Where He Stands

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Other Bodyguard

I awoke in the middle of the night because of Oliver shaking me. I opened one eye and then another. Oliver was grinning down at me and I frowned at him questioningly. “What are you staring at?” I asked.

He continued grinning. “It’s twelve o’clock.”

“So?”

He produced something from behind his back. I looked down and saw a wrapped box. “Happy birthday, Rebecca,” he whispered softly.

My lips slowly formed into a smile and I shyly took the gift from his hands. “Thank you,” I answered. “But you really did not have to, Oliver.”

“Well, you also didn’t have to give me a gift but you still did,” he replied.

Before we went to our flight to New York, I gave him his gift. It was a simple stereo for his car, and it took half of my salary. But it was worth it since he was so happy that he kissed me in the middle of the street.

“Open it,” he urged me. “I want to see your expression.”

I sat properly and unwrapped the gift. When I was done, a box was lying on my hands. I started opening it.

“I honestly didn’t know what to give you,” he said, rather guiltily. “I wanted something that you could remember me by, so I thought about that…”

“Oh, Oliver, I love it!” I gushed.

It was a simple necklace with a small heart on the middle. Even though it was just a piece of jewellery to some people, it means a lot more to me. Oliver beamed when he saw my expression and offered to put it on my neck.

I nodded. “Of course,” I replied and handed him the necklace.

When he was done clasping the necklace, I leaned in to him and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you so much, Oliver,” I said softly. “I don’t care whether your parents don’t like me or that Michael hates your guts. I love you and will never think otherwise.”

That sentence alone made him smile like he won the lottery. “I love you, too, Rebecca. And it scares the shit out of me of how much I feel for you.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, taking his hand. “I feel the same way, too.”

***

I spent the night on Oliver’s house, since his parents were out most of the night. At seven in the morning, he woke me up and we quietly made our way to his car so he could drop me off at my apartment. When we reached my apartment, I kissed him goodbye.

“I’ll see you later for dinner, okay?” I whispered against his lips.

“I couldn’t wait,” he said huskily.

I smiled. “You mean you couldn’t wait to be in the presence of my brother?”

He grimaced. “If you put it that way…”

“He’ll understand someday,” I assured him, and at the same time, also me. “Someday, he’ll realize you’re a good person and not the guy he thought you were.”

“Well, he thinks I’m a badass and arrogant. I don’t think he’s wrong.”

I laughed. “But that what makes you Oliver and I love Oliver.”

“Oh, Rebecca, you better get out of my car or else I’m not going to control myself,” he said, his voice thick with lust.

I winked at him kinkily and kissed his cheek one last time. I opened the car door and swung my legs out. I raised my hand as a farewell and he beeped his honk. Then without another word, he drove away.