(Third Person POV)
Adrian stood in the doorway, cigarette between his lips staring unblinkingly at Lissa like Christian wasn't even there.
"Adrian," Lissa breathed.
She pulled her white leather coat tight around her but couldn't seem to make her feet move.
"I thought we had a date. I presume you have a good reason for being here instead of with me," Adrian inquired barely giving Christian a glance.
Christian had made it into Lissa's family as a potential buyer and dealer for Eric Dragomir as his cover but he had yet to be given the pleasure of meeting Adrian.
As far as he was concerned Adrian didn't even know Christian existed.
Christian knew he was apart of a mob family too but they had yet to be handed their case file.
"Lissa was just here working a personal problem out for her father since he's out of town," Christian said thinking quickly.
"Really? And what might that be?"
He was still looking at Lissa who stood dumbstruck behind Christian.
"Maybe you didn't hear the part about it being a 'personal' problem," Christian said.
"I think I want Lissa to tell me herself. Lissa?"
She stood still behind Christian trembling.
Christian realized why she wasn't moving.
She was scared of Adrian.
Lissa had told him earlier that she'd always been loyal and obedient when it came to her family and Adrian. Missing a date with Adrian was a great offence in his eyes.
Lissa's mouth opened.
"I-"
She couldn't get the words out. Christian wanted to help her and protect her but there was only so much he could do without blowing his cover. And right now, keeping the case took more priority, even if it was the hardest decision to make.
"Come Lissa, we'll talk about this in private. I suppose I'll be seeing you again," Adrian added looking at Christian at last.
Lissa moved from around Christian hesitantly and took a hold of Adrian's extended hand.
She gave Christian one fleeting glance before they left, Christian's front door slamming behind them.
Christian ran a hundred different scenarios through his mind about what Adrian could do to her for breaking a date.
Christian couldn't go after them though. He was a little drunk him self still.
Not only that but his earlier conversation with Lissa ran through his head. She'd choose Adrian if it meant saving her own life instead of Christian.
All was fair.
At least that's what he thought before crashing down on the couch, the liquor taking full effect making him fall asleep.
DPOVI've spent a lot of time with Rose in last few weeks.
I've grown used to her mood swings; I've seen her happy, sad, and angry all in one day.
But seeing her like this was different.
I've never seen her this excited.
I've never seen anyone this excited.
She jumped up and down on the balls of her feet when we were waiting for the park gates to open.
"I can't wait! I've never been to an amusement park before! We have to go on everything and look for all of the costume characters and go to every land!"
I didn't bother responding until she got all of it out of her system.
"We'll get to everything, Roza."
She had stopped bouncing to look up at me.
"Did you just call me Roza?"
"It's your name in Russian," I told her smiling. She beamed up at me.
"I like it. Roza," she said testing it out on her own ears. Satisfied with how it sounded, she shifted topics. "So where are we going first?"
"Umm…that would be up to you."
I handed her a map when we walked through the park gates and her eyes widened a good few inches. She looked at it like it could sure her where treasure was.
"There're so many places to choose from. Why don't we just make our way as we go along?"
We went through every land twice. The lines were short because it was the middle of the week and we ended up riding Who Framed Roger Rabbit three times by noon.
"I love it here. It's like it's its own world."
"I think that's the point," I laughed as we made our way past It's a Small World.
"I'm sorry, I'm going a little crazy," she apologized blushing.
"It's okay. I went through the same thing when I came here with my family."
"Paul and Zoya went wild huh?"
"No my sister Victoria did."
She laughed at that.
"You weren't excited Dimitri? It's the happiest place on earth!" She shouted smiling and twirling nearly bumping into anyone passing by. I would have been embarrassed by her outright loudness but she was just so cute I couldn't help but laugh.
"I don't really get excited about things, about anything. My mother says its one of my flaws."
"Dimitri Belikov has flaws?" she teased linking her arm through my own. "I thought you were perfect."
"I'm anything but," I replied serious.
"What flaws could you possibly have?"
"I have an entire list made out for me by my mother, grandmother and Christian."
She giggled. "And they would be?"
"I isolate my self from people, I'm not as outgoing as I used to be, I rarely show excitement or emotion. Need I go on or are those enough for you."
She smiled and leaned into my arm.
"I think you're perfect."
I looked over at her and met those big brown eyes, lit by the few sunlight rays peeping through the clouds.
She looked pretty perfect her self but that wasn't something I could say out loud.
"Thank you. But everyone has flaws."
"Even me?" she asked feigning mock surprise.
"Yes. Your choice of clothing on such a cold day."
She looked down at her mint grin shorts, her white spaghetti strapped top and the jean jacket I made her put on.
