Bad Boy Bodyguard

P A R T ♡ T H R E E (2)

P A R T   T H R E E   (2)

BY the end of the day, I was more than ready to get home and hide away in my bedroom all night.

It had been an exhausting day but somehow I knew it wasn't quite over yet. I still had to face Greyson, and something told me that wouldn't be quite as uneventful as I hoped.

I slowly made my way out of school after the final bell rang. Greyson had instructed me to go straight to his car after school without hanging around.

He's my bodyguard, not my boss.

Deciding to take the long route, I stopped by a vending machine and slipped in some change to get a can of soda. As I stood up from fetching the can, I felt a presence behind me.

"I thought I told you not to mess around." Came a low voice from behind me. I winced at the sound of Greyson's voice and slowly turned around, a sheepish look on my face.

I thought I told you, you're my bodyguard, not my boss, I thought. 

"I was just thirsty," I explained, motioning to the soda in my hands. I flicked the top of the soda off. Before I could take a sip of the cooling liquid, the can was snatched from my hands. "Hey!"

Greyson grinned, feeling the power he had over me. He pressed the soda to his lips and took a huge gulp as I watched him helplessly. When he was done, he handed me the can, turned and began to walk out of the school.

I watched after him in disbelief before scurrying after him. "You're mean!" I cried, jogging to keep up with his big strides. By the time we reached his car, it had started to rain out and was already beginning to get dark. A cold wind swept past my face, biting at my cheeks. 

"So, what are our plans for Halloween?" Greyson teased, ignoring my statement about him being mean. He unlocked his car, kicking a pile of crisp, orange leaves as he did so.

Halloween. I sighed at the thought. 

It was October which meant Halloween was quickly approaching, and I couldn't decide if I was dreading it or looking forward to it. Halloween was Mason and I's favorite holiday, and this would be the first time I was celebrating it alone. I knew Mason would want me to enjoy it, but whether I could get through the day without the memory of my brother tearing me apart I wasn't sure. 

"Sofia... Sofia? Are you OK?"

I snapped out of my trance and came face-to-face with a worried looking Greyson. He was closer than usual, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks at the close proximity of him. Before I could respond, his thumb ran across my cheek and it was only then that I noticed I had tears streaming down my face.

I pushed his hand away and turned my head, attempting to hide the blush on my face. Not only was his face close to mine causing butterflies to erupt in my stomach, but I was embarrassed at how weak I must seem to him. How could I have cried in front of him? I hadn't cried in front of anybody for weeks. I had to be the strong one.

"Take me home."

Greyson didn't say a word. Instead, he took the bag from my arm and pulled open the passenger door. After we were both in the car, he turned to me again. I avoided his eyes, keeping them on my hands and twiddling my fingers in my lap.

"Sofia are you -"

"Just take me home, Greyson. Please." I ordered again in a small voice, feeling warm tears brimming my eyes. The thought of Mason formed a lump in my throat, and I had to get away from school as soon as possible. I couldn't bare for anybody to see me crumble, it would only make matters worse.

When we arrived home, I flew out of the car as quickly as possible. Without a second glance, I was upstairs and hidden away in my bedroom. I pressed my face into my pillow and allowed all of the built up tears to fall from my eyes.

"Sofia, can I come in?" Greyson's voice was softer than usual from outside of my door. I sat up and wiped my eyes, knowing he was going to come in regardless of my answer.

With a small push, Greyson entered my room. He sat on the edge of my bed and looked at me with concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I sniffled, wiped my eyes and offered him a weak smile. "So now you're my councillor as well?"

Greyson offered a soft smile. His grey eyes watched me closely, but they had a different expression than I was used to recieving. Instead of pity, they held concern and understanding. "I can be."

I shuffled on my bed and crossed my legs. I pointed to a picture in a frame on my bedside table. It was Mason and I as kids. We were dressed in silly pumpkin costumes on Halloween; much to Mason's dismay. He had only agreed because it made me happy. "That's my brother, Mason. He died in July."

Greyson sighed deeply, acknowledging the photograph. I ran my thumb across the glass of the frame, allowing another tear to spill. It was the first time I had cried in front of somebody in a long time, but for some reason I didn't mind feeling vulnerable with him.

His aura was calming, comforting almost.

"How did he die?" Greyson asked in a gentle tone of voice. He placed a hand on my knee comfortingly. The sensation of his touch made my stomach turn with butterflies and I moved my knee quickly and turned my attention back to the photograph.

"It was my fault..." I started, trailing off as I relived the night in my mind. The lump in my throat sunk into the pit of my stomach and I suddenly felt sick, looking anywhere but at Greyson.

"I had left a party early and he had insisted he came to meet me so I didn't have to walk all the way home alone. He was such a good big brother." I started, my voice cracking and wet little hiccups escaping my lips through sobs. "He was attacked before he even reached me. He was found in the morning in his own blood."

"Sh... it's okay," Greyson whispered comfortingly, pulling me into his arms. Despite barely knowing him, I didn't fight his embrace. He was warm and homely, and his big frame wrapped easily around mine. "It wasn't your fault, Sofia. Don't ever think that."

I wiped my eyes again, my vision blurry from the tears. "That's not it. They didn't just attack him, Greyson. They tortured him. He had burn marks on his arms from cigarettes. Why would anybody want to hurt him? Why not me? It should've been me!" 

Greyson clenched his jaw and tensed his back. "He was burned?"

I nodded my head from where it was buried in his chest and looked up. His face became hard and he released his grip on me slowly. I looked at him in confusion. He looked as though he was taken back by what I said, but more than to the extent of disgust. He looked like he knew something.

Maybe I was overthinking. Greyson probably wasn't even from around here. Maybe he had just heard the story on the news and recognised it. It had been a pretty big deal considering the low-crime rate of our town, and news had spread across states considering the brutality of the attack.

"Mason Rivers..." Greyson said in a slow voice, as if thinking about something. "That's your brother?"

I nodded again.

Greyson's face went pale. He clenched his jaw and stood up, heading toward the door in silence. He turned to face me, letting out a hard, long sigh, and bit his lip.

And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving me in a ball of confusion on my bed.

 Why was he acting so strange?