Whooo! Guess you don't have to wait that extra day, eh?

Due to high demand, I put a lot of Dimitri in this chapter.

Only a little Jas. And you'll probably all send hate mail in his direction.

Disclaimer: I am not Richelle Mead blah blah blah but I own Jas. So no touchy.

I stopped myself just before I ran face first into a wall of brick-hard flesh. "Oh! Hi, Dimitri. You really shouldn't stand so directly in the doorway. Someone might get hurt."

He ignored my comment, instead fixing me with a stare. "So," he said, all nonchalant, "You've been hanging out with that Jas kid," he said Jas's name like 'Jazz'.

So, he's been spying on us. "It's Jay-zzz not Jazz. And why do you care?" I crossed my arms.

"I don't like him."

"Oh? Why don't you like him?" This ought to be good.

"I just don't like him." Brilliant, Dimitri. I thought you had a more creative lying spirit.

"So… you don't like him because… you just don't like him. Am I correct?"

"Yeah, basically. You shouldn't hang around with him." Oh, so he was telling me what to do now?

"You're not my mentor anymore, Dimitri. Stay out of business if it bothers you so much. If I want to hang out with Jas, I will." Guess I'm going to have to actually hang out with him now… damn spite.

"I may not be your mentor, but I am more experienced than you. Trust me, don't fraternize with the likes of him."

"Oh, you're more 'experienced' with Jas then? Please tell," I joked.

He rolled his eyes at me. "He's not reliable. You can't trust him."

"Unlike you, right?"

He looked away, raking a hand through his hair, which was down today, curling around his ears. Uber sexy. "Look, Ro-ach," he caught himself, looking back at me. "I'm sorry about what I said back there, okay? Emotions were running high and… if it got the message through than at least something good came out of it, right?"

I shook my head. "If 'something good' means me hating your guts, you shredding my heart and me finally getting that you're a total ass, then yes. Something good came out of it."

He looked guilty and slightly pained. Like it hurt to hear that I hated him. He nodded, looking like he was grasping for words. "Good." Right… "Well, just don't hang out with Jas. He makes his way around."

"I know those types. I used to be one, remember? It doesn't matter anyways. Once Sydney calls with some information, we have to head out." I shrugged, maybe now was a time to push my luck, "But if something does come out of it, maybe I'll invite him along." I bit back a smile at his shocked expression.

"How can you even think that? He knows you as 'Rach' not as Rose! He can't be trusted. You think he'll just come along with no explanation what-so-ever? We can't go out just giving that information away! It could get you killed!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "No need to overreact, Dimitri. Don't want to accidently act like you care." I moved to go around him, but he caught my arm and pushed me back against the door. My heart started pounding against my chest and moving upwards towards my throat. Breathing became suddenly harder, from the closeness to Dimitri's body, the tension growing between us, his scary dominance or the fact that his face just looked… scary, I can't be sure.

Dimitri's words came out in a growl, "Don't think that just because I don't love you, doesn't mean I don't care."

"But only for Lissa, right? You only care about me because you know Lissa does." My voice was a little breathless and came out more of a wispy accusation than anything else.

His right hand shot beside my head, slapping the door behind me. The tremors increased my heart rate. What was he getting so pissed about? Did I finally find his button? "No! I care about you because you are you and I owe you so much after what I made you go through."

I stood a bit straighter, finding my full voice again and shoving my heart out of throat. "You owe me? I don't want your pity or your guilt," I spat. "I want you to care because you legitimately care."

He took in a deep breath, as if he was holding something in. "I do, Roza, I do." Calm and in control. But a tad breathless.

"Prove it," I whispered. "Prove it."

I took into account how close we were just then. His forehead hovered just centimetres away from mine and he looked into my eyes. One hand beside my head the other by my hip. Our legs barely touched but I felt the slight touch of his knee on my thigh. We stood there, just staring at each other for god knows how long. Our breath intermingled, his smelling of fresh mint. I wasn't sure if the expression on his face meant he wanted to hit me senseless or kiss me. His left hand gripped my forearm lightly, his fingers tracing tingling patterns on the back, making the hairs stand on end. Suddenly, Viktoria's plan didn't seem so unreasonable. In fact, it was working better than she probably thought. Who would have thought such a badass Guardian would succumb to jealousy so quickly? I waited for someone to yell "PHYCH!" but when no one did, I started to lean my forehead closer to his…

The door slammed against the back of my head, causing me to call out in shock and pain and Dimitri took a step back to lessen the impact of door plus Rose against Russian God. I looked behind me, glaring at the person responsible for the goose egg on the back of my head and the destroyer of the about to be best moment of my life.

