Page 32 of Bossy Bodyguard

“What?”

“Yeah,” she shrugged, fiddling with the knob of her radio player. The car was vintage, so it didn’t have a working radio. “I mean, he’s not overly possessive of her and lets her do her own thing. I bet they have nasty, kinky sex afterwards. I kind of like that. I wish I had that.”

I remembered the look on Mia’s face when they had opened the door of the private room at the club months ago. She had tears gleaming in her eyes, but she didn’t look like she was crying from sadness. She looked like she had seen heaven and danced in the clouds. And the way James looked at her every time they both were in the same room made me both want to puke and yell at them to get a room. Like they couldn’t have enough of each other.

“Yeah,” I whispered, my voice seeming far away. “I wish I had that, too.”

I realized too late what I had just spilled.

“What? You have Caleb fucking Chang wrapped around your pinkie. You already have that, bab—”

“I dumped him, Summer,” I blurted, fiddling with my fingers. “I found him kissing Aaron on my bed. I broke up with him.”

I didn’t know why but saying that aloud made my heart ache and throat burn.

“What the hell?” Her voice had gone soft, and she was driving slow as if she was processing what she was hearing. “When did this happen?”

I chuckled humorlessly, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Yesterday. At my mom’s funereal. Can you fucking believe it?”

“Yes. No. I… I can’t.”

We were both silent for a while and I jumped in my seat when Summer suddenly slammed her hand on the wheel, blaring the horn. “That asshole! He cheated on you at your mom’s funeral with a fucking guy? Jesus Christ.”

“I know, right?” I sniffed, wiping the tear that escaped my eyes. Traitor. “I was so furious and sad and done that I went to the club to get wasted and… you know, the rest.” I slept with his hot dad, who is now my bodyguard.

“Why didn’t you tell us, Em?” Summer asked, turning to a neighborhood I wasn’t familiar with. It was near our school and even though we were far from reaching the party, I could hear the bass of some pop song.

“I know, I’m sorry. I just wanted to get wasted and forget all about it.”

“Well, we are getting you wasted and make you forget all about it tonight!”

“We?”

“I called reinforcements.”

I stared at her and her smug grin. “Whenever you have that smile on your face, things never go well, Summer.”

“Chill, it’s just me, Mia, and a few guys from our school. Who are single and ready to mingle? Shelter your jerky, then nab that turkey.”

“Stop. Don’t call it jerky.”

“Cage that snake, then shake and bake?”

“Jesus.”

“You’re going to be fine!”

I was, in fact, not fine.

As Cillian had to come get me when I almost got naked at the party…

Cillian

“Why the fuck are you here?” I stared at the black-haired man, sitting on my couch with crossed legs, flashy watch and glasses perched on his nose.

“Nice to see you too, brother,” Sean smiled at me with a small wave.

I threw my keys in the bowl, removing my shoes and wearing slippers, and walking inside. “We are not brothers,” I reminded him for the umpteenth time, grabbing a glass and pouring cold water from the fridge.

---