Hi guys, so this next chapter is coming very fast, unfortunately not every chapter will come the next day but I will try to upload them possibly every week? I'll see how it goes. Also the first chapter was a bit short for a reason as I just wanted to get a little paint on the canvas as they say, not every chapter will be that short. The chapters will probably be around this length, slightly more or slightly less.

Thanks to those of you that leave reviews (I read every single one), and who also follow and favorite the story, I truly appreciate that! Anyway, happy reading! :)

Dimitri POV

It was like I was moving in slow motion, my mind failed to realize what my body was doing. It wasn't until I heard Rose's pleas and the clamoring of her bruised fingers on my arm that I forced myself to turn around and back away from my front door.

"No! Dimitri please don't! I just-stop, please!"

"He. Hit. You." I said slowly, pronouncing every word carefully, just in case she failed to come to the same conclusion that I did.

"I know. And I've already handled it. Please just let it go."

"Let it go?! Are you out of your mind? Have you looked at your face!" My words came out a lot harsher than I expected and I immediately regretted it when I saw the hurt in her eyes.

She was quiet for a while as I groped to recover from the harshness of my words.

"Rose look I'm sorry-I didn't-I didn't mean it like that. I-"

"Yeah I know." She interrupted, running a hand through her damp hair. "I'm-Dimitri I'm honestly just exhausted and I just want a hot shower and to sleep." She said, the tears again threatening on the corners of her eyes.

I was forced to swallow my anger at the situation and at that bastard and really try to be the duty I neglected the last couple weeks:her best friend.

"Okay," I said, running a hand through my hair, "You can go into your old bedroom and I'll get you an extra t-shirt.

I went into my room and tried to find the smallest t-shirt that I owned. It was the look on Rose's face when I came out with the t-shirt that tugged at this gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach.

It was a look of pure loss; I had known Rose for practically my whole life and we had been through enough shit together. My abusive father, her parent's deaths in a car accident, a pregnancy scare when Rose was a teen; each situation I felt had strengthened our dependence on each other, both of us turning to the other when a situation arose that we just couldn't handle by ourselves. Those situations also cemented our roles in our friendship. I was always the more logical one, thinking and agonizing over a decision before I made it whereas Rose would dive in head first, essentially throwing caution into the wind. I also believed Rose to be the more emotionally stronger one of us two; it wasn't that I was weak, I just think it was Rose's no nonsense, no bullshit attitude that had made her strong enough to overcome whatever life threw at her. She would stare a problem in the eye daring it to make a move; never had I ever felt nor seen Rose to be hesitant or loss. However, that look on her face wore both of the above. Her eyes were bleak as she stared ahead. I ached to comfort her, to make the pain go away but it was weird. In our friendship that was always her role; I was the one that made plans and came to logical conclusions. I never need to comfort Rose simply because she never needed to be comforted; she was like a soldier, confronting any problem head on. I took a deep breath channeled my inner Rose warrior and lightly touched her shoulder. She jumped, startled; the look in her eyes when they met mine, was of shame and sadness.

"The guest room-well your old room- is ready and I found you a shirt. The smallest one I could find." I said, giving her a half-hearted smile.

She gave me a small one in return, "Thanks."

"Do you need anything else?" I asked. She shook her head slightly and slipped into the room, the only sound the soft thud as she closed the door.

"Dimitri?" She said, opening the door and appearing in the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that while I'm asleep you won't do anything stupid to Jesse and get yourself arrested?"

I hesitated, our old sync biting me in the ass. How did she know that was exactly what I wanted to do?

"Dimitri." Dammit

"I promise." I said

"You really promise?"

"Yes. I really promise." She said while she's asleep, she said nothing about when she wakes up. When she does, his ass is mine.

