Page 45 of Arianna

I must admit the feeling is addictive. No wonder it hurts so much when it goes away.

A loud thud sounds from outside and then a crash, bringing me back to from the high.

Then, there is one knock on the door, and before I can say come in, Benjamin is there with a furious look on his face. One I only see when he senses a threat or is in full bodyguard mode. “Grab your things, kid. Now!”

I know better than to ask; I do as he says because of the look on his face.

Something is wrong.

Rising from the bed, I grab the small bag he made me prepare the first week I stayed here in case of an emergency. I open it and shove the gifts inside, then I move towards the desk, opening a drawer and taking all my notes with me, not wanting to leave them behind. Once I have everything, I join Benjamin in the living room and find out exactly why he is alert and furious.

A mob of people can be heard outside the beach house, and the flashes of cameras are visible through the slightly opened curtains.

Shit.

Paparazzi.

I move closer to the window, but Benjamin holds me back when we both hear someone scream my name.

Benjamin looks at me with a puzzled look on his face, and I know he, too, is wondering how they found out about this place and how the hell they know my name.

“Fucking fuck.” A man of clever words, he is. His phone rings while I try to make sense of the circus around us. “On it. She is with me. It is on its way. Yes, sir.” Benjamin gives cryptic answers to whoever is on the other end of the line. The next thing I know, he is pulling me to his side, shielding me with his suit jacket, and opening the back door, and then all hell breaks loose.

Shouts.

Questions I have no answers to.

Flashing lights.

It only stops when I am being hauled inside a helicopter.

“You okay?” I stare into Benjamin’s concerned stare and nod once, not really knowing how to react to this unbelievably messy and weird day.

We say nothing else.

There is not much to say.

Somehow, my identity was revealed to Sebastian’s world, and chaos broke out.

Looking down at the beach house, I feel saddened that I am leaving behind the most peaceful experience of my life. I stare at the grown men and women snapping photos of us like vultures wanting to expose someone’s life and privacy for their own gain.

The helicopter takes off, and the pilot turns his head toward Benjamin and asks him for the location.

I am not at all surprised when Benjamin replies, “Chicago.”

What surprises me is the fact that I am not afraid.

Not at all.

Maybe I should be.

Sebastian is not like any man I have ever encountered before.

He is a mystery and a walking contradiction all in one incredibly handsome and cocky package.

It would make any sane person nervous to be in my position, but not me.

Not that I was all that sane, to begin with.

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