Never Tear Us Apart - Complete

Chapter Sixty-seven

"So what do you want to do with the rest of the day?" Dimitri asked as we walked back to the Guardian dorms after breakfast.

"Honestly? Lie in a darkened room and contemplate the poor life choices that led to this hangover," I joked. "But I suspect Lissa will want to spend the day with me."

And right on cue, my phone pinged.

Let me know when you're up. We need to go shopping for silver for me to charm.

"Lissa wants to go shopping," I groaned.

"You should go," Dimitri said. "Tomorrow is the allocations ceremony, and Tuesday we'll probably be out of here."

"You wanna come with?"

"Shopping with Lissa? Thanks, but I'll give it a miss," he chuckled sympathetically. "I was going to hit the gym and drop by Guardian Headquarters to say hello to a couple of colleagues. Maybe we could do lunch?" he suggested, noticing my disappointed look.

"I'd like that," I said looking up into his eyes.

I was stepping forward and would have kissed him, but was interrupted by Blake coming out of the Guardian dorms, accompanied by Ryan, Shane and Dean.

"Belikov. Rose," Shane greeted. "What's this I hear about you topping St. Basil's and winning their elimination fights?!"

I was surprised. Ryan, Chelsea and the other St. Vlad's graduates were shipped back to Court on the Monday after graduation, so missed the fights.

"Where'd you hear that?" I asked, not giving anything away.

"Saw Eddie upstairs," Ryan said. "They've got all the St. Vlad's grads on the third floor! It's like a party up there!"

"Cool!" I said with a big grin. "Hear that, Belikov? Someone might bring a keg up there later if we're lucky!"

My Russian God rolled his eyes.

"Some of us actually like to sleep," he said with a sigh.

"You and your sleep... Some of us have other things we like to do when the sun is up, Comrade," I teased, obliquely referring to the amorous activities we'd missed out on last night due to my inebriation.

"I'll help you with those activities, Rose!" Shane offered, getting part of my joke.

"Thanks for offer, Reyes, but I'm not sure you could keep up with me..." I paused to take in Dimitri's gritted teeth and the other guys' gleeful expressions. "I mean – I can drink an awful lot..."

"No one should be drinking in the dorms unless they want to hear from Croft," Dimitri growled, put out by Shane's blatant offer.

"Suits me," I said with a laconic grin. "I'm still hungover from yesterday!"

My Russian God had reached the end of his patience.

"I'm going to go to the gym. Do you still have my tape?" he snapped.

"Oh yeah – it's in my gym bag, side pocket. I'm going to see Lissa. Go get it from my room," I said, passing him my key when I appreciated he needed an excuse to go into my room to get to his duffel. "Just leave the key with the dude downstairs."

"Guardians," Dimitri replied, nodding to us all as he took my key and headed into the dorm building.

"I thought once we graduated maybe he'd be less scary, but he isn't. How did you guys live with him for so many months?" Shane asked.

I shrugged.

"He's fine. He kind of grows on you," I laughed, before answering their questions about the elimination fights.