Collateral Damage

- THIRTY ONE -

Rose's POV

Voices from downstairs woke me from my light sleep. I found it weird sleeping in someone else's bed and I guess after everything that has happened in the last few weeks, it has been a difficult time for everyone.

I wandered downstairs after getting dressed to find that the voices were sounds erupting from the television. Dan sat with an emotionless expression on his face. He stared blankly at the screen. "Have a nice sleep?" he asked, not looking at me.

"Not really," I replied, "Where is your wife and kids?"

I remembered the nights I would go to Dan's drunk. He would either offer me the bed, or offer to take me home. We never had sex when I was drunk because Dan felt like he was taking advantage of me. The amount of times he would take me home drunk was uncountable.

"She took the kids to school and then went to work," he replied, looking up at me, "I thought I should hang back until you woke."

"That's very considerate of you," I said awkwardly standing at the door.

The silence between us was awkward as both of us waited for the other to speak.

Eventually I said, "I should get going, thank you for letting me spend the night Daniel."

"Let me take you home Rose," he replied.

"I don't want to be a burden," I said, scratching the back of my neck then glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 9:30.

"You could never be a burden, just let me give you a ride."

"Okay," I said following him to the car outside.

Dimitri's POV

A car could be heard in the driveway. I glanced at Louise who sat reading a magazine on the couch near the recliner I was sat on.

"Really Dan, thanks for last night." Rose's voice echoed throughout the house. Rose walked into the living room with a tall dark haired man in tow. I assumed him to be Dan.

"Dan," Louise said, acknowledging him. Her voice had a less than impressed tone to it.

"Louise," Dan replied. He glanced at me and then at Rose. A silent tension washed over the group of us.

Dan left not long after the strange encounter and Rose disappeared to her room. No surprise there to be honest. Eventually I found myself asking Louise about Dan.

Louise looked at me with a glance that said I shouldn't have asked. "When Rose first gave over Matilda up until about the time she started seeing Scott she would stay at Dan's most nights. Sometimes he would bring her home so drunk she could barely stand. The amount of times Chris or Scott had to carry her because she was so drunk was unbelievable. Dan was very impressed with himself because he could get into Rose's pants. Scott and Dan got into a punch on when Scott and Rose became official because Dan made an inappropriate comment towards Rose."

Shaking my head I said, "Rose was always good at making stupid decisions."

Louise nodded, "I sort of understood though, because of everything that had happened. I just never thought she would go back there."

Rose's POV

I made my way to my room once Dan had left. I found myself reaching for my phone in my pocket and dialling Lissa's number before I could change my mind. She answered on the second ring, instantly bombarding me with questions in the true Lissa style.

"I'm fine Liss, seriously I can take care of myself."

She sighed on the other line, "I just wish you were here Rose, so I could hug you."

"I know Lissa. It's just, as soon as things start to go good for me, I find a way to ruin it, you know. I was happy here, then Tilly went missing and then Scott died. It's a never ending downward spiral and I don't know how to do it anymore."

"I understand," Lissa said.

"Anyway, I should be going, give my love to everyone and I'll talk to you in a few days."

"I love you Rose," Lissa said before I could finish.

"I love you too Liss, I'll talk to you later."

We said our goodbyes and got off the line.

Later that night I wandered downstairs to find Dimitri sat at the kitchen table. I held my breath as I debated going back to my room or continuing on to find some alcohol in the fridge.

"Can I talk to you Rose?"

I bit the inside of my cheek to choke down the nerves that wanted to be spit out in curse words. I sat opposite Dimitri.