Heyyyy guys, my apologies for the delay. I've been away all weekend and I just got to open my laptop a little while ago

Just-kiwi, yeah, I get it that Dimitri's behavior is frustrating, but when I wrote that, when he distances himself then wants to get back closer, I wrote it through the prism of the fact that he didn't think he'd hurt her that much, hence he wants to make things right now. I don't know if it makes much sense in the grand scheme of it all, but it made sense for me :) and don't worry, Adrian will make his appearance soon enough

Peggy, yup, I can confirm Cathleen will be a bitch. But we all know Rose will not give anyone a pass, right? And about the Emma thing, yup, there will be friendship involved (I only have to remember to include her more in my story)

yari desu, thankssssss. I love writing it and I'm so happy you guys like it so much!

Luvfreakysyfy, there is more to be uncovered about Aaron ;) and there will be some punching him at some point

See you in 2 weeks, loves! Have a good day/night, and love you lots!

CHAPTER 14 - Enjoying the rain with the squirrels?

Dimitri's POV

As I hang out at a table outside the main building, she comes to me and slams a cup of coffee on the table.

"For this morning."

From her tone, I see she's still mad at me, even though she strives to sound friendly.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to."

"No, I do," her voice softens with a sigh. "First, I'm sorry for your T-shirt and that you had to spend the morning with it like that. And for earlier. I wasn't… myself." that's right. She doesn't seem like her usual self these days. "I'm sorry if I was weird. It wasn't your fault. Just… never mind. I said what I came here to say, so, I'll go now."

I can't let her leave. To be honest, I don't want to, and I don't think twice before opening my mouth.

"Wait."

"What?"

"I need to come with you."

Even though that is a lie. No one around here is going anywhere with their guardian, the place is full of us, even more than at the Court, with all the families bringing along their guardians, but I will take any excuse to be around her.

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever," she says sitting down. "I… I need to wait for Emma, so I guess this is a place just as good as any other."

Resting her elbows on the table, as she looks away, she starts sliding the tips of her fingers across the inside of her palm, drawing small circles. She's anxious? Do I make her feel that way?

"Ro- Princess?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

"What does that mean?"

"Just that. Are you alright?"

Her back straightens, tightly. "Of course I am. What makes you ask me such a thing?"

"I didn't mean to-"

She gets up. "I need to go. Emma must be wondering where I'm at." even though a minute ago she was the one waiting for Emma. "And don't follow me. I never wanted you around in the first place."

Oh, it's going to take me a lot of time to get over my fuck-up, isn't it?

Rose's POV

After I spend some time with Emma, whose family is off doing god knows what, I decide to go back to my room to fetch a sweater because the weather is getting chilly around here. I would have preferred they took us to a more Christmas-appropriate place, because spring temperatures don't make me feel any cheer, and the expensively decorated trees around seem so out of place. But as I am doing that, Dimitri is on my tracks.

"Are you kidding me?"

"What?"

"Stop following me."

"But I am supposed to."

Yeah, my bad. Anyone here can go around without a guardian, only I need special treatment. If only I weren't a fleeing hazard.

"Fine then, let's get this done with. You shall know I don't mind not talking on our way."

"Alright."

"Hey there, kiddo," Ivan joins in, out of nowhere.

Of course he had to be here too! By not seeing his father around, I assumed they were both doing their important business, but no. Here he is, with his perfect smile, trying to ruin my day further.

"Piss off, Zeklos. I am not in the mood to deal with you."

But he follows me too. I ignore him, but not for too long. Dimitri I understand. Him, not so much.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to my room."

"In that building?" I point to the one I'm heading toward.

"Yes." I find myself smiling. "What?"

"Dunno. I didn't think you'd mingle with the peasants. I thought you'd be staying at a more beautiful building around here, future King." maybe even close to the actual one.

"Judgmental much, future Queen?"

"Maybe." Or maybe it pisses me off that he's staying in the same building as me!

We get there and he doesn't seem to get off my tracks on our way up the stairs, which gets me pissed once more.

"Where is your room, exactly?"

"Fourth floor."

Nice. At least he is not on the same floor as me.

I stop in front of my room, the first on the left at the base of the stairs.

"So, this is me." He looks at me, smiling. "What?" I squint my eyes at him. "If any idiotic thought passed through your brain..." Dimitri might have to guard him from me soon enough.

