Author's Note:This chapter has been revised as of 01/09/2017! A massive thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for all of her help with revamping this fic!

I had a bit of trouble with this chapter, so I hope it comes out okay. These two are fighting me with everything they have to pounce on each other (mostly Dimitri), when I need them to take things slow. Also, don't worry, the repeated dialogue won't continue. It's only here because their last two encounters have overlapped with one another.

I want to thank everyone for their continued support of this story with the follows and lovely reviews. You guys make my day. Special thanks to those who were kind enough to leave a review on the previous chapter: Blissangel91494, omarosa27, ilovesos9467, swimmer07, maggiescousin, Gigi256, Ims86, BethanyRose92, Artamisofthehunt (for the PM), and guest!

*Please see end of chapter notes for my companion project details*

Chapter Seven

*Dimitri*

I wasn't typically the type of guy who put much stock in fate. I definitely wasn't the kind of guy who watched out for signs, or believed in soulmates, or anything of that particular nature. I didn't believe that my life already had a predetermined course of events that would map out my future.

My grandmother, Yeva, however, was one of those types of people. She would argue with you until she was blue in the face to get her beliefs across, and god forbid someone disagree with her, because they would never hear the end of it. I loved my grandmother dearly, but she was just as crazy as she was intuitive.

Honestly, though, it was more than a little frightening how she was proven right more often than not.

No, I certainly wasn't one to believe in destiny, or beliefs surrounding it. However, with the way my morning had already started, it made one want to reconsider.

For starters, I had woken up earlier than usual from a rather intimate dream starring myself and Rose Hathaway. The dream had been intense, which left me with my heart pounding in my chest and a rather uncomfortable throbbing elsewhere. However, I could chalk that up to basic male hormones and the fact that I had met a pretty girl whom I spent the majority of the previous night talking to or about. Perfectly normal and logical.

Things started to get a little strange, however, when I called my family, as I did daily. I woke up every morning at four forty-five so that I could call them. We had a system going so that I could spend about five to ten minutes talking to each of them, to save on long distance costs, starting with my mother first, then to my sisters and my nieces and nephews, and save my grandmother for last. So, when my mother informed me that Yeva was insisting on speaking to me first, I immediately began worrying about her health.

That, of course, hadn't lasted long when she started telling me about a dream she'd had. She told me that in her vision - her word, not mine – she'd seen that I would meet a very pretty girl who I would be drawn to instantly. The woman she described fit Rose in excruciating detail, down to the bruises on her face.

Yeva had gone on about how this girl was hurting and was just as broken on the inside as she was on the outside, and was in desperate need of someone to help her put the pieces back together. My grandmother insisted that this person was me.

"Don't be foolish, boy," she had said when I had used my usual I-can't-afford-a-girlfriend-right-now mantra. "She is your match, Dimka. She will be a challenge, but don't give up on her. Do not dismiss her. You will need each other," she had told me, her voice deadly serious. "Your happiness in the end will make everything worth the fight."

I hadn't really felt like talking much after that, so I cut my conversation with my family short. My day was definitely off to a weird start. And, of course, it only escalated two miles into my morning run.

I'd nearly run past her. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, so the lighting was minimum. But something inside me made me do a double-take.

And there she was, curled up on a lounge chair on the beach at five fifty-six in the morning, fast asleep with a blanket nestled in her lap.

I swallowed hard, everything from earlier this morning coming back to me in waves; my very arousing dream, Yeva's so-called premonition, and now the source of both subconscious anomalies was here in the flesh.

My dream hadn't done justice to her beauty. Even bruised and battered, she was lovely. Her dark chocolate brown hair was sleep tousled and disheveled which only seemed to add to her angelic features.

I don't know how long I stood there just watching her sleep. Logically, I knew it was probably more than a little creepy and borderline voyeuristic, but I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I knew she probably wouldn't appreciate a near stranger watching her in this vulnerable state. Slowly, I made my way closer, quiet so as not to startle her. I gently nudged her leg. "Roza?"

The only answer I got was a soft, contented sigh as she pulled the blanket up under her chin. Smiling, I nudged her again, and I tried to suppress a laugh when I noticed the tiniest bit of dried drool on the corner of her lip. "Rose? Are you okay?"

