“Okay, sure. I’ll see you soon, D, and you know that I’ll miss you too,” I reply and she nods her head before Bradley comes and guides her away.
“Behave, Little Zero. I look forward to our reunion,” Aeron says as he drops his head down to my shoulder, before grazing his teeth up my neck.
“I’m sure,” I reply with a slight smirk as Darius retrieves my bag, and loads it into the blacked out car.
“I guess I’ll see you in a few days,” I say with a small wave, as I take a few backward steps before leaving the Academy, and hurrying down the steps.
“Don’t I get a goodbye?” Emmet asks, stepping in front of me, and I can’t help the little shriek that he brings out in me.
“You scared the life out of me,” I say, clutching my chest as my heart thumps rapidly in my chest.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I didn’t think it m-m-mattered, but n-n-no I didn’t plan on seeking you out. Is that answer enough f-f-for you?” I reply, and he smirks before sliding his fingers across my hip.
“Maybe if you have a good enough time, you’ll come back to me, ready to be mine. I look forward to it,” he says as he drops a kiss on the corner of my mouth, and leaves me standing here, dumbfounded. That is, until I can shake it off and make it to the car.
I take one last look at the Academy before I climb into the car and release the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. I’m going home for the first time in over a year. It feels so fucking surreal.
“Feeling nervous?” Darius asks, as my hands shake while I try to click my seatbelt in place.
“Just a little, it seems so long ago since I saw them last, and I don’t know how to feel about it.”
“Be happy that you’re being given this chance. Just face it one step at a time. It will make it easier to deal with,” he says, and I’m surprised by how wise he sounds.
“That’s very profound, mountain man,” I say back and a smile breaks free on his face before it falls back into a straight line. I have to say, I think I prefer the smile. It makes him look less daunting and intimidating.
“We’ll be going straight to the hotel. We are scheduled to go to the hospital first thing tomorrow. We can stay until Monday morning, and then we must head back,” he tells me matter-of-factly, and I nod my head trying to take it all in. It’s Friday today, which gives me two full days with my family. It’s the best thing I’ve been given since I arrived here, and I will always be thankful to whoever pulled this off for me.
If only I knew who was responsible. I wonder if I ever will.
We pull up to the hotel a few hours later, and I’m not surprised by what greets us, or the fact that it has doormen waiting outside the doors to hold them open for the residents. There are even bellhops just inside, ready to take our bags. Darius breezes past them, and bares his teeth when they try to take them from him, and they soon back off. Giving us a wide berth as he checks us in, and then we head off to our room.
The hotel is a five star affair, and it is owned by the Harkwrights, that family owns everything it seems. If I remember correctly, I think I recall reading that he even owns air rights in some parts of America, England, China, and Japan. It’s fucking crazy.
“There’s a door in the bathroom that leads into my room, just make sure you lock it before using the bath or anything, so I don’t see anything I shouldn’t,” Darius says as he drops my bag down by the bed.
“I’m sorry you’re stuck babysitting me again,” I mumble as I stare at the floor. I feel weird having him standing so close to my bed, and I feel like an idiot for feeling this way.
“Don’t be. You’re nicer than the last girl I had to watch. Besides, if I’m not here then I’ll just be waiting around for my next job. At least you’re keeping my life interesting.”
“Can I ask how you came to work as a bodyguard and glorified babysitter?” Because that’s what he is. They may say it’s to keep me safe, but I think it’s more likely that he’s here to make sure I don’t do or say anything to breach my contract. They’re already down by two girls, I’m sure they don’t want to lose anymore.
“It would be better if we don’t grow too familiar with one another. I’ll leave you to it, and remember to lock the door when you use the bathroom. If you need me, just knock and I’ll come, and do not order room service unless I’m here for the delivery,” he says before turning around and disappearing through the bathroom, and into his own room.
This is going to be a long night, I flip down onto the bed, and switch the TV on but nothing is appealing to me right now, and I’m nowhere near ready to eat anything. I feel so… alone. I miss D, and I even miss Aeron, which is all kinds of messed up if I think on it for too long. I shouldn’t be missing any of the guys, but I am and it isn’t just Aeron. I’ve been missing Tucker ever since I kissed him, but that’s mainly because he’s been avoiding me. And then there’s Tom. Perpetually bored, but he’s always been nice to me, or at least the Harkwright version of nice.
Then you have Maddox. He’s just avoiding everyone, and I hate it. If I could, I would march over to his room and refuse to leave until he let me in. But I’m not allowed to go to the north wing without one of the guys, and I don’t know who would be willing to get me in to see him. Aeron’s too selfish to help me with such a task, Tucker is a no go, and I don’t know how far Tom’s kindness will go. I mean, I could ask Emmet, but he’s so possessive and asking for any kind of favor will only leave me indebted to him. He already views me as his; I don’t need to give him anymore ammo for his weird little cause.
Nope, not a single one of them is trustworthy enough to reveal just how worried I am about Maddox, and how much he means to me. It could lead to him getting even more hurt, and I don’t think they’d ever understand that my feelings for him come from a deep part inside of me. That although it is utterly platonic, it’s just as strong as what I imagine love is. Hang on, did I just think that? I love Cole, so why would I need to imagine anything? Great, now I’m confusing myself.
I shake my head as I get back to my feet and find my comfy clothes before heading into the bathroom, and I triple check to make sure that Darius can’t just walk in. That would be beyond mortifying. I can just imagine the look on his face if he walked in on me in the shower. There wouldn’t be an inch of me that would not be red.
I have a quick shower before changing into something that makes nostalgia run rampant through me, and I quickly get changed before unlocking the door and walking back into my room.
I’ve got on a pair of cotton shorts that fall mid thigh, and my oversized sweater that falls off one shoulder. I feel like I can suddenly breathe again, but I don’t feel how I thought I would. I think I may as well try to eat something at least, so I rap on our connecting door twice before going over to my bed and sit on the edge, and cradle my head within my hands.
“Miss Carter, are you okay?” He asks as his footsteps go quiet, I guess he’s met the plush carpet covering the floor.
“I’m fine,” I sigh as I run my hand over my face before sitting up, but I can’t stop my shoulders from slumping.