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Safe
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Chapter 13: Safe (Grace's POV)
I sat on the two-seater by my bed while Ronan followed me in, still in last night's clothes. I looked up at him, crossing one leg over the other.
"What are you doing?" he asked calmly, running a hand through his hair.
I knew he was going to be mad. I understood it the first time when he pulled me away from Judith a few days ago, he explained it then too. I can't risk pissing her off. But I also can't risk getting a new guard. I don't even trust my parents right now, how can I trust a guard they choose for me? I know they chose Ronan too, but I've had time with Ronan now, enough for me to believe that he's a genuine guard, he's just doing his job. I feel safe around him, especially after last night. "I did what I deemed right," I replied.
"You are challenging your parents, do you think that's a good idea? Keeping your situation in mind?"
"I don't want you getting fired."
"You could have any other guard," he scoffed.
"I don't trust my parents anymore. I can't trust their choice of a guard. For all I know, they'd be paying the guard to kill me." I stood up, walking to my closet to grab a dress for today.
"You're playing with fire, Princess."
"I don't care. You're meant to be my guard, everything doesn't work on their orders. I get to have a say in it too. I don't care how irrelevant a princess's opinions are considered. If I want you, then I want you."
He grabbed my arm, pulling me back while spinning me around to face him. I tilted my head up to look at him while he pulled me flush against him. "I'm a guard, that's it," he said harshly. "You can find someone else."
"I don't want someone else," I spat back.
"What is your problem? Just listen to your parents, it'll keep you alive," he scoffed.
"So will you."
He blinked, his eyes flickering between mine.
"I feel safe around you, okay? Especially after last night." I pulled my arm out of his grasp and moved back to the closet, taking out a lavender-colored dress. "And why do you care so much? You're still getting paid, they agreed."
"I don't care, I'm just trying to understand why you would make such a foolish mistake. It's as clear as day, you don't want to marry Lucas. You had an opportunity to get out of it, why didn't you take it? You could have refused the marriage if they fired me."
"What if I refuse the marriage and then I get killed?" I turned to face him, glaring. It's making me angry, the way he talks to me. Treats me like I don't know or understand anything. "Then you won't even be here to protect me. Then what do I do, huh?" We stood in silence for a minute, just staring at each other.
It's just something about Ronan Stone that I can't quite pinpoint or wrap my head around. He makes me feel incredibly safe, safer than Finn ever did. I don't know if it's because he's stern and makes it so obvious that I'm his only priority, or if it's because he never even leaves my side and does his job perfectly well. But I can't imagine having anyone else to protect me.
"Don't you get it?" I sighed. "There's no one I can trust except for you."
His eyes narrowed in doubt and confusion. "Your parents chose me too. What makes you think you can trust me?"
"Why? Should I not?" I cocked my head to one side.
"Hmm," he nodded once before reaching into his pocket and taking out the same dagger knife from last night. Looking at it now, when it's clean of blood and under the sunlight, it's much smaller than I thought it was. It's the size of a pocket knife, no wonder that guy was able to sneak it in. "You probably shouldn't. If they paid me enough and asked me to kill you, I probably would."
"Let's find out, maybe I'll ask them to give you a raise," I smiled while he stepped closer, bringing the dagger to my neck.
"Let's," he mumbled, his eyes following the dagger while he dragged it up, the blade touching my skin as softly as a feather while he trailed it up from my collarbone to my neck, then up to my jaw, tracing it and stopping right under my chin. It can't just be me. Even the way he uses a knife screams 'sex' and everything about what he just did was sensual. "I could kill you right now," he whispered.
"Why don't you? It'll end my misery."
His eyes were blazing and they sent a jolt through me. "On my first day here, you told me I probably don't know what it feels like to lose someone," he paused.
I feel guilty about that now. I didn't actually think before saying that, but I was angry and it felt like he was blaming me for what happened to Finn, so I blurted out nonsense when my defense mechanism kicked in.
"Actually. You said I probably didn't care enough about anyone to know how much it hurts. Something like that, hmm?"
I blinked, swallowing down my words.
"But you know what, Princess? I don't think you know what it feels like to nearly die. You've lost people, I've lost people, everybody has lost one person or another. But not everyone almost loses their own life."
