Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy

8 Years Ago

"Remind me again why you won't date me, Roza."

I looked at my good friend Dimitri with a judgmental expression on my face.

He was being chummy with me like usual, but I also knew he was being sincere.

His playful smile began to fall as the moment grew serious.

I sighed. "You know why."

He took a long sip from his beer and then set it back down onto the iron table. We were celebrating my 18th birthday in the backyard of his home in Baia, just the two of us.

We had already gone through what was left of the vodka and had since then moved onto beer. I was thankful for that. It was much easier for me to stomach.

"My mother already thinks we're dating."

My expression softened. "Olena doesn't know me like you do."

It was the truth. He knew all of me. All of my insecurities and fears. First and foremost that I was scarred from witnessing the disastrous dissolution of my parent's relationship. It was the main reason I was so reluctant to let anyone in. I was scared of getting hurt again. In addition, I was worried about hurting someone else because of my shortcomings. I considered myself ruined, unable to properly make someone else happy.

"You think she wouldn't approve?" Deep down, I knew what I was saying was utter nonsense. His mother loved me and I knew she would've been happier than ever to hear he'd finally been able to convince me to be his. But still, I was stubborn.

I frowned, taking a swig from my own drink. "I think if she knew how many times I've turned you down already, she'd tell you I'm not good enough."

Dimitri gathered my hands in his, holding them tightly. He brought them up to his mouth and blew hot air onto them. It was especially cold in Russia this time of year. He hated that I always insisted on going without gloves.

"You are, Roza."

I pulled my hands away, cradling them to my chest. He was wrong. I would destroy him, much like my mother had done to my father.

It was better off this way. To avoid it altogether. I didn't want to hurt him. And I never would if we just didn't date. It didn't matter how strongly I felt about him.

"Dimitri, I can't." Underneath my breath, I muttered, "No matter how much I want to."

The wind chose that moment to die down. I hadn't intended for him to hear, but he did.

He got down to his knees. They slushed into the snow. His jeans would be ruined, completely soaked in a matter of moments, but from his expression, he couldn't care less.

"You love me too. I know you do."

I searched his eyes. The alcohol was making me much more vulnerable than I usually was. I knew I couldn't keep up this jig for much longer. He was breaking down my barriers brick by brick and we both knew it.

Over time, my feelings for him grew deep. He loved me longer than I loved him but my feelings were now just as strong.

We'd known each other for years through his younger sister, Viktoria. We became friends. Under the guise of that, we spent most of our time together, learning everything about each other. We grew close, but hadn't acted on our feelings because of my hesitance.

He began pushing me gently with little actions. It began first with holding my hand for a moment too long. Then, kissing my cheek when we'd part.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he asked me to agree to a date. I wouldn't. He knew why I wouldn't, so he persisted. I was the one for him, he was certain of it, so he wasn't afraid of the challenge...or so he'd told me.

My lip quivered uncontrollably before my head hung in admission.

"I do."

Dimitri's lips curved upward into a huge smile.

"So then say you'll be mine. I promise you, we will make it, Roza."

I searched his eyes for any sign of doubt, but there wasn't any. Our fates rested on me. "I'm afraid."

"Everyone's afraid of something. Let me show you. Let me prove it to you. We can make it."

He leaned forward until his lips whispered past mine. It was like every worry in my body faded away. I suddenly didn't know why I was so afraid. This was Dimitri. I knew him better than anyone. He wouldn't lie to me.

When he pulled away, I fisted his shirt in my grasp and then pulled him back down. I kissed his lips fiercely, sinking into him finally.

I trusted him more than I trusted anyone.

Against his lips, I spoke just one word.

"Okay."

Present Day

"Hey Rose, isn't that Tasha's boyfriend?"

Looking up from Glazed, a book about the history of donuts, I frowned.

"Where?" I asked Lissa, who was standing beside me. It had just started pouring rain outside a couple minutes earlier and because the bookshop was located at a busy shopping square, a horde of people flooded in for a reprieve from the storm. Because of that, it was uncharacteristically loud and busy in here.

"Right there", she pointed. When I caught sight of him, I put her arm down before he saw and then sunk down into my seat. Lissa gave me a funny look.

"He's actually quite handsome, isn't he?" She observed as she looked him over. "Tasha's got good taste," she joked before I shot her a glare. "Sheesh, what's your problem? Forget to pack your donuts this morning?"

"For your information, Lissa, no, I didn't forget to pack my donuts. In fact, I've already had two," I whisper-yelled bitterly, which only made her more amused.

