A fractured fairytale

18

I tapped on my dad's office door. I shuffled my weight from one foot to another and then back again as I waited for him to answer. Standing outside this door always took me back to when I would get in trouble as a kid and I could never quite shake that feeling.

"Yes?"

I refrained from rolling my eyes at his formal tone and pushed the door open. As per usual, I found him the other side of the large mahogany desk. When I was younger, that desk always felt as though it took up the entire room and, when he sat behind it, he seemed like a giant compared to me and Alex who could hardly see over it. Now, it didn't look that big or intimidating and neither did he, not now I was the same size as him. Not when his hair had wisps of grey and permanent smile lines creased his skin.

He didn't look up immediately, engrossed in whatever he was looking at on his computer but when he did, he smiled. "What can I do for you?"

I shut the door behind me and met his gaze. "I need you to add someone to your protection list," I told him outright, preparing myself for the barrage of questions that were certain to follow.

His brows raised and he leaned back in his chair, suddenly studying me with all of his attention. "Who?"

My teeth clenched. I knew as soon as the truth was out of my mouth, I wouldn't get a break from my family's incessant questions and Rose would no longer be my little secret. But I needed my father's protection for her. I needed to know that if I was to pursue anything with her that she would be safe. You never knew who was keeping tabs on you in this lifestyle and the last thing I needed was an enemy of the family to figure out just how much that girl meant to me.

"There's a girl," I muttered beneath my breath.

It was immediately clear that he'd heard me based on the way his posture stiffened and he tilted his head to one side, regarding me with a whole different expression. It was no longer curiosity that reflected in his eyes but now, they glittered with a smugness that irritated the hell out of me.

"Well, that explains a lot," he mused, a smirk playing on his lips. I only glared back at him and he laughed before gesturing to the seat across from him. "Sit down."

I rolled my eyes and took two steps across the room towards the armchair. I dropped into it and waited for him to start the conversation. "I thought you'd been in a good mood lately considering you're off the team," he commented, his gaze flitting back to his computer for a second before he gave me his undivided attention. "So, who is she?"

I leaned forward. "Look, it's nothing serious yet. I just want to make sure she's safe before I start something with her and put in danger."

He nodded. "I'm going to need to know some details if I'm going to designate some soldiers to protecting the girl."

"Her name is Rose."

"Rose," he repeated. "And how did you meet Rose?"

I grit my teeth. This was the one question I really hadn't wanted to answer but I knew it was coming, if not from him then from my mom when he told her everything later on – which I knew he would. "She's my tutor," I admitted, glancing down to the desk while he processed what I'd said.

"What?" I cringed slightly at his suddenly snappy tone. "Matt." His tone was a warning. "This better not be you leading some girl on to improve your grades."

I rolled my eyes. "It isn't. Okay, its not like that at all," I snapped back, my hands curling into fists at my sides at the accusation.

He didn't look convinced. "I thought you said she was some nerdy bookworm that lived in the library."