I slowly pulled away from him, both of us staying quiet for a while. "Maybe there's a way to drive the Shadow out of you." I suggested but Dimitri simply shook his head.

"There isn't Isabella. There's no hope for me. All I can do is delay the Shadow but he'll take over me eventually." He said looking down at the ground with a frown.

"I'm sure there's another way Dimitri." I insisted causing him to look at me. "We just have to find out what it is."

"What's there to find when there's nothing that can help me." Dimitri said looking away, causing me to sigh.

"Do you even care to live? Because it honestly seems like you don't give a care about your life at all. If I was you, I'd be doing absolutely everything I could to get rid of the Shadow." I said causing him to look up at me in annoyance.

"And you think I haven't tried?" He demanded in anger. "I've been trying for the past two centuries! I've tried to do everything imaginable to get rid of this Shadow but nothing seems to work. So yes I do care about my life! There's only so much I can do."

I stayed quiet not knowing what to say or do anymore. I felt horrible for him. I couldn't believe how long he's been trying to push the Shadow away. How long he's been trying to get rid of it.

I hesitantly reached out and took his hand into mine. I wrapped both my hands around his, feeling his hand start to shake in mine. I immediately looked up at him in concern thinking he was about to go through one of his pain episodes but when I looked up at him, it wasn't physical pain I saw on his face. It was more internal.

I gave his hand a small squeeze, helping him relax a bit. I unconsciously stroked the back of his hand while a thought came to me. If he didn't want to kill me anymore, then why didn't he let me go back home? Wouldn't it make it easier for him to fight the Shadow inside him if I'm gone? If I'm not there around him all the time the Shadow won't constantly bother him about killing me.

After a few more moments of silence, I voiced those same questions to Dimitri causing him to look up at me for a few minutes before he looked away again. I waited a few more minutes for him to answer, but he wouldn't. He stayed absolutely quiet, the only thing telling me heard me was when he turned to look at me. But other than that, there was no indication.

Either he didn't know why he was still keeping me here or he had a reason but didn't want to tell me. I didn't bother pushing him to answer as I had already made him tell me a lot.

*****

I came out of the bathroom after taking a shower and found a rose with a note on the ground. I sighed as I picked it up. It was Kenneth again, wasn't it?

It was the same gold card attached to the red rose, like I had received twice before. I sighed again, opening it up.

It's torturous seeing you everyday, knowing you'll never be mine.

It's torturous knowing you don't see me the way I see you.

It's torturous seeing you wanting someone else.

It's torturous to think about letting you go.

Sometimes I wish I was blind, so I wouldn't have to see how beautiful you are. But I know that wouldn't work. I'd be able to hear the beauty in your voice, feel the beauty in your touch and be completely captured by the beauty in your heart. Either way, I'd fall for you just as hard as I've already fallen.

I stared at the note for a long while, trying not to get too emotional about it. I closed my eyes, trying to push Kenneth away from my thoughts. I needed time. I needed it to think. I knew I wanted him, but the right thing to do would be to wait. I needed to put a lock on romance.

Right now I should be focusing on one thing, and one thing only. And that's on helping Dimitri and saving us all from the Shadows. I don't have time for love. I shouldn't be wasting my time on it.

I set the rose and card down on the table, in my new room which Dimitri had finally given to me. I then walked out, and started walking towards Dimitri's room to ask him if he needed me to do anything. I needed to do something to get my mind off of Kenneth.

But as soon as I walked into Dimitri's room, I wish I hadn't have. Dimitri stood in the middle of his room, tightly embracing a tall, blonde haired girl. A million thoughts ran through me all at once. A million questions. Who was she? Why was she here? Why was Dimitri hugging her?

I felt like going up to them and pulling them away from each other. It made me angry to see them hugging like that. I didn't get why I was so angry. I felt really upset all of a sudden and I didn't like it. I didn't like any of this.

I immediately turned around, bumping into someone. It was Kenneth causing me to sigh in annoyance. Why did I have to bump into him right now? Kenneth had placed his hands on my waist and I was really tempted to push them off. He then peered behind me and into Dimitri's room, before looking down at me. "He doesn't care about you." He suddenly said, pulling me closer.

"I don't care if he cares about me or not. I don't like him that way. I never did, unlike you think." I said, pushing Kenneth away from me. I started walking away from him, when I felt him grab my arm, pulling me back into his chest. His arms came around my waist, and his chin rested on my shoulders.

"Are you sure? You look really pissed off." Kenneth said, his lips moving along my neck, causing me to squirm in his arms.

"I'm not pissed." I said, as I turned around to face him. "I'm just annoyed because you won't give me space."

"Isabella please. I promise I'll be better, just give me another chance." Kenneth begged causing me to sigh.

"Kenneth please! I need time to myself." I said causing him to sigh and move away from me.

"Fine." He quietly said, watching me as I walked away.

******

Every hour or so I walked by Dimitri's room but the girl would always be there, causing me to groan in annoyance. What was more annoying was that Dimitri was smiling. Why the hell was he smiling? Especially with her.

I sighed, telling myself I shouldn't care. What was even wrong with me? It's not like Dimitri and I were amazing friends or something and that this girl had the power to ruin our friendship. So why did I care?

At least one good thing was coming out of this. It was helping me avoid thinking about Kenneth.

The bad thing was that this felt worse than wanting Kenneth. I didn't even care about Kenneth at the moment. I just wanted that girl to leave so I could go and talk to Dimitri.

I wanted to discuss helping him but that stupid girl was still here. I kind of felt bad thinking bad thoughts about the girl because I didn't even know her. But for some reason she was pissing me off more than Shauna. Like what is this? How can I be pissed at someone I've never even actually met? I was weird.

