Kiss Goodbye

Chapter 1: Your Guard.

Phoebe.

"Phoebe, again with the overtime?" I heard my personal bodyguard, Kiel, spoke with concern as he enter my work room. "Your talent for painting is extraordinary miss Phoebe, but please learn when to rest." He said as he approached me.

Honestly, painting is all I know. It's the life I know, and probably will ever know. Hopefully not. I've been painting since my mother lost her life, maybe because I found the colors that I had lost that day on my canvases. 

"I will, Kiel." I said softly as I focused with every stroke my brush, adding a few details. Details matter. I heard his footsteps walk towards me and stopped behind me. 

I take my painting seriously since this felt like all I could ever do around here, and at some point it feels like the only way for me to express my heart. 

My heart that even I couldn't understand.

He sighs. "You'd better or I'll carry you to bed." He said half joking but there was a hint of seriousness in his voice, as if he was willing to do it if I refuse.

But Kiel never makes jokes. At least not yet.

I turned to him and met his eyes, his blue eyes. My neck hurts looking up to his eyes, he's pretty tall, a good height for a pretty boy. He has a serious expression on his face, should I feel scared? No, back then I do and I immediately listen. Now? Nah. I softly smiled at him before looking back at my canvas.

Kiel had been my personal bodyguard since I was 15 and he was 21 then, he is aware of the sacrifice that comes with his job. He was hired by my father, a politician, to be my bodyguard and protection. Well it seems like he's my personal butler now since he takes care of me more than protecting. I don't leave the mansion much.

"Alright, time for bed." He said in a worried but it was direct and commanding. I know I said I only listen to him immediately before but change of plans, he doesn't sound friendly tonight. He never really sounded friendly.

I gently placed down my brush and palette on the table beside me before standing up. He gently takes my hand and guide me to my room, well he always does this gesture, probably because it's his job. Sort of?

He held my hand on his as we walked across the hallway of my father's mansion from my work room to my bedroom. I'm not a princess but sometimes he makes me feel like I am, like now.

He opened my bedroom door for me and had a maid was waiting for me in my room to help me change into my night gown, he turned around as I walked towards the closet with my maid. And yes this is my daily things. I wake, eat, paint, sleep, repeat.

I looked through my clothes while the maid prepared what I'll wear, most of them white and those with colors are pastel. Maybe I am a princess.

The maid left the room with my laundry as soon as I got dressed, he turned once he heard the maid left. "White always looks good on you." He smiled as he spoke. I can tell how genuine his words were so I returned him a smile, but compliments were never his thing so that was new.

I made my way to my bed and I could feel his eyes follow me the whole time. "Can you grab a book for me?" I said softly as I sat under the covers and got comfortable in my bed.

"Which one?" He asked matching how soft I spoke.

"Little prince." I answered and he chuckled, is something funny, mister?

I like The Little Prince, it's sad yet beautiful. Even after finishing it, it's worth reading again.

"As you wish." He said, walked towards my bookshelf and scanned the books for the one I requested. After searching, he reaches for it and examined the book in his hand before walking towards me and handing it.

"Thank you, Kiel." I thanked him and he gives me a nod in return before walking back beside my door sitting on my light blue couch. 

Honestly, at first I never liked the idea of him waiting for me to fall asleep before he can leave to his room, it used to feel  weird having eyes on me as i try to put myself to sleep but I got used to it now.

I opened my book, resting my hands above the covers as I held it open and began reading with my eyes but I couldn't focus, something felt strange to tonight and I couldn't put my finger on it-

"Something wrong, Phoebe?" He asked in a serious yet calm tone, cutting off my train of thoughts. He was staring directly at me, and same was I to him.

I just smiled at him. "It's nothing." I said softly and looked back down on my book. Kiel has been with me as my bodyguard for two and a half years, and we got closer all those years. Maybe not exactly close. I remembered the first night he was around, he ended up sleeping before me in that same position because I couldn't sleep with someone new around and I ended up sleeping really late.

"Phoebe.. are you done reading?" Geez, he startled me out of my thoughts, but my reaction was not physically visible so he wouldn't know that. "And you've been in the same page for too long now, is something in your mind?"

Of course he noticed that.

"Oh um.." Think of an excuse, think of an excuse..

He stood up and walked towards me, extending his arms in front of me opening his palm and spoke in a stern tone. "Give it to me."

"I'm not don-"

"I'll read it for you."

~