Never Too Late: A VA Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-Four

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead does.

RPOV:

Almost immediately, I pushed him back.

“What the hell!” I cried out. It was then that I noticed I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. I backed away, taking several deep breaths. Don't have a panic attack, don’t have a panic attack, I chanted in my head.

“I’m sorry, Rose, I just thought, I mean, you, I mean, I thought you wanted to kiss me!” Mason spluttered out.

“No, Mason!” I snapped, still on edge. “Look, I know you like me, but I don’t see you that way, okay? I see you as nothing more than a friend.”

Mason looked like I had just stabbed him with a stake. “You...don’t? But...I thought you did...”

I winced, wishing I could take back my harsh words. “No, Mase,” I said softly, trying to soften the blow. “I don’t. I never have. Maybe if this hadn’t happened, we might have had something but...” I shrugged helplessly.

Mason nodded slowly. “So...well, I’m sorry I kissed you. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he said almost formally.

“Mason, can we still be friends? Please?” I pleaded.

Mason hesitated for a second before nodding. “Sure. Just...give me a bit, alright?”

I nodded. “Sure, take all the time you need.” Jeez, hearts were breaking all over the place.

Mason turned around and walked away. I watched him for a moment, sighing. He was soon out of sight and I was left standing alone.

“Want to tell me what that was about?”

I jumped a mile as I realised that Dimitri was standing next to me. I spun around, frantically trying to figure out what he had seen.

“W-what are you talking about?” I exclaimed, my voice an octave higher.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow, his guardian mask firmly in place. “The kiss.”

I blinked, not expecting him to be so straightforward. Quickly I came to my senses. “It was nothing, I swear!” I cried out. “He kissed me but I pushed him away immediately and told him I didn’t see him that way.”

“Rose, calm down, I know you didn’t kiss him. I’m sorry,” Dimitri apologized when he realised how frantic I was.

It came to my attention that I was still shaking. Dimitri noticed this at the same time.

“Roza, what’s wrong?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I-I wasn’t prepared for him to come that close or do that,” I said through a thick throat.

Dimitri glared in the direction Mason went. “He should have known better,” he muttered. He took my hand and pulled me into his chest, holding me close.

Slowly, I calmed down in the comfort and safety of his arms.

“It’s not his fault, Comrade,” I murmured.

“I don’t care, he shouldn’t have done that. You didn’t ask him to kiss you.” Dimitri took several deep breaths, trying to calm down.

“Let’s go,” he said, pulling away. “I was actually looking for you to go to the doctor’s appointment.”

I nodded. “I figured.”

As we walked to the infirmary, I told Dimitri about my blow up on Adrian, and Christian’s subsequent speech.