Page 5 of I Don't Need Your Protection
“It’s too risky. Your safety will be compromised if we have any contact. Until the people responsible for your parents’ deaths are behind bars, I fear you and I will have to act as strangers.”
That’s just great. Not only did I lose my parents, but I also lost a grandfather I didn’t even know I had.
“Now that it’s all taken care of, I’ll let you get settled in your room,” he says. “Dinner will be served at seven sharp, but I fear I will be at a meeting then.”
So we have only one night together and he’s blowing me off for some meeting? Can’t we become strangers tomorrow morning?
He calls for Louis, who arrives a few seconds later. My grandfather says, “Please show Addilyn her room and hand her the rulebook I made for her.”
“Yes, sir.” He nods to me.
“Okay.” I grab my backpack and get up, heading toward the door. I stop and turn back to look at my grandfather. “Thanks for…I guess not letting me get killed by your enemy.”
I follow Louis out the door, up the lavish staircase, and to my room. I don’t take a good look at my surroundings because I’m distracted by my thoughts. The worst thing I thought would happen was that I’d have to live with snobby rich people. But now I learned that my life is in danger and that my parents weremurdered. How am I supposed to function as a normal human being?
“And here is your room, Miss Addie,” Louis announces as he opens the door. I gape as I soak it all in. Now this is something I can get used to. The room is super large with a canopy bed in the center. There’s a huge floor-to-ceiling window with a beautiful view of all the greenery and a gigantic TV on the wall. A door leads to another room which is my closet that’s currently empty. Louis tells me another staff member will come by to help me order clothes and whatever I need. Everything will be delivered within an hour.
“Here is the rulebook.” Louis hands it to me. “Please be ready for dinner at seven sharp.”
“Okay.”
“If you need me or another staff member, just tug on the bell pull.” He nods to the pull cord with a tassel that’s near my vanity. No way! I’ve seen this sort of thing in movies and TV shows.
“Do you need anything, Miss Addie?” he asks.
“Um…no, thanks.”
“All right. I hope you enjoy your stay here, Miss Addie.”
He leaves and closes the door behind him. Puffing out mycheeks, I drop down on my bed and open my backpack. I pull out my pink stuffed elephant called Ellie. Mom and Dad bought her for me on my first birthday and she’s been my favorite plushie ever since. I place her on my pillow and check on the other contents to make sure everything is here. They’re mostly old photos of my parents, a video of their wedding (which I used to watch over and over as a kid), Mom’s favorite perfume so I’ll never forget what she smelled like, some random stuff that Dad collected, and other things. There’s no way I’m leaving them here, so I’ll have to take them with me when I leave for school tomorrow.
With another huff, I fall back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. My life changed drastically the day my parents died, but it seems it’s changing even more.
“Mom. Dad.” Tears seep out of my eyes. “How am I going to do any of this without you?”
Chapter Three
Addie
The sunlight shines in my face and my eyes open. They widen as I absorb the area around me. The floor-to-ceiling window, the beautiful furniture, and the large TV. It takes me a second to remember what happened and where I am. Being taken out of the group home, meeting my grandfather for the first time, being told my life is in danger.
“Good morning, Miss Addie,” a woman says with a bright smile as she enters my room. “Please get dressed and go downstairs for breakfast.”
I glance at the huge closet. My grandfather’s staff helped me pick out quite a few outfits last night. I’ll be taking some of them to school with me today. They’re already packed in suitcases.
“Is my grandfather eating with me?” I ask as I sit up.
Her face falls, as if she feels sorry for me. “Unfortunately,no. He had to leave for business in Germany.”
I nod slowly, remembering him telling me he needs to keep his distance from me. On the one hand, I’m a little glad because things were so awkward yesterday. On the other, I’d like to get to know him. Heismy flesh and blood after all.
Considering my life hasn’t been mine since my parents died, I’m not surprised that all these people are making decisions for me.
The staff member leaves the room, giving me some privacy to get ready. Once I’m done, I head to the kitchen and sit down to eat. A few staff members wait on me, something that makes me a little uncomfortable, but I don’t say anything because I don’t want to offend anyone. From what I can tell, the people here enjoy their jobs.
Louis enters the kitchen, holding a tablet. “Your father left a message for you, Miss Addie.”
I watch the video as I eat. My grandfather is on what looks like a private jet and he reiterates the rules. Then he wishes for me to have a good year and ends the video.