She jumped awake, and I cringed internally as she gasped in pain and clutched her ribs. "Shit, that hurt."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," I apologized, mentally chastising myself. She was glaring at me, perhaps with a little uncertainty, and it occurred to me that she may not even remember who I was. Smooth, Belikov. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Dimitri. From the -"

"The bar." Her face softened and a smile touched her lips. "Yeah, I remember." She gestured towards the empty lounge chair beside her. "How could I forget my knight in shining armor?"

I studied her for a moment, pleased that she did, in fact, remember me. A sense of pride swelled in my chest at being referred to as her "knight in shining armor," and I tried, and failed, to suppress a grin as I pulled my earbuds from my ears and accepted the offered chair.

"So," she started, with amusement and perhaps a hint of apprehension as she regarded me intently. I watched, transfixed as her fingers slid through her hair in an attempt to tame the tousled mane. I found myself wanting to bury my own fingers in her tresses and discover if it was as soft and silky as it seemed. "What has you out here at this time of morning?"

Forcing those feelings aside, I chuckled as I shoved my earbuds into the pockets of my tracksuit pants, mostly to keep my hands busy. "I could ask you the same thing."

I grinned as I noticed her roll those pretty brown eyes at me and snorted with amusement. "Easy, Comrade. Cryptic answers like that will lead me to believe you're stalking me or something."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "Comrade?" I grinned, shaking my head. This girl was something else. My laughter died as it occurred to me that she might actually think I'm stalking her. Crap. I flashed her a smile that I hoped was reassuring and non-threatening. "And no, I'm not stalking you. I've run by this house every day, at the same time, for the past six months that I've been here."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You live close by?"

I nodded and gestured behind me. "Not far, about two miles back. I live with Eddie, actually."

A companionable silence settled over us as we turned our attention to the sunrise and the amazing array of colors it brought with it.

It had been a very long time since I'd had anyone to share moments like this with. So long in fact that I had nearly forgotten how nice it felt to not be alone. Sure, I had Adrian and Eddie in my life, but they both had significant others that took up a large majority of their time. And while they tried to include me when they could, it was always awkward being the odd man out. My jobs mostly kept my mind busy and focused on other things during the day and evenings, but it was the late nights and early mornings that the loneliness struck me. But up until now, I had been able to block it out.

I didn't have the time or the finances to indulge in the pleasure of having a girlfriend. Money was a trivial reason not to date, but I was old fashioned. I wanted to be able to take the special person in my life out to a nice dinner and spoil her. But it would have to take someone pretty special for me to forgo my set ways. I had a family back home in Siberia to help support and that took precedence over everything else.

But I couldn't deny that I felt a powerful connection to Rose that I couldn't explain. She was beautiful and funny, and for the time being, I could indulge myself in the illusion of not being alone. It felt... nice. A sound of utter contentment escaped my throat before I could stop it.

"Hmm?" Rose asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her shooting me a questioning glance.

I gave her an embarrassed smile in return, thankful I wasn't really the type of guy who blushed easily and that she couldn't see inside my head. I could easily make up something to tell her that didn't make me sound so pathetic, but I found myself wanting to be honest with her. So, I was. "This is the first time I've been able to enjoy the sunrise with someone. It's nice."

She must have seen something in my expression that showed my inner turmoil, because her face softened and she rewarded me with a small, shy smile. "Well," she started, nibbling nervously on her bottom lip. "I'm not entirely sure how long I'm going to be here, but I'm sure I will have many more sleepless nights. Maybe we could enjoy the sunrise on those mornings?"

Surprised, I searched her face as a warm feeling spread through me. Here was this gorgeous woman, someone I barely knew, offering to spend time with me. She didn't know me. Could she possibly feel the same connection that I felt? A part of me - a very small part - wanted to decline, because I knew that if I spent more time with this girl, I would be doomed. I already felt this undeniable attraction to her, and something in me screamed at me that it was only the beginning.

But if Eddie and I were correct in our assumption, Rose was just getting out of an abusive relationship and had obviously been through a lot. That would be a lot of baggage to take on. Was I really prepared for that? Even if, somehow, she felt even a shred of the electricity between us that I could feel, she would need time to heal, both physically and mentally. And if she didn't feel it, I wasn't sure I was up for the disappointment.

My grandmother's words came rushing back to me as I watched Rose nervously awaiting my answer. "Don't dismiss her. She's your match, Dimka."

Should I give this, whatever this was, a chance? Could I? Could I put aside all of my worries to see if this might actually lead to something? Hell, Rose didn't even live here. She'd said herself that she wasn't sure how long she was going to be on the island. Could I risk the possibility of falling for this girl only to have her eventually leave?

