The Bodyguard

Chapter 5

TORI

After dinner, Theo bought me a bottle of melatonin gummies that night. I wondered if they would work. I didn't believe I'd be able to fall asleep without thinking of everything going on in my life, though it happened. I felt droopy after thirty minutes, which was how long it took for the melatonin to kick in. Knowing the light on my phone would make me stay up, I hadn't bothered to glance at the continued rude comments on social media. The book in my hand made me sleepier, and I finally gave up when I couldn't finish half a page.

In the morning, I woke up feeling refreshed, like I had slept because I had. Of course, my mind returned to that dark place after my brain started waking up, but I made sure to push every inch of memory from that night out of my mind. I did not want to think about it, but I wanted to know what happened to those men. After Theo took me out of the streets and back to his home, where did he go once he left me?

Theo was staying in one of the two bedrooms downstairs. He was rooming with Oliver, while Archer and Daniel roomed together. They could've all had separate rooms, but I didn't want them on the same floor as me, considering they were already in the same house. The beds are king-sized, so I don't see the problem.

I knocked on Theo's door, and he opened it very quickly. He was wearing black framed glasses and held a book in his hand. I never expected to see him in glasses or with a book in his hand. The frames on his face made him look more intelligent, not saying he wasn't. Theo's book was by James Patterson, and I wondered if it was any good. Most people don't realize celebrities are normal humans who like to do everyday human things like reading. I occasionally loved to curl up with a good book, especially a thriller. 

"Everything okay?" Theo asked. 

I nodded. "Yeah," I said, turning away and remembering why I had come down here in the first place. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Theo arched his brow and opened the door the rest of the way, inviting me inside. I sat in the beige and very comfortable chair next to the window. It used to sit in the living room, but I had it placed here. It was my mother's favorite chair.

"What is it? Did something happen?"

I shook my head. "No, everything is fine, but I am curious about what happened to those men. We started fresh, and I've said I don't want to discuss it. The thing is, maybe my problem is not talking about it. You've probably seen lots of stuff before. Is keeping it buried my problem?" I asked. 

Theo locked eyes with me. I could've sworn his eyes were blue, but now they had hints of green.

"From experience, talking about trauma you go through helps at first. The longer you wait, the harder it is. I'm not asking you to tell me anything about that night, but you can tell someone you're more comfortable with, like Arianna or even a therapist."

"I've talked about most of it with Arianna, but what did happen to them?" I asked. "You brought me to your home and disappeared the rest of the night. I was scared because of what had happened, and a stranger invited me into their home. Your hospitality was nice, but then you left, which made it even more awkward and scary."

"You don't need to worry about what happened to those men. They were taken care of, so let's leave it."

"You killed them?"

Theo shook his head. "I would never do that unless someone were trying to kill you, or me, or the others, and I didn't have much of a choice. I roughed him up a bit, if you want to know. The others, too, but not so bad. Then I tossed him in a place where he won't ever be doing that again, and no, I am not telling you where that is."

"I don't want to know, but thank you. A thank you note is nothing compared to in person. I owe you for what you did, Theo."

Theo shook his head. "You don't owe me anything because it is my job to protect you, and I will continue to do that to the best of my ability. Now, what do you want for breakfast?" Theo asked.