She nodded before finally closing the door and leaving me with my thoughts. I sat down on my couch and ran a hand through my hair as I struggled to make sense of everything. I felt all over the place. My concern and need to protect Rose. My guilt that I hadn't seen or done anything to help her. My anger over that scum bag she referred to as her husband. I could tear him apart limb by limb for simply making her unhappy let alone putting a hand on her. However, a promise was a promise and I told Rose I wasn't going to do anything while she was asleep and I fully intended on keeping my word.

I looked at the clock above the television "3:02" and sighed. I quickly turned off the lights and made my way into my own bedroom. As I passed by Rose's room I could swear I heard the sobs that she was probably trying to muffle with her pillow. That sound both enraged me and made me sad all over again but like a good boy I kept my promise, saving that ultimate ass whopping until morning.

I awoke early the next morning, still trying to come to terms with what had occurred only hours before. Rose, my best friend, both physically and emotionally abused by the person who was supposed to love her in sickness and in health. Again, I yearned to go over to that apartment and teach that asshole a lesson but I applied self control telling myself it would all be taken care of in due time. Since it was Saturday and I didn't have to work, I opted to cheer Rose up in the way that had always worked when we were kids and hadn't ceased to work even as we grew up: food. I was mid-way through the second round of pancakes when she emerged from her room. She balanced against the island and watched me, my t-shirt-super baggy on her- nearly down to knees and I saw an old pair of her sleeping shorts-that I knew she had kept here on purpose-peeking out from under the shirt's hem. Her hair was mused and her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from her tears.

"I hope you don't mind, but I used the last of your toothbrushes." she said

"Nope. It's fine. I'm just glad you didn't use mine." I teased.

"Oh my God Dimitri. That was years upon years ago. I was a kid." she said rolling her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Correction, you were 15 and wanted to prove a point."

"Whatever. You're just mad because that was an argument that you couldn't use logic to solve." she retorted

"The turtle and the hare." I said, furthering my teasing.

"You know, it's a good thing you're so good in the kitchen," she said, swiping a bacon strip from it's plate. "Or else I don't think I would have kept you around."

Now it was my time to roll my eyes, "Please. Without me, you would lose your head."

She smirked, having no retort because she knew I was right. Dating back to our childhood years I always looked out for Rose; and sometimes being the logical one had put us in some good positions. She also knew she couldn't say the same for her plans, the ones that usually ended us up in trouble.

It wasn't before long that the food was ready and we both sat at my little 4 person table and dug in. Although she ate, I noticed a significant decrease in the amount contrary to the heaps she used to take when she was living here. But that was a concern for another day as my main concern over last night's situation continued to peak my curiosity. I had decided that I was going to let her bring it up on her own but as breakfast continued and all of our talk remained light and unimportant, I found myself growing uncharacteristically impatient.

I guess it must have showed because not too later Rose remarked, "Well, I guess I should tell you what happened huh?" she peeked at me through her eyelashes, before settling on looking at the wall right behind me.

She took a deep breath and began, "He's cheating on me Dimitri."

I said nothing, giving her a chance to continue. "He's cheating on me and I felt it for a while but I saw it tonight."

I glanced at her, wanting to take away the pain and sadness in her eyes. "Everything started out so well. Everyone said we married too young but Dimitri I loved him, I really did. And everything was fine, until after our 1st year anniversary when he started to drink a little more. At first it was fine, a little recreational drinking, maybe a little bit sloppy at parties but it was fine. Then once, when he woke up and had a hangover I suggested that he should just cut down a little, for his health, for us. Dimitri that was the first time I've been afraid of him. The rage-the fury in his eyes. He didn't hit me but he sure looked like he wanted to. I stayed over at Lissa's for a couple nights and of course he apologized profusely and said he'd stop drinking and I believed him. I went back to him and he stopped for about a month. Then he started again but it was even worse than the last time. It was every weekend he'd go out drinking and every Sunday he'd be too hung over to carry a conversation with. When he was sober I'd bring it up and we'd break into these awful, awful fights that would terrify me."

