Page 49 of The Loathing

“Night Titus!” I hear Connie call out and I smile.

“Night Nate,” my voice lazy before I cut the phone off and within minutes, I am gone.

* * *

Since a package arrived with a garter in it and a note that says ‘time is running out, mostriciattola’ things have ramped up. Xavier is planning on putting Amora into lockdown. No more work, no more socializing. I get it, but I just feel like she is about to have the carpet ripped from beneath her and she is only going to react badly to it. I sigh, but what do I know? I’m just her bodyguard. Stepping closer to her room I pause for a moment, ignoring the hard drum of my heart in my chest. Lifting my hand, I knock.

“Amora,” I knock again on her bedroom door and glance at my watch, “Amora!” my voice is a little louder now and I feel myself getting impatient. “Amora!” I shout again and knock harder when the bedroom door flies open, her brows knitted together.

“Give me a minute, Jesus,” she huffs, grabbing her bag and closing her bedroom door and I don’t miss the chance to inhale the scent that drifts past me as she stops in front of me, apricots and cocoa butter and I want to bottle it up so I have it forever.

“Don’t bother me if you’re late Twilight,” I smirk, stepping aside and letting her pass me and follow her down to the car.

“We’re not going to be late,” she snaps, and I can tell her mood is going to be like this for the rest of the day. I get it, a twenty-one-year-old with a glorified babysitter. I would be pissed too.

“We will if you don’t get your ass out the door,” I chuckle as we make it to the bottom of the stairs, she bolts for the door, opens it quickly and lets it begin to close so it hits me in the shoulder.

My throat vibrates in a growl as my eyes narrow on her, the little spitfire. She knows what she is doing, her eyes finding mine as she looks at me over her shoulder and winks.

“Oh how I was wrong about you… brat,” I smirk back, unlocking the car and climbing straight into the driver’s side and an annoyed Amora throws her hands in the air because she has to open her own door.

“Sorry, do you think you’re royalty or something?” I tease as she slams the car door, hard. “Don’t slam the car door Princess, I don’t think daddy will be happy if you do.”

“Just drive,” she rolls her eyes before slipping out her phone and tapping away on the screen. The drive is quiet, I let the music on my phone play through the speakers and Luke Combes fills the car.

I pull into the underground garage of CPH and cut the engine. She jumps out before I am even out the car and walks as quick as her legs will take her towards the elevator.

“Is this how it’s going to be today?” I shout across the garage but all I hear is my echo booming off the walls because Amora is long gone.

Locking the car, I pace towards the elevator when I see her standing there, holding her middle finger up as the doors begin to close. I jolt forward, pushing my foot into the doors and stop them and I watch as the smile slowly slips off her face.

“Too bad, Twilight,” I scoff, pleased with myself as I rest my hands in front of myself and smile as we ride up to her floor.

“You’re an irritant.”

I roll my lips, letting my head drop as I try and hide my growing smile.

I have no idea why the sudden change in Amora’s mood, but I can’t help but get that niggling feeling that Xavier has something to do with it. We have had a really good week and even though I am still considered a stranger to her, I feel like we have broken the awkward barrier.

I follow her out to her desk but keep five steps behind her and once she is sat down, I take her beige trench coat and walk it back towards the entrance and hang it up for her. I have no idea why I need to be here when she has extended family here, but alas, here I am.

I find it the longest eight hours, well, apart from when she goes for lunch. That’s my favorite time of the day because it’s just me and her. Most of the time we sit in silence, but I’m hoping today that I’ll be able to get some information out of her.

“Morning Amora,” a young man calls out as he walks past with piled up files.

“Morning Parker,” she chirps waving, “I’ll be up in a minute, let me just grab my bits.”

“No problem!” Parker calls back and I furrow my brows which causes her icy stare on me.

“What?” she snaps.

“Nothing,” I shrug, stepping back and sitting down at one of the empty desks out in the open plan part of the office and this is where I stay until I am summoned.

“Titus,” Amora crosses the office towards me, then curls her finger at me to follow. Sighing, I stand and pop my button through my suit jacket and follow her down the hallway.

She stills outside an office, knocking gently then opening the door.

“Parker,” she beams, Parker stands and walks round his desk towards Amora and wraps his arms around her frame, her smile widening and a pang of jealously runs through me.

---