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CHAPTER 23

DPOV

"Dinner is ready in five," I shouted. I heard a door open before I'd even finished my sentence and Liam came running down the stairs. "Careful, Liam! How many times do I have to tell you? No running on the stairs," I chastised.

"Sorry, Daddy," he said, looking at me apologetically. "I'm just very hungry."

"It's okay. Just be a little more careful next time, okay?" He nodded and I smiled. "You think your sisters heard me?"

He shrugged and then hurried to the kitchen. I was about to go upstairs when Alisa and Inna finally appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I thought Rose was coming?" Alisa asked as they sat down at the kitchen table.

"Yeah, she'll be here any minute," I said, glancing down at my watch.

"Why is she always having dinner here?" Inna asked. "Don't they have food at her school?"

I hid a smile. "I guess she likes the food here better."

Alisa glanced at me and smiled knowingly. "Or she likes you better." Inna frowned at her and Alisa said hastily, "I mean, us. She likes us-"

"Is the pasta almost ready? I'm starving!" Liam interrupted.

"Someone's a little impatient tonight," I noted as I took his plate and filled it with pasta. Just then, the bell rang. "That's probably Rose. I'll be right back."

When I opened the front door, I was surprised to see not only Rose standing there but also Christian. He didn't look angry anymore, but he didn't look happy either.

"Hey," Rose said, clearing her throat. "Is it okay if Christian stays for dinner too?"

"Um, sure," I said, a little confused. "Come on in." As Christian walked to the kitchen, I pulled Rose to a stop in the hallway. "What's going on?" I asked in a hushed voice. "I thought he was mad at us?"

"Not anymore. He wants to talk," she said. "To the both of us."

I was still a little confused, but was relieved that Christian wasn't mad anymore. When we entered the kitchen, he was talking animatedly with my kids. They greeted Rose in unison when they saw her and Liam asked if she wanted to sit next to him.

Dinner was a little awkward. I still had no idea of what was going on, except that Christian was ready to talk. He didn't seem so ready, though. He was shooting me glares during dinner and remained silent while the kids talked and talked. They didn't notice something was off, which I was glad for. I was planning on telling them tomorrow night about Rose and me, but if Christian came here to spill the beans, it would surely ruin my plans.

He didn't say anything, though, which made me wonder if he really wasn't mad anymore. But why the glares, then? He might have forgiven Rose, but by the look on his face I wasn't so sure if he'd forgiven me.

"Can you guys go upstairs for a bit?" I asked after dinner. "The adults need to talk."

"Why?" Inna asked curiously.

"Because some of them haven't been behaving all that well," Christian commented, glaring at me again.

Rose elbowed him in the side before he could say more. "We need to talk about adult stuff – which is so boring. Trust me, you don't want to stay for that. You'll fall asleep so just do what your dad says and go upstairs, okay?"

They complied and left the kitchen. It was silent for a few moments as I waited for Christian to start yelling at me. Instead, he said, "So… I talked to my mom."

"Oh?" I said, looking up at him.

"Yeah…" he said with a grimace. It clearly pained him to say the next words. "You were right and I'm…sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I should've just heard you out but… I guess I was a little upset."

"It's okay," I said, a little surprised by his apology. "I understand."

He nodded curtly and looked away. "I, um, also want to say that…" When he didn't continue, Rose elbowed him again. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "I also want to say that I accept that you and Rose are…together."

He didn't seem to accept it all that well to me, but Rose seemed satisfied. Smiling, she said, "I'm glad you guys worked it out." She got up from the table and started for the door. "I'll go tell the kids they can come back down."

When she'd left, I looked at Christian. "You can be honest now." He started to say something, but I cut him off. "I know you don't accept that Rose and I are together. I can see it in your eyes."

He clenched his jaw. "Fine," he said. "While I understand why you aren't really grieving over my aunt, I don't understand that you are with Rose."

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Honestly, I think you're just with her because she's young and hot – we all know that she is," he said when I opened my mouth to protest. Sure, she was hot, but that was not the reason I was with her. "I never pegged you as the kind of guy who uses women, but I guess I have to start to believe that you are that kind of guy."

I was outraged. "Do you honestly think that little of me?"

He shrugged. "Why else would you go after a girl who's way younger than you?" His voice started to grow louder and louder as he continued, "Can't you date someone your own age? Why Rose? Of all people, why do you have to use her?"

"I'm not using her!" I exclaimed. "I'm in love with her."

"Rose told me that, but I'm not sure I buy that," he said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I would never use her," I said earnestly. "I'm not that kind of person. I swear, Christian, I love Rose. I'm in love with her."

He looked at me for a long time and at last, he sighed and said, "Alright. I hope for you that you're telling the truth. Because if you're not," he warned, "I'm going to kill you." Even though I was pretty sure this was just an idle threat, I was a little taken aback by his tone of voice. "Rose is my best friend and if you hurt her…"

He was interrupted when the door opened and Rose walked in. "They're playing a computer game so I'm pretty sure they won't be coming back down for a while." She sat down next to me, oblivious to the tension in the room. "So, what are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing much," Christian said casually. Sighing, he got up and said, "I should go back to campus. I'm seeing Lissa in half an hour and I can't be late for that. Good night, guys."

