𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ▸ After Spokane Rose is perilously close to breaking. Discovered in her bed, Dimitri is forced to leave the Academy. Let down by almost everyone she knows and cares for, pulled between duty and love...
It had been a week since he'd left the Academy and Dimitri had settled into his new life. If you could call it a life. By his second day in Portland, he'd scored a job as a bouncer at an all-night illegal poker venue. Used, as he was, to being awake at night it was a good fit. With his height and physique, people didn't bother him - and the few who did quickly learned the hard way never to do so again. He was paid well in cash at the end of each shift. Off the books and off the radar. He'd rented a small furnished room in a share house in the same block where Lissa and Rose used to live. In fact, he'd moved his bed so he could look out his window and see the window where he and Rose had first locked eyes.
Every day he'd walk past the school where she'd studied, stop at her favorite book and coffee shops and he'd even had her favorite Chinese takeaway from the local restaurant she used to order from. And when he wasn't working, sleeping, or at the gym, he'd lie on his bed and think about Rose. He thought about her a lot.
He recalled the way her hair smelled like jasmine flowers. The saucy smile she'd give him when he was helping her with her leg stretches. The way her body had curled into his on the thirteen wonderful nights they'd slept beside one another. How he could set his watch by the precisely fifteen minutes she'd be late to every morning training session. Dimitri drove himself crazy wondering how she was going. Crazy enough that he charged and turned on his phone. Hoping against hope there'd be word from or about her. His heart soared as his phone pinged – picking up message after message. But scrolling through they were all from his family. Trying to tell himself it was for the best, he quickly replied.
Hi Mama – thanks for the messages. I've got a job and a
place to stay. Joined a gym. Am doing ok. Miss you all a lot.Will text you next week. Give everyone my love, Dimka.
Switching off his phone, Dimitri went back to lying on his bed, trying to imagine he was back at the Academy and they were together again. That he was lying beside his beautiful Roza.
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In Dimitri's room, Rose had finally fallen into a deep dreamless sleep. It was dark outside again. She'd cried her way through the first day, screamed her way through a good part of the night, and was now all but comatose through the early part of the second day.
The CD was still playing. On probably its thirtieth iteration. But other than that inside all was silent. Ringing in his fourth hourly 'all quiet' report, the Guardian at the door was beginning to worry that something might have happened. Surely Alberta should have retrieved the Novice by now? He understood there were brick walls on all sides, but there was a window, a ceiling and a door all of which offered better opportunities? In fact, he'd mentally decided if another hour went by without any sign of movement he'd be raising the idea with Alberta, when he heard a toilet flush. Certain the rooms on either side were empty; he knew it had to be the one in Belikov's bathroom. Listening for a moment longer, he heard the CD in the player stop, moments later replaced by a different one. Country music this time. With more relief than he cared to mention he rang through to Alberta – to let her know there'd been definite movement inside the room.
