CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT- DIMITRI

Hey there, here's another chapter--the very end of it is dedicated to XxNight'sxheartxX becuase she gave me the idea. Thanks so much guys for reading it. Shouts to everyone who is reading my story because you guys all rock. ;p And shouts to starlinc because she gave me the idea for the beginning of this chapter-love ya ;)

So anyway...let's get on with this story...

Lissa was eyeing me and Adrian suspiciously from across the room but she wasn't saying anything. It was pissing me off. Adrian and I were sitting on a couch and I'd taken up most of the room by sprawling out on my back, but I'd moved my feet so Adrian could sit down. Adrian smiled and pulled my feet into his lap moving closer to me, so from the middle of my thigh down was across his lap. He had his arm across the back of the couch and his hand was lightly touching my hair.

Lissa was on the loveseat on the other side of the room in Christian's lap and Eddie was sitting on an arm chair while Etienne was hogging the whole couch in a pose similar to mine, but he was bigger than me and his position was a bit sloppier than mine was, he was cute.

Etienne was talking about how he and I should have a play fight, to see who'd win. I was ignoring him and watching Lissa carefully and reading her thoughts.

Rose is sitting really close to Adrian, she was thinking. Maybe she'll finally decide to make a decision in her life? I don't think her thought was intentionally supposed to be spiteful, but it came across that way.

Is she finally being responsible? I wonder; the only decision that she's made is to go after Dimitri…and leave me! Lissa was rocked with pain but there was hate underneath the thought. I searched, she hated Dimitri.

That bitch.

I jumped up, surprising everyone. "Lissa, get outside, now," I growled and stalked out of the room leaving the door open behind me. I leaned against the wall outside the room, waiting until she'd come out, to turn around and take her outside. All the students were in class still so I didn't need to worry about anyone watching us.

I stopped under a tree by the guardian building and turned to Lissa. Of course, she looked beautiful, even though she looked sort of scared. Her sleek blond hair was gently resting on her shoulders and on her back. Today, she was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans with a v-neck pink sweater that was far-shouldered.

I narrowed my eyes. "What is your problem?" I demanded.

"What do you mean, Rose?" she asked feigning innocence.

"You know exactly what I mean; why did you use compulsion on Etienne? Why are you trying to analyse my relationship with Adrian? Why…" I took a deep breath before ploughing on. "I can read your thoughts, Lissa, you think I never make decisions, you think that I didn't care about you, you think that I thought Dimitri was the only thing that mattered and right now you are confused. Why are you confused?" I yelled.

Lissa shrunk back against the tree, holding her head in her hands. "I don't know, I don't know, Rose. I want you back and I-I hate Dimitri for doing this to you –"

"Dimitri didn't do anything to me!" I shouted. "It's not Dimitri's fault that I am the way I am, it's mine! If you don't like me the way I am then fucking leave!"

She looked at me in shock then she got angry. "Rose, it is your fault that you are the way you are! And you're running away! You are scared so you are running away!"

"You couldn't be anymore further from the truth!" I screamed throwing my hands up into the air. "I am not running away! I'm running to! You know that, Lissa, so don't give me this bullshit that I'm fucking scared, because I'm not! Do you want to see proof?" I asked and without waiting for an answer, I pulled up my shirt, revealing the brace around my stomach. "This, I've broken my ribs fighting Strigoi, and I've re-broken them too." I let my shirt fall and pointed to my face. "You see that? Yeah, you've seen it once before, this is because I was fighting Strigoi, I was fighting. I've got scars put my arm, and leg from fighting, Lissa, if you think that that is running, you can just leave, because I don't want to hear it." I glared at her and put all my feelings into my words. "I know you want me to come back to you, but just because you're a Royal Moroi, just because you're the last Dragomir, just because the Queen wants to do everything to please you, just because you think that you can get whatever you want, that doesn't mean you actually can get what you want. And you're sure as hell not getting me unless you can find some fucking way to make up a very good excuse for why you are such a BITCH!"

Lissa gasped and put her hand to her neck. "Rose!"

"Good God, give it up!" I yelled at her. "You can't always get what you want, Princess Dragomir, so fucking deal with it!"

She looked so offended and I really didn't feel that sorry. I'd used all of my life at St Vladimir's protecting her, holding her up, keeping her away from catty Royals and now she's acting like them. Now, that I only want to do one thing, she can't even give me her support, she can't even leave me alone until I finish what I need to do. I used up the best years of my life trying to keep her perfectly preserved in sanity, I spent hours comforting her when I could have been out using that time for myself somehow.