"You think I don't know what it feels like to almost die?" I almost scoffed.
"No, I don't think you do. Because you know that someone's always going to be there to take the bullet for you."
I almost flinched at his words.
He sighed, trailing the dagger back down, stopping at my throat and pressing down. "How do you imagine it would feel if the person who's meant to save you actually kills you?"
"I imagine I would feel the same betrayal that I felt when my own father turned on me. But with you, it'd be worse."
He pressed down harder, his gaze still holding mine with burning heat.
"Because you, I trust. And my father, I don't." I felt a pinch on my skin where the tip of the knife dug into my skin, followed by a steady burn. I could feel the cold blood dripping slowly, maybe just a dot.
He blinked, his eyes falling down to my neck. He pulled the knife down, folding it back up and pocketing it again. "You shouldn't trust me," he warned.
"Well, I do." I lifted a brow daringly.
"Fine. Then don't complain when it comes back to bite you."
"I don't think it will." I gave him a small smile.
He ignored my comment and pulled the tip of his thumb into his mouth before reaching down and wiping away whatever blood dripped down from his little poke. "You should put a bandaid on that."
"Last drawer on the right side in the bathroom. I'm picking a dress." I turned back around and started looking for shoes to go with the dress.
He scoffed before going into the bathroom and coming back with a bandaid from the first aid kit. He grabbed my arm and spun me around roughly.
I rolled my eyes, staring up at him while he opened the bandaid and stuck it onto my neck, pressing down intentionally to make it hurt. I winced, grabbing his forearm. "Ouch," I said through gritted teeth.
He smiled. He actually smiled. That's the first time I've seen him show anything remotely close to an emotion. And it was a smile of satisfaction. "You feel safe with me," he stated. "Good, I'm glad. Because your parents didn't hire me to kill you. But that doesn't mean I won't. You're probably in more danger with me than you are with anybody else."
"That makes no sense considering you're the best bodyguard we know of."
"I'm the best bodyguard you know of because I've killed a lot of people to save my clients. That doesn't mean I can't kill my clients. Do you have anywhere to go today?" he asked casually, assessing his bandage. "If you don't, then please give me half an hour to freshen up and eat."
I frowned, "You haven't eaten?"
He shook his head. "I was waiting for you to wake up, but you decided any time before noon is a little too early, huh?"
I watched him with amusement. "Were you standing at my door until noon?"
"I was standing at your door until eleven... fifty-six, was it? That was when your father demanded I go outside and he gave me that lecture. So, yes. Pretty much until noon. Can I go shower and eat? Or would you feel unsafe without me?" he mocked, a teasing smile on his lips.
"Wow, two smiles in a row," I teased him back. "I didn't know you were capable of showing any emotions. Other than frustration."
"At least you know you frustrate me."
"Oh, I love frustrating you," I grinned, walking past him and dropping my dress on the bed and my shoes on the floor. "You can freshen up. I'm going out for lunch in about an hour and a half. Be back by then."
"Where are we going?"
"To visit a friend."
He remained silent and didn't move. "Nina Alice?"
"Hmm. How did you know?"
"I looked into your most contacted people. She was the first. You've been friends since you were younger, but I couldn't find anything on how you two met."
"Her mom was best friends with my mom. They met at a baking class. She runs a bakery with her mom now. Nina, that is. I don't get to see her often now for security reasons, but... I sneak out all the time. I guess that won't be happening now, huh?"
"Hmm," he nodded, smiling fakely.
That's three smiles I got. "Well," I shrugged. "You go freshen up. See you in a bit." I went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me, and looked in the mirror, sighing as my eyes fell to the bandaid on my neck.
I thought he was crazy when he first got here. Now I'm sure of it. What I'm not sure of is why I'm not scared of him. In fact, I'm drawn to him. I'm sure the craziness has nothing to do with it though. Or it just has everything to do with it.
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Chapter 13
could y'all comment a little more pls....???
also, I know I'm not focusing a lot on Adrian and Nina, but this story is going to be mostly around Ronan and Grace, I just want their best friends to peep in once in a while, hope y'all don't mind
next chapter: decision