And Here I am again! I have one of my re-sits tomorrow, but I still wanted to get this one online tonight. As a treat for the nice reviews.
I loved them! BUT… There is someone who I'd want to thank. You have given me the most amazing review I've ever gotten, and it means a lot to me! I'm not really all that confident about my writing, but you gave me a boost!
So thank you yayyme for you amazingly sweet review on this story! I hope you like this chapter as much!
as every time: none of this is mine, just toying a bit with the characters.
CHAPTER 7
"There you are!" Alek got out, breathing heavily. He had come down the stairs in a hurry, knocking over a flower pot on his way and limping as if he had walked into something.
"Where else would I be?" she asked, frying pan in hand.
"I don't know. Not here. And I don't like that thought." He ruffled through his hair with his hand while he checked the rooms for threats that weren't there.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to wake you. Although that chair must have been extremely uncomfortable." She stated, smiling a bit. Alek couldn't help but smile back at her. She was fine. Chloe was fine again. She wasn't in pain and she hadn't lost another life. His main concerns could return to the back of his mind until the Order decided to try and kill her. Again.
"I just thought, after last night… I guess I'm just a bit worried." He managed to get out, even avoiding looking at her directly, something he hadn't done since… well, since ever.
"And you're right. That chair was most uncomfortable. I think I can never walk straight again." Alek tried to lighten the mood but he was trying just a bit too hard. The blonde girl in front of him noticed he wasn't succeeding, though she stayed silent about it.
"Come on, sit down and have some breakfast." Chloe smiled genuinely. Her protector had taken care of her last night, the least she could do was make him a decent breakfast. Alek looked at her in awe.
"Hey, I should be making you breakfast! You fell down yesterday, remember?" he countered.
"Uh… first, I didn't fall! I attacked the ground. And secondly, I owe you this. You took care of me when I was hurt and now I want to do something in return." She said, smiling the prettiest smile. Alek might have gotten just a tad bit weak in the knees, but he blamed the bad chair. Yes, definitely the bad chair.
"And besides," she continued, "It only breakfast, not rocket science."
"At least let me help you." He suggested. To this, the Mai girl agreed. Alek set the table while Chloe prepared breakfast. Or lunch. Brunch.
The pair of them was still enjoying their food when Chloe's phone rang.
"Hmm… Amy. I'm still baffled it took her this long to make known she wants her attention fix." Alek said with his cocky smile on his handsome face.
Wow… handsome? Really, Chloe? Really?
"Hey, she's still my best friend!" the girl immediately replied.
"I know. But she can be… persistent. And her boyfriend isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed." Alek continued, not knowing he was actually hurting Chloe.
Chloe stayed silent, and instead of answering or defending her friends, she started cleaning the table without giving Alek a second look.
'45th look, actually. Damn, what's wrong with my head?' she thought inside the safety of her own mind.
She didn't look at him, and she didn't say anything. Basically, she was just ignoring the protector that was still eating a sandwich. It was only when some of his witty remarks didn't get the attention they were used to, that Alek started noticing something was off. 'That'll serve him right.' Was the only thing Chloe thought. It was about time Alek realized he couldn't keep insulting Amy and Paul.
"Chloe?" he asked surprised, but the girl didn't give him the time of day.
When the table had been emptied and the dishes had been put in the dishwasher, Alek finally got up from his comfortable stool.
"Hey," he tried again, and once more he walked straight into the brick wall that was Chloe King at the moment.
The Brit reached for her arms, but Chloe darted just out of reach, holding up both hands as to make clear not to touch her, still not looking at him. Eventually, Alek couldn't take it anymore.
"Please, Chloe, what did I do that make you act like this." He practically cried out. Now Chloe looked at him, and what Alek saw in her eyes, scared him a bit. She must have been looking really scary for Alek to get scared. Maybe she was taking this a tad bit too far? 'Nah, he deserves it. This has been going on for too long.' She thought.
"Chloe? You alright?" he asked cautiously. Chloe made way for the stairs when he sprinted in front of her, holding her hostage between himself and the wall.
"Alek. Let. Me. Go." She said, stressing each word. The moment gave her a disturbing sense of déjà-vu. Last night with Brian had happened in somewhat the same way.
"I will, if you talk to me."
"Let. Me. GO." She repeated, fear tangible all around her. Alek realized it as well, releasing her in an instant. 'Fieuw, crisis averted.' She thought now. Chloe was surprised by her own fierce reaction. Never before had it bothered her like this to be standing close to somebody. And never had she radiated fear like she had done just now.