Jas.

Oh, how I hated him at that moment.

"What the hell? Ever heard of knocking?"

"Well, after all that shouting, when things got suddenly quiet I was concerned for someone's safety." He looked over us, probably knowing what was just about to happen. He probably knew it when he opened the door too. "But it seems all is well." He sounded way too happy for a guy that suppose to help get me and Dimitri, er Dimitri and I, back together.

"Don't worry, I don't go down without a fight," Dimitri said, a pointed look at Jas. I caught the second meaning.

"Well, that's good. I know Rach doesn't either." Jas smiled at Dimitri, pretending he didn't just hear the possible threat, and then turned to me. "We still on for dinner tomorrow? I really can't wait."

Wait, what? I expressed my confusion, "What are you tal-,"

Viktoria burst down the stairs, "Ohhh! Rachy's got a date? Come on, we gotta pick out your outfit!" She grabbed my arm and started dragging me before I got in another word. And even if I did, the one person that I wanted to hear them wasn't there anymore. Seriously, there has to be a limit to how many times a guy can go out running in one day. Even for a Russian God.

XXX

"I thought the point of Jas was to get Dimitri and I together. Right now, I think he's bringing us apart," I complained as I watched Viktoria go through all my clothes and picking out all the ones Lissa had picked in the "Good Possibilities" pile.

"And why do you think that?" she asked, not even looking up from a pair of strappy heels.

I flopped onto my stomach, staring at her. "He totally ruined the moment we were having! I swear he was going to kiss me!"

She laughed and shook her head. "Dimka wouldn't give in that quickly. He held out for a hell of a long time when you were his student. I doubt his control is much different." She threw a lacy top into the "Good" pile. Along with a pair of Jeggings.

I groaned and rolled onto my back, looking at her upside down, my head over the edge of the bed. "I think he's on very thin ice with me, control wise, now that I've broken it once."

"Don't give him such little credit. Besides, he deserves to mull in the pain of jealousy. He let you roll in the pain of lost love. Rejection after hard labour."

I nodded, seeing her logic. "True. I think I like the way you think… but what if he changes his mind and actually, you know, gets over me?"

She chuckled. "Dimitri? Give up? No way. What guy did you fall in love with?" She had an answer for everything... just like Dimitri. "Now," she threw a bunch of clothes at me. "Try these on. I want to see if it looks good."

"Everything looks good on me."

"Don't get cocky with me."

XXX

I wasn't sure if I was happy or sad that Adrian was still ignoring me. It sure as hell made it easier to try to get Dimitri back but at the same time it made me sad that I lost such a good guy in my life. Even though I knew we'd have to part someday, I didn't think, or want, it to end this way. With me being disloyal. With me betraying him. Maybe, someday, he'll forgive me. But that might be harder. Anger was easier to deal with. Sometimes I wish I didn't have two guys fighting over my heart. Life would be so much easier if I had just focused all my time and energy into protecting Lissa. If I had just accepted my Dhampir fate and never fell in love. Twice. I wouldn't have gotten distracted.

I guess it's true what the Guardians say: Hesitation will kill you. Distraction may kill everyone.

Oh, hell. Does that mean I just condemned all the people I loved? Well, I already condemned Dimitri… and Mason… Two down, one to go. And then me. Heck, maybe I'll drag Lissa down with me.

I'm on a very depressing roll.

This chapters shorter than they have been in a while because I spent so much time thinking of Dimitri's jealous rant that I forgot to think ahead... and I finished writing this at 11pm so I was too tired to continue Dx

Maybe if you review lots I'll make it longer… :D BRIBERY! (any fun ideas for Jas's and Rose's dinner...?)

And thanks for all the get well wishes! I think they may have worked since I am feeling better this morning :D But it's only 10:20 am so who knows, it might go downhill... O_o

xoxo Darla