I won't take any unnecessary time blubbering. I just hope you enjoy this chapter!
~ Dear J
___
Erika's POV:
"Do you mind explaining what the fuck this is?"
His shouts startled me, but I battled the urge to hide behind my Guardian this time.
Brandon, on the other hand, didn't even flinch.
"Have you or have you not been visiting her in the hospital?" His expression flared with each deep inhale and exhale, as the absence of any explanation made him even more furious. "For fuck's sake, answer me!"
A deep sigh left Brandon's lips, as he stood against the wall beside me, his shoulders covered with his silk robe; he chose a luxurious black color for tonight's game. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it, but I had this inkling, if push came to shove, he'd win any fight thrown his way.
It was the first time I saw his uncle act this way; his usual stoic and aloof persona was nowhere to be found, as he took a step closer to where we were standing.
"It was a onetime thing, I promise. It was all my fault, please-"
I should have known; trying to defuse the situation would only make things worse.
"I wasn't talking to you!"
"Don't talk to her like that." Triggered by his uncle's aggression towards me, Brandon stood between us, fists by his sides. "It has nothing to do with you or any of them. I've been visiting my girl and that's that. Now, -"
"You idiot, you don't understand-" He tried to explain, but Brandon wasn't backing out of this one.
"What don't I understand, huh?" His eyes were piercing, filled with a fire he rarely showed. "From where I'm standing, I have two choices. Revealing our relationship, directing the spotlight directly at Erika, for everyone to scrutinize. Or, we shut up, make them cause a fuss on their own, while the feds start testing everyone for doping and drugs. I have nothing to lose with the second option. I have everything to lose with the first."
I hated how he chose to shoulder everything on his own, but his words held a finality, a strength palpable.
Elijah was silent for a few moments, contemplating the situation. I didn't blame him; he wanted what was best for his nephew. And his plan could be dangerous for his image as an athlete and a lawyer.
"You can stay quiet about it. I can cook a story for you. Reveal a photo or two, without exposing Erika's whole identity. Say, you met -"
"Absolutely not! She's exposed enough as it is. You won't fucking do or say anything."
"Brandon, I'm trying to help you out, buddy-"
"Eli, you'll keep your mouth shut, or, oh, so help me god, we're gonna have some serious problems."
The two stared at each other, huffing a breath, in and out, like they had just finished a match.
Brandon won this round.
"Fine!" Elijah sounded exasperated, as he rubbed his face with both hands. "I'll make some calls, see if this affects the game tonight."
"It won't, Eli. I'm clean, damn it." His words broke at the end, frustration overwhelming him.
Elijah retreated out of his office, shrugging his shoulders at the mess we made. An abundant quiet fell upon us, the three men having a silent conversation among themselves, before Liam and Malcolm followed Elijah out the office.
In the few times Brandon came to the hospital during my night shifts, I didn't realize we could cause such trouble. I knew how it looked, but still. People were too fast to jump to convenient conclusions that fit their stories better, and that stirred an incomparable anger inside me.
It angered him even more.
"Come here, Angel." His calm voice broke the silence, as he beckoned me toward him.
He was sitting on his desk chair, facing me as I neared him. I stood in front of him, my back to his desk, contemplating what to do or say to ease his mind in any way.
"Just your presence is enough, baby." His words surprised me, as he pulled me to sit on his lap, his strong arms hugging my body close to him.
"This is such a mess, Brandon, I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault." He let his hand fall down my back to my waist, pressing his fingers to my skin.
"It's not yours, either."
"These people can get ravenous, when it comes to a good story. I should be more careful."
"No, you shouldn't be anything. You should be free to do whatever the hell you want. Dio mio, they are implying that you're on drugs, after everything you've been through."
He chuckled at my small outburst, pushing my messy, damp hair behind my ear.
"I know, Angel. Calm down." He kissed my head, allowing some of the nerves to untangle. "I'm not. You know it. And soon, they will as well."
I knew he wasn't lying; I could feel it in my bones.
"I'm so sorry," I said again, a whisper, over his collar bone.
"What do you feel sorry for?"