At this point she paused, and drew in a shaky breath, "He would say stuff Dimitri. About me. He would yell awful things about my body, my job, my personality. I wouldn't believe them at the time but later, his words would destroy me. I grew very unhappy….and I got kind of depressed. I cut myself off from everything, from Lissa, from you, from myself. I wanted out. I knew that our relationship was toxic and if I wanted to get my life back together then I had to get out, get a divorce. I was getting the papers together when I discovered he'd been cheating on me; I left as fast as I could and I've been staying at Lissa's. I told Jesse that I just needed to clear my head and of course he started the begging for me to come back but this time I stood my ground. He is an alcoholic and a cheater and I told him so. Tonight I thought he was going to be working late so I just went to get my stuff when there on our bed, he was having sex with another woman. Dimitri it's like all the emotions that I've kept bottled up for too long spilled to the surface and I lost it. I yelled louder than I have in my entire life; the woman ran out, we argued and that's when he grabbed my shoulders and shook me. I pushed him back…and-and he slapped me."

She said it deadpanned as if she was describing it as it happened to another person instead of herself. "I thought I had lost it before but I definitely lost it now. I hit and punched and kicked and threw things and yelled and then I ran out of there before he could come after me. I just needed to walk around, clear my head, I felt so lost, so angry, so defeated. And then it started to rain and I just started walking and I didn't realize where I was until I saw it was your apartment."

The flurry of different emotions ran through me again as I looked at Rose from across the table. I took her hands in mine, "Rose. Why didn't you come to me earlier? I could have helped you. I could have done something-anything."

"I don't know. I guess I just felt a little embarrassed and I didn't want to bother you. It was kind of a girl thing and I just didn't want to burden you with my problems." she said

Ouch. "Rose, we're best friends. You can tell me anything, nothing is ever too important when it comes to you. I'm always here for you. You should know that."

She sighed, "I know that now. I just-look I was in a really dark place and it made it hard to make what I believed to be would be the right decision. I'm sorry."

I didn't say anything for a while, focusing on caressing her hands within my own. "So, what are you going to do?"

She let out a short sarcastic laugh. "I have no clue. No damn clue. Divorce, I guess." she looked at me and again in those eyes I saw that loss, that hesitation.

"Well, you don't have to do anything right now. You can stay here for as long as you need to, it'll be okay."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Rose, I'm going to say it again just in case you forgot. You are my best friend. Never would you be bothering me and never would you be intruding."

She smiled lightly, "Can we watch old movies and eat ice cream like we used to?"

I laughed outright, "Of course we can. You get the movies. I'll clean up the kitchen."

"Good-you're doing the cleaning. I was secretly hoping you would." she said, smirking.

"I always do. Someway you always got out of it."

"Hey, you know me. I'll do anything but the dishes. Ugh, I hate it."

I rolled my eyes and smiled, "You're spoiled, you know that right?"

"I wouldn't call it spoiled, I would call it growing up with OCD Dimitri who did all the kitchen cleaning so I wouldn't have to."

"I am not OCD." I lied. She opened her mouth with another retort and I cut her off, "Pick out the movies before I change my mind and we clean up my apartment."

"Oooh scary." she teased, going to my movie drawer.

I don't know how long we stayed on the couch watching movies. It reminded me of our teen years so much I found myself filled with nostalgia. Our teen years where during school breaks or long weekends Rose and I would stay in my house's den from noon to night, watching movies. Sometimes when either or us was too lazy to put in another movie we would just stay in the dark talking talking about anything and everything. Nothing was off bounds, nothing was off limits; I felt as if those were such easier times when compared to the mess Rose was going through now.

Flashback

"Wait, why don't you like romance movies again?" I had asked, after a particular romance movie in which Rose spent the whole movie smirking and making snide remarks.

"They're so predictable. Boy and girl meet, boy and girl either hate each other or are best friends, boy and girl or boy or girl starts to date other people, boy or girl starts to get jealous or thinking about that other person to excess, one of them professes their feelings to only then be turned down, opposite companion realizes they can't live without them-bullshit-boy and girl profess their feelings at some big outing (usually a dance), they kiss, music plays. The end."