"Okay, then what's your deal? Been a couple days since you and Adrian-"

"Shush!" I chided and then peeked up from over the counter.

Dimitri stood near the door, shaking off his jacket a bit. He was alone, and completely drenched. His shoulder length hair that I used to love was tied at the nape of his neck and little strands here and there were stuck to his face. His clothes practically clung to him and I took a second to notice that he had not let his body go one bit.

Flashes of his bare body hovering over me as he whispered all the things he was going to do to me entered my mind before I shook my head and pulled my eyes away.

Lissa wasn't lying. He was still very handsome.

Groaning to myself, I shut my book and banged my head on the counter a little too hard.

Odds are, these people were going to stay inside until the rain let up, and one glance outside was all it took to see that it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. The sky was a dark gray and thunder pounded in the distance.

Great.

…

A good half an hour had passed, and he still hadn't noticed me. Probably thanks to the fact that I hadn't moved an inch from the spot I was in, which kept me out of view until you stood straight in front of the counter.

I knew I was pushing my luck, but I dared another peek just to keep track of where he was.

It took a minute for me to find him. My eyes searched through the store and stopped when I found him seated on a couch, reading a paperback. By the looks of it, he was already more than a couple pages in. Figures.

He used to fly through those old paperback Westerns like they were nothing...

"I swear that's the third time I've seen you read that one this month," I teased before kissing Dimitri's cheek as I passed by his side of the bed. He dog-eared the page and shut the book, flashing me a small smile.

"It's one of my favorites, Roza." He placed the book down on the bedside table and then moved the covers down on my side of the bed, gesturing for me to lay down beside him.

He didn't have to tell me twice.

He watched me intently as I slipped my bra off from underneath one of this big shirts that I wore to sleep in. Once comfortable, I hopped into bed and giggled as his arms engulfed me the moment I was under the covers.

"Mmm," he sighed contently, kissing me on the forehead. "I could do this for the rest of my life."

I snuggled in closer to him. "So do it," I said playfully.

His eyes searched mine for a brief moment. "I'm serious, Roza." The playful tenor of his voice was now gone. His whole demeanor had changed from teasing to thoughtful. He seemed to be waiting for me to respond.

"What are you saying?" I asked, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice. This wasn't the first time we had talked about the future. But if he meant what I thought he did, it was going to be the first time we'd seriously discussed taking our relationship to the next level.

He had been very patient with me thus far. I was only eighteen when we first started dating, and was now twenty-one. Over the course of those three years he'd been very patient with me and had somehow even convinced me to move in with him after one.

Dimitri was older than I was so the concepts of living together and marriage were not crazy notions to him anymore. For me, it was somewhat different.

The only relationship I'd ever seen as an example had failed miserably. The divorce of my parents had torn my family apart when I was a mere 9 years old, and the fear of making their same mistakes had stuck with me after all this time.

The idea of becoming my mother in particular terrified me. My father? Not so much. As far as I had seen it, he was the innocent one. They were never very vocal about the reasons behind their divorce, but I got the impression that it was my mother's choice that had ultimately led to the end of their relationship. It was the reason we didn't get along. It was the reason I practically worshipped my father while I despised my mother.

Dimitri knew all of this, of course. We had talked about it before and from then on he knew better than to push me into things unless he knew deep down that I was ready.

Dimitri's hand came up to rest on my cheek. He caressed my lips with his thumb before opening his mouth to speak.

Unfortunately, whatever he was about to say was left on his lips because at that moment, my phone rang.

The moment lost, I shifted toward the bedside table where my phone was charging. It was my father.

After accepting the call, I lifted the phone up to my ear. "Hey Dad," I said casually. It wasn't out of the ordinary for him to call before going to sleep. He liked to check on me. That was another reason I had a better relationship with him than my mother. He actually kept up with my life. I was lucky if my mom and I spoke once a month.

"Rosemarie," the person said on the other line. My brow furrowed.

"Mom? Where's Dad? Why do you have his phone?" Dimitri watched me intently, worry evident on his face.

"Rosemarie, I have some bad news..."

The intrusion of that particularly bad memory brought me to my feet. I glanced at Lissa beside me briefly before mumbling that I was going to take a break.

My feet carried me to a nearby shelf and out of sight.

Once alone, I leaned against the shelf and closed my eyes, cursing.

The clearing of a throat brought me out of my temporary breakdown. The first thing my eyes came across when they opened was the sign saying that I stood in the fiction section. Just underneath that, it read Westerns.

Dimitri stood to my left. The book he'd been thumbing through earlier was in his hands. My eyes skimmed the cover and I realized it was the same book he'd been reading all those nights ago.