"This is all my fault." My words now echoed Viviana's, as I came to realize some things. "It makes sense. You were probably spotted leaving the hospital on multiple occasions during these last couple of weeks. That's how they created the story," I said, a stray tear escaping my eye without my permission.
"If only you didn't come to see me in the middle of the night, then... then maybe all this mess wouldn't... And then I make things even worse. It's all my fault, I'm so sorry..."
"Erika, look at me."
The stern tone of his voice as he uttered my name made me turn to look at him, eager eyes focused on me.
"We're gonna get through this. Trust me when I say, you did nothing wrong."
"No, Brandon, I-- I did something."
In a split-second reaction, his hopeful expression was gone.
Shivers ran down my spine, as I recounted the events of a week ago; on my birthday.
"I tried to tell you, trust me I did. But every time, something always stopped me from doing so."
He was immovable, arms still wrapped around me safely. His eyes were trained on me the whole time I was talking, without intervening. The more he stayed quiet, the more I blurted out my truths. A tactic I knew he perfected through the years of working as a lawyer.
"But today, Alex called. She told me they are safe and in a witness protection program. Cynthia agreed to help take them down, and I knew I had to tell you. I couldn't wait anymore."
I felt breathless, my chest heaving for a lungful of oxygen. An immense feeling of relief empowered me, and at the look of pure pride in his eyes, I felt lighter than I did these past couple of days.
"You're fucking crazy, you know that?" He breathed out, fingers caressing my cheekbones as he brought my face closer to his.
"They were going to take her baby away from her and send her back to that hell. Just like they did with Anya. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't!"
"I know that, Angel. You're so strong." Wiping the tears staining my cheeks, he pulled my face to the crook of his neck, whispering words of praise to my ear. "So fucking good. You're perfect."
"But I'm making everything worse. What if Cyrus found out already, and this is his way of punishing you? By ruining everything you've worked so hard to create."
I tried to stay composed, but my thoughts were spiraling. By the look on his face, he could see it as well; his hands wrapped me in their warmth just a little bit tighter.
"I want to make your life... Our life, better, not more difficult. But I couldn't just come back to the safety of our home, to you, knowing I sent her back to that hell. I couldn't."
"It's okay, Angel. I'm gonna-"
"I couldn't. I'm so sorry."
"Shh... I know. We're gonna find a way." His voice was soft, warm against the shell of my ear, soothing.
"Trust me," he said after a couple of deep, long breaths. "If Cyrus knew about it, he wouldn't be targeting just me. Besides, bringing the feds in the games is not something he wishes to do. His plans are greater, and ruining his one way of broadcasting his drug lines isn't part of his plans."
Surprised at his words and relaxed demeanor, I pushed on his chest, eyes meeting his gleaming orbs. He was planning something, mischief and determination plain in site; I just didn't know what.
"I'm proud of you, you know. You're fearless, when it comes to your beliefs and the people you care about."
My eyes widened at his honesty, heat blooming on my cheeks.
"Don't get me wrong, your selflessness scares the crap out of me."
"I'm not-"
"Don't go self-sacrificing yourself for my crap. I hate myself for what I put you through every day."
Stunned and quiet, he pulled me closer, kissing my forehead with a deep sigh, arms always wrapped around me; my own safety net.
His lips met my own, warm and gentle. Each movement held a silent heatwave trying to overcome the barrier of my brain; trying to let him in and soothe everything that tormented me.
He pressed his lips on mine for a few more seconds before he rested his forehead on mine.
"What else is bothering you, baby?" He was prepared to fix everything for me, determination laced in every word.
I knew his intuition was strong, and he could read me better than most; sometimes even better than myself, even though we weren't in each other's lives for long.
"It's nothing, I'm just nervous about today's game. Have you seen the guy?" Trying to hide my worries, I directed the conversation towards another true fear of mine.
His chest vibrated as he chuckled silently, before securing me in his arms. "He calls himself The Killing Machine, of all things." He kissed my nose, as his chest kept shaking from laughter. "Don't worry, Angel. I'll always come back to you."
His playfulness was contagious, and I found myself breathing once again, a smile of my own plastered on my lips at how confident he was. "I wouldn't normally say this, but... Go out there and show him who the Guardian is."
