Adrian swirled his paintbrush through the blobs of paint on his pallete, his brows furrowed and tongue poking out the edge of his mouth in concentration. With his painting of Rose on hold, he'd turned his attention to one of his other unfinished pieces. He should probably spend some time cleaning up the studio, but if he was being honest, he loathed the idea. Besides, what sort of artist didn't have a messy creative space? In his book, a pristine studio was a huge red flag.

He'd just touched the tip of the brush to the canvas when the door crashed open, hitting back against the wall with a mighty thud. He'd barely turned to see who the intruder was before they marched their way over to him and collapsed onto the sofa against the wall, fixing him with a scowl.

"That was quick," he noted, before resuming his painting.

"Great advice Adrian, thank you," Rose scoffed, ignoring him. The sarcasm dripped from her tongue.

"I take it that your conversation with Dimitri didn't go well?"

"'Listen to your heart for once'," she mocked, folding her arms over her chest as she slumped into the back of the sofa. She knew she was being childish, but at that moment she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Actually I think you'll find Lissa was the one who said that, Little One."

"Yes, but she's not here now is she?" Rose huffed. "Where is she anyway?"

"Christian picked her up. They're having 'date night' apparently," he told her, gently setting his brush and his paints down, moving to sit beside his friend on the sofa.

"How wonderful for them."

Adrian sighed.

"What's happened now?" He asked.

"Dimitri's a fucking idiot, that's what happened."

Adrian opened his mouth to respond, when Rose's ringtone cut him off. With a sigh, she pulled out her phone from her pocket, grimacing at the caller ID. Adrian caught a glance at the name before she practically punched the red decline button. Dimitri.

"I agree. But what specifically has he done now?" Adrian asked. "I thought you went to make up with him?"

"I did, but then –" she groans. "His ex was at his apartment."

That he was not expecting.

"Oh," he stated with a frown. "Are they back together?"

"That's what it seemed like."

This was an interesting turn of events. Everything had pointed to the two of them being undeniably, annoyingly in love with each other, with neither of them willing to admit it to the other. That Dimitri could be back with his ex was something Adrian hadn't expected to be on the cards.

There had to be an explanation.

"Well did you actually speak to him to find out what was going on?" He questioned.

"Yes," Rose replied instantly, not meeting Adrian's eyes.

"Rose..."

"Okay, maybe I didn't so much speak to him as... screamed in his face," she explained, burying her face in her hands.

"Wow."

"I was just so angry!" She exclaimed, almost dropping her phone when it began ringing again in her hand.

Decline.

Adrian inwardly rolled his eyes – these two really had to make things difficult for themselves. "I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. After you were done yelling at him, did you let him explain?"

"Yes."

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Decline.

"Rose..."

"Alright, no, I didn't, okay?"

Ring. Ring.

Decline.

Ring.

Decline.

"Are you really not going to pick up?"

"No, I'm too angry." She groaned, leaning back against the sofa and crossing her arms over her face. "Why can't things just be straight forward for me? Why can't I find a man that actually loves me, and doesn't run back to his cheating ex-fiancée two weeks after pouring his heart out to me?"

Adrian rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time in five minutes. "You don't know that that's what happened."

Rose sighed, an attempt to calm her anger and frustration, before sitting up again and leaning her head on Adrian's shoulder. "Maybe you and I should just get married after all."

A laugh escaped Adrian's lips. Had she suggested this five months ago he would have jumped at the chance! But even he could see that her heart belonged to Dimitri, as much as he'd hated to admit it at first. It had killed him when he realised whatever was going on between the pair was real, but he had since come to terms with it. He would always be second best to Dimitri.

"As much as I'd like to say yes, that would be a bad idea."

"Oh great, I can't even get you now."

Adrian chuckled again. "Thanks."

Ring.

Decline.

"I just mean, you haven't exactly hidden the fact that you had feelings for me," Rose explained.

"That is true," he admitted with a nonchalant shrug.

"So, I thought you'd be jumping at the chance."

Adrian draped a comforting arm around his friend's shoulder. "Any other time, yes. But Rose, you don't actually want me. You love Dimitri."

Rose fought back tears.

"I don't want to," she mumbled. She didn't. She didn't want to love him anymore. It hurt her too much.

Adrian squeezed her shoulder tighter. "But you do."

"But he doesn't love me."

Ring. Ring.

Decline.

"Are you sure about that?" Adrian questioned, looking down at the notifications littering Rose's phone. "I don't know any other man that would call that many times in a row if he didn't love you and want to set things straight."

One week later.

"Your call has been forwarded to the voicemail for - Rose Hathaway -. No one is available to take your call. At the tone, please record your message."

Beep.

"Your call has been forwarded to the voicemail for - Rose Hathaway -. No one is available to take your call. At the tone, please record your message."

Beep.

"Your call has - "

"- been forwarded, I get it!" Dimitri bellowed, slamming his phone down onto the countertop with such a force he was surprised it didn't break.

After hearing it almost a hundred times a day for a week, he was positively sick of that voicemail message. He'd lost count how many times he'd tried to phone her, but he was willing to bet it was a lot. And each time was the same – unsuccessful. She simply didn't want to talk to him, and it was killing him that he couldn't explain everything to her.

