"Tasha? What are you doing here?" I asked her, my voice slightly harsher than I meant for it to be. As soon as I had heard her voice I excused myself from the room, Roza raised both her eyebrows at me questioningly before I walked out but I didnt say anything, just smiled and told her Id be back soon.
"Me? Youre the one who just up and left! What are you doing here?" She folded her arms over her chest, a grumpy look plastered on her face. I could tell she knew something was up but I dont think she knew what.
"Im here because of a...family emergency." I responded carefully. I honestly had no idea how she would respond to finding out I had a child, Tasha has always had a defensive personality when it comes to me, she has been known to take it a step too far sometimes.
"Family? Are your sisters here? or Olena? Is something wrong with Yeva?" She blurted out, her eyebrows raised as she tried to look past me through the door to Mases room.
I shook my head watching as her face turned to one of confusion.
"Tasha I need to tell you something... something big." I hesitated before gesturing down the corridor, "Come and grab a coffee with me?" I asked. I figured it would probably be best to take her away from the room Roza and Mase were in, just in case.
"Come on Dimka, spit it out already. Whats going on?" Tasha asked when we finally sat at a table in the corner of the hospitals small cafetaria.
"The other day I found out something... something huge... At first I didnt know if I could believe it, but now that Im here... I know its true. And Im happy." I couldnt help the smile that crept onto my face.
"What? What is it?"
"Tasha... Im a father. I have a son."
Her face fell, a look of shock, disbelief, hurt and betrayal flashed through her blue eyes. "You... you what? Since when?"
"4 years ago. I slept with someone four years ago but because the relationship ended... badly... she didnt want to come forward. She didnt know if I would want to know about him so she kept him secret from me until now." I have to admit it sounded bad explaining what Rose had done, but I could understand her reasoning behind it so I wasnt mad at her, I was more mad at myself.
Tashas eyebrows knotted in confusion and she stared down at her coffee for a long moment as though she was thinking hard about something, then she lifted her head and stared directly at me, her blue eyes hardened. "Rose. That bloodwhore has made you believe she had your child? Dimka, shes a dhampir, you are a dhampir! You know its impossible. How can you even think something like that was true! She probably slept with someone else as soon as you left!" Her voice was low and harsh and I could see the anger flashing in her eyes.
"No, She is not a bloodwhore, dont you ever call her that!" I snapped at her, I knew for a fact that my Roza would never become one of them.
"Shes blinded you Dimka, shes trying to stop you from being happy, trying to convince you that that child is yours when he isnt! Hes probably the product of a one night stand with some royal who left her!"
"No, Roza wouldnt have done that, I know her. And I know hes my son! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind Tasha, he is MY son and I will not leave them again. I refuse to." I stood up from my seat, the way she was speaking was just frustrating me and making me angry.
"so... So youre quitting? You arent going to be my guardian are you? You would rather stay here and live a lie. Pretending to be the father of a snobby morois child with a dhampir whore who you left? Fine." She crossed her arms and pointedly looked the otherway.
"Tasha... " I let out a sigh, she was still my friend, I had been living with her for the last four years afterall, and known her since childhood.. I felt a little bad because I did know how she felt towards me, this probably broke her heart... but I just couldnt return her feelings, not before, not now.. not ever. "Im sorry it has turned out like this, I would like us to still be friends..."
"Get out. Get out of my sight Dimka, you have made your choice." She still refused to look at me. I put my hand on her shoulder which she immediately shrugged off before I turned and made my way back to Masons room.