What If?

Chapter 13

I shake my head as his question echoes in my ear.

"Prince Dante?" I ask turning my view away from Dimitri for the first time.

"Yes, Anastasia?" He responds while keeping his eyes on Dimitri.

"Can you please leave us so that we can have a moment to discuss things?" I ask him.

"Um, as you wish..." He bows and leaves back to the ballroom,

"WELL, I thought he would never leave!" I hear Dimitri exclaim from behind me.

As I turn around, I could feel my hand hot and heavy. I raise my hand and slap Dimitri across his face.

Pooka begins to bark.

"OOWWW!" Dimitri yells.

I snap out of my frustration with his yell.

"What was that for, Anya?!" Dimitri demanded an answer.

As if he didn't know... I felt my blood boiling, "What was THAT for? WHAT WAS THAT FOR? You have got to be kidding me! Dimitri! You left me! You led me to believe that you took the reward money! That everything we went through was about money..." I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I felt betrayed by my own body and emotions. "...I thought that you... you... that you..." I couldn't say the words out loud and looked away as I felt water fill my eyes again.

"That I didn't love you?" Dimitri asked trying to make me turn around and see him.

I could feel tears falling down slowly as I walk towards the balcony, away from Dimitri, looking out at the garden full of lights. I could hear Dimitri get closer.

"Anya, did you really think that I left because I didn't love you?" Dimitri asked.

I wiped the tears away from my face before I turned to confront Dimitri, "Well, you didn't' stay because you loved me either, did you?" I shrug and cross my arms.

Dimitri looks down, "I know this is hard to understand but I left because I am in love with you."

Dimitri reaches out for my hands. I let him take my hands into is own. He lifts my head with his finger and we look into each other's eyes.

"I love you," Dimitri repeats himself.

Dimitri pulls me closer to him. His eyes search for a response from my eyes. I want to stop whatever he is doing but on the other hand, I feel heat rushing through my body as our bodies get closer. Dimitri's face just inches away from mine. Within an instant, Dimitri kisses me deeply. I let go of my anger and kiss him back.

Dimitri loves me. Dimitri is kissing me. This is what my happiness is.

I pull away and Dimitri leans his forehead against mine.