I twisted my lips as I looked at myself in the mirror. This was a typical party outfit for me, but I still felt unsure.

I styled my hair in curls and pulled on a pair of high-waisted white-washed shorts. My shirt was once upon a time, a favourite go-to, but I wasn't sure. It was still cute. Red cropped top that had pillowy sleeves that rested off the shoulder, with ties in the front.

"Rose, we should be leaving soon," Dimitri called out, wrapping his knuckles on the door. It wasn't completely closed and when he knocked it opened more.

I looked at him in the mirror and gave him a weak smile.

"I wish I had more of my usual bravado right now," I chuckled.

"Why's that?" he asked, a smile on his face. He lost the duster and was wearing blue jeans and think white button-up t-shirt. It looked casual, but he looked, well, I shouldn't think that he looks the way I thought he did. It wasn't fair to either of us.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Do I look okay?"

I turned to look at him, holding my hands out to the side hesitantly. Dimitri's eyes flicked over me, something flashing over his eyes before his eyes moved back to mine.

"You look beautiful. Perfect," he said with a small smile. I nodded and looked back in the mirror and started the pull my hair up into a clip, but I caught Dimitri's face in the mirror.

"What?" I asked, confused by the perplexed look on his face.

"Leave it down," he said quietly before stepping out of the doorway and heading towards the stairs. I smiled to myself in the mirror and watched my cheeks pink. The simple statement made my heart feel warm and my stomach flip.

I sprayed a bit of my perfume on and some deodorant and deemed myself as ready as I could be. I was starting to feel anxious about how many people were going to be there, but I knew everyone that was going to be there, aside from Andre's friends. But I knew that Andre would bring anyone around that would reflect poorly on him to his parents. That was the only thing that made me feel a little better about the night.

DPOV

Rose had a smile on her face, but I could tell that she was feeling anxious. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes and she bit her lip every few moments. I waited a moment and relaxed my stance when Lissa slipped beside Rose, looping her arm around her waist. If it wasn't Lissa hovering around Rose, it was Christian or Adrian.

It was strange knowing that Adrian knew Rose. Adrian was my estranged cousin, mostly because of his father. But I knew that if Adrian took something seriously, he would be like a dog with a bone.

"I'm surprised to see you here!"

I turned and smiled at my old friend.

"Tasha, how are you?" I said, accepting a quick hug from her.

"I'm good. What are you doing here?" she asked, a slight tilt of her head.

"Working. I could ask the same of you?"

"Lissa invited me," Tasha said, "I think it was more because she didn't want her parents to feel surrounded by a bunch of kids."

"I couldn't exactly call them kids," I chuckled and brought my eyes back to Rose, watching her drink from her cup. She seemed to relax the longer she was here.

"So, what are you doing here if you're working?" Tasha asked.

I gestured towards Rose and Lissa. "Rose."

Tasha sighed and tsked sadly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Poor thing. Christian was really torn up when she got in her accident. Is Mason still bothering her?"

I nodded. "Unfortunately. But I'm hoping tonight will help her more than anything. She seemed to break out of her shell today. She's a real spitfire," I laughed.

"Rose reminds me a lot of me when I was her age," Tasha said, and I raised a brow.

"Really?"

Tasha gave me a jerky nod. "Oh yeah. The number of times I've been yanked into a meeting with their high school principal, and her sitting next to Christian, equally as guilty. She'll give you a run for your money," Tasha said with a snicker, "But in all fairness, she's a good kid. Loyal, faithful. It's probably why she suffered so much with Mason."

I turned to Tasha and looked at her levelly. "Any insider information you can give me?"

Tasha pursed her lips. "I don't want to feel like I'm betraying her," Tasha said and I raised a brow.

"You won't be."

"She gives off that she's a hard ass, but deep down, she's someone who's never felt genuine love. Her parents were always working, she was bounced around friends' houses, and babysitters, and once she was fourteen, she was left alone frequently. So, if she shows you her vulnerability, don't squander it. Right now she's got a smile on her face, but the people that really know her, know that she's itching to get drunk because she feels uncomfortable."

