6 Weeks Later

The sterile white walls of the hospital had slowly faded from Dimitri's mind, replaced with the comforting sight of his apartment. Two weeks ago, after weeks of tense waiting and painful recovery, he had finally left the hospital, his body healing but still fragile. His wound had closed up, the stitches had been removed, and now he was getting back to a semblance of normalcy. His physical strength was returning, but mentally, the damage had yet to fully heal.

Every day he thought about Rose. She hadn't visited him once since he left the hospital. Not even a text. It ate away at him—the fact that the woman he loved, the woman who had saved his life, wasn't there. The guilt weighed heavily on his heart, but he knew he had to make things right. It had been his own fault for pushing her away when all he wanted was to hold her close.

Rose sat in her living room, staring at the flickering TV screen in front of her. Her phone, resting on the coffee table, remained untouched. She had been avoiding it. Dimitri had been calling, texting, and leaving messages. She didn't want to hear from him—not yet. Every time she heard his name or saw his number light up on her screen, her heart ached. She hadn't been able to make sense of her feelings after everything that had happened. And so, she kept busy. Her work at the diner had kept her occupied, and the endless list of distractions she had made for herself kept her mind from wandering too deep.

But still… she missed him. The thought gnawed at her like a slow-burning ember, a truth she couldn't deny, no matter how hard she tried.

But that didn't mean she was ready to forgive him. Not yet. He had hurt her deeply. And she couldn't shake the image of him, weak and vulnerable in the hospital, as if she might lose him forever.

It was late afternoon when Rose heard a knock at the front door. The sound was so unexpected that she jumped, nearly dropping the mug of coffee she was holding. She set it down on the coffee table, before walking to the door to see who it was.

She opened it slowly, her breath caught in her throat when she saw him standing there.

Dimitri.

His face was pale, but the light in his eyes was unmistakable—determined, anxious, filled with a deep, undeniable need. Her breath hitched as their eyes met.

"You're out of the hospital," she said, her voice a mixture of surprise and wariness.

Dimitri nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. "Yeah… I am. Two weeks ago. I've been calling you."

Rose nodded. "I – I know."

The tension between them was palpable, hanging in the air like a thick fog, but neither of them spoke for a moment.

"Can I come in?" Dimitri asked, his usual confidence masked by hesitation. "I really need to speak to you."

Rose hesitated, but nodded, deciding to give the man a chance to speak. It wasn't fair for her to keep ignoring him. He needed a chance to explain things, to tell her how he felt.

She stepped aside, inviting him in. They both walked into the living room, the space between them feeling impossibly large, like there was still so much left unsaid. He sat down on the couch, Rose following suit.

"Rose," Dimitri began, his voice low, "I know I've hurt you. And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I've come here to tell you the truth."

Rose swallowed, her heart pounding.

Dimitri met her eyes, his expression raw. "I love you, Roza," he whispered. "I love you. I know I never said it before, but I should've. I should have said it when I came here before, to tell you I cared for you. I should have been more honest then. I told you I cared for you but it's so much more than that. I've been a coward. I was scared. But I can't keep running from it. I—"

Rose felt her throat close up. She wanted to speak, to say something, but the words caught in her chest, heavy and tangled with everything she was feeling.

"You love me?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. "After everything? You were so adamantly against love."

Dimitri closed his eyes for a moment, his hand rising to brush through his hair. "I was wrong," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "Tasha was... unhinged, and I didn't see it then. I thought love didn't exist, that relationships were the problem, but it wasn't. It wasn't the relationship itself that was wrong—it was her. And I see that now."

"Dimitri –"

"And I know that you're nothing like her. You're nothing like Tasha," he continued, cutting her off, desperately needing to explain himself. "You would never hurt me the way she did. But my stupid fear made me think that all relationships would end up the same way, so I never let myself love you. But somewhere along the way, I did. I love you, Roza."

He moved closer to her on the sofa, taking her hands in his.

"I hurt you. And for that, I'm sorry. I hurt you because I was too scared to let myself be vulnerable, to let myself love you like you deserve," his eyes bore into hers. "You told me you were falling for me, Rose. Is that still true? Can you see yourself giving us another chance? A real chance."

Rose closed her eyes.

"I don't know."

His voice wavered with desperation. "What do I have to do, Roza?" he asked, his eyes pleading. "Do you want me on my knees? Because I'll get down there and fucking beg if I have to. Whatever it takes to prove to you that I love you."

Rose's heart pounded in her chest, the flood of emotions nearly overwhelming her. His words pierced through the walls she had built around her heart, and for a moment, she almost let herself believe him.

But the pain was still fresh. She wasn't ready. She couldn't just forgive him that easily.

"I don't know what to say, Dimitri," she murmured. "You hurt me. I thought I had finally got past this... got past you. Then I realised I still had feelings for you. I came to tell you and she, Tasha, was there. Acting like you were together and I couldn't believe you'd be so stupid. My heart broke all over again. I don't know if I can let you break it a third time."

Dimitri's expression faltered, but he didn't back down. He stood his ground, a man broken and vulnerable. "I know you're scared," he said softly. "I know I don't deserve any more chances. But I swear, I'm going to make it up to you. I'll spend the rest of my life doing it if that's what it takes because I love you. I fucking love you more than anything."

Silence fell between them for a long, heavy moment. Rose's heart ached, but this time, it wasn't just the pain of betrayal. It was the ache of hope. She had loved him. She still loved him. She desperately wanted something real with him.

Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke. "I... I'm willing to try. I'm willing to give us a chance. A real chance, with no more lies and no more fear."

Dimitri's eyes lit up with a mixture of relief and gratitude. "Really?" he asked, his voice laced with emotion.

Rose nodded, her gaze steady. "We can try again, Dimitri. But it has to be real. It has to be honest. No more running. No more secrets."

Dimitri moved even closer to her on the sofa, his hands still wrapped around hers. "I promise," he said. "I promise, I won't hurt you again."

Rose smiled, a real smile. Probably the first real smile in months. "Good. Because I do – I do still love you."

Dimitri grinned, his usual confident, happy demeanour returning to his features. "You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that. You have no idea how much I fucking missed you, Roza."

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to disappear. Rose's heart raced, and she could feel the space between them closing, a magnetic pull that neither of them could resist. Dimitri's hand, still holding hers, tightened slightly, and without a word, he leaned in. His forehead rested gently against hers, the air between them heavy with everything they hadn't said yet.

"Roza," he whispered, "I love you."

She laughed. "You said that already."

Dimitri chuckled too, finally feeling as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "And I'm not going to stop saying it."

Rose smiled and her eyes fluttered shut, and before she could stop herself, her hands found their way to his face, her fingers tracing the lines of his jaw. And then, in a moment that felt like it had been a long time coming, their lips met. It was soft at first, tentative—an exploration of the forgiveness that still hung between them. But it didn't take long for the kiss to deepen, the desperation, the yearning, the fear of losing each other, all coming to a head in that single, shared breath.

But it wasn't enough – after months of separation, they wanted, needed, more...