Hello everyone! I was supposed to put this up earlier, but I follow a strict rule of making at least 2 draft chapters in my comp before putting the next one..so yeah..here it is..thank you for the encouraging reviews! shout out for those who have stayed by the side of this story! Thank you thank you! soooo much! for the readers and reviewers who seems to make me try harder for a better chapter! thank you! I hope that you'll never get tired of this story:)

Next time, I'm gonna give a shout out for those loyal readers and reviewers (sorry, i'm in a rush right now..lol) and the unlimited alerts..you make my days guys!

check out my profile for other stories and outside blogs..

and also, in the bottom of this story, I'm gonna answer all your questions...so next time, feel free to ask, and I'll try to answer them without revealing the mysteries and surprises of this story..feel free to ask..may it be about this story or personal questions..

I am also really sorry for neglecting you guys:( my readers and reviewers. For the inconsistent updates and the reviews I didn't reply to:( Wish that I was a better writer for you...Sorry again guys:(

love

AudenPaige0.o

Chapter 12

"Rose…Rose!...ROSE!...Wait up!"

I heard the calls and yells after me coming from Adrian and Lissa, mostly from the former, but I did not dare turn back and let them see my face.

After getting back to our room, I grabbed my bag and proceeded to the rooftop where our plane was waiting for us. After getting on my sit, everyone else was probably in their rooms grabbing their things as of the moment, I quickly told the people in the plane not to let anyone disturb me and then proceeded to pretend to fall asleep.

I think that I really fall asleep, because when I opened my eyes, I was in a tropical beach, the hot sand in my toes and the sun feeding its rays in my skin. I then heard the very voice I dreaded the most.

" Feels good huh?" I felt him sit beside me since my face was facing the sun with closed eyes.

"You know what Adrian?" I started.

"Hmm…?"

"I have always wondered why since we began seeing each other, you never once tried to invade my dreams." I smiled, finally looking up at him.

"I'm proud of you big guy…finally resisted the urge to see me half naked." Then I glanced down at my costume: bikini top with short denim shorts.

"Well, at least for a moment back there, you resisted." I smiled cheekily at him then nudged him playfully. He wasn't buying it. But still collected his thoughts to answer me.

"I thought you already realized it…but" He smiled haughtily.

"Can I be cheesy? " He lightly asked.

"Feel free to do so…But, just this once." I warned him.

"Okay…I've heard this quote millions of times already. But, you see, when you get this feeling, whatever this feeling residing within this," he pointed at his chest, "you would not fall asleep that easily, because for the first time, in a really, really long time, reality is starting to feel brighter and nicer than your dreams could ever imagine." His cheeks were tinged with just a hint of red in them.

My heart stopped for a moment. I waited for him to get to the punchline. But after a moment of seeing his clear, steady and serious face-

I smacked the back of my hand in his chest.

"Cheesy much dude?" I told him.

"Hey, I was permitted to be so." We both let out peals of laughter. But he suddenly stopped and stared at me.

He stroked my hair away from my face.

"What's going on Rose?" He looked at me right in the eye, now both of his hands are steadily but gently holding my face in front of his.

"It's nothing, really." I shrugged.

"Nothing is usually something you know." He replied frankly, stroking his thumbs in my cheeks.

"It's a nothing-nothing you know." I replied evenly.

"Rose..." He started after a moment while he took my hand in his. I quickly pulled it back and regarded his face. I turned my eyes back to the glittering ocean then sighed.

"Adrian, what do you call this?" I cast my eyes down.

"This? Which? The dream? The ocean?" He looked taken aback by my question.

I then took his hand in mine."This-this." I said solemnly. His eyes widened at the sight of our comfortably joined hands. He then gently took our joined hands in front of his face, and then ever so lightly kissed the back of my hand.

I wanted to pull my hand away from his gentle lips. The way he kissed it ever so lightly and sincerely touched a certain part in me that I never knew I could feel in my life. But while I was having an internal turmoil of thoughts of fear and affection, I never had once the will power to pull that hand away from the warmth he was giving to me.

"I just put everything out, well as much us you let me though." He said softly behind my hand.

My mind suddenly flashed back to the arguments my mother and I had. The things that Dimitri shouted at me. And Adrian. The Adrian I came to know.

"Adrian." I reached out to his chin and made him face me evenly in the eyes.

"Hmm..?" He said not once looking away.

"Tell me one thing. If you had the say to where 'this' should be, you know, when you get to decide what state should we be in, where are we exactly?" I said warily.

I readied my heart for whatever his answer would be.