"Last week she had a fight with her parents, and she drove to my apartment in the middle of the night. It was the first time she had driven since the accident," I offered, and her eyes widened.

"Wow. She trusts you," Tasha said quietly, taking a sip of her beer.

"How do you know?"

"She doesn't trust easily. She went to you on her own," Tasha shook her head, "It isn't even just because you're her type."

I choked on my drink. "Pardon me?"

Tasha giggled. "Tall and brooder, able to handle himself, gives off a bad boy vibe but on the inside is a soft man who likes sentimental things. She dated a bit, but there was only one guy that actually made her swoon. He turned out to be a mega douche who had two other girlfriends on the side, but that's beside the point."

I grimaced and hated the feeling that bubbled in my stomach. I wasn't naïve; Rose was a stunningly beautiful woman, but I needed to keep things professional in a sense. I hadn't known her long enough to say I formed an emotional attraction to her, but I knew that seeing her was the best part of my morning.

"Please don't say that," I muttered and Tasha snickered.

"You're blushing," Tasha teased, and I glared at her.

"Anything else you can tell me?"

Tasha thought about it for a few moments before she snapped her fingers.

"Chocolate glazed donuts!"

"What?"

"She's a comfort and stress eater, usually. Her favourite was always chocolate glazed donuts. There's a bakery outside of town, Winstons, they have the best."

I nodded and Tasha grabbed my arm gently, turning me to face her.

"I know that you're hired to protect her and whatnot, but please don't hurt her," Tasha asked quietly.

I shook my head. "What do you mean?"

Tasha sighed. "I know you. When things get uncomfortable or you feel like you're forming attachments, you remove yourself from the situation. And I know for a fact that she thinks that she can lean on you. There's a very good chance that she might even grow feelings for you. And I can tell by the way you look at her, you look at her more than a client. And not the same as Carrie. Don't run. Because the only thing it's going to do is hurt her. So, let her down gently, but don't do your usual duck and run."

"I don't 'duck and run'" I said almost bitterly and Tasha rolled her eyes. Maybe I just didn't like how spot on she was about how I viewed Rose.

"Okay, and my brother isn't an idiot," she snickered before her eyes widened. "Oh no, that's not good."

I followed her line of sight and was already on the move, weaving between people when Rose cranked her fist against some guy's face.

"Touch my ass again, and I'll make sure you pee from a bag for the rest of your life!" Rose snarked, shoving the guy away from her. I raised my brow but I was impressed by her.

"You're a crazy bitch," the guy exclaimed as he cupped his bleeding nose. Rose's eyes narrowed and she lunged for him, but I intercepted, wrapping my arm around her waist to pull her away.

"PUT ME DOWN!" Rose shrieked, kicking her legs in the air as I moved her away. I grunted and tossed her up a bit to readjust my grip on her while avoiding her flailing arms.

"Someone should show you how to behave," the guy called out but it was cut off by a different fist hitting his face, followed by a high-pitched shout.

"I think it's best you leave," Tasha said while Christian looked down at Lissa's hand, a pinched look on her face.

"Dimitri, put me down," Rose said urgently and I set her on her feet, the urgency in her voice forcing me to. She sucked in a deep breath and bent over, hands braced on her knees as she breathed slowly through her mouth.

I sighed quietly and rubbed my hand over her back softly.

"Just breathe. Mind over matter," I said and she nodded slowly, standing up straight after a moment.

"God, I'm such a lightweight now," she groaned.

"It's the medication you're on. You've had a lot more to drink than I thought."

Rose smirked up at me. "I pre-drank with Lissa before the party started. You were downstairs with Eric and Rhea," Rose said before frowning, "I think it's time to go."

I nodded and gripped her elbow gently as she walked over to Lissa, hugging her gently. I watched the two talk for a few moments and caught Tasha's eyes, gesturing to Rose. Tasha looked at Rose and nodded and mouthed 'let me know when you guys get back'.

Rose gripped my arm as we walked back to the car, her eyes starting to droop as we walked. She really must have pre-drunk when I wasn't there. But I couldn't blame her or beseech her. She was young, in her twenties and wanted to feel normal again.