"Still one of your favorites I take it," I said, not really sure why. I think I had just wanted to fill the silence and focus on anything but the memories.

"You remember," he said plainly, putting the book back on the shelf.

I nodded, the nerves still pulsating through me. After a moment's silence, I followed up with, "I couldn't forget even if I tried."

A look I couldn't quite distinguish passed Dimitri's face, before his eyes moved over my body. His gaze rested on my clenched fist.

"What's wrong?" He took a step closer. He was close enough that I felt his breath on my skin.

I laughed nervously, avoiding the question. "And still reading me like an open book," I joked lamely.

"Rose..." he warned. I knew that tone of voice. It said, stop messing around. Be serious.

I continued rambling, purposefully dodging the question. "It's some kind of sick joke isn't it? That of all the places you could walk into, you walk in here. It's like the world is conspiring against me." That last part was more to myself than him. "Stupid rain..."

"I didn't know this was the bookshop you worked at," he explained, placing his hands on my shoulders. I didn't fight the contact. "I would've gone next door had I known. You made it pretty clear that you wanted your space the other day." His hands moved higher to cup both of my cheeks. He stared straight into my eyes as if to show me he was being sincere. "The last thing I'd want to do is barge in on you again." And he did sound sincere, but I knew better than to take his words as an admission of defeat. Just because he didn't want to crowd me didn't mean that he had given up. I am yours, he had said.

"That wouldn't have worked out well for you," I said, choosing to respond to the lighter stuff. When he looked at me strangely, I informed him that the store next door only sold lingerie.

Slowly, a smile spread across his face. The edges of his lips curled upward first, followed by the crinkling of the skin around his eyes. A hearty laugh escaped his lips and it was like all the tension left my body.

My eyes lingered on his mouth a little too long and flashback of how his lips felt against mine ran through my mind. I hadn't realized it at first, but we'd unintentionally leaned in closer to each other. His thumbs rubbed back and forth over the apples of my cheeks. We were so close I could feel his breath on my skin.

It was then I noticed that the bookshop had quieted down. The pounding of rain on the roof had stopped, and the bell on the front door rang in the distance as people shuffled out, or so I assumed, because I couldn't see from where I stood.

I covered his hands with my own and slowly removed them from both sides of my face, releasing them once they were back at his side.

The moment was over.

…

"I'll see you later, Rose," Lissa called as she waved and left the store.

Now that her shift had ended, I was alone. There was still two hours left until I could go home. Today was Sunday so we closed a bit earlier, and I was thankful for that, especially because business was extremely slow today.

When the rain stopped, it was like everyone filed out one by one. We hadn't seen a customer since so I was extremely bored, and it was getting harder and harder for me to not think about what had happened today, from the momentary breakdown to the encounter with Dimitri.

After all that, I was ready to just settle into bed, snuggle up to Adrian, and watch a movie.

Smiling as I pictured my plans for later, I went to the system that controlled the music playing overhead and turned it up louder. When the shop was pretty dead and I was alone, I liked to blare the music and sing along.

With nothing else to do but wait, I went over to the little reading nook area that had a couple of couches and tables and started fluffing out the pillows and wiping the tables down. After that, I wandered around the store and started straightening out the shelves, fixing books that were out of place or knocked over.

When I reached the western section, I easily found the paperback Dimitri had been reading. I examined the cover and then started flipping through the pages. Clutching the book to my chest, I pondered over what had happened earlier.

"You should probably go," I whispered, swallowing thickly. The moment may have been over, but this beautiful man was still standing in front of me with those gorgeous eyes of his.

Not only did I feel guilty for allowing myself this moment with Dimitri when I loved Adrian now, but I also felt like I was betraying the memory of my father for joking with the man that disrespected his memory in the harshest way.

The reminder of that harshened my exterior and I took a step back.

Dimitri's face sharpened and the smile on his face fell.

He nodded once. "If that's what you want," was all he said.

The two of us stared each other down for a couple more silent moments before he turned and left.

"Rose?"

Placing the book back on the shelf quickly, I rushed toward the front of the store. When I saw Adrian standing by the counter with a bag, I was overcome with the feeling that I'd been caught doing something I wasn't supposed to.

Quickly, I turned the music down and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, I didn't hear the bell. I was just cleaning up," I explained a little too fast. Why did I feel like I had something to hide. Maybe because I did… I eyed the bag in his hand. "What's that?"

He grinned and put the bag on the counter between us.

"Guess."

I rolled my eyes jokingly and uncurled the top of the bag. The smell assaulted my senses immediately and I knew what it was before even looking at it.

