Anaya POV
James left me as if he hadn't already spent the vast majority of the day at work, ignoring my existence. I was upset and suspicious, considering how many girls seemed obsessed with him. He was very handsome, but the obtrusive paparazzi that waited outside was enough to drive most people mad.
"Alone again, eh?" Chase asked, startling me as I forgot I had a bodyguard nonstop now. Usually, it was Waverly, but in the evenings, it switched sporadically. Chase was very young but well-built with plenty of muscle. He showed it off often by rubbing his arm absently, pulling his shirt up in the process. His blond hair was slicked back, and he had deep blue eyes that were very enticing, so I avoided looking at them.
"It seems so. He's always off to one place or another." I complained without malice while I finished cleaning up dinner, cleaning the expensive porcelain dishes carefully.
"He clearly doesn't see how lucky he is." He said with a soft tone. I hummed, ignoring him, until he sidestepped directly in front of me, refusing to let me finish cleaning.
"Leave this for the cleaning lady. Come take a drive with me, and I will show you the best place in New York to see the skyline." He said sweetly, taking the pot I had been about to clean out of my hands.
"I really should finish." I insisted, not feeling much like a drive. He brushed a tendril of hair out of my face carefully and smiled charmingly.
"Let me show you how amazing our country is. He's kept you locked in here like a princess in a tower. You're not a possession. You deserve to live life." He insisted. I debated for only a moment more before nodding and grinning, excited to see the city.
"Okay, let's go then!" I agreed, feeling a rush of happiness as he practically dragged me out, his own cheerfulness contagious. He was so much lighter than James was, and he didn't hesitate to make eye contact with me. He looked at me like I was his whole world as we got in the car, and he took off through the city streets.
It was beautiful at night, and the flickering lights from the endless rows of skyscrapers enchanted me. I could almost imagine I was on a foreign planet with such a huge difference between my hometown and the city.
"Crap, paparazzi." He said, his smile fading and his expression becoming serious.
"How did they find us? There wasn't any when we left." I asked, horrified. I thought of James's anger if he knew I had left the house without telling him.
"Don't worry, I got you." He assured me, patting his hand on mine, his touch calming my nerves slightly. I should've taken my hand back immediately, but I didn't.
The paparazzi swerved behind us, the chase between our car and theirs intensifying rapidly. We turned right, then left, then right again, swerving around the other cars, trying to lose them without any luck. Normally, our drivers would drive slowly, ignoring the paparazzi's presence, but he sped up to outrun them.
"You're going so fast! Can you slow down?" I asked, hanging on for dear life. He laughed, chuckling at my nervousness.
"I got..."
Chase didn't get to finish his statement. A roaring screech was followed by a split second of headlights before a car ran a red light and hit us directly on Chase's side of the car. I was jerked to the side with a force I couldn't ever imagine, and then there was just darkness.