Once I got Rose into the car she smiled tiredly and closed her eyes, toeing her shoes off and tucking her feet up. I smiled as I glanced at her, knowing that she was going to fall asleep before we made it back to her house.

Rose was still as we drove, her breathing slow and quiet. She was going to be in for a hangover in the morning, but I knew she would still think it was worth it.

After gently shaking Rose a few times, I decided it wasn't worth waking her. I had pulled into the garage and shut it behind me. Once it was closed I opened the passenger door and carefully untangled Rose from her seatbelt and picked her up.

She sighed and rolled her head to the side, her face twisting slightly in her sleep. I carried her up the stairs and shushed Bailey as I went, her nails clipping the floor as she followed. Abe had said I could bring Bailey as long as she stayed out of their bedroom and the study, and I knew that it would make Rose happy to have her here.

And then I didn't have to rely on Ivan to watch Bailey. God knows that he would just feed her pizza crust all night.

I set her down on her bed, took her socks off and tossed them into the basket. I carefully removed the decorative belt, knowing that if she slept in it, it would hurt in the morning. Once that was taken care of I pulled the blanket up and tucked her in, going into the closet in the hall to get a bucket I had seen when I started working and set it on her nightstand before getting a glass of water.

"Beyli, vverkh," I said quietly and Bailey ran down the hall, climbing up onto the end of Rose's bed, curling up with a huff. I scratched behind her ears before leaving quietly, leaving the door open enough to let light in.

In the morning I would check Rose's hand, but tonight I'd let her sleep. I showered quickly and got dressed for bed, heading into the guest room to write my report for the day. It wasn't always necessary, but I could it helped me keep track of things, and this way I could go back and make connections.

I was going over the details when I heard Bailey's paws hit the floor and then another set of feet. Bailey led the way into the guest room, followed by a groggy Rose.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked with a smirk, crossing my ankles as I set the report down.

Rose made a face and rubbed at her face, smearing some of the makeup more.

"Okay. I'm starving. Can we order some food?"

I glanced at the clock and laughed.

"Roza, it's two in the morning."

Rose shrugged and yawned, running her hand through her wild hair. "There's a pizza place that's open until two-thirty," she suggested and I rolled my eyes.

"Of course, you want pizza," I said.

"Greasy food sounds amazing right now," she deadpanned, and I shook my head.

"I'm sure your stomach will love you," I drawled but Rose rolled her eyes at me.

"Do you want some or not?"

I shrugged. "I'll have a few slices."

Rose nodded and slipped back to her room, on the phone to order the pizza. She didn't ask about topping types, but it wasn't the first time I had been suckered into ordering pizza. It was something that she always seemed to be able to charm me into.

After a minute she came back into the room and flopped onto the end of the bed, face first into the blanket. At least she had thought about changing into more comfortable clothing.

"It'll be here in twenty," Rose mumbled and I smirked at her.

"Will you stay awake that long?"

"Shut up."

I chuckled and nudged her arm with my foot. "Did you drink the water I left out?"

"I need a tub of it," she said into the blanket.

I shook my head and tucked my arm behind my head. Her pyjamas made me chuckle the first time I had seen them, but the more I saw them, the more I saw of her true personality. She was quiet most of the time, but after seeing her tonight I saw the real her. The tank top and shorts with donuts on them with 'I'm a snack' written on them seemed to perfectly be her.

Bailey climbed onto the bed, carefully walking over Rose before laying down near her head. I smiled and scratched her head affectionately and rolled my eyes when she groaned. Rose laughed into the mattress and groaned when her phone chimed in the other room.

With a grunt, she pulled herself up off the bed and shuffled to get it. While she was gone I got up and threw on a shirt, more or less for my sake than hers. I didn't want to come across as disrespectful. While I was staying the night, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

I put closed up my file and put it on the nightstand when she came back, noticing the furrowed brows.

"What is it?"

Rose sighed and shook her head. "Andrea as usual. She's just spewing her usual bullshit," Rose said and tossed her phone onto the bed.

"I'm sorry," I said but held my phone out so I could read the message. Rose nodded and handed it to me. Abe would show it to me when he got back, but I'd rather know in advance. It wasn't anything I would be concerned about, just the usual bashing that Andrea was prone to.