Moaning, I reached in and pulled out a burrito. "You know me so well."

He gestured toward the couches in the reading nook area and I nodded. He grabbed the bag and we walked over.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized not much time had passed since I started cleaning. "Don't you usually work late today?"

Adrian eyed me anxiously before setting his burrito down. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, but I quit."

I nearly choked.

"You what?"

Taking my hands in his, he gave me a soft smile. "I know it's sudden, and I know I should've talked to you first, but," he paused as he seemed to think about something, "it was time."

I was hesitant. He always told me he wanted to wait for the right time. Whatever that meant, I wasn't sure, but this impulsive decision was a surprise. I had heard Adrian complain about his job so many times I'd lost track, and I wanted him to be happy, but I was curious to learn why he'd had a sudden change of heart. I wanted to ask, but instead all I could say was, "Are you sure?"

Beaming with confidence, he smiled widely at me and squeezed both of my hands before pulling one up to his mouth to kiss.

"I am."

I couldn't fight the smile that played on my lips.

"Well, it's about damn time."

All the stresses of the day were now forgotten with his good news. We finished our food and I closed up shop. As we walked out hand in hand, I found myself looking forward to the future.

...

A Couple Months Later

"Don't stop," I breathed out heavily as Adrian's body rocked back and forth over me.

He pressed his lips to mine passionately, grabbing my face with his free hand. His green eyes sparkled in the dim light that peeked out from behind the curtains. It was so early that the sun wasn't even high in the sky yet, but that didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was Adrian and the way he was making me feel.

My nails dug into his back as he started moving faster. His hand moved from my face to stimulate other parts of my body. When his hand found the spot it was searching for, I knew I wouldn't be able to last much longer.

My moaning grew louder as I got closer and closer. Just as my climax approached, Adrian grabbed my face. "You feel so good," he said, his voice low with desire.

Lost in the haze of pleasure, I opened my eyes and looked into his just as I peaked and fell over the edge. Adrian groaned at the sight of me.

"Kiss me," I moaned, grabbing his face almost frantically. Our lips only touched for a moment before he followed me over the edge. He kissed me harshly as he rode out his high.

Then, when he was done, he collapsed on top of me. The heavy weight felt nice and I was too euphoric to mind. We were both still panting a couple moments later when he lifted his head from where it rested in the crook of my neck.

His hair was wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead. Lazily, I lifted a heavy hand and brushed it out of his eyes. I started to wonder how it would look longer.

"Wow," was all he could say. He leaned down to kiss me.

Grinning, I agreed. "Wow is right."

"Mmm," he moaned as I wrapped my arms around him and started running one hand up and down his back. "If you don't stop looking at me like that, we'll have to go again."

I laughed. "Again?" He nodded. "That was already the second time!"

He kissed my shoulder and then started wiping the sweat off my forehead. My hair was all over the place so he started to try and tame that too. "I think you underestimate the effect that you have on me."

All I could do was smile and snuggle into him closer. We shifted into a more comfortable position and then just as I started dozing off, I heard him whisper something.

"I love you...so, so much"

Unsure if he intended for me to hear or not, I chose to stay quiet, which wasn't very hard because sleep was already calling my name.

That, and a certain pair of brown eyes chose that very moment to enter my mind.

…

A couple hours later, the smell of bacon invaded my nostrils. I opened an eyelid slowly, expecting the curtains to be open and for the sun to invade my sight. Instead, the curtains were drawn closed tightly and the room was still dim.

Thankful for that, I sat up slowly and brushed my hair behind my ears.

A couple minutes later, I was out of our bedroom and following the scent of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. There, I found a shirtless Adrian happily flipping a couple of pancakes and dancing around to the music playing from the speaker on the table.

I leaned against the marble countertop and admired him for a moment before he noticed me.

When he saw me, he turned down the heat on the food and came over to wrap his arms around me and plant a long kiss on my lips.

"Sleep well?" he asked when he released my lips. A smile refused to leave his face.

I nodded, noticing the time. He had let me sleep in way late, something that I was happy about. We'd been at it for a long time last night. If you could even call it night… Really, it was the early morning.

We'd both fallen asleep last night somewhat early after watching a movie. It wasn't until I felt Adrian kissing my neck that I woke up.

Lately, we'd been going at it like crazy. Not that we hadn't before, but ever since Adrian quit his job, he'd been all about making sure I was happy - making love to me, treating me to whatever I wanted. Not that I was complaining.

He kissed me once more and then continued to finish up breakfast.

...

