Page 39 of I Don’t Need Your Protection (Harrington Bay Academy #1)

Addie

I’ve always thought I’m decent at math, but the way I’m slaving away at these equations is just not normal.

The test is tomorrow and I’m not at all ready. Sophie offered to help me study an hour ago, but I told her it was best I tackle this alone. Because while we do get a lot done when we’re together, we also tend to joke around and spend way too much time doing other things.

“I wish I could transport myself to twenty-four hours from now,” I grumble.

“Struggling?” Caleb asks from where he sits in his usual chair, eyes pasted on me and circling around the room every so often.

“Sort of.” I angrily scratch my pencil on my scrap paper. “It’s just a lot. My teacher is under the impression that her students are robots. ”

I hear a soft chuckle.

My eyes spring to his and I try not to gape when I catch the teeny weensy amused smile on his face. It’s gone so fast, but I saw it. I hide my smile as I continue to study.

About ten minutes later, he gets up and lowers himself next to me at my desk with his laptop. I raise my brow as he starts whacking away at the keys.

“No,” I gasp with exaggeration.

He looks at me.

“Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or am I actually witnessing Caleb Foster do homework?”

“I do homework.”

“Never out in the open like this. I wondered if you secretly had superpowers. Like maybe you have the ability to snap your fingers and your homework magically gets done.”

He’s quiet for a beat and then says, “Maybe I do.”

I try to hide another smile. Caleb seems to be in a good mood. Actually, now that I think about it, he’s been in a good mood ever since I ended things with Warner.

“If you need help, just let me know,” he says.

“Tempting, but I think I need to do this on my own.”

After about another twenty minutes, Caleb completes all of his homework.

He closes his laptop and sits there with his eyes on me.

I’ve gotten used to him watching me over these past few weeks, but for some reason, my cheeks and neck heat up.

Maybe because ever since what happened at the sleepover, things have shifted between us?

He looks at me differently than he did before.

Like I’m even more precious to him than I was before.

And from his eyes, I can tell that he sees a strength in me he missed in the past. It seems like he’s in awe of me.

I see him differently, too. He’s come to mean so much more than my bodyguard.

He’s also come to mean so much more than a friend.

I mean, I’m not sure if he considers us friends because I’m his charge, but I see us as friends.

Well, more than that. And all I want is to know every little detail about him.

“I have a question,” I announce.

“Go ahead.”

“What got you into this whole bodyguard thing? I mean, I know you said it’s a family business and you were trained for this, but did you have a say at all? Or were you just recruited the second you were old enough?”

“My parents would never have forced me into this. It was understood I would follow in their footsteps.”

I rub my pencil’s eraser against my lips. “Why, though? Why risk your life saving strangers’ lives?”

“You can say the same thing about police officers and firefighters.”

“Hmm…I guess that’s true. Is Foster your real last name?”

He shakes his head.

“Yeah, I figured. What about Caleb?”

“That’s my real name.”

“Good,” I say with a relieved sigh. “Because I like Caleb. I can’t imagine calling you anything else. Like, ‘What’s up, Jimmy?’ ‘How you doin’, Josh?’ ‘Check out those muscles, Tom!’ ‘Oh my gosh, Kyle, you totally swept me off my feet with those romantic lips.’” I twist my nose. “So not you.”

He gazes at me for a moment and then bursts out laughing. Yes, Caleb whatever-his-real-last-name-is is rolling on the floor and laughing his butt off. Okay, not really, but I’ve never seen or heard him laugh like this. A true belly laugh.

I just stare at him as every part of me fills with warmth. He looks so free and happy when he laughs. As though he’s finally lowering his guard and allowing himself to have a good time.

“What?” I ask as I join in the laughter.

“Kyle with his romantic lips?” he says with another laugh.

“Of course. His lips are magic, didn’t you know?”

“You are something else,” he mutters as he shakes his head and forces himself to stop laughing.

“ You’re the one who’s something else,” I retort. “You just stopped yourself from laughing. As though you’re putting a limit on how much fun you can have.”

“I don’t have fun,” he says as he straightens up and goes back to “bodyguard mode.”

“You should, though. Does your dad also not have fun with his charges? Maybe I should give him a call and tell him to force you to ease up a little. I know you can still have a little fun while doing your job.”

Darkness descends on his face. He tears his eyes away from me and stares at nothing before him.

