Page 2 of My Secret Protector
I slam the front door of my apartment behind me as I stride in. I angrily dump my shoulder bag on the counter and close my eyes. I blow out a deep breath.What a damn moron I am to think he was any different. Or could be any different. They’re all the same. The exact same.I pinch the bridge of my nose as another tear threatens to fall. I’m already mad at myself for letting the first one trail down my cheek like some stupid heartsick twit.
“Flora, is that you? What are you doing home so early? I thought you were surprising Tim at his place.” Sunny’s sweet voice echoes through our apartment. I wipe away the pathetic almost tear and plant a huge smile on my face. I walk over to the entrance of our living room ready to give an Oscar-worthy performance.
After all, I’ve spent most of my life acting like everything is just A-ok. I did it when my parents didn’t come home from the movie theater that night. I did it when my uncle told me they were gone, killed by a drunk driver on the way home to me. I did it after that night in high school when I officially lost my innocence. I’ve kept on acting…no one wants to see pain. It makes them damn uncomfortable.
I smile for real when I see Sunny snuggled under a blanket on the couch watching her favorite cooking show. This girl and her obsession withBritish Bake Off.
“It turns out Tim had other plans. So here I am, ready to watch Bake Off with my bestie. Tell me, has Paul Hollywood made anyone cry yet?” I ask in the wild hope that I’ll distract her.
Her eyes narrow as she watches me for a moment, but she says nothing. She opens the blanket wide, and I scoot in.
As the credits roll a few moments later, she finally turns to me. “He turned out to be an asshat, didn’t he?” she asks gently.
I finally let my face fall and I nod. “Yep, just about the biggest asshat of all the asshats in the world.”
She wraps her arms around me. “I’m sorry Flora. So damn sorry,” she murmurs into my hair, and I finally give into my desire to let some traitorous tears flow.
She holds me that way for what seems like forever but is probably just a few minutes before I give one last sniffle and pull away.
I wipe underneath my eyes and notice that my mascara is running. “Shit, he’s not worth tears and he’s definitely not worth ruining my makeup. Damn stuff said it was waterproof. That’ll teach me to trust anything. The more expensive the shit, the more they lie,” I say bitterly.
Sunny giggles. “Only you would be worried about your makeup at a time like this.”
“Well, I hope to God it was perfect when I caught him and that perky Freshman naked in his bed.”
Sunny’s angelic face morphs into warrior mode in an instant. “You saw what? That rat bastard!” She pushes her cover off and starts pacing. “That stinkin’ no good, rat bastard! I’ll make sure he’s kicked off the team, Flora, I swear it! I’ll kick him in the balls! I’ll break his throwing arm! I’ll…” she sputters trying to think of more ways to harm her football teammate.
I walk over and place an arm around her shoulders. “You won’t do any such thing. I’ll get over it. It’s not like I was in love with the moron or anything. And at least I won’t have to deal with his creepy friend Wallace anymore. That guy gives me the creeps.” I shiver thinking of the too-smooth frat boy who looks at me like I’m a juicy piece of steak.
Then I grin, thinking of what happened on the way out the door. “And I’m pretty sure he’s going to be self-conscious about the size of his dick for the rest of his life, so I think that’s revenge enough.”
Sunny throws back her head and laughs. “Only you, Flora. Only you.”
Chapter Four
She may never be mine, but I’ll always keep her safe, even from the shadows. -Levi
She’s a creature of routine so I know she will be in her tutoring session for the next hour. I glance down at my phone and then hit the button for the guy who might be able to tell me to get my head on straight.
“Bro, what’s up?” Tornado’s Texan accent hits hard, even in just those few simple words. My friend will always be Texan no matter where he currently is. And truthfully, I’m not sure where that is. Silver sent him on a secret mission that is apparently so hush hush I’m not even allowed to know.
“Same old, same old, hiding in the shadows as usual,” I say wryly.
He chuckles. “You sound a little cynical, Shadow. Gettin’ a little tired of your assignment at that high falutin’ school?”
I take a deep breath. “Actually, having the opposite problem.”
“What? Thinkin’ about chucking all this glamour and living it up in the big city of Savannah forever?”
I don’t say a word and that’s when he knows I’m serious.
He clears his throat. “What’s going on, Levi? What’s happening with this girl?”
I watch as Flora throws her head back to laugh at something the guy she’s tutoring just said. I’m in the perfect position to watch her through the window. My hand tightens around my phone as I look at the jock who just made her laugh. I want to be that guy. I want to be the one who makes her laugh like that.
Fuck, I’m ridiculous.
“I’ve done something incredibly stupid, Tor. Went and fell for exactly the person I shouldn’t. Or maybe…” I rake my hand through my hair, “or maybe it’s just lust, I don’t know.” My gut tightens as I say those last words. Lust seems like such a light word. It doesn’t fit.
