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Guard

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Chapter 16: Guard (Ronan's POV)

We both have just been sitting on our respective sides of the bed, too scared to move or accidentally touch each other. I heard her take a small breath as if she were about to say something but held herself back. I turned to look at her and saw her picking at her nails while biting the inside of her cheek hesitantly. "What?" I asked. 

She looked at me nervously. "I'm hungry." 

"So?" 

"And I need something else to sleep in." 

I stared at her blankly. "So?" 

She huffed in annoyance. "So, let's go out. I know it's getting late but I'm sure some shops are still open. We can get some food and spare clothes, hmm?" 

"No." 

"Why?" 

"It's not safe. This isn't Astella, you're in twice as much danger here than you are there. Nobody can know you're still here. As far as the James family knows, we're already on our way back to Astella." 

"Not necessarily. What if they had someone follow us? What if they caused trouble in our car?" 

"Even more reason for me to not leave you alone or let you be seen by people here." 

"But I'm hungry. Aren't you? And can you really sleep in... that." She gestured to my clothes. 

"I can," I nodded. 

"Well, I can't sleep in a gown like this. Please? I'll lock the door and I won't let anyone in." 

"No." 

"Please?" 

"No." 

"Please?" She whined, hitting my arm. 

"I said no." 

"I'll go by myself." 

"You'll get lost on the way." 

"Ronan!" 

I looked over at her, my brows raised. 

"I'll starve to death." 

"Humans can last eight to twenty-one days without food." 

"That's impossible." 

"It's true."

"Ronan!" 

"Yelling my name won't help you in any way." Plus, if she wants to yell my name, I'd rather have her do it in different circumstances. Circumstances that are forbidden, because she's a princess and I'm her bodyguard. She's my client. My contractor. 

"I'm going then." She stood up and I leaned over, grabbing her arm and pulling her back down. We stared at each other in silence, daring for the other person to bite back, waiting to see who'd cave in first. "Please!" She whined again, throwing my arm off. 

I closed my eyes, taking in a frustrated breath. "Will you shut up if I go and get us some food and clothes?" 

She nodded quickly. 

I glanced at my watch. It's not too late yet. I'm sure I can find something less than five minutes away. "Don't open the door for anybody," I warned while sitting up and pulling my shoes on. 

"Okay." 

"Don't make a noise." 

"Okay." 

"Don't open the door for me until you hear my voice and know for a fact that it's me." 

"Okay," she sang, her eyes following me as I grabbed my wallet, tucking it into my pocket before walking to the door. 

"Stay away from the window. And if anything happens, jump out of it." 

"What?" 

"Bye." 

"Wait, what did you say?" 

I opened the door and left, closing it behind me, making sure it locked shut. I sighed and glanced at my watch again. Three minutes. If I can't find anything in three minutes, she can forget about clothes and food, I'm running back. I rushed downstairs, not wasting any time. I ran down the street, hearing soft music and laughter from a small diner. I barged in, running to the counter. 

"How can I help you?" 

"Uh..." I looked at the menu. "Two boxes of chicken noodles, please." 

"Wait for a few minutes, please. That'll be fifteen crescent." 

I put a twenty bill on the counter. "I'll be right back, please pack it up to go until then." 

He nodded. 

I walked out quickly and down the street where I noticed a man closing up his pop-up shop where he sold clothes and shoes for men. "Sir!" 

"No, no, no, I'm closing now!" 

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a pair of pants, two t-shirts, and two pairs of socks. 

"Hey!" 

I smacked the bill down on the table and then rushed back, glancing at my watch. It's almost three minutes. I walked back into the restaurant, collecting the bag from the counter. 

"Come again!" 

I probably won't. I ran back to the motel, sprinting upstairs and to the room. I knocked on the door, letting out a puff of air. "It's me!" I glanced at my watch again. Exactly three minutes, nothing could have possibly happened to her in the meantime. I knocked again. "Open up!" My blood ran cold when she didn't open the door and I heard nothing from the other side. You're fucking kidding me. How could someone take her in three minutes? 

I tried the handle and found the door unlocked. I closed my eyes and took in a breath, shoving the clothes into the bag before keeping one hand on the holster, ready to take my gun out whenever needed. I pushed the door open and stepped in slowly, silently. The room really was empty. I dropped the bag on the floor, holding my breath. 

"Boo!" 

I spun around, pulling out the gun, cocking it simultaneously while pressing a finger to the trigger, ready to shoot. At the same time, I took a step forward, pinning them against the wall, wrapping my free hand around their throat. I let out a shaky breath, staring at Grace. She stared back at me, blinking innocently. 