"I would say…no wait, I would be more than ready to show you how much I…care for you. I care for you so much you know." He said in a dear tone.

I looked at him for a moment. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes once again. Those were not the words I wanted to hear, though they were somewhat along the lines, they were still not the same.

I took a deep breath. All my life I have been labeled as brave, thoughtless, but nonetheless brave. This was not the time to let down what I have known to be. This is one of those leaps that would be hard to take. It takes just one try, no backing out. Am I really willing to take it?

Yes. I'm Rose Hathaway. Come what may.

"My greatest fear since I was small was being separated from my best friend. I would do anything just to stay by her side." I started. I was looking out in the sea. I don't think I wouldn't be able to look at him in the eye.

"But you know, up to now, that hasn't change. " He just nodded at this. I can't decipher the emotion of whatever his face shows.

"The only difference is that,now though, something is giving that fear a run for its money." I smiled silently. "Something is trying to catch up with that."

This is it.

"Now..." I took a deep breath" Now...I'm also afraid of one day, you would wake up and get bored and tired of me." Did my voice just crack there?

He was shocked about my last statement and was about to protest when I held up my hand for a moment to let me continue my ramblings.

Adrian, listen carefully because is the only time I could muster up all my courage and say this. I might never get the chance. I kept on pleading in the back of my head.

I continued on. "That you would run-off with some other dhampir and leave like you did with the million others." I was sure that my voice was getting shakier and shakier.

"And that this hand…" I lifted our still joined hands."This hand…would never get to hold this hand ever again." Referring to his hand I was holding on tightly.

We were silent for a moment. I was afraid to look at him. I could feel him digesting everything I have said.

"Silly right?" I said lightly after a moment of his silence. I loosened my grip just a bit, I got the feeling that he might want to get up and get away from me, I don't want him to think I'm too clingy or something.

But he held my hand tighter. I wanted to cry.

He still didn't look my way after that. But just as I was about to get up and run away from him, he suddenly took my shoulders tightly and looked at me right in the eye.

"Stay with me…please." His eyes were begging me to do so, his voice was shaky with emotion.

I pried his hands from shoulder, my cheeks were now wet with the tears running down.

"You think I'm gonna stay here and watch you pass from damphir to damphir? Wait for you to pick me next? To be you're part time whore part time amusement but fulltime friend and companion?" I let go of his hands violently.

He suddenly grabbed me and hugged me to his chest. I struggled, but he held on tightly, never letting me go. He rocked us back and forth, shushing my tears.

"I hate you…I hate you" I kept on mumbling in his chest. "You did this to me. You made me so vulnerable."

After I calmed down a bit. I felt him heave a deep breath and he pulled me away and looked at me right in the eye.

"Never would I think of you as any lower than me Rose. Never. You, this.." He indicated my whole "…this gift of you, I would never be able to solve the mystery of why destiny gave you to me. You are too good for me. You would always be unreachable you know."

He stroked my cheeks, wiping the stains there, but never did his eyes leave mine.

"Life has yet to give me any reason that would make love you any less, if possible, your quirks make me less worthy of you. From the very first time, I always knew that you would be the one to make me a better man."

I could not breathe. Did he just say the word love?

"Say that you'll stay with me…then I would never let you go. No girl could ever live up to you Rose. I swear, you're the only one, and I'm looking for nothing more." He then hugged me tightly.

And that's when I finally believed him. Everything came crashing down. I had a flashback of everything we've been through.

No Adrian. I would also never let you go.

Chapter 3: What is the meaning of "mia sognatrice"? I have always been a big fun of Italy, yep, it is Italian, and it means "my dreamer".

Chpater 4: Who is behind Rose? Uhm..it's a secret you're gonna have to fins out in the following chapters. SOme characters and incidents from the start are connected with the conclusion of the story...:)

Chapter 5: How can Rose not know what Adrian feels for her is real? Yeah Rose, Adrian is the one for you! How can you not feel it? -LOL.. girls are complicated..trust me..i am one..hahah..but I guess, because of the things people keep on insisting about Adrian, it made Rse doubt about what he trully feels about her:( poor guy.

Chapter 7:will you put up pics of what the dresses and masks look like on your site? The design of the dress actually came from my sister's prom dress, I did a little tweaking though to make it look like a ball gown..but i'll try to look it up here in the net in the following days:)

Chapter 10: can Rose and possibly Adrian get kidnapped by Victor in this and the Queen freaks and thanks Rose when they escape or something? I'll let you guys find out in a couple more chapters *evil smirk*

Chapter 11:when will Adrian find out about the Queen's order? You guys will find out in a few more chapters or so..for now..*zip my lips*