Mistake ♦ Romitri

Chapter 19

A/N Crappiest chapter yet. Writer's block and a filler chapter. Next chapter gets interesting, I promise. This just sorta needs to happen for next chapters to happen :)  

OK, when I wrote that I hadn't finished it. Ends up the whole plot changes at the end because of a plot twist. But, don't worry, this is STILL Romitri XD

I hummed to myself as I stirred the milk into the coffee. Dimitri chuckled from behind me at how off-key I was but I ignored him and continued stirring unnecessarily as I hummed along to an unfamiliar tune.

'Rose, cut it out, I'm trying to finish this.' Well, I already knew that Dimitri had been trying to get this email done for the last hour to send to the social worker on my progress out of social care.

It was crucial that he worded it right or it could cause me to be taken back to a public home. I shuddered at the thought but kept on humming, finally taking the spoon out of the coffee and flinging it into the sink.

'I know Dimitri but I like singing.' I joked, humming obnoxiously loud. He groaned and leant his head back onto the backrest of the sofa.

'Rose, just a few more minutes.' He pleaded and looked back at the computer, stressed. 'This is more for you than me.' I frowned and nodded, my happiness fading as I fell onto the sofa beside him. Platonically, I rested my head on his shoulder and watched as his fingers grazed across the keys and edited the large amount he had already written.

I nestled further into his shoulder, giving a relaxed sigh, as I brought the mug to my mouth, nearly scolding myself with the hot coffee. I was still thinking about schools and whether to tell Dimitri, for now, I had decided against it but that hadn't stopped me from feeling terrible about keeping things from him.

Without knowing, the stress had already caused me to shake lightly. 'Rose?' Dimitri asked, panic evident in his voice. 'Rose?' He repeated; I shook harder.

I was snapped out as the coffee landed on my lap, scolding my thighs. I bit down a scream and leant forward, desperately padding at the area, hoping that- by some miracle- would help. Dimitri, on the other hand, was already prepared and put a cool tea cloth over my lap, soothing the still-becoming-apparent burns.

'Rose, what was that?' Dimitri calmly asked, still dabbing at where my skin had tinted red under my pyjama shorts. 'This was the withdrawal symptoms again, wasn't it?' Dimitri was oblivious to the real problem so I went along with it. I nodded slowly, my lying skills still failing at their simple task.

'Rose, you won't drink whilst I'm gone, right?' He was now in front of me, his legs bent to bring him down to eye level. 'Right?' He repeated as a heavy silence hung in the room. I nodded once again, this time I was telling the truth. I didn't want to drink, well, somewhere in my heart there was a wanting to drink but for now, I was under control- I didn't want to repeat the past.

'Rose, I have to go to work...but I don't want to leave you like this.' I shook my head profusely.

'Go, Dimitri. We need the money, you need the money.' I whispered and leant back, concentrating on the sting of the bones and the...satisfaction of it all. Subconsciously, it really was a repeat of what had already happened but I didn't care at the moment, I wanted the punishment for holding secrets and this would do perfectly.

Five minutes later, Dimitri had left and I was in the apartment alone with only my thoughts. Bad thoughts. I almost longed to go to the bar again, almost. I had restraint, though hardly.

This was a bad idea, I concluded. Dimitri hadn't left me alone before this and I had already realised just why he had done that. Alone, I was venerable. I was weak and I was fragile. I clutched my fists, determined, and scoured the apartment for some money before finding a five-dollar bill tucked under a mug on the kitchen counter. Dimitri must have left it there for me.

Smiling, I took a deep breath and grabbed what I needed before heading out. The apartment wasn't exactly near town but there was still a coffee shop down the street that was surprisingly empty when I entered.

The aroma of coffee immediately calmed me and I ordered a tea, already having a buzz from the coffee earlier, and sat alone in a diner-like booth near the back of the shop. Paintings lined the walls, all beautiful and unique, I admired them from afar, never daring to look at the price tags.

Dimitri, even with two jobs, could only fund us enough to get by and it seemed that me being home all day wasn't helping. I sighed, stuck in a cycle of my own bad thoughts again. I groaned, I hated this, I hated myself. Before I had a release but now I was stuck to pity and tears.

I looked down into the steaming tea, contemplating. I wanted my old life. I wanted my parents back. I wanted that famous Rose Hathaway attitude back. After they died, that all dispersed and I was left a dead version of my former self.

I felt a tear on my cheek but I immediately wiped it away to find no more had fallen. I looked around warily to see the coffee shop almost empty apart from the barista, who seemed to be flirting with some unaware man who was typing away on his laptop.

Wait, was that Adrian?

I immediately buried my face behind my hair but he must have felt my gaze. 'Rose!' He called out. I almost felt like simply walking out of the shop there and then but I knew that wasn't an option. But I had to escape, fast.

'Hi, Adrian.' I grinned, fake and cheap. I could smell his overly priced cologne from across the table as he sat opposite me, the couch sinking under his weight. 'I'm sorry this might have to be short... I have to meet Dimitri.' I lied, coming out smoothly and calmly- it seemed in emergencies that my brain didn't want to fail me.

'Oh, ok.' He looked disappointed, casting his gaze to the table. He could have just seen through me... especially with that gaze. 'I just wanted...to ask you something.' I gulped down my drink, my hands slightly trembling.

'Do you want to go out with me?'

word count: 1087

published: 27.01.17