My Bodyguard Is My Ex Boyfriend

Chapter Five: Stay Afloat

Brandy

“Excuse you!?" I sputtered.

"I need to know, Brandy. So I can do my job efficiently and effectively. And so I don't go tackling someone to the ground who isn't a threat. Be a shame to break your man's bones over a misunderstanding because you refused to cooperate. Unless you’re wanting to find a way to scare him off, then I’d be happy to oblige.”

“I’m sure you would be,” I rolled my eyes, not at all convinced this inquiry was so innocent. "No. I don't have a boyfriend. Haven't had a serious relationship since my first ended so terribly. I have a hard time trusting anyone seeing as he cheated on me. A lot,” my pointed glare landed on him.

“Ouch!” He smacked his hand over his heart. “He sounds like an ass.” He went along with my third person take on him. “So what? You chose a life of celibacy?”

He sounded so hopeful, just like the egotistical ass he was. “Nope. I just chose to do one night stands instead. I decided if men could leave a string of broken hearts, then I could do the same.”

My gaze rose to meet his. He winced, as if I had buried a knife in his chest and twisted. Good! He deserved to be uncomfortable

“Brandy.” he started and the heaviness in his tone clued me into the direction he was about to go. I wasn’t ready for this talk. I wasn’t ready for his apology! That time had come and gone. But there was no where for me to run. I was in a hospital bed, fairly chained to it by the amount of tubes, IVs, and cords stuck to me and objects around the bed. He reached out and took my hand, and I hated the way my heart did an odd flutter in my chest.

I didn’t know what to say or do. I was tired. I was emotionally drained. These past five years had been hell, in part due to him. I couldn’t move my gaze up to meet his as I stared at our combined hands. I wanted to hate him, like I hated him that night. I wanted to shout the hurt and pain he had caused me. I wanted to be just as mean and careless as he was. I wanted to hurt him just as badly as he hurt me.

But when I reached for that inner, bitter and heartless woman he had made me out to be, I just couldn’t seem to force the vicious words through my lips.

I was tired of life and hurting him seemed draining.

He waited until I looked up at him before continuing. “I’m sorry, for what I did to you five years ago. I was an ass, and I know an apology can’t change that, but I’m hoping it can earn me a second chance.” When I tensed up, he continued on quickly. “I’m only asking for a shot at being just friends. When you left…” his voice trailed off and pain filled his eyes, a pain I wasn’t ready to see or believe, so I dropped my gaze away from his. “I have missed you, my best friend.”

Best friend…

Best friend?

I snatched my hand out from under his. “If I was truly your best friend, how could you have betrayed me so?” I spat.

“Everyone messes up, Brandy. Even best friends—

“So you ‘messed up’ how many times!?” I challenged, anger ripping through my chest. “Because you didn’t just screw around with one chick, Nathaniel! One! One I could have forgiven,” I bit back bitterly. “But you screwed the entire cheerleading team and so many more!” Tears welled in my eyes and I willed them to stay at bay. He did not deserve these! “And the worst part was they all knew. They all knew about me, but I never knew about them.”

Before he could answer, there was a knock at my door. A different doctor came in and introduced himself. He did one more inspection before announcing I could be discharged.

Luckily, the nurses were on top of it. They had me disconnected from everything and discharged within the hour. As one of the nurses wheeled me out of the hospital into the cool morning air, Nate went on ahead to get the car. While I waited in the wheelchair with the nurse standing idly behind me, I couldn’t help but wallow in self pity for a moment. Especially as I watched another young lady get discharged with her family standing around her.

They all looked so happy. So attentive. So loving and caring, like a family should. The father and mother were there. A significant other. Possibly a sibling also. The father, with a kiss on the daughter’s cheek went to get their vehicle.

That was what I missed.

That was what I longed for but had been robbed of.

And here I sat, all alone. My father had left me at the hospital and hadn’t come back, or even called, for whatever pathetic excuse. My ride back home was a cheating ex, who was also responsible for my well-being.

Sounded like a damn fairy tale come true.

Not!

Yep. My life was a disaster. One terrible, awful thing right after the other.

And I was doing my best to just stay afloat.

***

All was quiet when we arrived.

I stared blankly at the gate as it slowly crept open, doing my best to block out the memories of what happened to me only days ago. But when my gaze landed on the ruined stone fountain where I had crashed my car, I lost it.

My body started to vibrate as tears fell unchecked down my face.

Why couldn’t I have just died?

It would have been easier. It would have been more convenient, especially for my father. But where would that have left Timmy? My death would have placed him in the direct line of father’s abuse, and I couldn’t let that happen.

A large, warm hand covered both of mine, stilling their nervous wringing in my lap. “Just breathe, Brandy,” Nate encouraged, taking a deep breath himself. I followed his lead and soon, I wasn’t hyperventilating anymore. The shakes had nearly stopped and the tears, for the moment, had dried.

The house was empty, as it usually was Sunday mornings. Father wouldn’t have missed his usual Sunday morning golf with the boys. Timmy, no doubt, would be with him. He had begged father to take him for the longest time and, father, had finally obliged a few months back. I doubted even my death would have kept them from playing.

Nate pulled around to the side where the large, underground garage was. He pulled in and parked the car, giving me strict orders not to move.

What was he going to do? My father wouldn’t have thought to buy a wheel chair. Was Nate going in search for a rolling desk chair? Because if he was, he would be gone for several minutes.

My door jerked open and Nate’s solid form crowded the space as he leaned in. Tucking one arm behind my back and the other under my legs, he effortlessly picked me up before kicking the door closed.

My small squeak of surprise made him smirk. “What are you doing!?” I demanded.

“Carrying you, obviously.”

“I demand you put me down this instant!” I squirmed in his arms, but he held fast. His grip only tightening. I hated how my body instantly reacted to being in his arms. The warmth, the familiarity. I wanted space away from him to forget the comfort I felt being held so intimately against him.

My heart yearned to stay like this, but my mind rebelled, remembering the pain we had suffered at his callous actions.

“Just hold still and let me help you, you stubborn woman,” he huffed under his breath. He clomped his way through the house with ease, knowing when and where to turn without any guidance. If it weren’t for him being my body guard and possibly being forced to memorize the layout of the house, I would have thought he was stalking me.

I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly, knowing I could not win against him. When we finally made it to my room, he eased me down onto my bed. “I know you probably want to take a shower to rinse off that hospital smell, but I would appreciate it if you refrained for a bit.”

“And why’s that?” I bit.

“I am going to make breakfast for us—

“You? Cooking?” I scoffed, interrupting him. “Unbelievable! You hate cooking.”

He shrugged. “Well, we all have to grow up at some point don’t we?” He asked. And while it wasn’t meant in a demeaning way, it still hit hard. “I don’t want you over exerting yourself while I’m not close enough to hear you if you are in distress or collapse. Please, refrain from doing anything too strenuous until I’m back.”

As much as I wanted to huff and puff and run his ass over by doing everything he was asking me not to do, I felt the exhaustion set in. It was odd how tired I was, even though I had slept so much at the hospital. Then again, nothing could beat your own bed and room.

“Fine!” I groused, waving him away. As he left, I settled down on the bed and allowed my eyes to close. Wanting nothing more than to be swept away by empty dreams.