After Cleo loses her parents by the age of 18 she moves into her best friend's house. The day April decides to move to Australia for a new job, Cleo chooses to move with her, nothing is holding her back. She works in the library of Port Lincoln, lov...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I welcome the kids and try to ignore him as he walks over to the counter and waits. "So, what are you looking for?" I ask Maria. "We're looking for books about nature and wildlife in the Amazonas!" She replies excitedly. "Oh wow, new projects?" The teacher nods. "You know where you have to look, and when you're done, I have something for you guys." They turn left and walk upstairs to the second floor. "May I help you, sir?" I ask the man in the suit. He hands me over the phone. "Kody wants to talk to you." I should have known, shouldn't I? I take the phone and bring it to my ear. "What?" I ask annoyed. "You took the phone I thought he had to force you." "I have things to do, what do you want ?" "Steve will be with you from now on. The people I had, let's call it a disagreement with, were seen at my parent's and Emily's house." "So?" "They have protection, you don't!" "Wait, who am I to you that I need protection from people you had a disagreement with? "He doesn't answer. "Yeah, I am a nobody, like you said. I have to work, bye." I hand the phone to Steve and walk behind the counter.
I open my drawer and take my current read out. "You can leave. A nobody doesn't need protection." He walks over to the sitting area across from the counter takes a magazine from the table and starts flipping the pages.
"Cleo, we are done, what do you have for us?" Maria's voice makes me flinch, I was lost in my fantasy world for the last 45 minutes. I walk over to the small kitchen, open the cupboard over the sink, and take five small packages of Cheezels out of our snack box. "Wow, thank you!" "Those are my favorites!" The kids say simultaneously. "See you guys next time." I smile at them and wave goodbye as they walk out the door.
Time flew by today and Steve got up as I started to take my stuff. "I'm taking you home." "No, you don't. April is going to be here in five minutes, she will take me home. As always." "I am-" "I don't care, I'm not going anywhere with you."
I go outside, and April is already waiting she ignores me, ignores us, she's looking at her phone. I open the door, get in and before I can close it, he stops me. "I will be right behind you. I know which road you're going to take. I also know the three other ways, you could choose to drive home. Don't try anything stupid." He closes the door, I take a deep breath and watch him through the side view mirror. "Who in the freaking handsomeness was that?" She asks, her jaw drops and I reach out to close her mouth. "Don't ask, let's go home please." "Yeah, sure. Who was that?" "Steve." "Steve who?" "Bit-" "Steve, who?" "Kody sent him, said I need protection as if I'm someone important to him, why would I need protection? He said I am a nobody, he should be worried about his family not about me." I turn around and I see the black SUV following us. "Urgh, he's really there." April looks through the review mirror and waves at him. "He's cute." "No, save it. I'm pissed enough that he is going to be everywhere from now on, I don't want him in or on you, too." She boxes me and we start laughing.
We reach my apartment and I get out and before I can reach my door Steve is right beside me. I roll my eyes. "I'll be in my car, this is my number. Call if you notice anything strange." "You mean stranger than this?" I wave my hand between us. He inhales sharply, his nostrils flare he's pissed. I love pushing the right buttons. I take the card and walk upstairs. I take my shoes off and hang my bag in my wardrobe.
I walk into the kitchen turn my oven on, and take the potatoes from the shelf next to my fridge and the vegetable mix from the refrigerator. On the way to the bathroom, I take my pants off. My phone rings. I put my shorts on and walk to the living room. "How and when?" I ask. "First, close the curtains before you strip, second while you were talking to the kids." He says and I hear something crackling in the background. "How did you even manage to unlock it?" I ask and walk over to my window front to close the curtains I try to figure out where he is, and how he could see me. "The building across from yours, left side, third window from the top. April's and your birthday. I did my homework before I walked out of the car." He sounds proud. I show him the finger and close the curtains. "You said you'd be in the car." "But I didn't say I stay there, did I?" "I have to cook and eat, bye!" I don't wait for a response and hang up. I prepare the vegetable casserole with a lot of cheese on it and sit on the couch. Should I really be worried? Is it possible that anyone would look for me? Who would that anyone be, no one knows about me, well according to Mr. McAndrews at least, but why did he send Steve if no one knows about me or our connection there is no connection nothing happened.
"Urgh, what the hell did I run into, I can't do this again!" I tell April once she enters. She brought me my dress back from the cleaning service and now we eat dinner together. "I have no idea. I would tell you to stay away from him, but he doesn't seem to want this." I put a forkful of casserole in my mouth and immediately spit it out again because I burned my mouth. "So what are your plans for the weekend?" "Nothing, I have to work on Saturday. On Sunday I'm gonna read the whole day, I have to finish this book, the next one is coming out on Monday, so, as you can tell I will be swamped," I reply. "How about you?" I ask after I swallow my food. "I have a date," she whispers "You have a what? Who? How? Tell me!" She starts telling me about her plans and I feel really happy for her. We clean up and after April leaves I get ready for bed. My phone rings. "What?" "Open the door." "Why?" I hear something at my door. I slowly walk into the living room. "How did you-?" "Keys!" He holds up two keys and gives me a dirty smirk. "Why are you here?" "Kody's order. I follow them, I don't question them. Go to bed, you have to get up in five hours," he takes his shoes and jacket off and sits on the couch. He changed. He wears gray joggers and a sweater with the NAVY logo on it. "How do you; Never mind, homework, good night." He nods and turns the TV on. I go to bed, close my eyes, and fall into a long, dreamless sleep.
It's been two weeks now and I'm still not used to being followed around by an ex-Navy Seal who's a bodyguard now, and is by my side as if I'm the freaking president. "Don't you think if anyone would want to harm me, that they would have already done it?" I ask while we walk upstairs. "Maybe, but that's why I am here, to prevent this from happening. Kody will be home in about three hours and he wants you to be ready." "Ready for what?" "For meeting him." I turn the key two times to the left, open the door to my apartment, and try to ignore what he just said. "Are you still gonna be here although he is back? Or can I have my living room back?" "I won't sleep here any longer. I will be in the apartment in the building across from yours." He explains as I walk into my bedroom and notice a garment bag on my bed that's not mine. "Givenchy, what the - Oh. My. God !" I take the bag and walk into the living room. "Hey Blue, what is that?" He inhales sharply before he looks up from his phone, he doesn't like the nickname I gave him. "Don't call me Blue and I'm not an expert but I think it's a dress." "You wear only blue suits, you're Blue to me, and I know that it's a dress what I meant was-" "Why aren't you asking the way you mean it ?" He challenges. I just stare at him. "Kody bought it, he wants you to wear it tonight." "I'm not gonna wear a dress that probably costs more than I get paid." "Oh, you will -" The ringing of his phone interrupts us. I open the bag and look at the dress, the price tag isn't there anymore. I take my phone and look the dress up. I throw my phone on the couch and close the bag. "Get ready, Kody will be here in fifteen minutes." "What? You said-" "He could take an earlier flight. Get ready." "Fine, but I'm not gonna wear this, do have the slightest idea how-" "I had to pick it up, I know. Kody doesn't care about how much things cost. If he likes it, he buys it and most of the things he buys are for children in orphanages and animal shelters. Put this damn dress on and shut up!" I raise a brow, turn on my heels, walk into my bedroom, slam the door shut take a deep breath and start getting ready.
