The Bodyguard's Duty ✅

Chapter 20 - Beeline

Author's Note #1: In case some of you aren't aware, I've shifted all of the chapter numbers down a little by merging some chapters (thankfully nothing was lost this time), so the story is more condensed for newer readers (more context on why in Author's Note #2).

By editing and moving the chapters around some upvotes, comments, and reads have been deleted in the process, which means the numbers for this story will have changed slightly.

Author's Note #2: (Regarding pace of the story) See end of chapter.

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Ethan felt like he was being pulled towards his phone as he looked at Noble Guardians & Protectors's Instagram once again. It was a scratch that Ethan couldn't make disappear, because now he was looking at all the images posted on that account.

Ethan was never going to admit out loud what he was looking for in particular. His body had its own mind because it was trying to sooth the itch that was clawing away at him.

Kristen saw her brother so greatly engrossed in his phone that he didn't even notice her getting his attention. All of the clicking heels and coughing wasn't enough, so the older sister ended up snatching Ethan's phone instead.

Ethan was too slow to grab it back as Kristen stretched it away from him. "Yes?"

"You're late for the meeting." Kristen explained, "We've been waiting 15 minutes for you, and Tamsen even buzzed you on the intercom."

Ethan looked at his office phone and saw several flashing lights. Ethan ducked his head as he apologised for not remembering.

"Is something the matter?" Kristen asked. "You were quiet at breakfast. Not just breakfast now that I mention it... It's been going on for a while."

Ethan felt like a shell of the man that he once used to be. The man used to be outgoing, confident, laidback, and free-spirited. But Thomas helped break Ethan out of that shell, and there was nothing else to protect him.

It felt like too long for Ethan to speak out about it. He felt ridiculous for dwelling on it for so long, and he felt even more ridiculous for pining over the first person to try and reach out to him.

Thomas had this mysterious aura to him that made Ethan feel open whenever he was nearby. There was a connection between them, and Ethan never felt alone when he was with Thomas. This all made Ethan want to talk to the bodyguard again, as Thomas was like the aloe vera to his burns.

"It's just stress." Ethan picked up his coat that was hanging on his chair, and put it on. "Let's go."

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Ethan was doing it again. He found the meeting boring as he began to play with his phone under the desk. The COO couldn't even mentally shame himself, because it was an unconscious gravitational pull that made Ethan drawn to the bodyguard.

Ethan found a picture of Thomas on the company's Instagram feed. He began to smile when he saw the friendly face beaming back into the camera, and Ethan felt his worries begin to settle.

'This is so strange.'

Quickly as he could, Ethan slammed his phone onto the table after pressing a heart on the picture. The phone was face down as nobody could see what Ethan had just done, and Ethan didn't even fully understand what made him do everything he did in the last 5 seconds.

"Nice to see you paying attention, Mr COO..." Lewis snarked.

"Fuc-" Ethan had made mental notes to be better to other people, as he then adjusted his own language. "F you Lewis."