I wasn't sure why she believed Mason when his own parents were distant from him, but someone people didn't see reality. They only saw what they wanted to see. I noticed there was one from that Rose hadn't mentioned and I frowned as I read it.

The only reason why he'd be seen with you is because he's paid to.

I didn't like the pit in my stomach and turned.

"When did Andrea send you this one?" I asked, gesturing to that message. Rose looked at the message and bit her lip.

"The other day."

"Well, even if I weren't paid, I'd still go with you to the game arcade," I said and seeing her smile was worth it. Rose opened her mouth to speak but the doorbell rang and she flew out of the room, her feet hitting maybe every other step as she went. One of these days she was going to take a tumble down the stairs. As long as it wasn't tonight, I really wasn't going to put up a fight.

After a few minutes, Rose came up balancing a large box and a plastic bag, grinning ear to ear as she set her prize on the bed.

"Evening snack is served!" Rose chirped and flipped the lid open, inhaling deeply before rubbing her hands together and licking her lips. It appeared we'd be eating straight from the box, no plates tonight. Rose climbed onto the end of the bed and picked up a slice, moaning quietly as she took the first bite. I shook my head and reached for my own piece.

It was piping hot but I watched Rose pull packages of dipping sauce out of the bag and rip the top off, dipping her pizza into it. I grabbed the other package and did the same, nodding to myself at the flavours. I hadn't tried garlic dip with pizza until I started working with Rose, but it seemed like not all of her food combinations weren't horrific. I still couldn't wrap my head around the ketchup on tacos.

"How do you know Tasha?"

I chewed for a moment and swallowed.

"I met her when I moved her. She was part of the sponsor program."

Rose nodded as she ate her pizza, the cheese stringing along as she pulled the pizza away from her.

"Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, you two seemed kind of close," she mumbled over her pizza.

"That's it?" I asked.

Rose's cheeks pinked and her eyes met mine. "No," she said but from the twitch of her nose, I knew she was lying. I raised a brow at her and looked at her level, and she caved.

"I was just curious if maybe you two were seeing each other," she said with a cough and I laughed, tipping my head back.

"No, I'm not dating Tasha. I'm not dating anyone," I said but as the words came out, I remembered Tasha's words. I wanted to kick myself because I thought about it, but also because I wanted Rose to know I was single.

Rose's lips quirked a smile and she continued with her slice.

"Why not? She's hot," Rose said over her pizza and I shrugged.

"Not my type," I said, mentally kicking myself for saying it. I didn't want to admit that Tasha wasn't my type, but Rose was.

Rose's eyes met mine and there was something in them that made my stomach and chest tighten.

"What is your type?" she asked as she held her crust out to Bailey, carefully keeping her eyes on the dog. I smirked at her and raised my brow.

"Why the twenty questions?" I chuckled and she blushed and shrugged.

"Just making conversation," she said and I laughed, picking an olive out of the box.

"I think alcohol is making you bold," I pointed out and she grinned at me.

"Just answer the question," she replied. I raised my brows at her and picked up another piece of pizza, dipping it in the garlic sauce.

"What's your type?" I returned and she smiled. It was an equally bold question, but there was a possibility that the conversation would be hazy for her in the morning.

"Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, funny. Your turn," she said after a moment, grabbing the last piece of pizza.

"Dark hair, dark eyes, funny," I joked and she rolled her eyes at me. I chuckled and winked at her, enjoying the sound of her laugh while she tried not to choke. We ate the last bit in silence, both of us feeling the exhaustion of the sun and the day wearing on us. Rose laid at the end of the bed and starched Bailey's ears for a little while longer before calling it a night, pushing herself up from the bed.

Bailey got up too and licked her face, pulling a shriek from her lips.

"Good night, Dimitri," Rose said quietly as she wiped her face.

I smiled at her. "Good night, Rose," I said softly and watched her walk back to her room, my dog following closely behind.

HiccuppedStudio's donuts have made another appearance. I will eventually ask her to make me pj's so I can have them lol.

Let me know what you think!