Isa POV

I blame myself. I blame myself completely.

I am the one that ‌caught feelings on an assignment. Not just that, but I caught feelings for the very person they assigned me to. That is the very last thing that I am supposed to do. But yet, I went ahead and did it, anyway.

I went against all protocol. Despite telling myself that I shouldn't, I have since crossed the professional line in my relationship with Temi, and I am going to put an end to this now.

I deserve this. Seeing Temi with Melody is just the wake up call I needed to remind me exactly who I am and exactly what I am supposed to be doing here. Cuddling in bed with the very person I am meant to be protecting is not under the job description in my bodyguard job.

I ignore Temi yelling my name, keeping my vision straight ahead before me. The wind is harsh today, and I blame this when my eyes start to tear up. My palms are sweaty and my heart is beating so fast that I feel like I might pass out.

Bursting into the apartment, I immediately begin getting my things in order. I will return to the bodyguard agency I work for and finally resign. I'll move somewhere and finally focus on my art. I have saved up enough working as a bodyguard, and it should be able to keep me going for a couple of years, while I'm still trying to establish myself.

I will move far away from here and anywhere I have been before. I will put this entire life behind me, forget all of this. A fresh start.

My mind is racing. Spinning furiously with my half thought out plans, which I am desperately trying to piece together when the apartment door bursts open.

Temi is standing there, looking flushed. Her eyes are huge as they look at me, pleading.

"Isa, let me explain."

I continue packing up my things as if I have not heard her. I barely even want to acknowledge her existence right then. I don't want to acknowledge it at all.

"Isa please, it's not what it looked like."

I cringe inside from the corniness of Temi's statement, but I just shake my head.

"There's nothing to explain, Temi." I simply say, refusing to even look at her.

"Where do you think you're going? Why are you packing up all your stuff?" Temi asks, anger present in her voice. She has the audacity to be the one angry right now.

I shake my head once again.

"Temi, this whole thing has gotten out of hand. You and I both know that. I am resigning. It's high time I put an end to this."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Temi snaps at me, but I'm not fazed, "you're just going to leave? After everything."

I look up then so my eyes lock with Temi's. I swallow hard, forcing myself not to look away or recoil within myself. Temi is matching my stare, anger and pain in her expression.

"Temi, I am your bodyguard. Nothing more. Nothing less." I pause, "at least I was. I am not anymore."

"Bullshit." Temi responds. She walks towards me and I see a limp in her steps.

I clench my hands in fists at my side, resisting the urge to reach out and take her in my arms. I hate that this thought even crosses my mind.

"You are so full of shit," Temi says again, still stalking towards me. Her eyes are red and filled with rage. "You and I both know that you aren't just my bodyguard. So stop fucking pretending like there's nothing else between us."

I look down at Temi, now standing directly in front of me. She is breathing heavily, filled with rage. This type of rage from her is something that I have not experienced in her these past few weeks. I can't say that I missed it.

"You're right," I say, but it's hard for the words to form and my voice is barely above a whisper. "And that's the problem. I should have never let things get this far. I came outside to check up on you, you told me you were going to take a walk and had not come back in a while. I didn't expect to see you-," my voice trails off and I close my eyes.

"It was a misunderstanding." Temi says. Her voice is low and I can tell she is on the brink of exploding. I don't know if it's from anger or from tears. Maybe a mixture of both.

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter. I'm doing what I should have done a while ago."

Temi takes a step towards me. I have never seen as much anger in a pair of eyes as I see as I look into Temi's. She's so close that I can feel her warm breath on me.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you felt nothing for me, Isa," Temi says, never once breaking eye contact. "I dare you even. I dare you to look me in the eye and tell me you don't want this. Tell me you don't want me."

I don't respond, but push past Temi, getting my final suitcase out of the safe in the living room. It's my weapon's briefcase. I can't stay here for much longer. I am slowly but surely feeling myself becoming undone.

I refuse to respond to Temi because I know I can't. I can't say any of those things because it's not true. She knows it, and I know it.

"I'm done working with you. I'm done being your bodyguard." I say. I look at her as I say it, it's the least I can do. "I wish you success. I'm sorry about all this, especially when you're still mourning. You don't deserve any of this, but I promise it will get easier."

I cling to my words, hoping that I can somehow get myself to believe that.

Temi isn't saying anything, but she doesn't need to. I can see it all in her body language. She is trembling like a leaf. I take a few moments longer to realize that I am trembling, too. I clench my hands, gripping onto my luggage tightly to stop my hands from shaking.

"You promised," Temi says. "You told me you would not leave me. I trusted you. I opened up to you."

Temi doesn't sound angry anymore. She just sounds tired, exhausted. She's in pain. Tears are rolling down her face. She doesn't bother to wipe them away. She lets me watch her as she becomes undone.

I try to look at her, but it's hard to see her through the tears that are now rolling down my face. The last time I had cried was Joshua's death. I need help.

"I'm sorry for what I said, I would not make empty promises in the future." As I speak, I barely recognize my voice. I swallow hard, attempting to gather myself and my emotions. I should not be crying. I am the one leaving, after all.

"I don't completely trust you by yourself right now. I'm going to meet campus security to assign someone to watch over you for the time being until the agency can send in a replacement."

Temi says nothing. She's not even looking at me anymore, just staring at the ground beside herself. Tears are still rolling down her face silently, but she's no longer shaking. Her face is monotone, expressionless.

"Goodbye Temi," I say. I don't wait for a response because I'm smart enough to know I will not be getting one.

I walk past Temi, but stop at the door, stealing one last look at her.

She doesn't turn around to watch me go. She still stands in the same position, not even moving.

I turn around once again and walk into the cold winter air. I embrace the sting of the wind against my face and welcome its sharp sting in my eyes. It makes sense that the weather is especially cold today. I feel cold all over, and I know it's not from the weather.

I feel empty. As if I just lost a part of myself. It's like Joshua all over again.