Page 33 of I Don't Need Your Protection

Fingers latch onto my wrist and I’m yanked behind a statue. I’m pressed against the wall and I thrash around and am about to scream, but I stop when I notice Caleb is clutching me.

“Why are you calling my name?” he asks. He’s very close, so close that if he’d dip his head, our lips would touch.

“I was looking for you.” I try to move, but there’s barely any space here. The statue is very close to the wall, and considering this guy is huge, I can pretty much only lift my head and my arms a tiny bit. “I wanted to give this to you.” I hold up one of the candy bars.

He looks at it like he’s never seen a chocolate bar before. Then his questioning eyes focus on me. “What?”

I shrug. “Figured you could use something sweet. You’ve been sitting out here for hours and you’re probably hungry.”

His gaze bores into mine. It’s like he can’t believe I even thought of him. He doesn’t seem one bit interested in the snack.

“Come on,” I urge. “Take it.”

He stares at it for a beat or two before accepting it from me. “You shouldn’t be calling my name. Or looking for me.That’ll draw attention to yourself and to me.”

I roll my eyes. “You could say thank you, you know.”

He releases a heavy breath. “Next time, don’t worry about me.” He lifts the chocolate to check it out. “But thank you for thinking of me.”

“It just seemed mean for me to have all the fun and eat all the good stuff while you’re out here.” I lift my hands. “And I know, I know. You’re just doing your job. But you’re a kid.”

He lifts his hand and pushes some hair away from my forehead. Bending close, he whispers, “Go back inside, Addilyn.”

“Fine, but here.” I reach into my pocket and hold up a second candy bar. “In case one isn’t enough.”

He searches my eyes, lets out a frustrated breath, then takes it from me. “Now will you go inside?”

“You got it, chief.”

The corner of his mouth twitches. I give him a bright smile and a small wave before slipping out from behind the statue. But because there’s no space, I end up crashing into his chest.

“Darn,” I mutter, my face pressed to his school blazer. I inhale his scent. His manly scent that makes my head spin. “Your chest is made of stone.”

He backs out of our hiding spot and now I have more than enough room to get out. He waits for me to leave before hiding back behind it. I stay for a bit, watching him and wondering if he truly is okay with his job. He’s grumpy, but I don’t think it’s because he’s miserable. I genuinely do think he likes his job. Or at least, it’s very important to him.

“Go back inside, Addilyn,” he whispers.

As I walk away, I swear I can hear him unwrapping the candy bar, and that makes me smile.

***

After all my homework is done, I plop down on my bed and turn on the TV. It’s huge, practically taking up the entire wall. When I watch, it feels like I’m in a movie theater.

I’m in the mood for a good movie. After all the hard work I put in today, I should reward myself. But what kind of genre am I interested in? I figure I’ll choose something that came out recently that everyone is raving about.

As I search, I feel eyes on me. Ever since we got to my room, Caleb has been sitting on his usual chair and watching my every move. He also glances around from time to time, like at the windows, bathroom, and doors. To make sure no one has somehow gotten into my room. I want to tell him to relax, but he won’t listen to me anyway.

“Want to recommend something?” I ask him.

He looks from the window to me. “I don’t watch movies.”

“Yeah, I bet you don’t.”

He waves his hand. “Pay no attention to me and enjoy yourself.”

I frown. “Maybe you can watch the movie with me. Once I pick it, that is. Any preferences?”

“No. I’m not watching.”