Dimitri had just picked up his phone and pressed the dial button once more, when he heard a key turn in the lock, followed by the door swinging open as his best friend let himself into his apartment. Ivan.

"Your call has been forwarded to the voicemail for - Rose Hathaway -. No one is available to take your call. At the tone, please record your message."

Beep.

"For fuck's sake!"

"Have you been calling her again?" Ivan asked, shrugging off his jacket and placing it on the hook near the door. "Why don't you just go to her place and speak to her in person?"

"So she can just slam the door in my face?" Dimitri retorted, as though he hadn't already thought of doing just that. Why would he be calling her day in day out if he could just simply speak to her in person?

"You don't know she's going to do that."

"She won't even take my calls, what makes you think she's going to want to see me?"

Ivan slumped down onto the sofa, ignoring Dimitri's glare from the kitchen island.

"Well you need to speak to her somehow and set things straight with her," he said with a shrug, as if doing just that was the easiest thing in the world.

"That's what I'm trying to do, you idiot!" Dimitri exclaimed. "Why are you even here anyway?"

"Hey don't take it out on me. It's not my fault your ex-fiancée is ruining your life yet again," Ivan's brows raised as he held up his hands in defeat. "And I'm here to see you. I was just checking in – making sure you weren't still moping, but here you are."

Dimitri ignored him.

"Can I use your phone?" He asked, standing from his stool and walking to where Ivan sat in the living area.

"Why?"

"She might answer if she thinks it isn't me calling," he explained, holding out his hand expectantly.

Ivan dug his phone from his pocket and handed it over to his best friend, knowing he wasn't going to take no for an answer. It was worth a shot at least, anything to get Rose talking to him again.

Dimitri quickly dialled the number – he knew it off by heart by now – and held the phone to his ear as it began to ring. It rang only twice before the call connected.

"Hello?"

Dimitri's heart lurched in his chest at the sound of her voice.

"Roza, don't hang up –"

Beep.

"Fuck!"

"No luck?" Ivan questioned, taking his phone back as Dimitri passed it back to him.

"Oh yeah, I'm talking to her right now actually."

Ivan frowned at him.

"Dude, you need to relax a little. You're being a dick."

"I know, I'm sorry, man," Dimitri apologised with a deep sigh, running his hand over his face. "I really don't mean to be, I'm just so... pissed at everything."

"Understandable," Ivan nodded.

"Everything has just gone horribly wrong," Dimitri groaned, flopping down onto the sofa beside Ivan.

"Have you even seen Tasha since she turned up here last?"

"No. I haven't heard a thing from her. I can't shake the feeling that she's up to something though."

"What can she do though? She can't force you to marry her."

"I wouldn't put it past her," Dimitri chuckled humourlessly. "But it's the threats she made against Rose that worry me the most."

"You think she's capable of hurting her?" Ivan asked, already knowing the answer to his question. The thought made him, and Dimitri, nauseous.

"That woman is capable of anything," Dimitri retorted. "She's gone absolutely crazy."

"I'm sure Rose is fine."

"I know. I just – I need to explain everything to her. I need her to know that everything Tasha told her isn't true. I need to tell her..." Dimitri sighed again, running his hand through his loose hair habitually. "I need to tell her I love her."

Ivan's brows shot up in surprise.

"Wow, man."

"What?"

"You finally came to your senses and admitted you love the girl!" He laughed.

"Fuck off," Dimitri grinned, punching Ivan playfully on the shoulder.

"I'm glad you've realised how you feel. We all realised it weeks ago."

"I just wish I wasn't so late."

"Dimitri, just go and see her. It's the only way you're going to be able to actually talk to her."

Dimitri said a quick goodbye to Ivan, leaving his best friend to hang out in his apartment, while he raced to Rose's. Jumping in his car, he drove as fast as he could without breaking any traffic laws to reach her. It didn't feel all too long ago since he had last driven here – of course, it was only three weeks ago that he found himself sat on Rose's sofa confessing his feelings for her, just to be shot down. If only he had had the guts to acknowledge the true extent of those feelings. If he had told her he loved her then, would things be different right now? Would the two of them be back on track?

He couldn't think about that right now.

All he could focus on was setting things straight with Rose. Everything else could come later, but he needed her to know that Tasha was lying. He wouldn't get back with her in a million years! To tell the truth, it hurt him slightly that Rose could think so poorly of him – that she'd believe he'd choose Tasha over her. But to give her credit, Dimitri had treated Rose like crap. She had every right to think he'd be a dick to her like that, running back to his cheating ex instead of taking a risk with something real, something magical.

Dimitri cut the ignition as soon as he parked up outside Rose's place, going over in his head what he wanted to say to her for the thousandth time. Explain, apologise, confess... Explain, apologise, confess... Explain, apologise, confess... Grovel? Probably.

When he reached her door however, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, an unusual feeling of unease creeping over him.

Her door was open.

Not all the way, but enough that it hadn't clicked into the latch when it had last been shut. Enough that he'd be able to simply push it open and step inside without knocking.

Sure, Rose could have just left it ajar by accident, but being a woman living on her own, she wasn't that stupid.

No, judging by the slight scuffing along the edge of the door frame, someone had broken in.

And Dimitri was willing to bet who.