Later, we sat at the table eating. I lathered up my pancakes with yet another layer of syrup as Adrian watched amusingly.

"So," I started when I was happy with the amount of syrup, "are you going to the studio today?"

Over the last couple of months, Adrian had been going to his studio a lot. He'd leave unexpectedly at random times and wouldn't come back for hours. I had to admit it was keeping me on my toes, all the random hours and times he'd leave for, but he seemed really excited about whatever he was working on so I couldn't find it in me to complain. Seeing him so happy made everything worth it, so I chose to keep any unhappiness to myself.

The day he quit his office job at the firm, he promised me that he would have a show up and running by January. We were already in December and he had yet to say anything about it so I wasn't sure if he'd make good on that promise.

I wasn't going to push though. We were fine with money at the moment. Adrian lived lavishly, but had a lot saved up as well. Plus with the money I made myself to spend on everyday items, we were set for the time being.

Aside from that, it also warmed me to see him so passionate about something. It was like he was always glowing with happiness nowadays.

"Yeah, I was actually planning to head over there after eating. Is that okay?" He looked up at me curiously.

My face fell just a bit at his answer before I could stop it. Today was my day off and I was looking forward to spending the whole day with him.

He must've seen the change in my mood.

"I know I've been gone a lot lately, but it'll all be worth it once you see what I've been working on," he insisted, grabbing my hand across the table. He had never invited me to his studio before. I'd been by once when he first started renting it out, but not since he'd started painting. In fact, now that I thought about it, I hadn't really seen any of his work, aside from small doodles he used to draw and leave in random places for me to find when we first started dating. I smiled at the thought but my sour mood was still present.

"And when will that be?"

"Very soon," he winked. "Sooner than you think."

…

The next week passed pretty uneventfully.

Adrian had been in and out of our apartment more so than usual this week and I was moping around the apartment because I missed him.

Today was my day off and I was not looking forward to spending another day in the apartment alone.

I was just in the middle of sending a desperate text to Lissa about needing a girl's night when Adrian came bursting through the door.

His hair was all over the place and I could see excitement behind his eyes.

"Rose," he started as I stared at him amusingly. He almost looked crazy. I laughed and walked over to him, leaving my phone behind on the table.

"Everything alright?"

He nodded, kissing me passionately as he dipped me backward.

"Whoa," I laughed as he brought me back up. "What's with you?"

Adrian cleared his throat. "Go get dressed."

I looked down at Adrian's oversized t-shirt that I wore along with some frumpy pajama bottoms. I'd probably need a shower first if we were going somewhere.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"You'll see when we get there." He grinned, before clapping his hands together. "Dress nice. Wear the black dress." He smirked and then paused. "I'm going to get ready too, but I'll need to shower. Join me?"

Didn't need to tell me twice.

…

After a very prolonged shower that included more than just getting ourselves clean, we were both dressed and ready to go.

Adrian's hands hadn't left my waist from the moment I put my dress on. It was definitely one of his favorites and I could see why.

It fit me like a second skin, but in the classiest way possible. It was tight but not too provocative. The dress cinched in at the waist, hugged my hips and legs, and went all the way up to my neck but was sleeveless, so it covered all the important bits while flaunting what I had.

I liked the way it looked on me but more importantly, I liked the way Adrian always reacted to me when I wore it.

As we drove, I began to get a little antsy and I could tell Adrian was too.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I finally asked when the silence dragged on a little too long. Normally, we were able to sit in comfortable silence, but this silence was anxious and too heavy.

I could tell Adrian was nervous.

"You'll see soon enough. We're almost there," he confirmed. He'd been very secretive about our plans tonight and while I was excited about whatever it was we were doing, I was very curious and his nerves were contagious.

A few minutes passed, and I started recognizing my surroundings. Though I had only been to the studio once, I knew the area well because I had helped Adrian search extensively for the right space to rent.

"The studio." I said, more as a confirmation than a question. Adrian smiled but didn't say a peep.

We drove up and parked and I noticed the lot was full of cars. As I got out of the car, I also noticed a small line forming outside the building, and a man stood at the front with a clipboard. If I didn't know any better I'd say…Wait.

"Adrian..." I trailed off as his fingers threaded through mine. He pulled me along to the door and nodded to the man who let us pass without any complaints. It was all starting to make sense. "Adrian," I started again, but the sight inside hushed any thoughts I wanted to express.

The studio was empty of people at the moment, but paintings hung here and there on each of the walls. They were very large canvases, starting with pieces in neutral colors and then as you got closer to the back of the gallery, the colors became more vibrant and loud.

