Moving Objects

Chapter 4

Eddie practically avoided me for the next three days after our conversation and I only saw Dimitri in training, but because of the fast-approaching trials, we weren't alone long enough to actually talk. Lissa was all about Christian lately so I didn't see her either. I felt like I was suffocating with all the silence. I found myself wandering around campus more than I normally would, and even started sneaking out at night to sit in the dorm room. It surely would have gotten me kicked out but I really needed the sun's rays.

I dragged myself down to dinner and barely ate any of it. While I still ate with Lissa, Christian and Adrian, it felt lonely without Eddie. A foot nudged against mine and I looked up from my plate to find Adrian's gaze boring down at mine.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" I said as I put a mouthful of food in my mouth so I didn't have to talk. Adrian narrowed his eyes at me but opened his mouth when a tray dropped onto the table beside me. It startled all of us and pulled Lissa away from shoving her tongue down Christian's throat.

"We were starting to wonder if you were going to come for dinner," Adrian said to Eddie as he set his bag down on the floor next to me. I turned and looked at him and he had his own mask in place.

Eddie snorted a laugh and dug into his food. "You weren't here at lunch yesterday. Where were you?" Christian asked.

Eddie shrugged and continued eating. "I had a meeting with Guardian Petrov."

I heard my fork clatter down onto my tray and I gaped at him. What?!

"Oh, what did you have to talk to her about?" Christian asked but Eddie just shrugged.

"It's private," he mumbled as he started eating. I felt like my heart dropped to my feet and then lodged itself in my throat. I kept my eyes trained on him but he blatantly ignored me. I shook my head slightly and pulled my own bag from under the table before heading towards the exit.

"Rose?! Where are you going?" Lissa called after me, but the door slammed behind me loudly as I let my feet carry me to the only place I wanted to go.

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The sound of the tumblers in the lock altered me and I sat up on the bed, swallowing roughly. Dimitri stepped through the door and pulled off his coat and hung it up before he noticed me. If I wasn't so upset, watching him jump at the sight of me would have made me laugh.

"Roza? How did you get in here?" he asked, turning to lock the door before coming closer to me. I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed my feet together.

"It wasn't hard to figure out where you hide your other key," I said, but my throat was so thick it barely came past my lips. Dimitri caught it and came to sit down beside me and placed his hand on my back, rubbing a circle over my shoulders. I leaned into his touch and rested my head against his arm.

"Want to tell me what's bothering you?" he asked quietly and I sighed. I didn't even know where to start.

"Eddie knows. He came to my room and demanded to know what was going on. He practically called me a slut and it all just came out like word vomit. I couldn't stop! It just tumbled out and I just..." I started but Dimitri slid off the bed and crouched in front of me, cupping my face in his hands.

"Rose, stop. Breathe."

"Eddie had a meeting with Alberta," I blurted out before the waterworks started. God, this whole situation was making me emotional. Dimitri was quiet for a few minutes as he stroked my cheek, but he looked far off. "I'm sorry," I mumbled through my tears and Dimitri pulled me into a hug, his face tucking into the side of my neck.