I was sitting in the library when Devon came to tell me that the girl had finally left. I had ranted to Devon about the girl while he just laughed. I had also told him to tell me when she left and I was so happy when he told me that she finally did.

Once I went to find Dimitri, I found him smiling to himself. And what was even worse was that as soon as he saw me, the smile washed away from his face causing me to feel bitter. I mean I knew I was annoying but I didn't think he found me that unpleasant.

He kept staring at me as I sat down on the couch in the living room, causing me to snap. "What the hell do you want?"

"Nothing. You just look really pissed." He replied back as he sat down beside me.

"No Dimitri, I'm not pissed at all." I spoke calmly at first. "How could you think that when I have freaking rainbows coming out of my head?" I snapped sarcastically.

"Are you still on your period?" He quietly asked causing me to turn to him, throwing him the most bitchiest glare ever to be given to someone in history.

"Just because I'm freaking pissed off, doesn't mean it's because of my damn period! And no I am not still on it! Thanks for your fucking concern!" I practically growled, causing him to stare back at me with shock.

"I was just asking..." He hesitantly said. "Are you okay?"

"Oh I am fucking great! How about you? How are you? Anything exciting happen today?" I asked bitterly.

"Well my cousin came to visit. That was pretty exciting especially since I haven't seen her in like ten years!" Dimitri replied, surprising me a lot.

"Your cousin? The blonde haired girl?" I asked to clarify and he nodded his head. I started laughing now, causing Dimitri to look at me weirdly. I was laughing so hard that I had tears well up in my eyes.

"Okay what is wrong with you?" Dimitri asked causing me to laugh harder. I laughed for quite a while before quieting down.

"I'm fine." I said, wiping my tears of laughter away.

"Are you sure?" He asked cautiously and I nodded my head, smiling to myself in satisfaction.

*****

The next day, I was helping Devon plan for Dimitri's party. Devon was ordering stuff online while I was explaining to him how the girl was actually Dimitri's cousin and not some random girl.

Devon looked up from his laptop and stared at me for a while, seeming to think hard about something. He then smirked and looked back down at his laptop.

"What?" I asked causing him to chuckle and look up at me again.

"You like Dimitri." He stated as if he was saying a fact.

"Um ok." I said, sounding confused.

"I mean, that you like him, romantically. Like how you liked Kenneth, but this time it's real, unlike with Kenneth." Devon said as he typed something up. I was surprised at what he said, not expecting it at all. Me liking Dimitri? Romantically? I burst out laughing at that, almost falling out of my chair. I laughed for a long time as Devon patiently waited for me to stop. Eventually I stopped, able to talk again.

"That's not possible, come on Devon. I still have feelings for Kenneth. How can I like Dimitri if I'm still in love with Kenneth?" I said, smiling in amusement at him.

"But that's the thing. Do you really love Kenneth still?" Devon asked. "I mean think about it. Do you think about Kenneth all the time? Do you feel heart broken? Have you tried to get back together with him? Have you given him another chance?"

I didn't really think too much about Kenneth, if I was being completely truthful here. The only time I really thought about him was when I received that rose with the note. I didn't really feel heartbroken anymore. It feels as if my heart was able to get over my breakup with Kenneth quite fast. I didn't try to get together with him and I didn't bother giving him another chance.

"I'm going to take your silence as a no to all those questions. So that concludes that you really don't love Kenneth anymore, so yes it is possible for you to like Dimitri. Now think about Dimitri. Just think about him. Really think. In fact close your eyes." Devon said. I gave him the 'are you serious?' before finally listening and closing my eyes. "Now think about Dimitri."

I did as he said, thinking about Dimitri, imagining his exotic red eyes, his soft, dark and messy hair, his pink lips, his sharp jaw line. I suddenly felt this light pleasant feeling spreading deep inside of me as I thought about him.

"Now open your eyes." Devon directed. I did as he said, feeling a little wary now. "Think back to when you saw Dimitri with that girl. Back to the point when you didn't know she was his cousin. Think about how you felt." He said and I did, not liking where this was going. "You felt jealous didn't you?"

"I was not jealous!" I exclaimed a little too childishly.

"Then why were you so pissed? You were ranting for hours and hours and kept checking to see whether she left or not. And then as soon as you find out she was his cousin, you relaxed immediately. What's that supposed to mean, if you don't like him?" Devon said, causing me to shake my head in denial. "Come on Isabella, you like him. You're just being stubborn and won't admit your feelings for him to yourself."

I stayed quiet for a while thinking about everything. Right when I was about to deny my feelings for him again, Dimitri walked into the living room causing me to immediately tense up. I couldn't help but stare at him and ponder whether I liked him or not. My heart was going absolutely insane all of a sudden and my hands felt sweaty with nervousness.

This was bad. It was very bad. Did I actually like him? Was it possible that I did? Could it be possible? I looked away from him, not being able to stare at his attractiveness for too long. I felt so confused. Thanks Devon, for putting all these new thoughts into my brain.

Dimitri came and sat down beside me, causing me to tense up even more, so much that I wasn't even breathing anymore. I could feel Dimitri's eyes on the side of my head causing me to shake nervously. I could feel him scooting closer to me, his wonderful scent completely enveloping me. He rested his hand on top of my knee, causing me to shiver at his touch.

He then leaned in closer, his warm breath hitting my neck, causing me to shiver again. His lips were so close to me again, it was making my heart go haywire. I couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't.

And so I got up and bolted out of that room, leaving a surprised Dimitri and a smirking Devon in that living room.

* * * * * *