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Rose's POV

My hips hit the edge of a counter; the sharp angle dug in, but Jesse's tongue tangled with mine, and I ignored the pain for pleasure. His hands dragged down my sides to the hem of my dress and pushed it up. Fingers toyed with the edge of my panties before he grasped my hips and lifted me up onto the counter. Jesse slotted between my legs, and his lips claimed mine again.

I was playing with fire. I knew that, but I didn't want to stop. The sounds of the party were barely muffled by the closed door, so I knew I had to be quiet. Jesse had led me down a hall, and into a closet—I think it was storage. I didn't care once we started kissing. He was an ass, but he was a great kisser. I had no idea how far I wanted to go, gasping softly when he rocked his hips against mine.

Pretty sure if I had sex there, Abe would never bring me to another party.

"Rose!" Mason complained beside me, practically as close as Jesse was because of how small the room was. "You can't be serious about this!"

I shifted my arms around Jesse's neck and flipped Mason off. I closed my eyes and pulled Jesse closer.

"God, you look hot in that dress," Jesse purred, "I wanted to fuck you the moment I saw you."

I rolled my eyes. "Just shut up and kiss me."

"Seriously, Rose?" Mason complained again. "You could do so much better than this guy."

I considered asking if he had a hidden flask, just to help block Mason out.

"What do you think Dimitri will say if he finds you like this?"

And just like that, all desire for Jesse disappeared. I broke the kiss and pushed him away.

"What's wrong now?" he groaned, a look of displeasure on his face.

"I can't do this," I explained with a glare aimed at Mason and his triumphant grin. "We shouldn't be doing this here. I've gotta go." I hopped down and straightened my dress before opening the door. Thankfully, no one was in the hall when I stepped out. "Are they looking for me?" I whispered to Mason. I tried to run a hand over my hair to check it wasn't a mess; my lipstick was likely smudged, but I couldn't do much about it.

"He and Pavel have been for a while."

Fuck. I dropped the thought of going to the bathroom first and walked back to the party, but I didn't get far before a hand took my wrist and yanked me back.

"I'm getting really tired of this hot and cold shit. What the hell do you want, Rose?" Jesse snarled.

I always assumed that Jesse might have a redeeming quality, but he really had none. He was just the guy who was always up for a good time, and that was it. I'd admit I used him, but he used me just as much.

"I don't want anything. Just let it go." I tried to push past, but he shoved me back. "Hey!"

"I've not spent all this time hitting on the crazy girl not to get what's owed to me."

My nostrils flared. "Excuse me?"

Jesse continued with a look of irritation, "Sleeping with you was a bet, Rose, and I'm going to win my bet."

My blood boiled. I balled my hand into a fist, and I punched him in the nose. Jesse went down, his cry of pain drew some attention, but I just stared at him and his bloody nose with disgust. "Delete my number, asshole."

I stepped over his legs and marched back to the party when I froze; it turned out the attention I drew was Dimitri's and Pavel's. They stared at me, and then at Jesse behind me.

"What happened?" Dimitri demanded.

I flexed my hand and held my head high. "He called me crazy."

That seemed to be enough of a reason for them. Dimitri ushered me forward, hand taking my wrist to inspect my knuckles, and his other arm went around my shoulders. "Your father is looking for you. We can meet him by the car."

It was Dimitri's way of getting me out before more attention was gained; a quick escape before people realised I had punched someone. I didn't fight him on it, happy to leave. "I'm never coming to one of these again."

Abe didn't mention Jesse, so I had no idea if Pavel told him, but he wore a smirk the whole ride home. I stared out the window, trying to ignore the sting I felt from Jesse's words. It wasn't a complete surprise that it was all a game to him, but it still hurt.

Everyone there knew I didn't belong. Even if I couldn't see ghosts, that wasn't my world. Eventually, I would get away from it all and never look back.

The fridge was full of food, yet held nothing to eat at the same time. I closed it and checked the freezer, and with a shrug, I settled for ice cream instead. I took a spoon and ate straight from the container.

"That's not much of a dinner," Dimitri commented from the doorway. He hadn't changed out of his suit, with his jacket hanging from his hand.

I had a mouthful of ice cream and still felt heated under his gaze. I tried to stop staring but kept admiring how good he looked in a well-fitted suit. Jesse also managed to wear a suit well, but it didn't spark the same reaction from me. What I felt for him was a want to mess around, but with Dimitri, I just wanted a chance to be close to him.

I wondered if he checked me out. I was still in my dress and heels, on full display for him. Jesse told me I was hot, but the compliment paled compared to Dimitri telling me I was beautiful. I could spend hours comparing them both; I already knew Dimitri was better in every way.

I also knew that what I felt towards him was not a simple crush.

"How did things go with Vera?" I asked, forcing the question out despite how much I didn't want to know. I hoped it went poorly.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow and stepped up to the counter; with his long arms, he could reach the silverware drawer and retrieve a spoon. He gestured for the ice cream. "It was fine. She told me about her wife, whom she met in Canada."