I laughed, "And what's wrong with that?"

"Real life isn't like that. Guys aren't that nice, they don't care and they definitely won't take the time to get to know you."

"Oh so it's all the guys fault?" I said, playing devil's advocate.

"No. It's the girls too, siting at home pining for some guy. If you want someone go out and get them, he can't read your mind."

"Rose, where in the world did you get such a cynical view?"

"Years and years of experience." she said, examining her nails nonchalantly.

"Wow a whole 17 years. Wise beyond your years."

"Hey, I can't help the wisdom that HE bestowed upon me." she said grinning.

I rolled my eyes, "Rose not all guys and girls are like that."

"Yes they are. Well-you're not. You're worse."

"Worse? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dimitri you're too nice. You're friendly with everyone so no girl could ever tell if you're flirting with her and you're so nice, girls will walk all over you, especially the mean ones."

I was floored, "I'm not being too nice. I'm being chivalrous, nothing wrong with that."

"I never said there was, but the girls that you're being "chivalrous" with, they're the complete opposite of that."

"What are you even talking about?"

"Oh God, come on Dimitri. Margo!"

"What about her?"

"What about her?! You're all sweet and innocent with her and that witch is anything but. She would love for you to fast fuck her in the stairwells, I bet." she replied.

"What? No."

"What? Yes. You just don't see it because you're too nice. You don't see the way she undresses you with her eyes." she said, suggestively waggling her eyebrows.

I was growing tired of the Dimitri's-too-nice game so I decided to spin the tables, "Okay, well what about you?"

"Oh I'm perfect." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"If by perfect you mean scare nice guys away then yep you're perfect."

"What? I don't do that."

"Yes, you do. You love the bad boys because they're the only ones that can keep up with your sarcastic remarks without leaving with a broken heart or leaving you with a broken heart. Mind you, it's because the bad boys don't have a heart."

She rolled her eyes, "I don't only go after bad boys."

"Yes, you do. It's like you're a challenge junkie, the more of a challenge, the more interested you are in them."

"Whatever."

"And you always end up hurt, because God knows these guys are not coming with the best intentions. Hmm and that's probably what fuels this cynical view of yours." I said

We sat in silence as she didn't reply and I felt a little bad because maybe I had been a little mean, but then she said, "You can always keep up with my sarcastic remarks."

"That's because I've known you for practically my whole life, so I know how your sarcasm is. I can deal with it."

We sat in more silence as she looked down at her hands. As I always was, I was surprised by how comfortable our silence was. With others silence may have been uncomfortable or awkward but with Rose it never was, it was simply comfortable.

"Dimitri, I've decided I never want to get married."

I laughed, "No one's forcing you too. Besides you don't have to do it now."

"No I'm serious. I'm not getting married. Not now-not ever, it's too messy and too complicated and I just don't want that in my life."

"Okay. Whatever you say. You could always end up changing your mind."

"Nope." she said, shaking her head. "I won't and if I ever do, you have to stop me because I obviously won't be in my right mind."

I looked at her truly expecting her to crack a smile or a laugh or anything to let me know that this was a joke, but Rose sat there dead-panned in her decision.

"Okay." I replied.

"You'll stop me if I ever try to get married."

"Yes."

"You promise.

"Yes Rose, I promise."

"Pinky swear." she said, scooting closer to me on the couch and sticking out her pinky. She was close enough that I could smell the lavender and vanilla lotion she was so fond of using. I'm not going to lie, smelling her scent, knowing she was that close to me, thrilled me in a new and confusing way. I stomped out that thought, focusing on what she had asked me to do.

"I promise and I pinky swear." I said, linking my pinky with hers. It was there looking into her eyes as she grinned, that I made a promise I really should have planned on keeping.