They were amazing. I rushed over toward the little plaque near the one closest to me and read Adrian's name just beside it, confirming my suspicions.

"Surprise," Adrian said, pulling me close and kissing the side of the head. I just stood there, mouth gaping like a fish.

"How did you- When did you- This is amazing!" I turned around in a circle to take it all in. At the front, just beside the door, was a sign that had Adrian's name written out along with some details about the showcasing. "I can't believe you hid this from me for so long!" I laughed, elbowing him playfully.

"I made you a promise, didn't I?" He grinned.

Smiling bashfully, I shook my head in amusement.

"Wow," I said. It was going to take me a moment to get over the initial shock.

"So you like them?" Adrian asked, suddenly looking nervous again and I noticed he was holding his breath. My opinion mattered a lot to him.

Grabbing his face, I pulled him close and looked him in the eyes. "They're incredible. You're incredible." I placed a fierce kiss on his mouth. "Had I known you were this talented, I would've made you quit a long ass time ago," I laughed.

"I wanted you to see everything before anyone else," he said, his eyes glowing, before pulling me along to see each one. He took the time to explain how you were supposed to view the pieces, first starting on the right wall by the entrance and then making your way through the gallery in a counterclockwise circle.

As we got to the fourth painting - there were sixteen in total - I started to notice familiar things about his paintings. Each painting was of the same woman. The art wasn't abstract, but instead pretty realistic, so specific details like birthmarks here and there, and certain curves, were recognizable. None showed her face, but the little details of her body were familiar. As we stood in front of the fifth one, I realized it was me.

Speechless, I walked back over to the first one to start again, silencing Adrian. He followed along and let me have my moment to relook at each one. The first couple of paintings were of close-ups of certain parts of my body. First my hands, then there was another that included my lips, then one of my jaw and neck, another of my collarbone.

They were all beautiful.

As I made my way deeper into the collection, the paintings got more sensual and started to show more personal moments. One showed my hands gripping bed sheets, another showed my hip with my knee pulled up. I could see the birthmark I had on my upper thigh, just below the crease where my hip met my leg.

I was speechless. No one would know this was me.

While some were pretty evocative, it was nothing crude or outwardly sexual. Then, as I got to the last one, which was the most colorful of them all, I gasped.

Adrian stood silently behind me throughout this whole discovery of mine, waiting patiently for me to take it all in myself before talking.

This last painting was a portrait of me - face and all. It depicted me in bed, my head resting on my pillow, smiling up at the viewer. It was such an intimate sight. All of the paintings were. I mean they were all of me bare, both literally and figuratively, but none of them were as intrusive as this one.

As I stared at myself, I felt anxious over the exposure. He hadn't told me he was painting me. He hadn't told me he was going to then display all this art for strangers to gawk at. The first fifteen paintings I was comfortable with, but this one suddenly made me question the whole collection.

"Are you mad?" Adrian asked, stepping forward. Indecision was on his face as he searched my eyes.

I took a deep breath, took a look around, and then eyed the doors at the front where people stood waiting to be let in.

"It's a little intrusive," I admitted. "Especially this one," I gestured to the one that included my face. "But they're beautiful," I continued. "The way you've depicted me...it's- I mean, I don't even see myself this way, but you've made me beautiful."

I was just like everyone else, meaning I had my own insecurities and things I wanted change about myself but in Adrian's paintings, those flaws were nowhere to be found. He hadn't hid them, but instead celebrated them somehow.

"This is how I see you" He pulled me close and then kissed me. "This is how I see you," he said again with more emphasis to make sure I knew that he meant it.

My heart warmed at his words and the deeper meaning behind everything that they meant. The paintings were beautiful, each depicted a specific moment between us, moments that he'd committed to memory and paid much closer attention to than I had. He had all of me memorized.

I walked around a little longer, this time with a drink in my hand. A waiter came around and handed Adrian and I champagne before announcing it was time to open the doors.

Adrian looked at me for confirmation that I was ready, and then he nodded to the man. Adrian's grip on my waist tightened as he led me to the entrance and took a deep breath as the man pulled out a key to unlock the doors.

Deciding to push away any lingering feelings of discontent I felt, I put Adrian first. I knew this was a big deal for him and he would need my full support.

"Don't be nervous," I whispered in an attempt to comfort him. "Everyone's going to love it."

"Here goes..." he mumbled down to me, smiling at my words.

...

I was on my fourth glass of champagne when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Adrian's arm around my waist squeezed, drawing my attention back to him. I had been at his side all night and it was getting a bit tiring having to talk to so many strangers.

