Yours Eternally

Chapter 10

A part of me hated being back at school. Not because I didn't like my courses or my roommates, but simply because I was apart from Dimitri. I could feel the physical distance between us, and I found myself rubbing at my chest at night when I would feel the twinge of ache.

I found it hardest the first night. Dimitri stayed with me the night we drove back and I clung to him the whole night, laying on top of him with my face pressed against his chest.

"I don't want you to go," I whispered.

Dimitri's fingers were twisted into my hair and he kissed my head, pulling me tighter against his chest.

"I don't want to either, but I have to."

I nodded and ran my nails gently over his chest and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. I sighed to myself and felt a furrow form on my face, the ache starting to seep into my chest as I thought about being alone again.

Dimitri moved under me and ran his hands over my back, pressing a kiss to my lips. I sighed and rested my face against his, smiling at the warmth.

"When did you swipe that?" Dimitri mumbled against my cheek. I opened my eyes and lifted my head enough, spotting the book I took from the hub peeking out of my bag.

"When you tried to break me," I grumbled and rested my head again. Dimitri chuckled and kissed my cheek, running his finger over my spine.

"Why?"

"I wanted to ask Malcolm about some things. Christian said he was the go-to for Ekon lore and history," I said quietly, feeling sleep creeping over me. Dimitri hummed under his breath and nodded

"Christian is right. Malcolm is the go-to. Even for me and Alberta."

I hummed and pried my eyes open again, wanting more time with Dimitri before he left in the morning. But I was exhausted and my eyes kept drooping. Dimitri rubbed his hand soothingly over my back and hummed a song that I had heard him hum before.

"Go to sleep, Roza. I won't leave without waking you," he said softly. I tried to protest, but he must have put the slightest bit of compulsion in his words because my fight fled me and I fell into a calm sleep.

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I moved through the hall and was stunned at the architecture in this part of campus. It was old, and it reminded me of the architecture in Greece. When I found the right room number, I opened the door to the office and smiled kindly at the assistant at the desk.

"Hi. I was wondering if Professor Weston was in?" I asked politely.

"Office hours are nine to two-thirty. You will need to come back tomorrow," the woman said dryly.

"Oh, I'm not here on a school issue. I needed to ask him a question about something else. He's a friend of my boyfriend."

"As I said, you will need to come back tomorrow."

I sighed and took a slow breath, pulling down my barriers. I heard another heartbeat coming from behind the door that said Malcolm's name.

I stepped around the desk and knocked on the door, but the woman yanked on my arm, making me jerk back.

"I said you will need to come back tomorrow. Are you dense?" the woman snapped as the door opened.

"What is the cause of the commotion?" Malcolm snapped as the door opened, looking at the assistant before looking at me. "Oh! Rose! How lovely to see you."

"It's nice to see you too. I had a quick question about what we talked about at Christmas if you have a moment," I said leadingly, looking down at the book clutched in my arm.