Vulnerable

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rose's point of view.

"Marry me, Rose?" Adrian's voice filled the room and my heart was beating a mile a minute.

Marry him? Marriage was a life long commitment, and to be honest the word terrified me for more then one reason. Marriage meant everything I had ruled out for my life by becoming a guardian. I wasn't really allowed to marry. There was no rule against it per say, although marriage was rare. Especially between a Moroi and a dhampir. Especially a Moroi as high up as Adrian.

My heart was in my throat then, and I was about to give him my answer, when, he spoke.

"Someday." he added.

"Someday?" I asked, exhaling.

He nodded and grinned a little. "Not now... I understand that you're only eighteen, and you haven't even completed graduation yet. But, I want to marry you someday. In the future when Lissa moves to the Royal court to attend school. We could build a small house in the woods, Lissa and Christian having one next to us, and we could be a family with our child. And you could still guard Lissa."

The words were so foreign to me. Marriage. Family. Child. They were all the things I had never seen me having and I couldn't say I didn't want it because I did. But was it right?

Instead of trying to figure everything out there and then, what was best for me and Lissa, I decided to put my happiness first. It wasn't endangering anyone. Then again, maybe it was, but I... We would figure everything out in time.

I nodded, a smile filling my face. "Someday," I said softly. "Definitely."

He smiled, taking the engagement ring out and placing it on my left hands ring finger before letting his lips collide with mine.

After that point, the night, as they say, was history.

The hallways were buzzing with people trying to get to their next classes on time and I was stuck in the middle of it. As I stepped up onto the landing for my floor and turned left, I accidentally bumped into someone. I stepped back a little.

"Sorry," I said hastily, though when I looked up, I seen Tasha, smiling down.

"It's alright, how are things going?" she asked as we moved over, close to the wall to get out of peoples way.

"Things are going good. Morning sickness is a bitch, but that's no surprise."

Tasha smiled gently and placed a hand on my baby bump like many others had been lately. "You've got a gift, Rose. A stable environment, and a loving boyfriend. This baby is going to have everything."

I bit my lip, the only ones who knew about the engagement yet were Lissa and Christian. "Well," I said softly. "I'm kind of well, engaged."

Tasha's jaw dropped and a smile quickly emerged onto her motherly features. "Engaged!" she exclaimed in a whisper so we wouldn't attract anymore attention then we had been before.

I smiled softly, letting a light laugh escape my lips at her reaction. "Yes, engaged."

The next thing I knew, Tasha's arms were wrapped around me in a hug and I was hugging her back.

"Congratulations, Rose." she breathed.

I smiled. "I've got the ring and I've told him I would marry him, but we're going to wait. It's too soon yet and I'm a little too young. But eventually we'll be a family."

Tasha smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Rose, truly. Though, I've got a question." She said softly.

"Yes?" I asked as the hallways buzzed with chatter, and more then likely, gossip.

"Do you miss him...? At all?" she breathed.

The words took me back a little and it took me a minute to figure out who she was talking about. "Yes," I said quietly. "Everyday."

Dimitri.

The man who once had my heart, and if I was being honest with myself, still did. Not one hundred percent anymore, but he was there, and thinking back to the times I had with him, and the life he led when he was alive, hurt. He was noble, caring, warm, comforting and strong. Everything I admired, and everything that I missed and yearned for.

But Adrian. Adrian was all those things, too. In different ways. They were both amazing in two completely different ways, but I knew I would always yearn for Dimitri in some way. The old him, and the old love we shared. But Adrian and I had written a new chapter, or well, book, and it was one I wouldn't apologize for.

It was all about moving on, and nonetheless, no matter how much the heart missed one person, I've realized that it's not all about that one. No matter how in love, or how much it hurts, everyday, it progressively gets better. Slowly, but it does. And having someone like Adrian helped love and happiness take the place of hurt.

Tasha nodded and frowned. "I know how you both felt toward one another, and I know that this pregnancy wasn't exactly planned. I figured at first you were only with Adrian to drown Dimitri out."

I nodded, sighing. "That's true, I was with him to drown Dimitri out." It was weird to say his name after all the weeks I've kept him and the memories locked inside. "But he grew on me, and once I found out I was pregnant, I figured I should accept the situation as it is, and try and move on. There wasn't much else I could do. I know as much as Dimitri didn't exactly like Adrian, he would want me to be happy, because I would want that for him, too."

I thought back to the time when I told him to be with Tasha. It was so hard, and it hurt, but I had wanted him to be happy, and at the time, she seemed to make him happy. All I wanted for him was happiness. I still wanted that, but now, it was too late. I missed him, of course I did, and I thought about him a lot in small intervals, but I really did pine for his knowledge and comfort right now. Those strong, comforting arms that always seemed to make everything better. His Russian accent whispering in my ear, surrounding me with serenity and peace.

"Hey," Adrian said, turning toward the door to face me as I walked into my, or well, our room later that day.

The earlier flashback had been eye opening, but it didn't change the way I smiled when I seen Adrian.

"Hello," I murmured happily after shutting the door behind me.

I seen him bent over something on the other side of the bed and I raised a brow, walking over. "What are you up to now?" I questioned.

"Building," he said, seeming proud.

As I rounded the edge of the bed, I looked down, seeing a bunch of wooden pieces on the floor, an instruction Manuel in the middle.

A crib.

The wood was painted pink, and had magic wands painted over it, the white, sparkly top fit for a princess. Exactly what she would be treated as, I knew that from the start.

"It's hard to believe that it's all real." I admitted. "That all of this is happening... That my due date is coming up soon."

Adrian took a deep breath in, and nodded. "I know," he murmured, his brow creasing. "I do want kids, Rose... But this is so much."

I looked at him and sat down on the bed, next to where he was sat on the hardwood floor. "Don't start having second thoughts," I said, swiftly. "I can't handle you not being a hundred percent on board. It's too scary."

The words were out before I had a chance to stop them, but I was afraid. Afraid of giving birth, taking care of a child, and the worst thing, Adrian leaving, or wanting to. Especially him not loving me anymore.

He looked up at me, and stood. He sat next to me on the bed and pulled me into his big, strong, loving arms. "Rose," he breathed in my ear, his warm breath below my earlobe. "I would never, ever, ever leave you, or have second thoughts. Whats done, is done, and you're so intoxicating to me. You're beautiful, and loving and you're going to be a wonderful mother. We're going to be a family, and we're going to work everything out, but don't ever think that again. It's not going to happen."

Adrian's speech made my heart clench and tears burn my eyes as I closed them, burying my face into his chest. All the hormones and mood changes were starting to bother me even more as the pregnancy progressed.

I blinked back the tears before looking up to him, placing a light kiss to his lips knowing if I had prolonged it, I wouldn't be able to fight the urge to allow other things.

"I love you, Adrian." I said gently as he smiled.

"Love you, too, little dhampir."

I smiled up at him momentarily before a yawn escaped my lips.

"Sleep, Rose." Adrian's tone was loving. "I'm going to finish putting this thing together, and then I'll lay down with you."

I smiled gently and nodded, kissing him on the cheek as he laid me down gently, pulling the blankets up on me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in as he kissed my forehead before sliding off the bed again.

Sorry it took me so long to update!
I had no inspiration whatsoever, until I finished reading Spirit Bound a few days ago!
If you guys have finished it, PM me, or in your review you can rant on about what you liked/didn't like, and if you want my thoughts, or my input, at the end of your review, ask me to reply. :]

But don't forget to review this chapter! ;D

- DramaticField