I jumped back- which I would've done even if Dimitri wouldn't have come back just then, just for the record- and so did Adrian.

We all just stood around and stared at each other. I hated just sitting there because it made me look guilty, but I honestly couldn't think of anything to say!

"Hey," Adrian said lamely.

I almost laughed. Dimitri's face stayed blank.

"I'm gonna head to my room now," he said, inching towards the door. Dimitri let him slip by.

I was trying to figure out how i could explain without it being all "it's not what it looks like" but I seriously couldn't come up with anything!

"Dimitri-" I tried but he held up his hand.

"It's all right, Roza," he said quietly.

"No, really, let me explain," I insisted. He waited; I took a deep breath.

"He was drunk and it wasn't like I was going to leave him to stumble all over Court. I told him to lay down and I got him a glass of water. Then we started talking about Sarah and how they met. Only the way he explained kinda made it sound like it was all my fault. The baby and everything, I mean. So I kept trying to apologize and he kept telling me to shut up. Only I didn't and he kissed me and that's when you walked in."

We didn't say anything for a while until he said that he had to get back to guardian business and left.

I walked around alone for most of the next day. Lissa and Jill had Royal stuff to do, Christian wasn't an option, and Adrian was lying low. I almost went to find Ambrose but then remembered that he had work to do. So wallowing in self-pity was the only choice I had.

It was roughly lunchtime when I started to head back to my room. When I got there however, I got a surprise.

"A little birdie told me you were having guy trouble," Abe said as he leaned back on my bed post. There was another guy standing with him. One of his bodyguards, I guessed.

"Well, sorry, old man, but it's nothing I can't handle."

He chuckled; the bodyguard didn't move. "That's not what Birdie told me."

"Well, Biridie should keep it's nose out of my business," I said, pulling my hair out of its ponytail.

"You should know by now that someone will always be in your business. Whether that's the Moroi world or me is the thing you should be worrying about."

"I don't know. Both sound pretty intrusive to me." Abe chuckled.

"What are you doing here, Abe?" I asked.

"Just checking in," he said.

I narrowed my eyes.

"And," he continued, "to introduce you to Liam." My gaze flicked to the mystery guy- Liam.

He was tall- though not as tall as Dimitri- with blonde hair and had a look on his face that said he really didn't want to be doing this.

"Hi, Liam. Bye, Liam," I said opening my door. "You, too, Zmey."

Abe snorted. "No can do, pumpkin. Liam stays, and I don't want to hear it," he said stopping my protests. "He'll keep out of sight so you won't have to worry about him."

"No offense to you, Liam, but why are you sicking one of your goons on me?" I asked Abe.

"Hey," Liam said, obviously taking offense.

"Oh, look, it does talk," I said with mock-surprise.

"Liam is here because I have something to take care of, and no, it's not any of your business," he said, stopping me again.

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. Just as long as you keep to the shadows," I told the blonde mini giant. He grunted which I took as an agreement.

That night I was still wallowing in self-pity. I sighed. This sucks, I thought. I couldn't see Liam, but I knew he was somewhere outside my window, watching me. It was because of this that I went to the windowless bathroom to change into my old sweats and tank top. When I got out though, Dimitri was sitting on the bed.

"Oh!" I said stopping in my tracks. "I didn't hear you come in."

He just shrugged and took of his shoes.

"Rough day?" I asked, making my way carefully to the bed.

He hesitated, but answered anyway. "Yeah. I, uh, asked Hans to look up Sarah."

"You did?" I asked completely caught off guard. He nodded. "What'd he find?" I inched closer to him.

"He said her family's been pretty quiet throughout the years. She's not a Royal but her mother is third cousins to the Vodas. Her father doesn't seem like much. He's a Moroi that works in a convenient store, does his job well. He loves his family, and they live in a small house."

"Sarah said that they were running from her father," I said, remembering the first day.

"Well, from what we can gather, he doesn't seem like a violent man. Even if he did, I don't think he could do much damage." I bit my lip. This was so weird.

From what Adrian and Sarah said, it seemed like her dad was a psycho who was after Adrian. But from Dimitr's digging, he seemed like a mousey Moroi.

"It's not a big deal, Rose," Dimitri said.

"Yes, it is. I mean, if he's not the guy Adrian and Sarah described then what? They're lying and just running? But if he is, then some creep is after Adrian, Sarah, and the baby, and we have to help them."

"Rose-"

"No, I don't care if you hate Adrian's guts. I don't even care that you caught him kissing me while he was drunk. He's one of my best friends and he's in more trouble than he bargained for, and I want to help."

"What are you going to do?" Dimitri asked.

"I don't know! Something."

"Something," he repeated."

"Dimitri Belikov, do not look at me like I'm going crazy," I demanded.

He cracked a smiled. "I'm not looking at you like you're going crazy," he said.

This resulted in a vicious pillow fight, in which,- of course- he won.

We went to bed that night, though I doubt either of us slept much. The situation with Sarah was on my mind.

But even if he did lie to you, Rose, I kept thinking, what are they hiding?