Page 9 of Keep Her Safe

He turns around without another word and the anxiety builds in the pit of my stomach over his demeanor.

This wasn’t the first time we didn’t agree about me going out. We’d argued before, many times, but only over my safety. We’d yell, I’d stomp out of the room after he’d told me he was putting his foot down. There were times when I was younger, that I’d throw a tantrum andsometimeshe’d give in. But I hated arguing with him. I knew he only wanted to keep me safe and I know sometimes I can be reckless. But this feels different. We’re going to the same lounge we’ve been to a hundred times. A lounge, where we have our own booth in our own section away from everyone else. It’s a super exclusive club, meaning there aren’t usually a ton of fans and he won’t be thwarting attempts of people getting too close. And while there are paparazzi, they’re minimal and usually pretty respectful of our space.

At most, Veronica and I will take too many shots and I’ll be ready to go by midnight. I’ll fall asleep in the car on the way home and wake up just in time for the pizza to be delivered that I would have ordered before we left the club.

This is about the new revelation in my personal life. He’s worried about me going out for the first time and drinking too much and having a meltdown over Paxton.

Fair.

But I’ll be fine. I know how to keep it together. I knew how to turn on the charm for the cameras and smile and wave and pretend like everything is fine even when my insides are screaming in pain. I’ve been doing it for years.

Five to be exact.

When I’d almost shed a tear at the club, it was simply a moment of weakness. A kneejerk reaction to walking in on who I thought to be the love of my life fucking another woman. I’ve had time to get my emotions under control.

I’ll be fine.

Veronica raises an eyebrow at me as she closes the door. “You guys have so much sexual tension, Shay, oh my god.” She hops on my bed and leans back, crossing her ankles.

“No, we don’t. He’s like an overprotective brother who’s a pain in my ass half of the time.”

She raises her eyebrows up and down and reaches for the drink she’d set on my nightstand. “Like a hot stepbrother that wants to fuck you?”

My lips form a straight line, not wanting to go further down this line of questioning. “I’m going to do my makeup.”

She follows me into my large bathroom and leans against the counter as I begin moisturizing my face. “You’re telling me that there are no feelings there now?”

I swallow. I don’t want to have this conversation with Veronica especially while I’m newly single and vulnerable and potentially consuming alcohol at a quick velocity tonight. I don’t respond as I reach for my foundation, and she must take that to mean something because she pulls the makeup from my hand and looks at me. “Shay.”

“What?”

“You know you can’t lie to me.”

“Oh my god, Veronica. I didn’t have feelings for him. I had a harmless crush because he was hot and I was vulnerable and then he just…went above and beyond the call of duty during a really tough time in my life. I tried to act on said crush and…” I pause trying to figure out what I was thinking when I tried to hit on the man hired to protect me, “he wasn’t having it. Then I met Paxton.” I roll my eyes at the ease with which his name falls from my lips. “Case closed.”

“Hmmm.” She narrows her eyes at me and takes a sip of her drink. “I don’t buy it but fiiine.” She exaggerates the last word. “The guys are already on their way there and said they’ll get our table.”

I shoot her a look, knowing exactly who she means when she says “the guys.” Two of the guys from the show, Jeremy and Derek and maybe one of the project assistants who became a part of our circle despite not actually being a cast member. “You talk about me. Are you going to invite Derek back here later?” I cock my head to the side as I refer to Veronica and Derek’s on and off relationship.

“We decided that we aren’t going to doanythinguntil after the season and I guess the show for that matter is over. You remember season four.”

“Ah yes, the season you two were literally at each other’s throats so bad that they had to write an actual breakup in the show for the two of you because your chemistry fucking sucked?” I give her a smug grin. Like their real-life relationship, on the show, they were also on again and then off again, but that year they wereoffin their real-life relationship and it was a nightmare. They were miserable to be around and everyone fucking hated it.Except for the fans. They lived for all the angst and drama and it made it one of the most talked about storylines that year.

I finish my makeup and finally decide what to wear, landing on a black, low cut, and short tuxedo dress that makes my legs look a mile long in my favorite black pumps.Not to mention my tits look great.I’d curled my dark brown hair before pulling it up into a loose ponytail while allowing some strands to frame my face. I know I’ll be photographed tonight and I want to ensure that any pictures that make it across Paxton’s phone are drop-dead gorgeous.

“You look like sex on a stick.” Veronica praises as she takes a long sip through her straw now that she has on cherry red lipstick. “Let’s post something. I’m sure within five minutes, he’ll have seen it.”

“Okay fine, just one thing, and then I’m not posting anything else the rest of the night.”

“Brilliant. He’ll be stalking your page and probably mine too all night and it will be radio silence on our end.” She claps before wrapping an arm around my neck and snapping a selfie. After a few pictures that she posts and a cute video of us clinking our glasses together in a cheers, we head downstairs and I see Damian in the foyer with his phone to his ear.

There are moments that I forget Damian is my security. I think in those same moments he forgets he’s my security too. Those moments are usually when my legs are completely bare and out on display. I could be in full glam preparing for the red carpet wearing a six thousand dollar couture gown and I wouldn’t get a second look. But if I’m going to the grocery storein a pair of shorts? His eyes will rake up my legs slowly until he meets my eyes and in that moment, he remembers himself. That his eyes aren’t meant to look at me like that.

Though a part of me lives for those fucking looks.

He blinks away quickly just as he always does and I’m grateful that I can see Veronica staring down at her phone and therefore not a witness to our eyes locking for just the briefest second. That would only give support to her theory that there’s a spark between us.

“I called Tony,” he says referring to the head of security at the club. He speaks so coolly like he hadn’t just set my skin on fire with his gaze. “There’s a lot of paps by the entrance toRush, so we’re going to bring you in through the back, if that’s okay? Unless you want the attention?” He asks and I’m somewhat surprised that I’m even given the option.

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