Ambivalent

19. A New Job

Akara

"Rune," I called out his name with a shaky voice as soon as I saw him exiting the hotel.

Rune looked at me, appalled as if he saw a ghost. His tired eyes widened while his lips narrowed into a thin line. He stayed frozen for a good minute before he turned around and attempted to leave.

Panicking, I rushed behind him and grabbed his arm.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" he yelled as he pushed me hard.

"I am so sorry," I mumbled, raising my hands, meaning surrender, "I just want to talk to you, five minutes are enough."

"Talk to me?" he snorted with a puff, "you shameless bastard!"

Well, the conversation wasn't going well, so I had to do something before the security dragged me away.

"Take this money," I said, putting the bag in between us, "I didn't know how much you suffered and I am so sorry for being the cause for it."

He looked at the bag aloofly before staring at me blankly. Suddenly, all his previous anger evaporated, leaving its place to apparent tiredness. "I don't want your dirty money. Take it and get lost," he said calmly yet icily and hopped into the first taxi he saw.

I watched the taxi disappearing from my sight with vehement desperateness. His behaviour was highly normal though I would be lying if I said I didn't hurt.

Still, going back wasn't an option.

Not until Rune was happy and healthy again...

With the resolution, the will power came. I fished my phone out from my pocket and called Kamol. Not giving a damn about my pride, I asked him if the job offer was still valid.

He chuckled at my request, but said okay nonetheless. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the hotel and went up to Kamol's room.

"Why did you change your mind? Because of Rune?" Kamol asked me behind his table with a smirk.

"No," I denied, "I am running out of money and you said you pay well," I lied blatantly.

He nodded, "that's true. Let me think..." he said, tapping his fingers on the wooden surface of the table, "my son, Panit, needs a bodyguard as he is the general manager now. Interested?"

Well, it was the first time I heard he had a son, but who cared? He was working in the hotel where I wanted to be, so I jumped into the offer.

Clapping his hands, Kamol called his son and called him to his office. A few minutes later, a young man around my age came into the office with a dominating aura. With his long blonde hair bundled in a ponytail and red small sunglasses resting on his nose bridge, he was sure to be drama queen, dying for attention.

"Yes?" he asked with a pert manner as he slumped onto the chair opposite of mine, his legs on the small table between us.

"Panit, this is Akara, your new bodyguard," Kamol introduced me to his spoiled kid.

"That 'Akara'?" Panit asked, making a quotation mark with his fingers.

"Yes. Is there a problem?" I snorted coldly as I was getting more and more irritated by each passing second.

"No, everything is cool," he shook his head vigorously.

"Then, let's talk about the job," Kamol said, shifting his gaze between his son and I, "You will guard Panit during the day, but at night you are free, what do you think? Better than what you had to endure with Rune, right?"

I barely managed to refrain myself from rolling my eyes. Kamol had no idea how nice Rune was or what he meant to me.

"Let's go then!" Panit jumped onto his feet, not getting offended by my lack of response.

I followed Panit without saying a word and as luck would have it, we saw Rune. Panit pulled me next to him and with a disgusting smile and said "hey Rune, what do you think about my new bodyguard?"

I stared at Rune intently, trying to see his reaction, but there was none. No shock, no hate, no disdain... He looked at me with dull eyes which were completely void of any emotions.

"Be careful, he is a master of back-stabbing... figuratively and literally," he said aloofly and walked past us without giving me a second glance.

"Wow, feisty!" Panit shouted behind him and I wanted to snap his head off to make him silent... eternally.

Though I wanted Rune to hate me, my heart was another story. I was shaken too badly, but still determined to stick around. He wanted or not, I wouldn't let him suffer alone.

Not again.