Bella flopped back onto the couch with a groan. “I’m not doing this,” she said, staring up at the ceiling. “A bodyguard? Seriously? What is this, a movie?”I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “He wasn’t joking.”“I know,” she muttered. “That’s the problem.”For a moment, neither of us said anything. The weight of it sat there, heavy and annoying and impossible to ignore.Then Bella sat up suddenly. “I’m going out.”“Bella—”“I’m not asking,” she said, already reaching for her shoes. “I need air, and I need to prove a point.”“That’s a terrible reason to go outside,” I replied.“Exactly,” she said. “So it’s perfect.”I pushed off the wall. “If you’re trying to make him lose his mind, it’s working already.”“Good,” she said, slipping her shoes on. “Let him.”She headed for the door. I followed.The hallway was quiet when we stepped out, but the feeling was there immediately. That subtle awareness of someone else nearby.“Okay,” Bella said under her breath, looking left, then right.
Last Updated : 2026-04-19 Read more