"No stupid thought. I just thought… guess where I stay."

"Fourth floor."

"Yes, but where exactly?"

"Where?" He points his finger upward. "No."

He nods. His room is on top of mine?

"Look, Zeklos, if you plan to keep me up at night-"

"I do. But I don't think we're thinking of the same activity."

"Are you always such a nuisance, or do you show off when I'm around?"

He smiles, but I give him no more attention and enter my room. Let Dimitri deal with his bullshit.

Emma made me promise I'd attend the upcoming activities, as she wants to spend more time with me than with her family, and considering her last name is Szelsky, I can understand. At least she's not as bad as her cousin.

I get myself ready for this evening's activity, but when I reach the assigned room, I don't spot Emma inside, so I decide to wait for her in the hallway. I try not to make myself stand out and not to interfere too much with other people's conversations, and I pretend I'm taking a call on my half-useful phone, only trying to get further away from them.

But someone decides to interact with me, a man I haven't seen until now. He's not one of the young royals, if I may add. To my further bad luck, he's the libidinous type. Did I mention I got away from the crowd a while ago? And that most people entered the room already?

"How are you?"

"Good. Fine." I pretend to be busy on my phone, praying he'll get the message.

"Are you free later?"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"I just-"

"And I said no, two times already. Didn't you drop your kid here? Shouldn't you go mingle with the other parents, playing bridge and smoke cigars, or something? Or, I don't know, go look after your kids. Be a good dad or whatever."

"I could be your daddy too."

"Ew. Stop. Just don't."

"Fucking bitch."

He turns to leave, but hey, he asked for it.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"How's your ex-wife doing?" I'm bluffing a little, but I hope it goes my way. I know close to nothing about this man, not to mention if he is married.

"What?" okay, I can bullshit my way around this.

"You're not broken up with her?"

"No."

"Then maybe I should ask you how your breaking up is going."

"I am not breaking up with my wife."

"But I bet you will be, soon."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I mean, when I will find your wife and tell her you've been hitting on half the young women here, do you think she will still want to be with a piece of shit like you?"

He seems startled. "I am not- I haven't- you wouldn't say that to her!"

"Why not? You're afraid she'll believe me?"

"You…" he comes closer and gets a hold of my upper arm.

"Hands off me. Now."

"Or what?"

"Or I'm breaking your face."

He squeezes harder. "Listen to me, you little slut. You won't be saying a single word to anyone."

"And who is going to stop me? You? You deserve everything that's coming your way. Now, hands off, you pig."

"And if I don't, what are you going to do?"

I'm not going to sit back. Never again, not in front of people like him. I promised myself. I pin my feet on the ground, preparing to take a swing at him.

"I think she already told you to let go of her." Seeing Dimitri, the man's eyes widen. "Don't make me say it too."

Neat. My fucking knight in shining armor.

The man lets go of me, but oh, the look he throws me. This is not over. I need to find a way to not be alone with him ever again. I'd end up beaten up, or raped. Maybe both.

He leaves without saying a word, but sadly, Dimitri remains.

"Are you alright?"

"What the fuck was that?!"

"What?"

"Why the fuck did you do that?"

"I wanted to help you." the confusion on his face tells me plenty about his good intentions, but I never asked for them.

"And what made you think I needed your help?"

"You two looked-"

"I could have handled it! I didn't need your help!"

"I'm supposed to keep you safe."

"Yeah, from fucking Strigoi, not guys like him! I didn't ask for your help! Because this fucker, I could have handled. He's the kind to shit his pants when he sees he cannot scare a woman. God, Dimitri, I can fight my own battles. I don't need you to be my savior."

He is more baffled now, but I sincerely don't care if I hurt his feelings.

"I just wanted to help."

"Well, you didn't. I didn't ask for it. You only made it worse."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't! You have a dick, it's not that easy for you to get that."

"You make me understand then."

"Now he'll think that I am a damsel in distress and that I will need you around to save me! And when no one will be around, he'll come to me, all sure he'd get it his way, whatever the fuck that means. And maybe he won't stop until he gets it. You understand now? Because I had the audacity to call him out. He won't forgive nor forget that."

"I'll talk to-"

"No! You'll make it even worse, goddammit! You didn't get shit from what I said!"