I know it sounded selfish, but with the way Lissa was acting, I wish I'd done something else with my time at St Vlad's.

"Rose, I can't believe you," she breathed, hardly concealing her anger. I could feel that darkness bubbling up inside her. I didn't want to her to go insane, I wasn't that mean, so I reached into her through the bond, removed the darkness and left her with only sadness.

"Rose, I think we both need some time," she said quietly, no longer filled with the vile blackness that was trying to consume her. The bad thing was; it was now trying to consume me.

"Yeah, I agree, how about you go back up and tell everyone I just went for a walk? Thanks that's great, bye now," I said quickly, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Rose?" she sounded scared and I felt her come closer to me.

"GO!" I screamed at her and then she turned and scampered back into the guardian building leaving me alone.

I stumbled away, into the thick brush of the trees, all the way back. I tripped over sticks, bushes, rocks but I kept going. If I was to scream, I wouldn't want anyone to hear me. I kept stumbling until I was at the farthest point of campus. There was a fence and I went to it, pushing my face against the cool metal. I wrapped my hands around it from the other side so the backs of my hands were facing the dangerous forest on the other side.

There was nausea in my stomach, but I ignored it, I was safe inside the wards. My entire body went cold as a harsh gust of wind hit me; I embraced the cold, welcoming it. Begging it to take away the raw pain that was slowly gnawing at me.

I groaned loudly in agony, I wanted it all gone, I didn't want it anymore, I didn't want to feel like this anymore!

"Rose," a quiet voice said that was all too familiar. I opened my eyes and saw Dimitri watching me from the other side of the chain link fence.

"Dimitri…" I acknowledged.

"I can make it stop, Rose, I can make it all go away," he said quietly as he came towards me.

"Dimitri, I don't want that, if there were…away to bring you back…no matter what I would have to do…I'd do it." I said pathetically.

"You'd do anything for me?" he asked seeming please.

"Of course I would," I murmured.

"Then come to me," he breathed, he was only inches away.

"No," I shook my head.

"Then keep a reminder," he whispered and he leaned down, bringing his mouth to my right hand. It was still covered with the bandage from when I'd punched the wall at the dhampir dorm. He gently twisted it off and opened his mouth over my hand. His fang pierced my skin and I watched helplessly as he began to drag it across my skin.

I did nothing as he carved a design into my hand, blood slowly oozing from my hand the whole time. When he finished, his crimson eyes met mine as he licked the blood away, turning my hand to see what he had done.

It was a heart.

Dimitri had carved a heart into my skin with his fangs and I'd done nothing about it. When I didn't say anything, he kissed my hand gently then silently ghosted back into the shadows of the trees. I pulled my hand from the fence and examined my hand, it was like a branding, a personal branding; as if that meant that I belonged to him.

I wonder; is that what he meant? 'Then keep a reminder' as in a reminder that you are mine? I was detached from myself, as if I was looking at situation from a different person's point of view.

I took in a shaky breath and numbly walked back to campus, I went into the clinic and straight up to the desk.

"Can I have a roll of gauze?" I asked my voice unemotional.

The nurse looked up and stared at me disapprovingly. "Why?"

I wordlessly lifted my hand; there was so much blood, you couldn't even see that there was something engraved into my hand.

The nurse gasped. "My goodness! You'll need stitches!"

"No, I won't, I just need some gauze, thank you,"

"No –"

"You won't tell me what to do, I just need some bandages, please," I cut her off calmly and she looked at me for a minute before giving me a whole roll of it.

"You can keep that, Guardian Hathaway," she said quietly and I nodded and walked out of the clinic. I pulled the end loose with my teeth and pressed it to my bloodied hand as I began to wrap it around with my other hand.

I was making my way back to the guardian building while I kept tending to my hand and when I'd finished, I needed some way to cut the gauze. The kind the nurse gave me was heavy duty, if there was such a thing as heavy duty gauze. I saw Mercutio making his way to the dhampir dorms but I decided that I didn't really want to deal with anyone so I when I got to the guardian building, I pulled a knife out and made a clean cut across the thick material.

Why do they like cutting people so much? I thought as I tied a knot with my teeth.

"Rose? What are you doing?" someone said from behind me and I spun around, putting my hand automatically behind my back. It was Alexander.

