Mistake ♦ Romitri

Chapter 21

We didn't move for minutes. My arms were tightly wrapped around his waist as he draped his arms around my shoulders, placing his head atop of mine.

There was silence, broken every time one of us decided to breathe. I heard his thumping heart beat just as I expected he could hear mine. It was still and comforting and I was content if only a few minutes. With a deep inhale, I broke away, though, and brought my eyes to his.

'There's something I haven't told you. I guess I was nervous...or just didn't want to. But, Lissa and I were on the computer and we ran across something. St Vladimir's, a school for troubled teens. God, I already hate how that sounds. I don't want to go there but I can't help but feel that it may free you a bit from me. It's not a boarding school so I would live here and from what we saw there was only a minor fee...' I paused, failing in finding any more words.

Dimitri hadn't said a word the whole time, he listened calmly before returning to the position we were in before. 'I know you don't want to go,' he began, the sentence muffled as he buried his face in my hair.

'But, I'm a burden and I would-' He cut me off immediately, giving me no time to argue my point. He finished the conversation with such a simple sentence.

'You don't want to go so that's final.' I shook my head, unable to comprehend his words. Had he just had the audacity to put me above himself despite what problems I had caused him?

'Dimitri-' I barely opened my mouth when he cut me off once again.

'No, Rose. I said that its final, I won't unless you want to. There is one thing that has been on my mind, though. You say that this school may be good for you, I hardly believe a school will do anything for you- but I think a therapist will.' I felt my face alter to a blank slate. I hadn't any emotion left. I felt like I had cried all tears and I had felt all joy. I was stuck in a state of in between.

'Therapist?' I asked, leaning back against the corridor's wall and stared into blank space, my eyes glossy with weariness and nothing more.

'Yes, Rose. I know this isn't something you want to do either but I believe it will help you. Really help you.' He sighed. I could practically feel his conflicting emotions so I gently cupped his face and turned back to him, blinking a few times trying to return to reality.

'I'll do it if you want me to. There was one thing that you were right about- I owe you.' I felt a pang as I said those words, there was a lot more correct than just that but he didn't need to know that I believed that; he didn't need to know that I had no self-esteem and my once flamboyant personality had run down the drain.

'You don't owe me anything.' He denied, pushing my hand down from his face and laced his fingers with me, a small reassuring smile gracing his face. 'We owe each other nothing. We're family now. Family don't owe each other anything. Except for that T-Shirt you borrowed.' He joked, slowly breaking the tension that had filled the room. I smiled, not being able to contain a small, shy laugh.

Our eyes met again but this time with small smiles on our faces. 'There's one more thing.' My face turned to a frown. I just realised my mistake... I had got too carried away before I even told. I hadn't told him why I was in the bathroom in the first place. I hadn't told him what was sure to break his heart.

'Please, don't be mad at me...' I begged, squeezing his hand.

'I would never be mad at y-' I cut him off, unable to hear the end of the sentence.

'Yes, you will but just try to stay calm.' I stopped for a second to catch my breath, watching as his face morphed into one of anxiety and fear. 'Adrian, he ran into me at the coffee shop and he began to talk to me. He...he asked me out and I...I couldn't deny him, Dimitri. I said yes.' I felt a single tear roll down my cheek but it was soon swept away by a gentle hand.

'Why, Rose? I can see you don't want to do this.' He asked, carefully, his face pitiful. I clenched my teeth and spat it out. 'I don't know.' It really was that simple. I didn't know. It may have been the pressure or simply feeling obligated to do so. But, that didn't matter now, I had said yes and there was no changing that.

'I'm meeting him tonight...it won't happen again but I can't just not turn up tonight. I'll feel too guilty.' I explained. Dimitri remained calm, his face impassive and unchanging. Dimitri smiled weakly and brushed away another stray tear.

'You better get ready then.' I could hear the strain in his voice but nodded and clambered off the floor, Dimitri following suit.

'Will it be fancy or not?' He asked, leading me to the bedroom where I had a small chest of drawers with some personal belongings and clothes stored inside.

'Fancy... I think. This is Adrian we're talking about.' I sighed and opened the door, rummaging through it to find one, simple red dress.

'It will suit you nicely.' Dimitri stated, leaning against the wall. 'Don't worry, I'll let you change in peace.' Before I could say anything, he was gone. I couldn't help but worry about what he felt. I could see the agony in his eyes yet his face remained blank, nothing there to indicate a single emotion. I guess that was how other people saw him.

I got changed quickly and looked in the mirror. It was true that my figure was good but I couldn't help but feel skimpy in the dress I was wearing- nothing knew there. I took in a deep breath and forced a smile upon my face.

This would be a good distraction, I repeated to myself before throwing on a pair of heels Lissa had bought for me and making my way to the car. Dimitri was already waiting, despite me arguing that I could walk.

'I may not like this but I'm still courteous enough to take you.' He spoke, entering the car just as I did.

I felt the car begin to hum and sat back in my seat. It would be a good distraction, I repeated one last time.

A good distraction...

Distraction...

I could only hope.

word count: 1113

published: 10.02.17