I turn around, looking out the window. It's only my first day here and I cannot cope anymore. It's him, Ivan, Aaron, and Cathleen, and now that man and… fuck. My eyes sting and I don't want to cry. I won't.

"Princess."

When his hand touches my shoulder, I shake it off.

"Don't touch me."

Fuck, I shouldn't have reacted like this. I turn around and see his concerned face.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri, I-" my voice cracks and tears flood my eyes. I can't hold it in any longer. "Oh, god, I'm sorry." I look down, trying to wipe my tears, but they just won't stop.

"He-"

I hug him. I don't know why, but I do it. I need that little comfort.

He stiffens for a second, but soon his arms wrap around me and he soothes my back.

"I'm sorry if I- I didn't mean to touch you without-"

"No, no, I should apologize. I overreacted and… I had a very long day. I was on edge and… I didn't mean to yell at you. I know you think you were helping, but you weren't and I… I shouldn't have lashed at you like that."

He pulls away and from his coat he gets out a tissue for me.

"It's okay, I understand."

After I wipe my eyes, I tilt my head and look at him. He smiles at me.

Fuck, I'm doing it again. I pull away even more.

"I must go."

"What about the activity?"

But I am long gone, picking up the pace across the hallway.

What was I thinking to hug him like that?

Ivan brings me breakfast, first thing in the morning. I can say I am grateful that I won't have to hit the cafeteria this morning, but I am don't know if I should accept his offer that easily.

"What is this? Bribe?"

"You can call it whatever you want."

"What am I supposed to do in exchange?"

He shrugs. "Just enjoy it."

"You're lucky I'm hungry." These two know food is my weakness and they exploit it!

Along with accepting the bag he brought, I accept to let him inside my room too. I hope I won't regret it.

That cinnamon bun tastes so good that it makes me moan a little.

He smiles.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"The hell it is. Tell me."

"I was just thinking that you would moan my name beautifully."

"You really want to get yourself punched, huh? Right when we were getting friendly?"

"You wanted to know."

"Yes, but I didn't have any idea you would turn it sexual. You can try that with someone else if you please."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

It is supposed to mean that I know enough about his escapades with women to not want to let him too close to me. I swear, Emma is the best at gossip and it didn't take me much to get her to start talking about Ivan.

"I'm sure that half the women here are already dreaming of you. Go try your luck there."

"Are you jealous?"

"Of course not! I am not interested in you. And neither should you be in me."

He laughs a little. "But I am interested in you, not in them. You're going to be my wife, not them."

Squinting my eyes, I get closer to him. So close that not even I can breathe properly. I don't know what I was thinking.

"Keep dreaming about it, Zeklos," I say with a smirk.

He smiles back. "Oh, I definitely will. Each and every night."

Seeing that my tease hasn't worked out the way I wanted, I pull away.

"You'll have to wait until your hair turns gray for your dreams to come true."

"I'm a patient man."

Why can't I manage to make him stop this teasing?!

"Get out. I need to get ready."

"You're joining the treasure hunt later the day?" I nod. "I hope we end up on the same team."

"I'd rather die."

Later on, as no one wants to talk to me, thanks to Cathleen's influence, I sit at a table and sketch something as I wait for my only friend here to join me.

"Are you in art school?" Cathleen asks me, sitting at the end of the table, arms crossed.

"I um… I am not."

"Then what college are you going to?"

"I am not going to any college."

I barely finished high school after my father took me out of guardian training. The two years after that, I still don't know what to do with myself.

She smiles, probably wanting to say something that would insult me, and I brace myself for that. Everyone already pitched into our conversation, and I cannot wait to be more embarrassed by her.

"So this means you taught yourself all these concepts?" I hear Emma say as she comes and sits next to me. "That's so damned awesome! You rock, girl!"

I don't think I can thank her enough for this. I cannot thank her enough for the face Cathleen pulled as she walked away.

After out little win against my new nemesis, we finally arrive at the place where the treasure hunt begins, and I get the privilege to be on Cathleen's team. I'm taking it back, I preferred Ivan.

I promise myself I am going to be civil, but anything I do or say, she and her little pet disagree with, and the other two teammates don't have enough courage to be on my side. I understand them to some extent, being sucked into her influence, but it is fucking frustrating. I did nothing wrong!

At some point, we disagree again about a clue we got, and as everyone is agreeing with her, I decide I've had enough.