"And don't insult my friends. Ever again!" the words were powerful, but the look in her eyes didn't just show anger towards Alek, there was the fear for what just had happened. Or hadn't happened. But Chloe wasn't one to get scared easily. There must have been something else as well.
Now the young woman had the chance, she ran to her room, slamming the door in a way that her mother would refer to as 'childish' and 'immature'. She couldn't agree more.
"Alek slowly went after her, giving her a bit of time to recover. Once in front of her closed door, he breathed deeply. His heart rate might have been a bit faster than normal, and he was damn sure Chloe had noticed that as well.
"damn you, cat hearing!" he thought to himself.
"Chloe, I'm really really sorry for the way I behaved. I shouldn't have said the things I did and I won't say them ever again." He rolled his eyes while speaking.
"Don't roll your eyes like that. I know you're doing that." How on earth could she know that? He wondered, throwing his arms in the air in annoyance.
"And stop waving your arms like a mad chicken." She said now. Alek could bang his head to the wall. 'had she suddenly become psychic as well?' he wondered.
"Don't worry, I just know you too well." She said through the door, sighing loudly. The girl had calmed down again. The fear had drawn away, as had the anger she had felt earlier. Talking about heightened emotions…
"I'm sorry. But honestly, Chloe, I won't talk about your friends like that again." He assured her. The door opened a crack.
"And you're not joking now?" she asked, still not believing him.
"I give you my word." The tall blonde answered her, smirk again in place. The door opened wider.
"Alright then. I believe you." There was no sign whatsoever that she was still angry over what he had said earlier. It was almost like it had never happened at all. Chloe made a mental note to never ever get scared like that again. Or at least, to not show it. Fear was a weakness some people shouldn't get to see. Or so she thought.
"Thank you. That's a huge relief. You know you were kind of scaring me earlier on."
"Well, you had it coming. And besides, was I really that scary?" She winked, letting him in while tying her hair in a loose pony tail.
Her hair was shining in the glistening light on the sun and her hair was lighting up the room. Or so thought Alek when he nodded.
"Speaking of my awesome friends, they're coming over. So you better head out."
"You're kicking me out?" was all he said. Chloe was all smiles and darting curls and happiness. Alek started laughing at the sight of her face. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever encountered. He sat on her bed while she was brushing her teeth. Even with half of her face covered in toothpaste she looked adorable.
'Keep your head straight, Petrov!' he scolded himself. Sure, the feelings had been there for some time now, but they had never been as strong as the night before. Seeing her hurt like that made him question everything he believed in, it made him question his own abilities to protect her. For a moment he feared he had failed. He couldn't lose her, and he couldn't be the one responsible for her losing another life.
He tried to shake the dark thoughts out of his head. She hadn't lost a life, and he hadn't lost her. Yet.
Still, it was impossible to see that she had been attacked only the night before. The only clue giving that away was the gash on her forehead.
"You might want to cover that up. If not for your friends, than at least for your mother." He said pointing at his own forehead. She looked in the mirror and her eyes grew big.
"Man, I really hit the pavement hard." She gently pressed the bruise and winced at the touch of her own fingers.
"Here, let me." Alek suggested. He jumped off of the bed and walked over to the girl.
With the softest touch he skimmed his fingertips over the healing wound, sending shivers through her body.
'Damn, he's standing really close. He smells nice. Wow… that hit must have really messed with my mind.'
Chloe was starting to think her mind was leading its own life. She looked up at Alek, who was all seriousness right then. Ever so careful he took a strand of her hair and placed it a bit more over her forehead.
"There, now your mom won't notice. Amy might, though. Things like this don't get past her easily. Besides, I'm sure you're just going to tell her anyway."
Chloe couldn't suppress a smile. Of course she was going to tell Amy. There weren't secrets between them, and this wouldn't become the first thing she wouldn't tell her best friend on the planet.
"Don't worry. I just know you too well." Alek winked before leaving through the window.
He could have just taken the front door, Chloe mused while changing her crumpled clothes.
But then again, old habits die hard…
A/N: I'm being stalked by the most annoying plotbunnies I've ever seen in my life! And the writer's block I'm developing has grown to the size of Jupiter. But don't worry, I still have a few chapters that are finished, and I hope that the Block will resolve in the next few days.
Let me know what you like about the story, if you have any ideas... all help is more than welcome!
I'm out!