I quickly reached behind me and stuffed the rest of the gauze in the back of my jeans, pulling my sweater over it.

"Hey, Alexander, how are you?" I said brightly.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's behind your back?"

"Nothing," I said quickly.

"Rose," he warned. "Tell me what you have,"

"I don't have anything," I said truthfully.

"Then what's wrong with your hand?" he asked, eyeing my right arm.

"Nothing's wrong with my arm," I answered, side stepping closer to the door of the room along the counter. Alexander matched my movement.

"Rose, what's wrong?"

"You know, I've got some guests up stairs, so…" I started to quickly jog sideways out of the room but Alexander was quick and he caught me around the waist, grabbing my wrist pulling it up where he could see it. He also reached under my sweater and retrieved the roll of gauze from my jeans.

He held them up, staring from one to the other than to me. "What have you done this time, Rose?" he asked quietly.

"I didn't do anything," that was the truth and I saw him getting ready to lecture me so I did the only think I could think of. I quickly went onto my toes and pressed my lips to his in a quick kiss. Alexander kissed me back, but it wasn't like Dereck's eager and hard kiss, Alexander's was soft and tender, not at all insistent.

I slowly ended the kiss and whispered in his ear, "Don't kiss and tell,"

Then I danced up the stairs, taking my gauze and hand with me. I quickly passed the lounge everyone looked up but I didn't stop, I went into my room, ignoring the 'Hathaway I'll kick your ass someday'. It was obviously from Mikhail, I left it there as a joke and locked the door behind me.

I pulled off my sweater, left my tank top and changed into loose fitting sweats. I grabbed my iPod from my computer where it was charging and left my hair down as I went back to the lounge.

"Okay, well, I've got to go do some stuff, guys, so I guess we'll talk after classes are over, alright?" I said as I put one headphone in my ear, I was careful to keep my right hand behind my back.

"What do you need to do?" Christian asked rudely.

"Just some stuff, dealing with my student and whatnot, come on, I'll walk you to guest housing," I waited until they all got up to turn around and lead them down the stairs. I saw that Alexander what still in the kitchen, the same spot where I'd left him.

"Good morning, Guardian Contrive," I called cheerfully. He looked up startled and I winked.

"It's the afternoon, Hathaway," he answered easily smiling at me; I tilted my head to the side and down as sort of a respectful/challenging/knowing bow, I guess.

"That's the guy who let off fall the students this morning," Christian said. "Who is he?"

"That is Guardian Contrive, the head guardian," I said smoothly and Christian raised an inquiring eyebrow, I shrugged in response.

We walked quietly out of the guardian building and across the quad.

"Rosie!" someone yelled and I turned to see Jane running up to me looking completely distraught. "Rosie! Tell me it's not true!" she cried throwing herself into my arms, with tears running down her face.

I shot a glance at my friends then returned my attention to the Royal. "What's wrong, Jane? What's happened?" I asked quietly brushing her hair away from her face so I could see her eyes.

"R-Riley! That- that Riley d-did –" I quickly pulled her into a hug, pressing her face into my shoulder so she couldn't talk. I didn't really need the crew knowing about that just yet. I would have put my hand to her mouth, but that would have looked sort of bad.

"Shh, Jane, it's okay, it's okay," I soothed her, stroking her hair, trying to think about a way to get out of this. "Who told you?" I demanded.

"D-Dereck!" she sobbed into me. Leo must have told him, I thought as I kept patting her hair.

"Okay, Jane, what exactly did Dereck say to you?"

"H-he said 'your boyfriend's a jackass' and I asked him what had happened this time and he said h-he – oh Rosie!" she sobbed burying her face into my neck again.

"I get it, I'll talk to everyone else," I paused before saying, "But what he did was wrong, you know that, right?" I pulled back to look at her sternly.

"I-I know; t-to Tristin too!"

I sighed in relief. "We'll talk about it later, okay? Do you want to go back to class?"

She looked at me oddly through her tears. "It's lunch,"

"Right, do you want to go back to everyone?" I rephrased and she shook her head.

"I-I…can I stay with you, Rosie?" she asked quietly, looking at me pleadingly.

I thought about it then said, "Okay, go to the guardian dorm and do you know which room is mine?" she shook her head. "Of course you don't, okay well, you know what? Just go to the room that has the sign saying something about 'Hathaway', alright?"