"Oh."

Dimitri took a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream before passing it back. "Sorry to disappoint you."

I dropped my eyes. I wasn't disappointed at all.

"You need to stop trying to set me up with people," he told me gently.

"Who said I was doing that?" I feigned innocence, "I thought you two had something in common."

"Like what?"

"Your accent."

Dimitri laughed. "I think I would need more than that to like someone."

I cradled the cold container between my hands, unable to meet his eyes. "Isn't she your type?"

"No." His answer drew my eyes back to him and saw a half smile play on his lips, "Maybe before, but she isn't my type anymore."

I swallowed. A treacherous part of me secretly hoped that I was his type now. It was unlikely; whose type was the dark and twisted girl who was called insane for seeing ghosts?

"Is Jesse your type?"

It wasn't a question I expected from him. I sighed and bent to lean my elbows on the counter, the ice cream placed between us. "Not anymore. Apparently, his whole thing with me was because of a bet." I was a joke to everyone there; I wondered if Abe knew.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri whispered; there was a hard edge to his tone that sent chills through me.

"I guess I'll keep my dating pool to the group therapy sessions. At least they don't call me names." I glanced at my hand, the knuckles a little red, but it didn't hurt much. As if reminded, Dimitri grabbed one of the ice packs from the freezer and covered it in the dish towel. His eyes met mine before he laid the ice pack over the back of my hand.

"That was a good punch," he praised, "I'm glad you were listening."

I smirked, "I pay attention, comrade. If it's interesting."

He sighed dramatically, then stood back with a smile. His fingers spread out on the granite countertop. "Your father gave me tomorrow off, so I was thinking of going to the stores. My sisters gave me a list."

I stared at him for a moment before the pieces clicked. "Oh. Black Friday. That's why I don't have an appointment tomorrow."

"Why did you think it was?"

"Maybe Abe thought I would be all partied out or something," I shrugged. "So, you are going to brave the stores?"

Dimitri pulled a face, and I laughed; he didn't strike me as someone who enjoyed shopping. He eyed me and asked, "Would you like to come with me?"

For a moment, I lost the ability to speak. It's not a date. I was quick to repeat that mantra. While I wanted to say yes instantly, I had to give off the appearance of keeping my cool. "Are you sure that would be okay? I mean, do you really want to spend your day off with me?"

"I doubt you will run off or anything," he commented with a wry grin.

"Nope. My days of trying to give you the slip have passed. Turns out you aren't too bad to be around." That and I enjoyed his company too much to pass on the chance to be around him more.

God, I was head over heels.

"Thanks. We can leave at ten."

I bit back my smile, knowing it would split my face. "Sounds good, comrade." I excused myself before I made a fool of myself by grinning constantly. It wasn't the first time we went to the store together, but that was because it was his job to follow me. Him inviting me to spend time with him was a completely different thing. I kept my eyes down and took the ice pack with me.

I was at the doorway when Dimitri spoke again, "Rose," he called and waited until I turned to continue. His eyebrows furrowed for a second, and then his expression smoothed, "You deserve much better than Jesse. You deserve… You deserve someone better."

The smile broke free, and I nodded. "I know."

Dimitri inhaled sharply, a look of relief on his face, and another emotion that I couldn't decipher. "Good," he breathed. "Good night, Roza."

There was that name again. It was just my name in Russian, but it gave me butterflies in my stomach. "Good night, Dimitri."

I moved quickly, my face heated and a giddiness in my chest. Maybe it was a long shot, filled with obstacles and a lot of what-ifs, but I wanted to believe that maybe there was a chance that he was the better I deserved. Maybe there was a chance that I had found the person I could open up to.

Mason shot me a look when I reached the top of the stairs, the same look of jealousy I had seen before. He crossed his arms and pouted, "Sure when Dimitri says you can do better, you believe him."

I rolled my eyes, "It's okay, you were right too, Casper."

His eyes narrowed but he let it pass. "Don't forget it, Hathaway. I know what's good for you."

"Sure, Mase."

People didn't often die at the shopping centre, but they did like to follow people around. I forgot that with how busy the stores got, there would be a lot of ghosts following. I remembered why I didn't go out much. Thankfully, the ghosts didn't pay me much attention, especially if I didn't look directly at them; most were too concerned with the person they trailed behind.

Mason and Ivan walked behind Dimitri and me, discussing things they missed about shopping—which was mainly the food court. I followed Dimitri as he complained about the long list he was sent; he continued to mutter in Russian, each time Ivan translated the swears.

"I didn't think there would be so many people," Dimitri groaned when we entered the third store on the list. I laughed and tried to arrange the bags in my hands; I strongly suspected that he only invited me so I could help carry everything.