"You know what? I give up. Go ahead and lose this game. I don't fucking care about this stupid shit anyway."

From that, it didn't take much for them to kick me out of the team. After all, no matter if I am right, she is ruling the team.

"Whatever. I'll go back and take a nap. It's a better way to spend my time than with you all," I try to keep on to my pride and make it feel like I am leaving the team, not that I've been kicked out.

Soon, I realize that if my orientation skills sucked when I had a map, now that I have none, it's worse. Fucking Cathleen! And I am in the middle of nowhere!

I get lost in the woods, and away from the other groups, as I don't see anyone I can ask for directions. I don't even remember which way moss was pointing to! And even if I did, I don't know which pole to follow to get back to the resort!

I think I spent a lot of time walking in a circle, but I cannot know for sure because all the trees look the same. I could have ended up so far from the resort, and I try not to let thins thought scare me too much.

Damned be this game, trying to let us fend for ourselves without any help, damned be this lack of guardians because everything is perfectly safe in daylight, and damned be that stupid rule of no phones allowed! Why would anyone deliberately cut themselves from technology?

And fuck, it's getting darker. How long have I been out here? It seems like forever. If I am right, which I might not be at all, it's around 8 o'clock now.

Does anyone even know I'm missing? I mean, the treasure hunt is supposed to last until it starts to darken, but if my teammates didn't make it back until now, no one would question my absence. Or if they did return earlier, god knows what they told to the ones around there.

The darkness that comes soon, doesn't stop me from trying to find my way around.

Which is a bad idea. I think I only managed to get more lost.

You know what? I give up. I'll just sit on this log until someone comes for me or a Strigoi, if there is one around, eats me alive. I don't care anymore.

Only that I care again when it starts raining.

"Fuck this fucking shit! Fuck Cathleen and fuck this game! The first thing I do if I ever get back to the main building is pack my bags and go home!"

Oh, these owls are starting to get me spooked. And I pray to god that whatever is in those bushes is human.

How many chances are there for that thing to be a rabid raccoon?

Could it actually be a Strigoi? Did I venture that far? I mean, I was only joking earlier. The resort has wards.

Still, someone is getting closer.

"Is… is someone out there?"

The noise becomes louder and I soon see a light between the trees, thank god.

"Hey! Is someone there?!"

"Rose?" It's Dimitri!

"Hey! I'm here." I get up from under the tree next to which I was hiding.

He gets to me and searching through his bag, he gives me a raincoat.

"Really? Do you think that will help now? I'm already soaking wet."

"You should have had one yourself, so be grateful that I have an extra one with me."

"Gee, thanks. My hero," I mumble as I put that on.

"I'm here. I came for you. What else do you want me to do?"

He's right. I am taking my anger out on him and it's not fair.

"Everyone out there thinks you packed your stuff and left. Cathleen said you ran out of the forest saying that and that's the last time she saw you."

"I didn't run."

I wanted to, but I didn't get to do it. My walking away would have been more spectacular if I would have made it where I intended to.

"That's what Cathleen's been telling everyone. That you bailed on them and left back home."

"And everyone believed that fucking bitch, huh?"

"She even convinced some resort representatives to agree that they let you go. But Ivan and I didn't believe that, so we got out here to look for you."

"Oh, what would I do without your trust?" I find myself commenting again and I want to slap myself for it. Why am I like this?

"You know what I don't get?"

"Enlighten me, please."

"What did I do now? I know I gave you reasons to be mad before, but what did I do now? I came for you. Was that wrong too?"

I know I should apologize, but I do the exact opposite.

"Oh, fuck you. I don't need you to help me."

"You obviously don't. But can you tell me why you were sitting here in the middle of nowhere, all alone, without a raincoat, at ten in the evening?" is it that late? "What were you doing here without a light? Enjoying the rain with the squirrels?"

"You're such a bastard, you know that? It's not my fault that those bitches roamed through my backpack and stole my map, my food, my raincoat and the flashlight and replaced them with fucking rocks!"

I thank god that they didn't let me get dehydrated too, even though that bottle of water is long gone.

I leave. I'd better get eaten by wild boars than be in his presence. With long strides, I get away from him, the growing distance between us making me feel better.

Only that I hear his steps behind me.

