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Ana
Two Years Later
I loathed Blaise Anderson. Maybe it was loved, it was hard not to mix up the two. Today, it was definitely loathed.
“I don’t care. The answer is still no.”
At the age of twenty, I knew better than to act childish. Though, having Blaise reject my suggestion over and over again made me want to throw myself to the ground and make a scene.
If I stood even a chance, maybe I’d pick a fight with him. While I couldn’t take him in a physical fight, maybe there was some other way I could beat him.
Even though he was older, having nearly a decade on me, he swore he knew what was best. I swore he was full of himself most of the time. He believed that if I tripped and scraped my knee, it would be the end of the world. Knowing him, he’d already have the first aid kit ready.
“It’s just a road trip. I am pretty sure nothing is going to happen to me.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at him from across the living room. Even when I tried to make myself look bigger, I knew it was a lost cause.
The man I tried challenging was literally a giant. One who could step on me and I’d tap out. What an inviting idea. His body was thick with muscle, all earned in his past years of service. Even after being discharged, he managed to keep up the appearance. I would be the last person to complain.
Blaise sat on my love seat, a matching expression on his own face. With his big build, he took up most of the couch to himself. The man was someone who let no one get in his way of getting what he wanted. That wasn’t enough to stop me from trying.
Normally, I’d cave. Not today. I was going to take this trip one way or another. Whether he was on board or not, I was going to leave and enjoy some time off. Making an escape was not really what I wanted to do. I would love to have him get on board.
After working for two years at the library without much of a vacation, I figured now would be the best time to finally change that. I’d seen something online about a road trip to travel throughout the states and thought it would be a genius way to spend my time away from the books.
Blaise seemed to think otherwise. Damn him.
Ever since the day he appeared on my doorstep a year ago, he’d been a thorn at my side. Proclaiming he needed to pay back a debt, I couldn’t help but invite him into my life. If only I knew how much of a headache he could be at times. If only I couldn’t help but be drawn to him more and more each day.
What did he think would happen to me if I remained by myself?
Spending so much time together, he should have realized I was nothing special. A boring woman with a boring life. I didn’t really need any protection. The worst thing to happen to me in the last week was a papercut.
That didn’t stop him from lingering about. Insisting that he remained at my side for most of the time.
I was constantly under his watch. Whether it be during my job at the library or at home. Constantly checking up on me and sleeping on my couch, I’d think he saw me as more than a promise made to my deceased brother. If it weren’t for his constant scowling, I’d think he was obsessed with me.
What a funny thought. One that made my heart pound and my head spin. His only interest in me was that promise he liked to remind me of. Even after all this time, his devotion to Owen was above everything else.
I didn’t stand a chance. My feelings might as well be nonexistent.
“You know I am an adult, right? You can’t really stop me from going wherever I want.” Standing there defiantly with my arms crossed, I noticed the way his frown grew at the suggestion.
He knew it as much as I did. I didn’t have some sort of leash. Nothing he did could truly stop me.
“You are really going to make me chase after you throughout the country?” he asked, blowing out a sigh. Rubbing a palm down his face, he let a look of exhaustion slip past. Annoyed or not, my heart fluttered at the idea.
The thought of Blaise chasing after me made my stomach tighten. It took strength not to show it on my face. If I wanted to stay strong, I couldn’t let my feelings slip. In reality, I loved the scenario he put in my head. Being completely alone with him in an unknown area for days on end? Maybe I’d let it play on repeat later on.
“Then why don’t you just come with me? Save me the trouble and we can explore everything together.” It was probably hopeless of me to think that he would agree to such an outlandish idea. But before I could stop myself, the words had left my mouth.
I did not expect to see hesitance on his face. Hell, I wasn’t even aware he could look that way. Like my suggestion threw him off that I would be willing to tag along with him. Sadly, his expression lasted all but two seconds before his normal scowl returned.
He didn’t say no to the idea. At first, he hardly said anything. Sitting in silence for lingering seconds, he finally grunted.
“We could do that. At least that way, I could keep my eye on you. Make sure you stay out of trouble.”
I guess that was his way of saying it nicely. At least he was agreeing. That was the most that I had gotten out of him since bringing it up. When I sent a smile in his direction, I received only a sigh of defeat. It’s like he knew he lost by giving in.
That was fine. Now I could put in my time away from the library and pack some bags. What could be better than crowding in a car with my own personal bodyguard for a couple of weeks?