Of course, I was getting ahead of myself. There wasn't a guarantee that this would progress beyond friendship. Aside from a few blushes and dubious flirting, she'd given me no indication that she was even remotely interested in me. Though the nervous fidgeting that she was exhibiting at the moment gave me hope.

And the truth was, I wanted to spend time with this girl. I wanted to get to know her. I would try this. If this turned out to be nothing more than a developing friendship, I'd accept that wholeheartedly. If Yeva was right, well...we'd see where things went from there.

"Your happiness in the end will be worth the fight."

Resolved, I flashed her a grin as my heart pounded an erratic rhythm in my chest. "I'd like that, Roza."

Her answering smile was shy, but I could see the relief on her face, along with that lovely blush returning to her cheeks. "Roza? I'm guessing that's Russian equivalent of Rose?"

I nodded, unwilling to tell her it was also meant as a term of endearment. "Does it bother you?"

She shook her head, her blush deepening just a little. "No, I... I like the way you say it."

I couldn't help but chuckle as her eyes widened at her admission, clearly embarrassed. She averted her gaze quickly. Well, that was promising. I decided to change the subject for her benefit. "So, tell me about yourself, Roza."

Rose snorted. "Not much to say, really." She reached down and picked up an empty mug next to her chair that I hadn't noticed. She crinkled her nose before turning her attention back to me. "Would you like to come in for some coffee? I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but I could use another cup."

I glanced down at my watch, surprised to see we'd already been sitting here for nearly an hour. On a typical day, I would have already been on my way back from my run. However, my first class wasn't until nine today, so I had time. I wasn't ready to relinquish her company just yet. "Sure, that sounds great."

She grinned and stood slowly, and as she did so I could see that the bruises even extended down her long, shapely legs and I could feel my anger rise. I somehow managed to keep my mouth shut about it. It wasn't any of my business. Not yet.

As I followed her up the path to her house, she stayed true to her word and answered any questions I asked as she started a new batch of coffee. She told me that she had grown up in rural Pennsylvania, but had moved to New York after graduating from college where her friend had started his publishing company.

I, in turn, told her about my family in Siberia. The expression on her face was comical when I told her that my three sisters, my nephew, and two nieces all lived in the same house. I chuckled as she shook her head in disbelief. "What?"

"I just couldn't imagine having such a large family. It must be amazing. I don't have any aunts or uncles on either side of my family, and I'm an only child. Lissa was the closest I had to siblings growing up," she explained, placing a steaming mug in front of me. "How long has it been since you last saw them?"

I shrugged, watching as she added two Splenda packets and low fat milk to hers, committing that to memory for future reference. "I haven't been able to go home in...ten years? I was able to fly my mother out to Montana for Christmas a few years ago."

Her lovely brown eyes widened as she lowered her mug down to the table, her brow crinkled in earnest sympathy. "You haven't been home in ten years?"

Shaking my head, I took another sip of my plain, black coffee and lowered my gaze to the wooden table. The sincere empathy in her expression was too much. "Tickets are expensive, but I call them every morning. It's not nearly enough, but it's something."

"Why not Skype?"

I shook my head. "That was my plan, initially, but I was only able to afford a computer for them. I figured with Viktoria still in school, they needed it more than I did."

Rose must have heard the longing in my voice because she reached her free hand over and placed her warm hand over mine, giving my fingers a gentle squeeze, sending an electrical current rushing through my entire body. "I'm sorry. I know it can't be easy to be so far away." She paused, pursing her lips together in thought. "Lissa and I are going shopping today, and I'm going to have to replace my laptop for work. You're more than welcome to use it to call your family. Whenever you want."

I stared at her, not knowing what to say. This woman continued to surprise me. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze in return. "That's...that's incredibly kind of you, Roza, but I couldn't impose on you like that."

She scoffed. "Don't be silly. It's the least I can do for what you did for me at the bar. Besides," her shy smile was back, and it hadn't escaped my notice that she had yet to pull her hand back, "you're the first new friend I've made in a long time, and I'd like to help you reconnect with your family."

The urge to pull her across the table and capture those lovely lips with my own was overwhelming, but before I could do more than tighten my hold on her hand, she gave mine another squeeze and pulled back, a kind smile on her face. "I wanted to thank you for what you did. I'm...I'm not good in those types of situations."

"No need to thank me, Roza." I gazed at her, resting my forearms on the table. "I know it might not be any of my business, but those bruises…you told Eddie you were mugged. It's not true, is it?"

