The way that it should have been

Chapter 36

As I contemplated this very question Lissa spoke up again. "They are in love, aren't they?" She asked while looking me straight in the eyes.

"I don't know if I should be the one to tell all of you this, Rose may want to do it herself."

"They are, I've just been waiting for them to realize it and stop fighting and hiding it, even from themselves. They have been in love since the night that they first met, the very moment that they met actually."

Both Mason and Eddie gasped, but what caught my attention though, is the fact that Christian didn't.

"She chose Belikov?" Mason asked and I could tell that he was upset. I have always known that this poor kid had a crush on Rose. But she had never seen him as any more than a brother. Which he should have already known, if not before then at least by Lissa saying as much just moments ago. So, I really hoped that he would not hold his broken heart against either Rose or Dimitri. They had enough, Natasha Ozera, to deal with so they sure as hell didn't need anything more. Especially not in that area.

"She didn't choose anyone; they were made for each other. They are the truest of soul mates." Lissa stressed, also probably trying to keep Mason's feelings from being hurt.

"Is that the real reason behind why Belikov really didn't want to transfer to Aunt Tasha? Is that why Aunt Tasha can't stand Rose?" Christian asked, although I could tell that he already knew the answer to his own questions.

Which means that I had been right after all, he had noticed the tension between the two women. Of course, you would have to be either blind, not around either of them, dead or completely stupid to not have noticed the animosity between Rose and Tasha. But that was natural when someone else wanted your man. As for Rose and Tasha being women, that was highly debatable in relation to Natasha Ozera. Because she acted more like a jealous sixteen-year-old than an adult woman in her thirties. Whereas, in the same situation, Rose acted more Natasha's age than her actual seventeen years. In other, simpler, terms Natasha behaves like a jealous childish bitch and my daughter behaves as the lady that she is. At least until Natasha pushes Rose too far, and then all bets will be off, and Natasha's ass will be the proverbial grass and my daughter the lawnmower.

"Yes." Lissa answered bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Does he really love her?"

"Yes." This time it was Lissa and I who answered without even thinking about it.

"Good, because she is going to need someone to love her unconditionally right now. Someone who won't be chased away by the title, crown, and constant public scrutiny. Or someone who won't want to use her and it for their own selfish reasons, gain and agenda. Or even someone who won't 'worship' her because of her status but not really LOVE her." Christian said and we all nodded, agreeing one hundred percent with him on that. And I knew that with that last sentence he actually meant Mason or someone else like him. Because no matter how much he liked Rose it was mostly because of how she looked and the rest because he more or less hero worshipped her. Because the whole time that she and Lissa were gone. I had heard him, more than once, say how cool it was that Rose had escaped the academy and was out doing what she wanted. So yes, it most definitely is mostly hero worship.

"But Christian, you have to remember that no one. Especially not someone who has a grudge of any kind against Rose, can find out about any of this. Not until she and Dimitri get back and decide how exactly that they want to deal with and reveal all of this."

"I understand Guardian Petrova. Rose and I may fight like two starving cats with only one tiny little bowl of milk between us. But I would never intentionally say or do anything that could potentially harm her in any way whatsoever. She is my little sister, who is also the biggest pain in my ass, but I will do everything that I possibly can in order to help her get through this. Because I know firsthand just how difficult having lost her mother is going to be for her."