"Would you stop following me?" I lash at him. "I don't need you to fucking push me and leave me to die in a ditch!"

I can do that by myself and I probably would have ended up in a ditch if he didn't come, but some voice inside me makes me act like this, and I cannot stop it.

"Considering we're in the middle of nowhere, I'm more afraid of an opossum attacking you, rather than me killing you."

"Maybe I should kill you. Because every time you open your mouth I want to push you over the edge of a cliff and I mean that with all my heart!"

He laughs. "I'd love to see you try."

"Damn you, Dimitri! I hate you!"

"Tell me something new."

"You fucking bastard!"

I use my fist, but it's like he doesn't even feel it when I pound it against his chest.

Instead, my thumb does. I can't believe that after years and years of training, I'm this stupid!

Trying to hide my eyes filling with tears from his vision, I resume to walking away from him.

That was a bad punch. It hurts like hell. Anger makes you forget stuff. Anger makes you stupid. Stupid enough to forget how to fold your fucking fist!

"Where are you going?" Of course he's still on my tracks.

"Back to the resort!"

"Is that where you think you're going to get if you continue to walk in that direction?"

Understanding that I'm heading in the wrong direction, I stop and watch him approach.

"I'm not bad at orientation," I say, trying to pretend my voice isn't shaking from the hurting in my hand, and from the shame I feel, and he lets it pass. "And I don't need your help." Even though I do. I would have already been back if I would have known how.

"I could do something about your orientation problems."

"I think I'm a little too old for scouting lessons. Lessons that I don't need. I told you I know how to make my way around." Another big lie.

"Rose."

"I know you want to walk me back. But I don't think I'm a too pleasant company. After all, I've been picking on you from the second you came, right?"

I know I'm in the wrong here, but it's my only coping mechanism: to be a bitch.

"You'd be on my conscience if I let you leave alone. So you're not getting rid of me at least until you get back to the complex."

That's all I want. To go back. I want to lie in bed and forget these past days.

"Fine. But we don't talk."

"Fine by me."

After he calls Ivan and informs him of finding me, we walk a little, him by my side, making sure we have enough light before us so that we won't be tripping onto the branchy terrain.

"One thing, though," he speaks first.

"I thought we weren't speaking."

"I want to ask just one thing."

"Ask."

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

"Huh?"

"Your thumb. Why are you holding it up?" Along with his question, he touches it too, and I hiss. "What happened?"

"Nothing." I try to pull my hand back, but he holds me by my wrist.

"Oh, really?"

"I just…"

"You sprained it when you hit me, didn't you?" oh, if only he weren't so smart.

"Maybe…"

"Oh, Rose…" I feel a considerable amount of compassion in his voice and I even see it in his eyes that didn't leave my face since he started demanding explanations. "We'll deal with this when we get back. Until then, try not to move it, okay? You don't want to make it worse."

"Yeah, sure."

Like I have any plan to stick around him after he takes me back. I can't even stand to be around him now!

Some more steps in, I think that if we already started speaking…

"Can I ask you something too?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you have something to eat?"

He hands me a healthy bar of cereal.

"This is all I have."

"When you're starving, you can't make demands, can't you?"

That was it. The only words we said to each other on our way back.

We walk for a while and when I see the lights of the complex, I feel truly blessed again. The first time was when the rain stopped. Just like then, I want to do a little happy dance now, but I'm too tired for that.

"Thanks for the walk, I guess. But you know, let's not do this again," I keep on to my snappy attitude, thinking I may convince him he doesn't want me around for longer.

"You're not leaving yet," he commands and keeps me in place when I want to walk away.

"I am going. So let go of me."

He lets go of me, but puts himself in front of me when I want to pass him.

"You're not. Not until we take care of your thumb."

"You don't have to worry about that."

"Come on. It will only take a minute." I shake my head, determined to leave. "I didn't kill you in that forest. You're afraid I'm stupid enough to do it now?"

He killing me is the last of my worries.

"Why is my thumb so important to you?"

Shrugging, he scratches the back of his head. "You have that because of me."

"I have that because I'm fucking stupid. It's not your fault that I am incapable of throwing a punch."

"Please? Let me at least make it up to you in some way. I'm good at dealing with everything that's sprained."

"Let me guess. From all the fights you got into? Because you're such a rogue guy?"

He smiles. "You nailed it."

