Hmm. Well, I decided to do something a little different and post chapters that actually belong to the right story. I am, once again, sorry for posting the wrong chapter! It was for another one of my stories.

Hope you enjoy the change of pace!

I awaken the next morning, the sun streaming in from the window. For a moment, it feels as though I've never left the Belikov household. Perhaps this past year has been a dream.

But I creep down the stairs and see Dimitri at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of tea.

Tea.

I sneak down the rest of the way, hoping to scare him, and flop down on the chair across from him. "Morning!"

He nods to me, as if he heard me all along. "Good morning."

The air around us is tense and uncomfortable. It's like we can barely speak to each other, like each time we get close, he suddenly realizes what he's doing and quickly pulls away. To ease the steady tension, I get back up, scurrying around the kitchen, making myself a bowl of porridge.

I can feel him watching me, every move. Sometimes I want to shake him, tell him he's being an idiot, but I stay silent, sitting down and digging my spoon into the bowl, I pretend not to see his gaze.

"Rose," he whispers, "Thank you."

I nearly choke on my breakfast. "What? What for?"

He sighs, reaching across the table, gently placing his palm over mine. "For standing up for me. My grandmother can be...harsh, but she always has a point."

"Yeah, harsh to put it lightly."

"I'm sorry you had to get caught up in this. I'm sorry you had to get hurt."

I jerk my hand away. "I didn't have to get hurt, Dimitri. You made that choice."

"Good morning!" Olena says brightly, walking into the kitchen.

Dimitri immediately stands without another look at me and walks out of the room.

I sigh, looking back into my bowl. No apology. Not a I'm sorry I hurt you. But no, it wasn't his fault. Not if I had to get hurt. God, he acted like it was unavoidable, like he had no role in what happened.

"Roza," she whispered. "What's going on between you and Dimka?" It was blunt, straightforward and honest, but I expected nothing less from her.

I sigh. "It's complicated."

Olena smiles. "It always is. You seemed so in love with him the last time you were here. Now, you two barely look at each other." She grabs my hand in her own. "Is there someone else, Roza?"

I cannot believe Dimitri's mom just asked me that. I mean, she's his mother. Yet, she seems kind of cool with it, like if I were her own daughter.

"No," I admit. "But Dimitri's the one who broke it off."

Understanding flashes across her features. "Oh. That explains my mother's anger."

I nod. "Yeah, I guess."

"I apologize, Rose. I know she can be harsh. But she has odd ways of testing people."

I sink into my chair. "But look what it did to him."

She gives me a sad smile. "And look how happy it made him when you defended him."

I shrug. "Not happy enough, apparently."

I feel childish, stupid, like a spoiled teen who wasn't getting what she wanted.

Olena pats my hand. "He'll come around. He always does."

My whole heart begging her to be right, I nod, and rise from my chair, getting ready for the day.

...

"Rosemarie Hathaway!" A voice shouts from downstairs. I quickly jump down the stairs, practically flying down the steps, and instinctively tense, ready to fight.

But Viktoria stands there, hands on her hips, waiting. I raise my brows at her, but she only smiles.

"Finally. We're going to go and see Nikolai!"

I laugh. "Are you two dating yet?"

She blushes and shakes her head. "No."

"Where-"

But the vibration of my phone in my pocket makes me pause. I quickly pull it out and answer it, ignoring the questioning gazes, especially from Dimitri, who sits on the couch, book in hand.

"Hello?"

"Little Dhampir! What. The Hell."

I bite my lip, feeling guilty despite his jesting tone. "Hey, Adrian."

I quickly pivot, so I cannot see Dimitri's expression, cradling the phone.

"Do you know," he scolds playfully. "How worried I was?"

"By the sounds of it, not at all."

Being the weird, mood swinging man he is, his tone changes in a heartbeat. "Rose, I was so worried. Are you alright?"

I nod, for some stupid reason, as this conversation is taking place over the phone. "Yeah, Adrian. Dimitri found me."

"So you're with him? Alone?"

I smile again. "No. Are you jealous?"

He snorts. "Of course not. He's no competition."

I laugh back. "Look, if you keep phoning me from Russia, you're going to give me quite the phone bill."

"I'm paying for it."

I can barely refrain from laughing. "That you do. But Viktoria Belikova is dragging me to meet some of her friends."

"Hey!" Viktoria cries.

"Her very interesting, awesome friends!" I exclaim, for Viktoria's benefit.

Adrian chuckles. "I do believe you're trying to ditch me."

"Never."

He snorts, and I can just imagine him rolling his eyes. "Sure. Well, better go, Little Dhamp. Glad to see you're alright. Stay safe, Rose."

"Bye Adrian."

And he's gone. I turn back to the Belikovs, all of them seeming to be watching Dimitri, who has returned to his book, although his eyes are not moving across the page.

"So... Who was that?" Viktoria asks, trying to be nonchalant. I roll my eyes.

"Adrian Ivashkov."

Viktoria's eyes narrow, ever so slightly. She had heard rumours of our dating, but now that her brother was back, she didn't seem to think to highly of it.

"Well, shouldn't we go?"

Viktoria drags me out the door, walking briskly, hands shoved into her pockets.

"What?" I ask, knowing that look, fearing that look.

She sighs. "I wish you just take Dimitri back. He misses you, it's pretty obvious."

I almost choke on the cold winter air. "Take him back? Take him back! He's the one who broke it off! Totally not my fault! Why does everyone assume that it's me? I didn't travel across the globe and back just to break up with him!"

Viktoria freezes. "I just thought... Well whatever, you should talk to him. He needs you. He's lonely."

"Then get him a dog," I propose, knowing that I sounded sour, but not really caring. Even I am surprised. I had fearlessly defended this man, and now I was acting like a dumped, angry teenager.

Viktoria raises a brow, a single brow.

"What?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing," she replies. "I just can't believe you actually said that. I mean, really."

I groan. "Viktoria, I am so not getting into my love life with you."

"Why not? You know about mine!"

"It's your brother!" I shoot back. "Unless you want to know all the dirty details, because there was this one time-"

Viktoria claps her hands over her ears, just like I knew she would. "Alright! You win! Please, I'd rather not hear any dirty details about him. I still see him as my twelve-year-old brother who let me follow him around like a puppy."

I laugh. "He sounded like quite the brother," I point out.

She smiles, tears in her eyes. "Yeah. He was my best friend. I used to stalk him, follow him around everywhere. I was thirteen when he left for the United States." She shook her head. "He only phoned three or four times the whole time he was there. The first few, he didn't seem to like it very much. Said the buildings were all boxy and there wasn't anything to look at. I dunno. But the last call was a few months before he was turned, and his perspective definately changed. I would love to go there, just to see."

I nod, but the feeling within me flutters. A few months before he was turned.

When I was at the academy.

I have a plan on where this story's going, but for anyone who has any ideas on what they want to happen, PM me! I'd love to hear from you!