Those brown eyes immediately looked away and she fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair. It told me everything I needed to know. "Your ex-boyfriend did that to you, didn't he?"

Rose wouldn't look at me, but I could see tears begin to pool in her eyes. Pushing my chair back, I stood and moved to kneel in front of her. "Roza, look at me."

Slowly, her eyes met mine and I could see the fear and shame embedded deep within those brown depths and I felt my heart clench. I took her hand in mine at once. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Roza. You did nothing wrong, and it's nothing for you to be ashamed of. You are not weak, but the idiot who did this to you is."

She was visibly shaking now and I felt like a heel for bringing it up. Standing, I gently tugged on her hand and pulled her up to me, mindful of her injured arm, and wrapped mine around her, cradling her against my chest as she cried.

We stood like that for a long time, while I attempted to sooth her broken sobs. I closed my eyes at the feel of her body pressed against mine, and the scent of her, a blend of honeysuckle and oranges, assaulted my senses. My fingers threaded their way through her hair of their own volition. "Don't cry, Roza," I heard myself whisper into her hair. "You're way too pretty to look so sad."

The woman in my arms slowly gazed up at me, tear tracks staining her beautiful face as her sobbing finally began to subside. Using the pad of my thumbs, I gently brushed the tears away. I felt myself lower my head towards hers…

"Hey, I smell coffee - what the fuck?" a voice demanded, forcing us apart. I turned to see the man who had given me a death glare at the club, with a similar look on his face as he trained those cold blue eyes on me.

The blonde, Lissa, I remembered, stood directly behind him, her jade green eyes wide in shock and a small, pleased smile quirked on her lips.

Rose quickly wiped her cheeks and smiled at our intruders. "Christian, this is Dimitri. We met at the bar last night. Liss, you remember Dimitri."

"I sure do." She grinned, extending her hand to me.

I took it, embarrassed, before turning to offer my hand to Christian. "Nice to meet you."

He glared at me suspiciously, and after a few moments finally accepted the gesture. "Christian."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He likes to play big brother to our girl over here," she informed me, placing her arm over Rose's shoulders. "He can be a little over-protective."

Christian grumbled and moved past us, heading to the cabinet to get his own cup of coffee. "It's far too early in the morning for surprises, that's all."

That we could agree on at least. I cleared my throat and turned back to Rose. "I should probably go. Thank you for the coffee."

Rose nodded, her face flushed. "I'll walk you out."

I could feel Christian shooting daggers at my retreating form. It made me feel a little better that she had someone who was so protective of her around.

I turned to her as we reached the door. "Listen, I'm sorry I brought that stuff up before." She raised her hand, trying to brush off my apology, but I continued. "I know you're not physically up to it yet, but I teach a self defense course in the afternoons. You don't have to participate until you're ready, but I think it would be good for you." I paused, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "Plus, it would give me another excuse to hang out with you."

She chewed on her bottom lip, considering. "I'll think about it."

I grinned, feeling hopeful. "That's all I ask."

"I'll see you soon, Roza." I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning and jogging down the long driveway without looking back in fear she'd see the ridiculously large smile on my face.

The smile didn't last, however, as my mind began to wonder as I made my way home. I had nearly kissed her! Guilt began to wash over me. What had I been thinking? I had only meant to offer comfort, but my traitorous body had acted of its own accord. I had been fighting the urge since her kind offer to use her computer to see my family.

She had been completely vulnerable and I had nearly taken advantage of it. I was no better than the asshole who had hurt her.

I couldn't deny it, I wanted Rose Hathaway with every fiber of my being. But I had to be smart about this. She had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and the last thing she needed was me fawning all over her. What she needed was a friend; someone to help her put the pieces back together.

So that's what I would be. I would put my feelings aside and be there for her. In whatever capacity she needed me.

If she even wanted to see me again.

For those wondering about the side-project, I've begun posting behind-the-scenes images on Tumblr. For those who don't know, aside from writing, I'm heavily into gaming as well. So while writing this, I decided to do a visual companion piece using The Sims 2. While I'm somewhat limited to what I can use, I'm going to do my best to try to match it as much as I can. So far I've only posted BTS photoshoots, but once those are finished, I'll begin working on the actual chapter content. If you're interested, you can find it here (just be sure to remove the spaces):

chasingfreedomsims . tumblr . com (1/09/2017: this project is currently on hold until I get a new computer that will run the game)