Everyone was gawking at me by this point too.

I wasn't sure if they'd put two and two together, that it was me in all of the paintings, but that last one had been enough for everyone to stare.

A man I recognized slightly stood before us, congratulating Adrian on his showcase. He then turned to me and complimented me for my beauty as well.

The tightening of Adrian's grip on me suddenly made sense. He hadn't accounted for all the attention I'd be getting. He probably expected some attention and curiosity, but certainly not to this degree.

"Thank you," I said politely before dragging Adrian away from that conversation. I was growing extremely uncomfortable from all the attention.

We walked to a quiet corner and I took a deep breath, still unable to shake the goosebumps from my skin. Had they left the door open? Had a breeze come in?

"Maybe you should've worn a different dress," Adrian said, his eyes dragging over my body.

I laughed before downing the rest of my drink. "You think?" He sighed and ran a hand through his tousled hair. I took his hand in mine. "Hey, your work is what's important. Look around," I gestured to the people walking around and talking amongst themselves. "Don't worry about me. I'm self-medicating and I'll be just fine."

"It's not you I'm worried about… I swear, Rose, if another man-" he groaned and I laughed.

"What did you expect, Adrian?" I laughed some more. "I'm naked in all your paintings." I shook my head playfully and then kissed his cheek. "Stop moping. You should be proud. Come on."

With that, I dragged him back over to people and decided I was going to be the perfect supportive girlfriend.

The next couple that approached us would decidedly make that very difficult though. Suddenly the chill I had been unable to shake made sense.

It had been a quiet three months where Dimitri Belikov was concerned.

Ever since our tense moment in the book shop, I hadn't heard a peep from him.

I hadn't taken him seriously when he had told me he wasn't going to push more or barge in on me again, but he stuck to his word. The first month after our last encounter, I was just waiting for him to pop up again. Every time the bell jingled at the bookshop or there was a knock at my front door, I half expected it to be him, but surprisingly, he had stayed away.

In fact, the three months that passed without an appearance from him almost convinced me that he had left for good and life had returned to normal.

The look he gave me the moment our eyes met told me that I was incredibly mistaken.

…

The twitching of Dimitri's brow was a telling sign that he was extremely irritated.

To the crowded room, he'd seem just fine but to me, his ex-girlfriend, it was another story. We could apparently still read each other like no time had passed.

I bit my lip as I held Adrian's arm just a bit tighter while the four of us engaged in friendly banter. Well, it was more like Tasha and Adrian were exchanging pleasantries as Dimitri and I stood quietly, nodding and grunting at the correct times.

The best I could hope for was that they'd move on soon and we could go back to enjoying our time.

The clenching and unclenching of his fist told me he was trying to rein in his temper. I rolled my eyes as his gaze caught mine. He rose an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something before he stopped himself.

I needed another drink.

"Adrian! Rose!" A new voice sang as she joined our little circle.

"Sydney!" Adrian greeted happily. I hadn't known he was inviting her tonight. It had been a while since the two had hung out.

Sydney pulled Adrian into her arms, hugging him tight, before doing the same to me. "I am so proud of you, Adrian," she complimented, gesturing to the room. "Your dream come true. Your work is magnificent."

"Thanks, Syd," Adrian stated graciously before rubbing a comforting hand along my back.

Now was the perfect time to sneak away. The two could use the time to catch up.

Stepping gently out of Adrian's hold, I mumbled that I'd be right back. He eyed me questioningly before I smiled to placate his worry and then slipped away.

…

Sneaking another champagne off a waiter's tray, I craved a moment to myself to gather my thoughts so I sneaked into the bathroom when I thought no one was paying attention.

I splashed some water onto my cheeks, careful not to mess up the mascara and eye makeup that helped me look presentable. After drying my hands, I studied myself in the mirror, noting the stress on my face plain as day. I sighed.

It had been years since we dated. Why could he still get under my skin like this? Was there something I wasn't admitting to myself? Did I still have feelings for him?

Yes.

I knew undoubtedly that I'd always feel something for him. He was my first love so it only made sense but he had hurt me in a way I couldn't forgive, as hard as I tried. I had moved past it, but things were different now that he was here.

It was easy to forget when he was thousands of miles away in our hometown, Baia.

Had he stayed there, I could've gone the rest of my life unplagued by his existence. But he hadn't stayed there. Instead, he moved to the states and miraculously found me.

The door to the women's restroom swung open and who else but the man himself appeared from behind it. I stepped back, putting distance between us like I had done each time he invaded my personal space.

He locked the door behind him, earning a threatening look from me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" I accused, glaring at him. "This is the women's restroom!"