I loosened my grip around her throat and sighed loudly, "Oh, my fucking God." I leaned forward, resting my hands on the wall and lowering my head, resting it on her shoulder while I caught my breath and wrapped my head around what just happened, processing. I kicked the door shut, still not moving and caging her body in between the wall and me. I licked my lips, lifted my head, locking eyes with her. "Are you out of your mind?" I asked calmly, still taking shaky breaths. 

She blinked, staring at me. She let out a sigh and cocked her head to one side. "Are you always like this?" 

"What?" I sputtered. 

"Is your guard always up like that?" 

I took a step back, leaning on the wall across from her, staring at her in confusion. 

"Are you always..." She snatched the gun out of my hand quickly, pointing it at me, closing one eye, and aiming. "Ready to shoot someone dead? Pew! Pew!" 

I scoffed dryly, staring at her in disbelief. "More like bang! Bang!" I snatched the gun back and put it back into the holster. 

She shrugged. "I was just having fun." 

"I could have killed you, Princess." 

"Yeah, but you didn't. I knew you wouldn't. You have good instincts, obviously, and fast reflexes. Of course, you wouldn't shoot blindly. You choke hard, Mr. Stone." She touched her throat which I just had my hand wrapped around a second ago. 

I blinked multiple times, gawking at her. "Are you crazy?" 

"Partially," she smirked, grabbing the bag off the floor and skipping to the bed, sitting down and throwing the clothes on the bed and taking out the food, clapping in excitement. 

I stood there, staring at her while soaking in what just happened. "What the hell were you trying to do?" I asked, walking over while shrugging my coat off. 

"I thought I'd scare you. I knew you'd probably react that way, but I wanted to see what you would do in that kind of situation. Consider it a test." She broke the chopsticks apart and wrapped the noodles around them, blowing on the steaming food before eating a bite. "You passed. You should eat before it goes cold. Hmm," she smiled, patting the spot beside her. 

I absentmindedly walked over and sat down, taking the holster off and leaving it on the nightstand. I took my bowl and chopsticks, slowly opening them and stirring up the food. 

"So, is your guard always up like that?" She slurped her noodles loudly, turning to look at me. 

I guess her princess etiquette only lasts in the palace. "I'm a bodyguard, what do you expect?" 

"So you never relax?" 

"Not really." 

"You never go on vacation?" 

"No." 

"You never take a break?" 

"No!" I exclaimed in frustration. 

She nodded nonchalantly, eating another bite. 

"Actually," my eyes narrowed, "I'm supposed to be on a break right now." 

"Hmm?" She perked up, eyes wide. 

"That's right. Before I took this job, I was on a break. That break was meant to last a few months. It barely lasted a few weeks before Adrian called me and asked to come work for your family claiming you all were in desperate need of my help," I scoffed. 

"Are you kidding? You should have said no! You could be on vacation right now." Oh, my God, she really is crazy. 

"Did somebody drug you while I was gone?" 

She rolled her eyes. "Will you relax? I'm only messing with you. I don't get to joke like this with anybody. Ever." 

"Your definition of a joke is nearly getting killed by your bodyguard?" 

"No. That's happened twice, though." 

I thought back to earlier when I pricked her with the knife. It shouldn't have happened at all. I don't know why she likes testing my patience to the point where she almost draws out the murderer in me. 

Of course, I've killed people to save my clients in the past, which technically makes me a murderer. Whether that's in self-defense or I'm merely defending a client, murder is murder. I just have a license and full approval to do it if someone threatens my client in any way. There's a reason I work as a bodyguard. It has nothing to do with justice and being righteous. But it has everything to do with being allowed to kill bad people. 

"You should let your guard down sometimes." 

"Then I'd fail at my job."

She clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes at me. "Please," she scoffed. "You can let it down when you're with me. When you've already done everything necessary to make sure we're safe. Like now." 

"Why? What would we do with my guard down?" 

"We could do a lot if you'd actually let me do anything to you," she snorted. 

"Really? Like what?" I turned to look at her, amused because clearly, she has no idea how that came out. 

She looked at me slowly. "What did I just say?" 

"That you could do a lot to me if I actually let you," I smirked. 

She blinked once, then twice. 

"Should I?" I sighed, inching closer to her. "Let you?" 

She stared at me wide-eyed. "Hmm?" 

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Chapter 16

this chapter was so random to write lmao

next chapter: touch