"Hey, are you okay?" Rose asked when we were alone. "You look upset."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered. She looked at me, unsure, and I forced a smile. Pecking her lips, I got up and started clearing the table.

In truth, I was a little upset. If Christian couldn't accept the fact that Rose and I were together, then how would my kids react? If Christian already had a problem with it then I could imagine my kids would have an even bigger problem with it.

And what was I going to do if they did have a problem with it? I loved my kids – they meant everything to me – but Rose… She was my everything too. I loved her so, so much.

My thoughts were interrupted when a pair of arms snaked around my waist. "I love you," Rose murmured.

I turned around. She gazed up at me, a small smile on her lips, and I couldn't help but smile back. Taking her face in my hands, I said softly, "I love you too, Roza."

Her smile widened a little and I leaned in, kissing her lips softly. We stood in our embrace for several more moments, but when I heard footsteps running down the stairs – no doubt it was Liam – she pulled away from me. I was reluctant to let her go, but she said, "Just one more day and we won't have to hide it anymore."

I sighed, hoping she'd be right.

RPOV

"Are you nervous?"

I was on the phone with Dimitri and he was about to tell his kids the truth about us. He'd made their favorite dish and even made chocolate mousse for dessert. I kind of wished I was there, but knew it would be better if he'd tell them alone. They'd probably get more upset if I was there.

"A little," Dimitri admitted.

"Me too," I said sighing. "I hope they'll be okay with it."

"They adore you and when they realize you make me happy, they'll be okay with it. I'm sure of it," he reassured me. I had a feeling he was also trying to reassure himself. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah…"

"What are your plans tonight?" Dimitri asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I'm just going to hang out with Christian, Lissa and Adrian," I said.

"Adrian too?" he said, not sounding very happy.

"Aww, comrade, don't be jealous," I teased. "Adrian is just a friend."

"I know, but does he know that? I mean, he's your ex-boyfriend. And from what you've told me, I know he can't keep his hands off of women," he grumbled.

I laughed. "He knows I'll punch him if he touches me. But if this eases your mind, I'll tell him I'm already taken."

"Well, it would ease my mind a little," he joked. Then he sighed and said, "I should go. Dinner is almost ready."

"Okay. Good luck," I said. "Let me know how it went."

"I will, Roza," he promised before disconnecting.

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on my door.

"Hey, cupcake," Adrian greeted as he strolled inside, not bothering to wait until I'd opened the door for him. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," I said, grabbing my purse from the desk.

Adrian drove us to the restaurant where we'd be meeting Christian and Lissa. They were already there when we arrived.

"Who picked this place?" Adrian said, grimacing when we entered the restaurant. "It's so…romantic. There are only couples here." He frowned. "How am I going to pick up a girl here?!"

Christian rolled his eyes.

"I picked the place. And it's cozy," Lissa defended herself. "Plus, the food's great."

"I like it," I said, interrupting Adrian's complaints about the restaurant. "It's nice here."

"Thank you, Rose," Lissa said smiling. "You know, you could have a romantic dinner with Dimitri here sometime. If he can't find a babysitter, we'll watch the kids. Right, Christian?"

Christian grimaced. "Sure," he said at last, forcing a smile when Lissa looked at him.

"Wait a minute," Adrian said, looking between us. "I'm not following. Are you dating that guy?"

"There are a lot of guys, Adrian," I said, even though I knew who he was talking about. "You're going to have to be a bit more specific."

"That Dimitri guy. The one with the bunch of kids," he said. "The kids you are babysitting."

"He only has three kids!" I said scowling. "You make it sound like he has ten kids."

"Might as well be the same," he said shrugging.

"There's a big difference between three and ten," I argued.

"Okay. Can we stop this and just sit down and have some dinner?" Christian said, exasperated. "I really don't feel like discussing Dimitri right now."

"Sure, sure," Adrian said. "I just have one more question, though." Christian clenched his jaw and Adrian continued, "I thought you said he was just your boss?"

"Yeah, well, not anymore," I muttered.

Adrian grinned, seeming very pleased with himself. "I knew you were lying when you said there was nothing going on between the two of you. I knew it!"

"Yeah, yeah. You were right for once and you will never let me forget that you, Adrian Ivashkov, were right. Can we drop it now?" I asked, glancing at Christian who was shooting daggers at Adrian. "Please?"

"Jeez. Sensitive subject," Adrian said, raising his eyebrows. Luckily, he didn't mention it again for the rest of the night.

After dinner, which had been a little awkward because Christian had been sulking the whole time, we went to a bar not far from campus. I checked my phone before going in, but Dimitri hadn't called or texted. I didn't know if that meant things were going well or things were that bad that he didn't even dare to call me.