“I’m sorry. Did I offend you? I was just joking…

Well, I mean, I would like you to have fun while you watch me, since, you know, I don’t think my parents’ murderers will fly in through the window and snatch me right from under your no se…

” My voice trails off when I notice that the darkness on his face has gotten stronger.

As though the more I talk, the worse I make him feel.

Forcing my lips shut, I continue working on my math equations.

After what feels like forever, Caleb says in a low voice, “My mom died on the job.”

My pencil drops from my hand with a low thud as my eyes spring to his.

His gaze is focused on the spot before him.

“You mean…?”

He nods. “She died protecting someone.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. And I’m sorry if I made you feel even worse with my lame humor. I was just trying to have fun with you.”

“I know. Don’t worry, you didn’t offend me.”

We’re both quiet. Caleb still stares at the spot before him, as though he’s traveling down memory lane. Maybe to the day he found out his mom died? I hate myself for bringing all of this up and forcing him to relive one of the worst days of his life.

“I’m not hurt, Addie,” he says as he turns his head to me. “I know what you’re thinking. But you shouldn’t feel bad. I think about my mom all the time.”

“I think about my parents all the time, too,” I whisper.

He gives me an understanding nod.

I keep my eyes on him as I try to imagine what it must have been like for him after his mom died.

Did it make him grow harder? Maybe he realized how serious his job really is and he’s been determined ever since to protect his charge with every fiber of his being?

I wonder if he channels his pain and heartache into his job.

“I know you want to ask me something,” he says.

I blink and stammer, “W-what? No. I mean…”

“You’re staring at me with that look in your eyes. You can ask, Addie.”

I look away from him. “I was just thinking how hard it must have been for you to do your job knowing your mom died while doing the same job. Like, how were you able to go back to work after something like that?”

“It’s our honor. My mom died a hero.”

“Yeah, she did. She’s one of the bravest people in the world. And you are, too. But did you ever consider a different life?”

His brows furrow as he thinks about my words. “A different life?”

“Do you want to get married one day? Have kids? It would be hard to raise a family in your line of work, wouldn’t it?”

“Marry and have kids? That’s not the life for me.”

As soon as the words come out, something passes over his face.

He stares off into the distance again and mutters, “I never considered anything else because I didn’t think I’d want any other life.

I was set on my path and I thought I would be content.

Me, alone, without having to rely on anyone…

or care for anyone more than what my job required of me.

But…” He shifts his gaze to me and watches me for a few seconds .

I tuck some hair behind my ear as I suddenly get super nervous by the way he’s looking at me. With the most intense eyes I’ve ever seen.

He breaks his gaze from me and nods to my math. “You should finish your homework before it gets too late. You have a hard exam tomorrow.”

“Right.” I clear my throat. “Of course.”

It’s so hard to concentrate because I want to delve into his heart. I want to get to know him better. Maybe I’m imagining things, but it seems as though he opened up to me more than he did in the past. Will he one day be comfortable enough to let me in?

***

As soon as I enter my room after school on Friday, I turn on the music and start dancing around.

Caleb lifts his brow at me, though there’s no mistaking the hint of humor hiding in his eyes.

“It’s a cause for celebration!” I say as I try some of Carly’s awesome moves.

“And what are you celebrating?” He leans on the wall and crosses his arms over his chest, eyes not leaving me once.

“I got an A plus on my math test!”

A small smile breaks out on his face. “That’s great. Congratulations, Addie.”

“I could have sworn I barely made a B,” I say as I start adding my own moves to the mix. “How could I have been so off?”

“Maybe you have the magical powers now,” he says .

“I said super powers, Mr. Big Muscles.”

“Ah, my bad. Forgive me.”

Maybe my having fun is rubbing off on him because he seems to be smiling more than before. Is it possible I’m actually chipping away at the armor he built around himself?

“Are you just going to stand there and watch me?” I ask.

“Any different from what I normally do?”

“Do I dance every day?” I shoot at him.

“No.”

“Then clearly today is not like other days.” I shimmy over to him and take his hands.

“What are you doing?” He tries to pull his hands free, but I’ve got a firm grip.

“No way, Mr. Caleb whatever-your-last-name-is. You’re joining in my fun because you helped make it happen.”

“And how exactly did I do that?”

“By telling me to continue studying.”

“You would have done that anyway.”