Saving Calen

10.

Y'all are a bunch of silent readers smh🙄

Here's chapter 9 anyway.

Aylah's POV

I sobbed the entire night.

I swear I saw the last remnants of self worth he has be torn away with the towel.

I look in the mirror at my outfit for this next outing. A square neck black bodysuit with viridian heels. I smooth myself over and steel my emotions.

I walk out to see Calen already dressed and standing with his hands behind his back. . His eyes are bloodshot.

Black slacks and a black button up are thrown on his body. The first few buttons are undone, his fresh wound peaking out.

I ignore him as we walk down the stairs and out to the car. Once we get there, he looks down on the drivers side seat and sees a Kevlar vest sitting on it.

'Even a skilled body guard should have extra gear.'

Is scrawled on a piece of paper. He takes the vest and carefully slides it onto his body.

"Come on. We don't have all day." I say, the words tasting vile as they come out.

"My apologies, ma'am."

He slides on the vest and tightens it down. His eyes close slightly as the vest squeezes his chest.

He gets in the car and we head out.

...

Calen's POV

The Kevlar squeezes my chest painfully, but that doesn't matter.

I follow Aylah and Dorian as they walk through an outdoor botanical garden. She slides her arm in his and he leads her as if she's a dog on a leash.

She's not. But you are.

Fuck off.

I follow my training to a T. Seen and not heard, eyes downcast so as not to appear threatening and putting any discomfort I may feel on the back burner.

They walk for hours.

By the end, I'm sweating and pale.

"Calen, do come here." Dorian says.

I squeeze my fist by my sides and walk to him.

"Yes, sir."

"You look dreadful, are you feeling alright?" He sneers.

"I'm fine, sir." I reply.

"I heard about your little rebranding last night. What an honor to be given to such a wealthy family."

I say nothing as I stare straight ahead.

"Awfully rude. You should thank the Giovanni's for accepting such a dismal gift and apologize for being ungrateful."

I run through the list of ways I could ruin his life in my head.

It's an entertaining list.

Aylah stands still as she forces herself to look at me. I look back. She must get too uncomfortable as she averts her gaze to her betrothed.

"Well, Ms. Giovanni's waiting."

I squash my pride so deep it won't ever be found.

"Thank you, I apologize, ma'am." I say.

Dorian laughs.

"Oh come on, you can do better than that."

"Thank you for accepting your gift, and I apologize for being ungrateful." I grit.

My fists clench so hard by my sides I feel a small trickle of blood run down one of my fingers.

"Great. If your parents didn't teach you manners, guard, then I will." Dorian says.

He turns to Aylah.

"I've had a great time with you today. Shall we continue this tomorrow?" The sentence comes out as a question, but anyone in their right mind would understand that it is anything but.

"Yes, Dorian. I'd like that." She replies.

I watch the two hug each other. Then my stomach churns as he grabs the side of her face and kisses her deeply. She's caught off guard. Surprise and disgust mar her features.

I turn my back out of respect.

He says something that I can't hear. Aylah walks ahead of me as I follow her out to the car.

...

Once there, I open the door for her and she all but leaps in. She digs in her purse and pulls out a small bottle of mouth wash. She dumps the whole thing in and vigorously swishes it around her mouth.

She spits it out and mutter something about a bad kisser and halitosis.

I stifle the urge to laugh.

"Where to, ma'am."

She looks down at her feet and thinks.

"Anywhere but home."

I nod. "Have anything in mind?"

"Somewhere secluded. I don't want another person around for miles."

I know just the place.

I drive us up to a private view spot on the Appalachian mountains. The good thing about New York is that disappearing is not a difficult thing to do.

"Wow. It's beautiful." She breathes. I just stay silent as she gets out of the car and goes to sit on the rock in front of us. I watch her black hair whip around in the wind.

I wanna bury my hands in it.

She's a true beauty. Pure and kind and caring.

Dorian will ruin her.

I notice a slight shake in her shoulders and realize that she's crying. And I can't do anything about it.

I send curses up to whatever god made me this fucking useless.