I was a nervous wreck by then and Adrian tried to calm me down with some alcohol. I declined. I didn't feel like getting wasted tonight. Christian and Lissa hit the dance floor after a while and I was left alone with Adrian. It surprised me he hadn't left me to find some girl to hook up with tonight.

"It'll be fine," he assured me. "Don't worry so much. You love kids. Kids love you. I'm sure Dimitri's kids will still love you, even when they find out you've been sleeping with their father for some time now. I mean, it will come as a shock, sure, but in time they will-"

"This isn't helping, Adrian," I said, glaring at him. He shut up and I sighed. "I appreciate you trying to cheer me up and help me, but it's not working right now. Sorry."

"It's okay. I guess I was-"

"Rose? Is that you?"

Adrian didn't look very pleased at being interrupted again, but when he turned to the girl who had cut him off, his eyes widened a little at the sight of her. I smiled broadly when I recognized her and she smiled back.

"Sydney!" I said, surprised to see her. I got up from my chair and hugged her. "Oh my God, it's been so long!"

She pulled back from the hug and grinned. "I know right!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm visiting family. I'm here with my cousin. She wanted to go out tonight."

She grimaced. I remembered how much she'd hated going to social gatherings in high school. Bars and clubs were even worse. She must love her cousin really much if she'd decided to come here tonight.

Adrian cleared his throat. "Are you going to introduce me, Rose, or…?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Right. Adrian, this is Sydney, a friend of mine," I said, introducing them to each other. "Sydney, this is Adrian." Adrian looked at me pointedly. "What?" I asked.

"What? I'm not your friend?" he said, outraged. I grinned. "Anyway," he continued, turning on his charm, as he gave Sydney a radiant smile. "It's so nice to meet you, Sydney."

"You too," Sydney said politely.

"How do you two know each other?" Adrian asked. "I don't believe Rose has ever mentioned you – which is a shame. I would've liked to meet you sooner."

"Adrian, stop flirting with my friend," I chastised. "Sydney was a good friend of mine in high school. We kind of lost contact when we went to college."

"We should stay in touch this time," Sydney said smiling.

I smiled back. "That's a very good idea."

Sydney went to fetch her cousin and we spent the rest of the night with them. I introduced Sydney to Christian and Lissa when they returned from the dance floor. Seeing my friend again after such a long time made me forget about my worries for a while. I realized just now how much I'd missed her over the past few years.

Much to my annoyance, Adrian kept flirting with Sydney all night. I wasn't jealous, but I knew his attention was making Sydney uncomfortable. Sometimes she'd smile at him and even laugh at his jokes, though, so maybe he wasn't making her that uncomfortable after all.

"Rose, I had a great evening," Sydney said when she and her cousin were about to leave. "I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Okay," I said smiling, hugging her. "Sorry that Adrian kept bothering you."

"It's okay. He's not that bad," she said, looking shy all of a sudden. Did she like him?

"Hey, Sydney," Adrian said eagerly, pulling me away from my friend. "Can I have your number? I'd really like to take you out sometime."

I was astonished. Never, ever had Adrian Ivashkov asked a girl out like this. Most of the time, women fell at his feet and do anything he'd ask. But not Sydney. She was different. He'd actually had to ask this time.

What surprised me even more was when Sydney gave him her number. Adrian looked like he'd won the lottery or something when she hugged him too before leaving.

"Wipe that grin off your face, Ivashkov," I said, elbowing him. "You look like an idiot."

"If being in love makes me an idiot, then so be it," he said, still grinning like a mad man.

"You only just met her!" I said.

He shrugged. "Ever heard of love at first sight?"

I rolled my eyes. "I think you've had too much to drink tonight."

We drove back to campus and Adrian was so kind to walk me to my room, all the while talking about Sydney. I'd never seen him like this before. He even hadn't been like this with me. I thought it was adorable and hoped he would stay this infatuated with Sydney, because I didn't want her to become just another girl Adrian had slept with. And I made it clear Adrian knew that.

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you," I warned him. "And I'll do it slowly and make sure you're in exquisite pain."

"Don't worry, Rose," he said, giving me his lazy smile. "I'll behave. Promise."

"You better," I said, crossing my arms.

"Night," he called over his shoulder as he walked down the hall.

"Good night, Adrian," I said sighing before entering my room.

Avery was already in bed so I made sure to be quiet as I got ready for bed. I sighed in contentment when I snuggled into the covers and closed my eyes. Then I remembered I was still waiting for a phone call from Dimitri and quickly checked my phone.

I had two missed calls and one new text. I felt a little bad I'd missed Dimitri's calls, but I'd been distracted when Sydney suddenly had showed up tonight.

Can you come over tomorrow morning? We need to talk, the text said.

I gulped as I read the text again. This didn't sound so good. Not at all. I had the feeling I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight because I'd be worrying about tomorrow. Lovely.

Next chapter you'll see the kids' reactions when Dimitri tells them about him and Rose. Have a nice weekend! :)