In Between

He Won't Let His Phone Ring

After arriving at Walker's hotel room, we spent a while catching up. Walker was lounging on the couch, absorbed in his phone. I was glad to see him, but after a while, I started feeling restless.

Pulling out my phone, I decided to film a TikTok dance routine I'd been wanting to try. I didn't say anything to Walker—he was so engrossed in his phone that I figured he wouldn't mind. I set up my phone on the coffee table and started the music, launching into Sabrina Carpenter's latest dance craze.

Walker barely glanced up at first, his focus mainly on his screen. But as I continued, I noticed him shifting uncomfortably. Suddenly, he was up and standing directly in front of the camera, blocking the view.

"Walker, what the hell?" I exclaimed, trying to move around him.

"Nope," Walker said firmly, his tone much more serious than usual. "I'm not letting you do that. Your dad made me promise to keep an eye on you, and that's exactly what I'm doing."

I tried to push him aside, but he stood his ground. "Walker, I'm just filming a dance. It's not a big deal."

"It is to me," he snapped. "I don't care what you think. I'm not letting you put yourself out there like that."

I was taken aback by his intensity. "Are you seriously this worked up about a TikTok video?"

"Yes," he said, crossing his arms and not moving an inch. "Because I know what kind of shit can go down with that stuff. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

I sighed, realizing there was no point in arguing. "Alright, fine. I'll change the routine."

Walker finally moved aside when I adjusted my dance to something more appropriate. He plopped back down on the couch, looking visibly relieved.

"You really need to chill," I said, sitting next to him. "It's not like I was doing anything bad."

"I'm just doing what I promised your dad," Walker said, still sounding a bit annoyed but with a hint of relief. "Keeping you safe, that's all."

I laughed despite his gruff demeanor. "Thanks for being so overprotective. I guess I appreciate it."

Walker gave me a small smile, though he still looked a bit tense. "Yeah, well, just doing my job."

Even though his protectiveness was a bit over the top, it was kind of sweet in its own way. I could see that he genuinely cared, and that made me appreciate him even more.

As I left later, I felt a renewed sense of connection. Spending time with Walker reminded me of how much I valued our friendship, even if his protective streak could be a bit much.