3

For the next few days, I put my energy into getting my new room organized, soaking up Dimitri's information, and training. Best of all, it was finally summer, so I didn't have to do homeschooling with Caroline for two months. I liked Caroline a lot, but I did not appreciate advanced Algebra.

It also took a lot of effort to hold my tongue and not harass my father. He had yet to mention my new privileges, and I was very quickly running out of self-control. I was so anxious to finally get out and explore, meet real people. I didn't think it was fair either that my father was withholding this from me. After all, Dad regularly went out to "work" - whatever that meant. He didn't know what it was like to be cooped up inside all day, without any social interaction.

Finally, I hit my breaking point. About four days after moving in and Dad giving me that speech about learning about the world, I found myself hanging out in the front yard. It was dusk, with the sky turning dark blue and the moon shining, sun nearly set. My favorite time to be out. Not completely dark, but not enough sun to bother my Moroi sensitivity.

Dimitri stood by the front door. I had no reason for being out, and he didn't ask, I simply wanted to be outside. I sat on the neatly manicured grass, legs crossed in front of me and palms on the ground behind me. The grass itched against the bare skin of my legs, but I didn't care. Being inside all the time was so stuffy, so suffocating. The fresh air felt amazing, like I was cleansing my lungs. I thought I could stay outside forever and be perfectly fine with it.

It wasn't very long before I spotted a car in the distance, the bright headlights causing me to squint. As it got closer, I admired the gorgeous blue Mercedes. I expected it to pass, but instead, it slowed as it came closer, then came to a complete stop in front of the house.

I heard Dimitri approach me from behind as the driver's tinted window rolled down, revealing an equally gorgeous boy. My pulse quickened as he gave me a heart-stopping smile.

"Hey, beautiful," the boy said, not even appearing slightly scared about the tall, intimidating Russian standing beside me.

"Hey yourself," I said, doing my best to give him a beautiful smile. I'd never had anyone to practice flirting with, but I'd seen movies, and this boy was too cute to pass up.

"No one told me the new neighbor was such a heart-breaker." His hair was so perfectly styled, and those sunglasses made him look model sexy.

I wondered if he could see the blush burning my cheeks. "You live around here?"

"Just down the block." He used his thumb to point behind him. "Got a name, sweetheart?"

I thought I might die. "Rose."

"Gorgeous name for a gorgeous lady. I'm Jesse." He flashed me a wider smile. I swear my heart nearly stopped when I saw the set of pearly white fangs behind his lips. Not only was he a cute boy who thought I was cute too, but he was like me. "I'm having a party this weekend at my place, if you care to join. Maybe we could get to know each other better."

I gulped. My first instinct, guided by both teenage hormones and desperation for social interaction, was to jump at his offer. But my father's face appeared in my mind. There was no way in hell he'd let me go. "I would...I can't. I'm...busy." Regret dripped from my words.

"That's a shame." His face and tone agreed with his words. "Why don't I give you my number? Call me if you change your mind."

"Rose," I heard Dimitri warn from behind me.

Of course, I didn't listen to him. My whole body was focused on Jesse and his words. I stood and approached Jesse's car, clenching my fists together to stop them from shaking. He handed me a small folded up piece of paper. "Thanks," I said dumbly.

He flashed me another heartbreaking smile. "Catch you later, Rose."

I watched him wistfully as he drove away.

Looking down at the piece of paper in my hand, I knew I couldn't do this anymore. The rush from talking to an attractive boy who liked me too was insane, and then there was just the underlying need to see other people, and have conversations. It was fun talking to Dimitri (usually), but he was super stoic all the time and acted like everything was business 24/7. I wanted to talk to someone who wasn't being paid to be around me.

Unfortunately, my father wasn't home, which at least gave me time to practice my speech. I turned to go inside, already thinking of my opening line, when I heard Dimitri say, "What was that?" beside me. He didn't necessarily sound mad, but there was a hard edge to his voice.

"What do you mean?" I was only half-listening as I imagine how my conversation with my father would go in my head.

"Do you know who that was?"

"No." I opened the front door and headed inside. "But I'm hoping to find out."

"That was Jesse Zeklos." He said the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "He has a bad reputation."

