~ Chapter Three ~

I drop my hand from my place on his cheek, disbelief flooding my senses.

I stare at him, everything about him doesn't look as gorgeous, sexy, and amazing as it had just seconds ago. I know that, despite my mind's refusal to believe it, my eyes are wet; my tear ducts are going overload. I lightly push Dimitri and take a few steps back myself. Anything to get away from what he had just said. Is this real? Did Dimitri really just say something like that? No, I think to myself. It can't be possible. . . can it?

Dimitri closes the gap between us, reaching up to touch my chin, raising my head to look at him. I refuse to though, drooping my eyes so that I'm staring at the floor. I can't face something that feels so unreal.

"Roza," He bends down so that I have no choice but to look at him, his strong hand still propping up my chin.

"No," I say, throwing myself backwards. "Don't call me that. Please, don't ever call me that again, Dimitri. Never."

His beautiful dark eyes stare at me.

"Rose, please," he says in a soothing voice.

I can barely feel the tears dripping down my cheek, falling off my skin and on to some other surface. I furiously wipe at the stupid tears. I'm not weak. No, never have I been weak.

"Dimitri," I warn, "please, don't say anything."

"Just hear me out, Rose," he says. "You need to know-"

I shake my head. "Who?"

"What?"

"Who!" I shout at him. "Why are you leaving? For whom are you leaving me for?"

"I'm going to be Tasha's guardian," Dimtri whispers softly. And like that, I feel myself melt from his grasp.

"No, Dimitri," I say. "You're not just going to be her guardian. You're leaving. . . forever, maybe. What happened to you wanting to protect Lissa?"

"Rose-"

"No!" I yell, fuming. "It's my turn to talk. So. Yeah, you remember Lissa? The last living Dragomir? The one you always wanted to protect What happened to that, Dimitri! Did that disappear from your mind as soon as Tasha offered you that position! Isn't that true, Dimitri?"

"No, Rose," he replies. "It's not. I'm still making up my decision. Lissa needs protection, and you're the one for it. I know that she needs you. You doesn't need me, Rose. She never has. Only you. You're bonded to her, with her. I'm not, and as much as you might want to deny the inevitable, you have to be her guardian. But me? I'm not like that; it's not about me. It's about Lissa and you."

"Don't you dare bring that crap about Lissa and I being bonded into this, Belikov!" I shout. "This isn't about her. No, it's about you. You and your decision to leave everything behind."

"You'll understand one day, Rose."

"I understand now," I fume. "It's all clear now. Just go, Dimitri. Leave me, okay? Take the offer. See if I care."

"Rose!" He yells, but he doesn't have a chance at catching me before I turn on my heel and storm out of the gym. I don't care anymore. I don't care if Dimitri leave. Who cares anymore?

I hear Dimitri scream my name once more as I run through down the path to my dorm. I brush away the tears that now soak my face. I hate my tear ducts for that, for letting me cry however many tears I have. It's ridiculous, how childish I may seem. But this involves me, Dimitri, and Tasha. Dimitri told me something that just broke my heart, and it stings every time I think about the words that he so easily said.

I think that over and over, rolling it around in my mind.

Footsteps pace behind me. If it's him. . .

I turn around and slap the crap out of the guy behind me. The face I just slapped looks completely startled, stunned.

"What the-" he holds his hand up to his red cheek and yells, "what the heck, Rose!"

Christian Ozera. Figures.

I wipe away any remaining tears. I don't care if I cry. As long as it's not in front of Christian; him of all people. "Oh, sorry. . . I'm. . . sort of in a rush right now."

"So you just go around slapping everyone?" He shouts at me.

"Just shut up, Christian." I whisper lowly, rolling my eyes.

"Rose," Christian says, suddenly noticing my crumbling appearance. "What's wrong with you?"

"Lots of things." I realize something, and narrow my eyes. "Why are you creeping up behind people, anyways?"

"Oh, please," Christian waves his hand. "That wasn't even me trying to be sneaky. If I had been, you wouldn't have noticed me."

"Whatever. What do you want, Christian?"

"Forget it, Hathaway," Christian says. "I have nothing to say to you now."

"That's the best thing you've said all week," I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest and shaking my head so my hair falls over my face. Even though I've long since stopped crying by now, I'm sure my face is still red.

"Rose, are you okay?" Christian asks, sounding sincere. Almost concerned in a way.

"Yes, I'm fine." I say. ". . . . Thanks."

"Yeah, well, it's the least I can do."