"These are the clothes I imagined my self at Disney Land in and these are the clothes I'm wearing so get over it," she said punching my arm again smiling. "Just be happy I didn't wear my sandals and I put on these tennis shoes."
We walked through the park and made another round of Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and every food stand along the way. By the time we made it to the Haunted Mansion, the ride she wanted to put off to the last minute, Rose had one of those take home Disney refill cups, a Mini Mouse hat, a goofy sticker on either side of her cheeks, and a light saver in her bag.
"We should get our faces painted or our portraits drawn," she said as we made our way inside the Haunted Mansion. She looked up and around as the room darkened and filled with more people. She was scared of the dark and enclosed spaces but she insisted on going on every rider even if it meant facing her fears.
"Maybe when we leave here we'll do one of those," I said trying to distract her.
"Or we can find one of those photo booths where you take like ten little small picture for your wallet."
She couldn't stop looking around her.
She hadn't seen anything for a few hours now about seeing someone following us like she had last night but I'd catch her every so often looking over her shoulder or staring into space for a really long time. She brush it odd and say it was nothing but I knew she was worried we were always being followed.
"That sounds like fun too," I said turning her toward me.
She buried her face into my jacket so she wouldn't look around or see the darkness.
I felt her relax in my arms, the same way she had last night on the patio.
She gripped my shirt tight when we started moving to the hallway when the doors opened.
"It's over, Roza. You can look up now."
She lifted head but didn't let go.
I was glad she didn't.
I'd kept telling my self that being with Rose wasn't right but this weekend was about forgetting problems and just being happy like Rose had said.
I had to admit it though.
I liked the feel of her in my arms and being the one who made her feel safe and being her protector.
"You know, we can leave if you want." I pointed to the exits.
"No. I want to go on every ride. Including this one. I just have to face my fears."
"You plan on facing your fears in my jacket," I teased.
That got a smile out of here.
We went through the entire ride, Rose holding onto me so tight that when she did let go at the end of the ride, I felt like I'd lost apart of my self.
"I can mark that off of my 'Things To Do' list," she said exhaling.
"I think you can mark all of the rides off of your 'Things to Do' list. We've been on everything, seen every show and eaten at every restaurant. What do you want to do next?"
"The fireworks," she said clapping her hands together excitedly.
She reached for my hand and tugged me along the roped path that led to the Mark Twain Island where the Disney show and fireworks could be seen.
It was already crowded with people but we got a good spot leaning against one of the pillars that gated the island and the water around it without blocking anyone's view.
I couldn't resist pulling Rose against me when I sat along the railing of the pillar. She leaned in easily to me and relaxed the way she had each time I wrapped my arms around her.
The fireworks started and her eyes lit up.
I handed her my camera so she could take pictures.
She watched the fireworks and I watched her.
The show and the lights and the parade that followed were spectacular but see the soft, barely there smile on her face was so much better and so was the feeling of know that I was the one who put it there.
It all ended half past midnight.
"Did you have enough fun for one day?"
I asked leaning up.
She nodded and yawned.
"I hope we have more fun at California Adventure tomorrow."
I chuckled and took the camera from her hands and tucked it into her bag.
Everyone was headed for the parking lot or the hotels since the park was closing.
The crowd thinned out around us as I put my hands underneath Rose's legs and lifted her up into my arms.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and drifted in and out of sleep as I carried her out of the park
I managed to lay her down in her bed with much of a struggle.
She was still in and out of sleep and smiled up at me.
"Thank you Dimitri. For everything," she mumbled tired.
"Anytime Roza."
I pulled her shoes off and her sweater and tucked her into the covers.
"Sleep tight."
RPOV
I bolted up right, half awake from my nightmare.
It took a moment for it to all come back to me and for yester day to come back.
I had a dream the same as yesterday: Dimitri and I were at Disney Land having fun, only I couldn't enjoy it because everywhere we were, I kept looking over my shoulder seeing someone watching us from a distance. I'd try to point it out to Dimitri but the person would already be gone.
It was just like real life.
I shook and trembled even though I was under layers of blankets, my voice shaking.
Dimitri came into the room a few seconds after, flicking on the lamp beside my bed, still fully dressed without his jacket and shoes.
"Bad dream?" he asks already knowing the answer.
I nodded.
He tucked my hair behind my ears.
"Can you just stay with me until I fall asleep?"
He hesitated only a moment before nodding.
I moved over in my bed so he could lie beside me. He flicked the lamp off and slid in behind me. I scooted my body as close to him as possible which I think caught him off guard a little.
After a few minutes he laid his hand on my waist and tugged on it the rest of the way so that his arm wrapped all the way around me, secure.
I felt his warmth, his arm tight around me, and his chest each time he breathed.
It was the safest I felt in a long time.