We spend the next seconds looking into each other's eyes. It's funny I can do it now for longer. Maybe because it's dark outside and his eyes don't seem as piercing as before.

"Please?"

"Fine. But I could have dealt with it by myself."

He smiles once more. "I know you could have. But thank you for letting me do it."

He may be grateful, but I'm the one who had to be in his presence for longer, which is not an optimal situation.

In silence, I follow him inside the guardian's grounds.

"Let's fetch you some ice," he says as he hands me a towel and walks away, wiping his hair.

He snoops around inside the fridge in the storage area, getting out a pack of frozen berries.

"Let's hope this will do. And this is for you too."

He gives me something to eat, a small chocolate cupcake he takes from underneath a glass covering.

He leaves the room and I wait for him leaning against a counter, not knowing what else to do after I finish my cupcake but to watch my thumb, which is now swollen and pulsing.

Coming back, he carries a first aid kit and sets it behind me, opened, next to the berries.

Standing a little too close to me I could say, he extends his hand, waiting for mine. I resist the urge to pull away from that place, that electric feeling between us coming back. I do my best to ignore it.

"I could do it. I have taken some first aid lessons," I am bullshitting my way around this too much for my own good, trying to stall the moment he'll touch me again.

"Trust me, at least this little, will you?"

With a sigh, I put my hand in his. The faster he finishes, the faster I can leave.

"It's swollen, but not too much. That could be a good sign," he informs me, inspecting my hand. "On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate the pain?"

"You've taken nursing lessons, comrade?" Half smiling, he looks at me, and I realize how stupid I am. I am not supposed to joke with him, nor call him that. I'm supposed to be mad at him, but it is just so hard to do that. "I don't know. Not horrific? I've felt way worse."

"Any numbness?"

"No."

"Okay. Then tell me when it hurts. And I need to apologize in advance for it. It will hurt at times."

I nod and he starts moving my thumb slowly, up and down, left and right, and all around the joint, in circles. That's when it hurts most. Palpating it a little more, he seems satisfied with the outcome.

"I don't think it's broken. Let's wrap it tightly and let it heal."

The kit being behind me, he has to get even closer to me as he reaches for some bandages. He got so close that our shoulders touch and the smell of him gets once more overwhelming. It's amazing to me how the rain didn't wash it all away.

One second before I was about to flee, he pulls away, and I focus on the pain in my finger.

"Did I do something to make you feel unsafe around me?" he asks out of nowhere, as he's busy putting the bandage on.

"What?"

His eyes lift and meet mine.

"The way you look at me… the way you've been looking at me at times… it's like you're afraid of me." His hands hold mine now. "Did I do something?"

"N- No."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Rose. You know that, don't you?"

"I… I'm sorry."

Is it that obvious I'm so on edge around him? How could I tell him it's not his fault? I'm afraid of everyone these days. And he awakens stuff in me that I cannot comprehend. What else can I do but run from it?

He sighs. "You don't have to apologize. I just…" another sigh. "It's okay. It doesn't matter. I didn't want it to come out as you doing something wrong." he takes the scissors and cuts the edge of the bandage. "There you go. It's all nice and tight. It shouldn't bother you much."

"Thank you."

I dare look up at him. My bangs, now wet and heavy, covers part of my forehead. I don't get to put it back behind my ears because he lifts his hand and does it for me. In the process, he touches my cheek too, and at this, I can't help it anymore – too much tension gathered in me – I gasp and turn around.

"I um… I think I'll go now." Grabbing the frozen berries, I look at him one more time, from the corner of my eye. "Again, thank you."

But when I want to walk away, he gets a hold of my hand, and that obliges me to look at him once again.

It takes him a while to say something, but I know I cannot open my mouth.

"Take a warm bath, will you?"

Him saying this, is not at all what I was thinking he'd say, and I almost laugh at how stupid I was to think he'd say something else.

"I promise I will," I say lastly, then rush out of the building.

The next day's activity is climbing and I have always wanted to try that.

But I woke up late, thanks to the tiredness of yesterday, and when I got to the place we were supposed to meet into, I see everyone already left.

Shit. I take my frustration on a chair sitting around, hitting it with my foot and moving it about two centimeters away. Do people know I'm still here? Would they have waited if they'd known? Why didn't Emma come to look for me? Is she still pissed I left the other day?