I start to drift off, thinking about something. I look behind Christian's shoulder at the lights of the gym. I feel beside me and curse under my breath. "Crap, I forgot my gym bag."

"Are you even listening to me?"

I shake my head. "No not really."

Exasperated, Christian turns away from me and starts walking the direction of the gym. It takes me a minute to realize what he is doing.

"Don't go in there," I say and run to catch him. He walks at a steady pace, and it's easy for me to do the same.

Christian raises an eyebrow and says, "why not?"

I bite my lip. "Just don't. . . don't go through the trouble. I'll get it later."

Christian sighs. "Well, next time I see you, you better have gotten it."

"I will, Christian," I reassure him. "I'll get it when I have the time."

"You don't have the time now?"

I shake my head. "Not particularly."

"Okay," Christian says and we stand in silence for a minute. I'm startled when Christian suddenly and unexpectedly breaks into a run, towards the gym.

"Christian, no!" I yell, running after him. Before I can catch him, he bursts open the door to the gym and disappears inside. I give an exasperated sigh, out of breath and tired beyond belief.

Christian comes back a few minutes later, shoving a gym bag, my gym bag, into my open hand. I look up to see Christian walk away with an annoyed, but pride-filled look on his face. I huff and catch up to him.

"Was anybody in there?" I ask, curious to see if Dimitri is still lingering in there.

"Heck if I know," he replies. "I just grabbed the bag and got out of there."

I give a low scowl. "Don't you think it would have been nice to at least check?"

He shrugs. "Not my problem."

"If Strigoi would have been in there, it would have been your problem," I point out.

"Whatever," Christian mumbles and walks in the opposite direction of where I'm going.

"Hey, Christian!" I yell after him. When he turns, I say, "tell Lissa I said hey."

He nods. "Sure thing, Hathaway. I'll tell her everything."

By the time he says that, I'm turned around and walking back to my dorm. I swivel on my heel and stare at him icredulously. "You most certainly will not!"

"You're not my mother," Christian says, and for a second a pained expression flashes across his face. I know exactly why. His parents had turned Strigoi willingly, and he had experienced that tramautic event. I wonder what it's like to have someone you love so much turn into a blood-sucking, murdering monster.

"Besides," Christian adds, "you need help."

"I do not." I spit at him a little too defensively.

He sighs. "Tell that to your tear-stained face, Rose."

"Oh, whatever!" I yell at him.

As he turns away and starts to walk, whistling a catchy tune, he looks over his shoulder and, with a wink, says, "get over yourself, Hathaway."

"Get over the fact that you think you can boss me around," I tell him all the same.

I play around with my bow-tie pasta. I don't exactly know the real name of the type of noodles, but bow-ties seem really close, I think. Lissa glances at me on several occasions. I really think she is trying to read my mind. I shove the tray away from me and let my head fall into my arms.

"Rose?" Lissa's voice is small, probably misunderstanding what's going on with me. I doubt anyone knows what I'm going through, except for Dimitri.

"Leave it alone, Lissa," I mutter.

"Okay," she doesn't push for answers, and I'm grateful for that.

I look up at her, pushing my plate into the middle of the table; I'm done. "Well, you need to eat. . . drink. . . . whatever you vampires say."

"Don't say the V word, please." She looks up at me and my expression that shows concern, worry. Lissa shakes her head and whispers, "besides, I'm not hungry."

"Yes you are," I watch her eyes reach mine, giving her a small, reassuring smile. "You'll be starving by the time dinner comes around."

"I believe," says Lissa, "that I am satisfied with the amount of blood I drank this morning."

With everything going on in Rose-world, I really don't feel like dealing with this now. Especially since I know that Dimitri is one of the guardians lining the walls. I don't dare look around, knowing that he is probably watching me right back. Truthfully, I want nothing to do with him today, or tomorrow, or even next week. I might not even show up at practice today.

"There are starving vampires all over the world," I say. "And I don't want you, Lissa Dragomir, to be one of them."

Lissa crosses her arms and sticks her nose in the air. "You said it yourself. You said my name. I am a Moroi princess and you can't make me eat anything!"

I growl and say, "don't play that Moroi princess crap on me."

And even then Lissa doesn't budge.

"Lissa, please," I beg.

"I'm not hungry, Rose," says Lissa.

"Well you must eat something. Otherwise you'll go crazy wild. And we wouldn't want that, would we, Rose?"

My entire body tenses. That voice wasn't mine; it was Tasha Ozera's.