"What did you think it would be like? It's the day everyone shops." I tried to walk beside him, but a ghost decided to take up half of the aisle. While I didn't mind looking a little strange to Dimitri, I didn't want to be avoiding thin air while others were in the same aisle. "Dammit," I muttered and gave in, weaving between Dimitri and another woman to get in front of them.

Dimitri's eyes flicked from the empty space to me but didn't mention it. "Let's get what we can and then we will get food," he offered.

"The best idea you've had."

It took almost twenty minutes to find the exact pieces of clothes Viktoria wanted; I had to admit I liked her style. I admired a few of the dresses in the store but stopped myself from trying anything. They were nice clothes meant for dates or events, all the things that I had no intention of doing.

We were in line when I couldn't ignore the eyes on me anymore. I noticed them ten minutes into shopping but hoped they would leave me alone. She slowly made their way across the store until they stood behind us—an older woman dressed in a pink coat and heels.

"You can see me, can't you?" she asked again.

I kept my mouth shut and eyes straight ahead.

"She can see me. I saw her talk to you," she accused.

Mason glanced at me and shrugged, "She can't see me. You're seeing things."

"No. I know she can. I need her help. Please–"

The woman placed her hand on my shoulder, and I flinched away. "Don't," I hissed, but not low enough to escape notice. I gained the attention of the living and the dead.

Dimitri ducked his head, eyes searching mine for what was wrong, "Everything okay?"

"I think…" I looked at the woman and deflated. "Just don't look at me like I'm fucked up, okay?" It was a risk; I didn't enjoy talking to ghosts when in a crowded public space. Even if I went somewhere else, I would still be talking to myself. But if it looked like I was just talking to Dimitri, it would raise less eyebrows.

He didn't understand at first but was sincere when he replied, "I don't think that."

I grimaced, "I hope that doesn't change." Though I still faced Dimitri, I looked at the woman in pink and whispered, "What do you want?"

Her eyes lit up. "You can see me!"

I dared a glance at Dimitri only to quickly look away; he was uncomfortable but tried to conceal it. "Yeah, but no one else can, so I'd like not to just stand here and talk to myself for long. What do you want?"

"Oh," she appeared sheepish, "I didn't think about that. I–I want to get a note to my daughter. She works here on the weekends."

The fact I didn't help ghosts was on the tip of my tongue, but she looked so hopeful that I couldn't bring myself to say it. "I don't know when I'll be here again," I admitted, "Can I just write it as a letter or something?" The less amount of contact I had with the person, the better. Sending a letter and going up to the person were two very different things.

The amount of times I had been yelled at or called names was more than I could count. The ghosts were always thankful I tried, but it didn't change how hard it was for me to listen to someone telling me I was delusional.

"A letter?" she repeated, "That would work." Her face dropped, "I can't write one."

I balanced the bags in hand, moving forward as the line did. Dimitri still hadn't said anything, though I saw the tension in his back; he had become rigid. I was grateful that he at least angled his body to face me as if we were having a conversation; I just couldn't tell if it was for my benefit or his.

After some fiddling, I pulled out my phone and opened a blank text. "Tell me what to say and where to send it." The woman wore a look of doubt, studying me. I sighed, "You can either trust me now or not get your message out."

She frowned, "I suppose."

By the time Dimitri paid for his items, I had the letter typed up and the address to send it to. Once I was typing, I decided I didn't need to be standing beside him as a cover, and stepped outside the store. I arranged the bags around my feet so I could type with both hands. The woman—Marge—read through what I had a few times until she was happy, a look of gratitude directed at me.

"Thank you, so much. I just needed to tell her those things again." Her smile wobbled, "Once she gets the letter, I think I can leave. Her father is waiting for me."

I nodded and saved the text for later. "You're welcome. I'll send it tonight," I promised again.

"Rose?" Dimitri appeared beside me, making me jump. His lips were pressed together in a thin line, eyes flicking to the spot I had been talking to. My stomach twisted that he would say something; maybe it was too much and he wanted me to leave. Dimitri took a deep breath, and relaxed, expression shifting, "Still hungry? I think there's just one last place after that."

I couldn't express the relief that went through me. My heart had been pounding in my chest, but it eased instantly. "Yeah, I'm starving."

"Good," he replied and gestured down the long hall of the shopping centre, "I know a great place here."

Just like that, we slipped back into casual conversation, both relaxed and ignoring what had happened. Marge waved as we walked away, with another whispered thanks before she disappeared. It threw me how easily Dimitri had accepted what happened and didn't make a big deal of it; he had been the same at the party. It gave me hope.

"A woman asked me to write a letter to her daughter," I explained suddenly, needing to give him some explanation. Maybe it would help him understand that wasn't all in my head. "Before, that's who I was talking to."

Dimitri eyed me for a moment, then hummed and kept walking. It wasn't the best reaction, but it wasn't the worst.

Each time he accepted what I did, I wondered if maybe he would believe me. What if Dimitri knew the truth?

I glanced at Ivan and bit my tongue.

Maybe there was a chance…