In a fleeting moment I was left breathless, as his unforgiving lips crushed down on my own. A rush of adrenaline overcame my whole being and I didn't know which was really riling me up. The fact that I refused to follow James' insane request, my fears of seeing Brandon getting hurt, or his soft lips as they bruised mine. If I had to, then I would choose all of the above and be done with it.
"You got it, angel," he said between kisses, pulling me closer to him as I kept tagging on his hair at the base of his neck.
"You called me that day, didn't you?" He asked, like an afterthought, halting his assault on my neck.
I nodded, not trusting my voice; I knew this would fill him with even more guilt.
"Fuck, I'm so sorry, baby. I was running around on your birthday, trying to organize your surprise party. You were so stressed the whole time; I was just trying to do something nice."
"Don't apologize. Alex and Savi helped pull it off. Even your mom was a huge help."
"I'm surprised about that just as much as you are," he said honestly. "I better look into it."
Viviana King wasn't the person I was expecting, surprising me with her actions every step of the way. Everything she did, was for the safety of her family.
Still, I couldn't help but be wary of her. I knew, if she had a choice to make, she wouldn't hesitate to throw me under the bus, if it meant her children were safe and breathing.
"You didn't know the Chicago Hospital belonged to her?"
Brandon shook his head, meeting my gaze; the truth was plain as day in his eyes.
"I knew she used to work there as a nurse many years ago, along with Dr. Marshall and Savi. She was also in charge of the nursing staff for a while, working long hours to make ends meet." Talking about his mother's past was hard on him, an expression of confusion and longing embedded deep in his words.
"It's also where she met my dad for the first time."
His last words came out softer, but filled with emotion that couldn't go unnoticed.
"Wait... Your parents met at the hospital?"
My surprised expression caught him off guard, but just like the wires in my brain flaring to life, at the forefront of everything, he knew what I was thinking.
Our story. Our very own beginning.
It was all so similar.
And that created a new fear inside of me, with a new worry:
Was I going to lose him, just like Viviana lost her Anthony? Her own Guardian?
"It's not going to be the same, Angel. You're not going to lose me." He pinched my chin, eyes focused on me.
He was so strong, clever, beautiful. Every angle of his personality glowed. He could hang the stars and I wouldn't care, as long as I could be by his side.
I was in love with this man.
I love this man.
"Brandon, I..."
"It's time to get this thing rolling, lovebirds. King, get ready. It's show time." Elijah's words started me silent, his expression more carefree than when he left the room.
Brandon ignored Eli, turning towards me first.
"What is it baby?"
"Nothing, just... bring that victory home."
"I promise, you can get back to falling for each other as soon as the match is over."
Brandon rolled his eyes but didn't fight him on this one; we both knew Eli had more than enough of our antics for a day to last a lifetime. Besides, the tender position he found us in wasn't something I wanted to keep on display for long.
With a last good-luck kiss, Brandon let me leave his office; I could still feel his eyes follow me out the door, until I wasn't in sight.
I found my place in the crowd; next to Liam tonight. Storms of people rushed to claim their rightful places, carrying an air of confusion with them; surely most watched or heard of the footage about Brandon's alleged drug abuse.
These games were something I experienced before tonight, time and time again, but I couldn't shake off the cloud above my head. It wasn't just the expectations of his fans or the rude awakening from the media. It was a combination of everything, and at the forefront James' looming warning.
I hated myself for doubting him, but I couldn't help but be afraid; chilled to the bone at the thought of one day losing him.
The underground floor was coming to life with cheering shouts, but I felt like I was underwater. I closed my eyes, the sounds around me muted as I took another deep breath.
I tried to calm myself, Eli's teasing words bringing some comfort.
"I promise, you can get back to falling for each other as soon as the match is over."
Everything was still.
And after that, everything came back to life.
The ringing sound of the bell indicating a battle was about to commence.
___
This turned out so much better than I thought. (Hope you think so too, otherwise this statement is gonna be so awkward.)
Thank you for being here this week as well and hope you're ready for the ride.
Your health is so important, you can't even imagine. Drink some water. Try and sleep well tonight. Take care of yourselves.
xo, Dear J