He rolled his eyes, growling. "I know."

"So get out!"

"No, I need to speak with you." He inched closer.

"So do it like a normal person and talk to me when I'm not in the bathroom!" I spit.

"You won't give me the time of day so I have no choice but to force it on you."

"You said you were going to stop doing that."

"And look where it's gotten us!"

"That was the point."

He slammed a hand down angrily on the wall of the stall I had backed into. I flinched, but not because I was afraid he'd hurt me. I knew he'd never lay a hand on me. Not after he'd seen how his father was to his mother.

He was too close to me.

"Roza—"

"Don't call me that!"

He angrily ran a hand through his hair. It hung freely around his face, making him look irresistibly sexy.

I shook my head, ridding myself of those forbidden thoughts. It had to be the alcohol.

"It's your name," he insisted, his accent sounding incredibly thick.

His other hand came down to rest on the other side of me, trapping me between his arms and the stall. He towered over me, creating a shadow as his height blocked the light.

"Not anymore."

"Rose," he started again, his voice no calmer than it was before. I was pushing his buttons and he was pushing mine.

I crossed my arms. "I won't talk to you when you're acting like a caveman."

"I'm angry." He said plain as day.

"Yes, I can see that, but I don't care. I don't give a damn if you're mad that I don't want to talk to you."

He sighed. "That's not why I'm angry." His voice calmed as he leaned down just a bit so his forehead was almost touching mine. I swallowed.

"Then why—"

"His paintings." He explained, pain evident in his voice. His eyes bore deeply into mine. I could almost feel his inner anguish.

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Roza—everyone is looking at you. They're seeing..." He paused. My mind finished his statement. They're seeing what was his.

Breathing became laborious then. He was so close that our breaths mingled together. I needed to get out of here. This couldn't happen. We were too damn close.

His forehead pressed against mine, closing the distance. His hand left its place against the stall and tangled itself into my hair, angling my head up just barely. I could've stopped him, but I didn't.

"You are a vision in this dress, Roza..."

His thumb caressed my cheek and then my lips. At his touch, my mouth opened just slightly and he dipped his thumb in, just enough to gently tug on my lower lip.

"...But I have to say, I much prefer the red one."

My pulse raced and my chest moved rapidly as I recalled the dress to which he was referring. Heat rushed south as I remembered what had become of that dress. Torn to shreds... That was a night I'd surely never forget. I still considered it to be the most erotic experience I'd ever had.

This was bad.

Just as I began to lean in and dangerously close the distance, a loud twisting of the knob on the door killed the moment. Thank god.

The relief and guilt of what I was about to do, but thankfully didn't, set in. I eyed the door. We were trapped.

The intruder moved onto knocking at this point.

"Hello?" A voice called from the other side and I nearly fainted when I realized who it was. Lissa.

"Shit." I cursed, shoving Dimitri away from me.

I paced the room as I considered my options. Literally nothing.

God, what would I say?! What could I say?

Before I had time to figure it out, Dimitri was opening the door to my horror.

Lissa looked him up and down surprisingly before looking at the sign on the door. "Isn't this the women's—"

She fell silent when her eyes landed on me. I knew I must've looked guilty, because I sure as hell felt that way.

She looked between us and then her mouth fell open. "Rose?" Her voice was full of betrayal. I knew how it looked. The door was locked. I was sure I looked aroused as hell because truthfully, I was. My cheeks were flushed.

Lissa loved Adrian just as much as I did. Oh, Adrian.

"Lissa," I started, putting my hands up in an attempt to calm her, but it was no use. She stormed out of the bathroom and back into the studio.

I ran after her, grabbing her arm before she could get too far. I dragged her to a quieter corner away from everyone else so we could talk.

"Please, let me explain."

She pulled her arm out of my grip and then folded her arms angrily around herself. Her eyes watered up. "How could you, Rose? How could you do this to Adrian? And on the night of his opening!"

Her lip trembled and mine followed suit. Tears threatened to fall over onto my cheeks.

She was right. How could I?

"Nothing happened," I insisted. But a second more and it would have. "I swear."

"Then why was the door locked?"

"Because he locked it," I explained. Then I rambled about what had happened in the moments leading up to when she found us, leaving out the moment where we almost kissed.

"Why would he do that? I thought he was with Tasha."

"Because—because he's my ex." I confessed, my shoulders falling.

"What?!"

"We were together for years, Liss."

End of Part II

A/N: Thoughts? Final part coming soon! Check out my newly posted one-shots and my two chapter fics if you have the time :) Thanks!