The Author and Her Bodyguard

Chapter 26

I waited for Aiden to say a word. But just like the day we met, he was silent. A pair of twin ocean eyes stared at me, so intently that I had to fight not to look away. Then just when I was about to ask him if he had lost the internet connection and was lagging, he responded. 

Oh, the eloquence of Aiden Dalton. With all the words he could have used to say, "yes," "no," or anything in between such as "are you kidding me?" he just... nodded. A silent, single nod. That was the only response he gave after staring at me for a long beat. It left me feeling like an idiot. 

He had set up our conversation, insisting we talk. He had left me believing he was open to the idea of fake dating... but when I asked, he just... stared, nodded once, and then offered to wash the dishes so I could go pack. What a lucky lady I was. 

After a painfully quiet Uber ride to the airport, where the driver played classical music at such a low volume, leaving nothing but room for potential conversation, Tate saved me from having to endure more silence by being around. "LALIANA!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the terminal once he had spotted me. "AS I LIVE AND BREATHE! IS IT REALLY THE FAMOUS AUTHOR!?!" 

I would have died of a heart attack if he hadn't just shouted in an empty hall. No one was around to care who we were. We had chosen to meet at this specific terminal due to how empty it usually was. It had been half under construction for five years. 

"Tate!" I shouted. "Is it really the guy who hogs all the food for himself?!?" 

He snorted and offered an eye roll. "I deserve that one." He wore a black turtle neck, in keeping with the bodyguard uniform of black colors, punching me in the arm as I reached his side at the empty gate. "But you snooze you lose when it comes to food!" 

I laughed. "Don't lie. If you aren't threatened into it, you don't share." 

"True." Tate placed his hand over his heart. "But food is my true love. How can you expect me to share it?" Glancing over my shoulder he nodded at Aiden who walked off silently. 

"Wow..." Tate said watching Aiden walk out of earshot and towards the nearest restroom.

"I didn't think the dude could get any quieter." He looked back at me. "What did you do to my boy?" 

"Nothing!" I said a little too loudly. 

"Don't lie. He's acting weirder than usual." He raised a brow. "And you have 'guilty face.'" He continued to stare, waiting for me to confess. 

"I..." I stammered looking around for something to distract Tate with, but there was nowhere to eat in this particular part of the airport. Where's a sandwich stand when you need one!?!  

"Sanders wants us to fake date," I finally managed. 

Tate snorted. "No offense, but you aren't really my type. Buddies for life, sure but fake dating? I'm a terrible actor." 

I threw up my hands in flustered exasperation. "Not me and you! Me and Aiden!" 

His mouth dropped open. "Oh, well... that changes things." 

I didn't say a word. I just stood there, staring at the uninspired carpeting that the airport must have spent a fortune to cover the floors with but was still terrible. The red and blues made up a boring design, but I still stared down at it like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. I wanted to get lost in it. Anything to drop the conversation that I had fallen into. 

"Laliana, you can't just drop something like that and not finish. What did you say?" 

I shifted from one foot to the other, adjusting my flannel top, staring down at the black and white shirt until the lines became blurs. "I... I um... asked him..." I trailed off.