"They left fifteen minutes ago." it's Dimitri.

"Great. I could never catch up to them."

"You wanted to go?"

"I did."

He seems surprised. "I thought that after last night…"

"Why are you still here?" I change the subject before I remember that moment on the guardian's grounds. "Aren't you supposed to guard the group?"

"I'm here for you, not for them." Yeah, that's the problem, isn't it? "If you need a ride, I can take you there."

"Why are you offering to take me?" he should be mad at me for the way I acted last night. For the past days.

He shrugs. "You seem bummed for not going. And you just said you want to go."

"But it's kind of late now."

"It's a long ride and I think they're driving slowly in that bus. We could catch up to them."

"You keep on coming with good reasons to go, and I might make you take me there."

"Then let's go and stop wasting time."

Before we get inside the car, he stops me.

"But…"

"What?"

"Are you sure you can do rock climbing? I mean, your thumb…"

"It's perfectly fine."

I even show it to him. The swelling is gone and it doesn't hurt anymore. Even though I am lying. It still hurts a little, but it's not disastrous.

When I see he is not convinced, I get inside the car and he follows.

"I promise I'll give it a rest after I have some fun at the climbing site."

He seems to like this better, and revs up the engine.

"And um…" he turns his head and waits. "I apologize. For last night. You were trying to help me and I've been a bitch. It wasn't your fault I was in that forest. I was unfair."

He nods and when I look up at him, he smiles.

"It's alright."

Along the way, we listen to his old boring communist songs and I try my best not to criticize them. Of course, I criticize them just for the fun of it, because some of them are actually enjoyable.

I didn't have the time for breakfast and he knows that, so he stops along the way to buy me something to eat, along with a big coffee.

"We've been driving for hours, are we nearly there yet?" Not really hours, but I'm getting impatient and time seems to stretch forever.

"I would honestly like to tell you something other than 'no', but life is not fair."

"Can I drive?" I find myself asking. Doing something would make time pass faster.

He turns his head and looks at me like I asked him to kill the president.

"Or you're too protective over cars like all the guys?"

He shrugs. "You can drive it. As long as you don't send us flying into a pillar."

"It's just your luck that there are only trees around for me to hit."

With a smile, he pulls up and we change places.

I drive and I enjoy it quite much. I haven't been able to do it in a long while.

But bad luck makes it that we get a flat tire.

I manage the car as best as I can, in order not to end up in one of those trees.

"Fuck! Tell me we have a spare."

"We have a spare."

"Great."

I get off and so does he, starting to roll up his sleeves.

"Um, what are you doing?"

"I am changing the tire."

"The hell you are. I made the mess, I am fixing it."

"Do you know how to change a tire?"

"Sexist much?"

"Merely curious. I wasn't implying that you wouldn't know how to do it because you're a woman."

"Then watch me and satisfy your curiosity, comrade."

And like this, I'm changing the tire, in the middle of nowhere, as he is sitting against the car, watching me. Like I'd have something to prove, I accepted none of his help.

Another car passes by, driven by a man, and he pulls up close to us.

"Hey there, sweetheart. I see you've gotten yourself a useless man. How about I come there and fix that for you?"

"Dimitri, can you please flip him off? I'm quite busy here."

"You heard her. Beat it."

"Your loss," he says before rolling his window back up.

I doubt it.

I finish soon after the rude interruption and stand up. Dimitri is still watching me.

"What? You're feeling emasculated, Belikov?"

"Not even a bit." I don't buy that, and I show it to him. "To be honest, I'm finding it impressive. But…"

From his pocket, he gets out a tissue. He wipes my cheek with it and shows me the black smear on the white material.

He was right about the bus moving at a slow pace, and because we pushed the pedal big time, we got there relatively in time. We didn't lose too much, only the safety instructions, which I fill myself in fast so that I can enjoy the climbing.

I find out that everyone already has a pair. Except for one person. I hate the fact that everything we do here has to be about bonding with others and working in pairs.

Seeing Dimitri enter the room, I rush to him.

"Pair up with me. Be my partner at climbing."

"No. I'm not doing that. I only brought you here. I cannot-"

"Please? Please. I promise I'll be good. Please."

"I don't… I can't."

"Come on! Grab your partner and come. It's time to gear up," the instructor says.

My partner calls for me.

Fuck.