The Bodyguard

3

I felt sick. Like honest to God, going to bend over a hurl sick.

"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can," Dimitri said calmly.

"No, I can't."

"Rose."

"Dimitri," I said and blew out a deep breath. "Was a shopping mall the best idea? Isn't this like a bodyguarding nightmare?"

"Actually, a mall is not that difficult. This is more or less to get you in an environment that you've been in before, and with someone who you feel safe with. Baby steps. You need to feel safe before we can do anything else. If it means following you and your best friend around the mall for a few hours, I will follow you around the mall."

"I'm going to puke," I groaned.

"Take a deep breath, you'll be fine," Dimitri chuckled as he patted my hand.

I shook my head and my brows furrowed. I could see Lissa standing next to the entrance, three coffee cups balanced on a tray. I took a deep breath and opened the door, shouldering my purse and shutting the door.

Dimitri came around the car and walked beside me as we approached the entrance.

"When we are in the mall, I will be taking a normal distance. I won't be beside you, but a few steps behind, blending in. But the minute you feel like it is too much, just let me know and we'll go."

"How will you know if you can't hear me?" I asked quietly.

Dimitri turned his body towards me and gripped my hand gently, waiting for me to compose myself and look at him.

"I will know. Trust me, you'll be okay," he promised.

I nodded and took a breath to calm myself. Lissa had a bright smile on her face when we got close.

"Hi!" Lissa squealed, wrapping one arm around me. I hugged her tightly and rested my head on her shoulder. Lissa Dragomir was my best friend for as long as I could remember. We met on the first day of kindergarten and we have been thick as thieves ever since.

Lissa pulled back and pulled a cup out of her tray and handed it to me. She took another one out and extended it to Dimitri.

"I wasn't sure what you drank, so it's just black. But I have cream and sugar," she said gesturing to the small paper bag in the tray.

"Black is fine, thank you," Dimitri said kindly. Lissa beamed at him and turned to me.

"How are you feeling?" Lissa whispered. I took a long sip of my chai latte and nodded my head.

"I'm okay," I said hesitantly. Lissa looped her arm through mine and pulled me into the mall, falling into a familiar routine. Lissa kept up with a one-sided conversation, filling me in on her and her boyfriend, and how she thought that Christian was going to propose soon. I nodded and 'uh-huhed' when necessary, but part of me was trying not to freak out.

"I really like it, by the way. It's so you but not."

"Huh?" I said, tuning back into what Lissa said.

Lissa smiled at me and toyed with a strand of my hair. "Your hair? I think it looks great!"

"Oh," I said with a nod of my head, "Thanks. I just needed a change."

Lissa smiled and pulled me into a store I knew all too well. I glanced behind me and panicked for a moment, not able to see Dimitri, but spotted him after a moment, looking at some bath bombs.

"So, how do you like Dimitri? I mean, you seem to be okay around him," Lissa probed, smelling a bath bomb that I knew was her favourite.

I nodded. "He's good. He doesn't treat me like a basket case, and I don't know, I don't feel nervous around him."