She nodded. "Okay, thanks, Rosie,"

"No problem, just go right in, the door is unlocked," she nodded again and I hugged her again before she started walking to the guardian building. I watched her back for a few seconds before turning back to everyone else.

They all looked shocked and all began talking at the same time.

"Who the hell is Riley?"

"Who was that?"

"What did this Riley kid do?"

"Isn't Dereck the guy who punched you?"

"She looks like Adrian,"

"What happened?"

"Shut up," I demanded quietly and they all stopped talking.

"'Rosie'?" Eddie finally said breaking the tension and they all laughed while I frowned.

"That's what she wants to call me and I'm not going to yell at her like she is now," I snapped and they looked on with amusement.

"What happened?" Etienne asked.

"Nothing," I answered quickly. "Come on, let's go," I said then was stopped by other people calling my name.

"Guardian Hathaway!"

"Rose, wait!"

"Guardian Hathaway!"

"Guardian Hathaway!"

I turned around again to see Laura, Madison and Julian running towards me.

"What now?" I asked irritably.

"Do you know where Jane went?" Laura asked worriedly.

I sighed as they looked at me hopefully. I ran a hand through my hair and they all gasped, the crew included.

"What happened to your hand?" Julian asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly and put in behind my back. "Jane is up in my room; go to the guardian building and up to the room with the sign on it, okay? You'll know the sign when you see it and do me a favour? Don't bombard her with questions, alright? Just…comfort her or something,"

They all nodded and set off the guardian building. I turned and started to walk everyone to guest housing without a word.

"What happened to your hand, Rose?" Adrian asked quietly.

"Nothing," I quipped and everyone was silent until we got to the guest housing. "Okay, I've got to go, but…um, we'll talk later, I'm sorry,"

I hugged Adrian, gave Etienne a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Eddie a hug, Lissa a nod and Christian a half-hug.

Once they all went inside, I went quickly back to the guardian dorm and up to my room. Sure enough, they were all there, waiting for me. The funny thing, Julian was cleaning my room. He was making my bed when I walked in and then he began to pick up all the clothes that were lying on the ground, piling them onto my bed. Then he sat beside the pile and began to fold my clothes.

"Julian," I said and he looked up, smiling. "What are you doing?"

"Someone needs to take care of you," he answered kindly and continued folding. I smiled and messed up his hair as I sat beside him on the bed.

"Sit down," I waved listlessly around my room and Laura sat on my bed with Madison while Jane curled herself up on my computer chair.

"Okay, so what exactly happened?" I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the headboard of my bed.

"Well…we were eating lunch and then Dereck was glaring at someone across the cafeteria then he told Jane that Riley was a jackass. It wasn't really unusual, Dereck always trashes Riley. Then Leo agreed, which was the weird part, then they went on to explain how Riley was leading this Royal group where they practically torture people. Then Jane yells, 'you fucking liar' and runs out. We ran after her and this is where we are now." Laura said.

"Right…so we can blame Dereck for this?" I questioned. They all nodded and I laughed humourlessly. "Okay, so what do you think of this, Jane? About Riley?" I asked and all attention was now on the Royal even Julian stopped folding my clothes to watch his friend.

She straightened up in the chair and looked at us defiantly. "I don't think he did it," she said confidently.

"Jane, I was the one who caught him in the act, I was there," I said quietly and she shook her head. There was silence and everyone was avoiding looking at everyone else.

"What's that?" Jane suddenly said and I saw she was pointing at my bag on the floor, there was something glinting in it.

"I don't know," I murmured, getting up to investigate. I pulled open my bag and gently took a jewellery case that had one single diamond on top out. They all watched silently as I opened it; a note fluttered out and onto the ground. I picked it up and read:

My Roza,

Will you be mine forever?

Dimitri

Oh my God. I turned to look at what was inside the box.

It was a wedding ring.

Oh no. Look at that. Dimitri was going to propose. :( This is so sad, i feel so bad for doing this to you guys. ;p Cliffhanger ;p sorry.

Hey, i've got some more songs: "Jars" by Chevelle "Contagious" by Trapt "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against and completely different songs are: "Surrender" Celine Dion "I Want It That Way" Backstreet Boys "Larger Than Life" Backstreet Boys

Don't you love my song selections? lols thanks so much for reading my story. To all my reviewers, you inspire my writing, thank you so much.

love ya-pls review

PS--i'm also going on vacation really soon- on friday--so i dont know if i'll be able to update until i get back on the 24th. i'm sorry, guys. Love ya

alice