The name Zeklos rang a bell in my head, but I couldn't place where I'd heard it. "So? We were just talking. Nothing wrong with talking."

"He doesn't want to just 'talk' to you, Rose."

"Neither do I."

"Don't let hormones make bad decisions for you. Jesse isn't the type of Moroi who wants something serious, you're just going to get hurt."

My anger suddenly spiked, and I turned on my heel to face him. He looked a bit surprised by my sudden actions. "Don't fucking lecture me, okay? You haven't been locked up your whole life. I've never had a single friend, not one person to talk to. I'm seventeen and I've never even talked to a boy who's actually interested in me, so don't act like I'm going to get naked with the first cute boy I see. For God's sake, I just want to talk to someone!"

I stormed off to my room, tears burning in my eyes. How dare he act like he knew me or anything about my life! He hadn't even been here a week, and he was already acting like a was some whore who slept with anybody in my path. And even if I wanted to, who was he to tell me what I could or couldn't do?

A few minutes after slamming the door closed and burying my face in my pillow, I heard Dimitri outside my door say, "Rose?"

"Leave me alone!" I yelled into my pillow.

Silence. Then I heard him walk away.

Sometime in my fantasies of telling my father off, I fell asleep. When I awoke the next morning, I pointedly ignored Dimitri as I made myself cereal and toast. He watched me, half looking like he wanted to say something, and half thinking it was smarter to keep his mouth shut. He chose the latter. Good choice.

During my breakfast, I prepped myself for what I was going to say to my father. Whatever I said, it needed to work. I couldn't be locked up anymore. I had finally felt what it was like to be flirty and social, and I loved it. I was going crazy just sitting at the table alone - well, Dimitri was there, but only because my dad paid him. I had no doubt he'd be off to the next highest bidder the moment he got the chance. After all, he was used to guarding important people. Why would he want to stick with a lame job like protecting the boring life of Rose Hathaway? Besides, he'd pissed me off.

As I washed my dishes, I thought about my encounter with Jesse. His jaw-dropping, fang-filled smile. The sunglasses that made him look so cool. That sexy Mercedes. And I thought about my life, locked in my room, never allowed to leave except grocery shopping with dad and occasional mall trips with him. I had been a prisoner my whole life. By my own father. How could he do that to his daughter? How could he watch his own child be so unhappy? How could he deprive his teenage daughter of friends and opportunities that every other girl got? How?

Slamming my now clean plate down a little too hard, I turned on my heel and headed for my dad's study. No longer, I wouldn't do this any longer, and I sure as hell wouldn't be taking no for an answer. I was nearly an adult. I would run away again if I had to, and this time, I would stay away.

I heard Dimitri quietly following me as I stomped up to Dad's door, knocking hard three times. In my head, I kept reminding myself why I was angry and deserved this, because otherwise, I'd lose my nerve. From inside, my dad called, "Yes?"

I opened the door and took a few steps in, crossing my arms. "I'm sick of being locked up. I'm almost eighteen, I deserve to be allowed to go out when I want. I deserve to make friends and hang out with people. I'm not going to be a prisoner anymore."

My father didn't even look up from his computer. "Okay."

I opened my mouth to angrily fight back - until I realized what he'd said. I closed my mouth. Then I said, "Okay?"

Dad looked up at me then, an amused smirk on his face. "Yes. Okay."

This had to be a mean trick. I stared at him, telling him with my eyes that I didn't think it was funny.

He sighed. "Guardian Belikov and I had a talk last night. You're right, Rose. As I said before, you're nearly an adult. I can't protect you like a child anymore." He nodded behind me, to Dimitri. "As your guardian, Belikov will always accompany you. This is not debatable. Just...let me know beforehand, and don't get into any trouble. You're still my little girl." There was a soft glint to his eyes, one I'd rarely seen.

I stared at him, still trying to figure out if this was a trick. Then, I looked back at Dimitri. He wore that emotionless guardian expression, but when he met my eyes, I could see the corner of his lips turn up ever so slightly.

Looking back at my dad, I found myself grinning. Finally. After seventeen long years, I was getting my freedom.

And I knew exactly what I wanted to do first.