help how I felt about Dimitri, but not about Mason.

I hoped he wouldn't take it too bad. His mood the following days suggested otherwise though.

Today was the day. My friends would get to know about Dimitri and I's relationship. It was the day of my parent's wedding anniversary party and Dimitri would be my plus one. In the last two weeks it had been more and more difficult to keep my relationship with Dimitri a secret from my friends.

All of them would be at the anniversary party since my parents were friends with their parents as well.

Adrian and his parents would be there, which was only natural as they were part of Lissa's family and therefore also a part of my family. Sydney was Adrian's date, but her parents became acquainted with my parents as well, so were invited separately.

Mason was part of the family, so obviously he, my mother's cousin and her husband would join us.

Eddie and his parents were invited since his mother was a business partner my Baba worked with from time to time. That only left Jill as Eddie's plus one and then all my friends would be there.

I was nervous as hell to bring Dimitri. How would my friends react? Thinking back to when my parents asked me to invite him to the party rather than inviting him separately was a weird conversation. But this showed me they were accepting him as my boyfriend and not simply as my father's business partner. This also made me remember how I asked Dimitri to be my date.

I still wondered how my friends would react, but there was no use wondering and making up dozen scenarios, I would have to get there to find out. Taking one deep breath I finished my make up. Dimitri was already good to go, waiting for me in the living room. My parents were so caught up in the preparations that Lissa and I decided to give them some privacy at home and spent the night at our boyfriends' houses.

After the last touches I was ready. I was wearing a skirt in the 50's style with a top with long carmen sleeves. Normally I wasn't wearing skirts, but this style suited me extremely well and therefore these were the only kind of skirts I accepted.

This one was the first skirt I've ever bought at this vintage store. Lissa and I had been there randomly and I instantly fell in live with this style.

Thinking about Lissa, my mood plummet instantly. Our dinner with her boyfriend and most importantly his aunt, had been as big of a catastrophe as my parents' discovery of me and Dimitri in our living room. Okay, maybe I was bit dramatic right now, but this was the worst dinner I ever had.

Lissa and I talked it through, making clear none of us thought the other was at fault and we even talked to our boyfriends, but I guess it needed time. Today would help forget about what happened at the dinner and look forward.

"You look amazing." Dimitri's words made me blush, the last finish to my makeup.

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." It was true. He wore a black suit , but without a bow or tie, but with the upper buttons unbuttoned.

Taking my hand in his, he took me down stairs and opened the car for me. "I'm still nervous." I admitted as he started driving. "There is no need to be afraid. These are your friends. They'll might be shocked, but they'll also be happy for you."

"From your lips to God's ears." The whole way I spun my phone in my hands.

"Calm down, Roza. You're making me nervous." He said and covered my hands.

Ten minutes later we arrived at the hotel my parents hold the party at. We had the huge ball room for this occasion. Arriving half an hour early, no one was here, so we could help my parents with the last minute tasks.

"Kizim you look amazing." My father hugged me and nodded to Dimitri as a form of greeting. "Dimitri." It was an improvement, at least it wasn't last name bases anymore.

"Congratulations. You look good yourself, Baba. Even with this ridiculous scarf." I teased him and he smirked back at me.

"Abe, thank you for the invite. And congratulation on your 18th wedding anniversary." My father thanked him and went back to work on whatever needed his help.

"Mom, you look beautiful. And my best whishes on not killing Baba over the last 18 years." I winked as I greeted my mother. She wasn't wearing a dress, but she never wore one. She had on a jumpsuit and it fit her extremely well.

"Thank you. I know it's quite the achievement." She answered. "What is quiet the achievement my dear?" my father asked as he passed us.

"Oh nothing, honey." Shrugging his shoulders while still looking at us suspiciously he continued working.

"Hello Dimitri, nice to see you" She shook his hand.

"Same to you Janine. And also my congratulations." He seemed a little nervous around my parents.

"Thank you. Could you please help the staff behind the bar? I feel like there are only incompetent people around here." She shook her head and we assured her to help the staff.

"Why so shy all of a sudden?" I looked at Dimitri, bumping my shoulder against his arm.

"Nothing. I just don't want to ruin your parents' day." He admitted while he filled the fridge with bottle after bottle.

"This is so sweet and the reason I fell for you, but you really don't have to walk around them on eggshells, they invited you as a sign of peace. So take this offer and relax. I want to enjoy today, Comrade, okay?"

"Aye-aye captain." He winked at me.

Before I knew it the first guests arrived. They congratulated my parents and Dimitri and I offered them something to drink from the bar.

Adrian and Sydney were the first of my friends to arrive. "If that isn't our little Mary and I guess this is the boyfriend in question, the cradle robber." He smirked at Dimitri and I. At his words I couldn't help but blush.

"Adrian!" Sydney exclaimed. "Hey Rose. Dimitri. We're happy for you and wouldn't say no to some orange juice." She continued and I gave her a thankful look. I wasn't too keen on Adrian scaring Dimitri away at first sight.

"Thank you Syd." I whispered as I gave her the orange juice.

Winking at me she took Adrian with her. The rest of my friends arrived one after the other and all had a different reaction as I re-introduced Dimitri. They knew him but I introduced him as my boyfriend this time.

Mason was a different case however. I could see that this crushed him. Knowing I had a boyfriend compared to meeting him and seeing that he knew him for quite some time now hit differently.

But all in all my friends and family were pretty chill about me and Dimitri being an item. As the evening progressed Dimitri and I joined the other people on the dancefloor. "See, I told you, you worried about nothing." Dimitri whispered into my ears as he guided me over the dance floor. "Yeah. And I told you my parents were fine with you being here. So we both were right about something." I told him. Smiling at me, he leaned down and kissed me. "I love you, you know that?"

"You might have told me once or twice." Continuing to dance we stared into each others eyes. The evening was amazing. I felt as happy as I haven't felt for a long time.