Loving the Bodyguard [Complete]

XXV

"I wanted to preserve this moment, this slice of time when the night was cool and bright with reflected moonlight and the possibility of a kiss hung between us, full of unspent promise. Every event in my life after this would be different because I would have been kissed."

Alex Flinn, Bewitching (Kendra Chronicles, #2)

________________________

Ace

The boat ride went smoothly, and Hailey looked happy. She was smiling all day. I had succeeded. I wanted her to enjoy and forget all the worries.

We both stared at the sunset. The golden rays dissolved behind the horizon. Crimson, orange, and various shades of yellow intermingled together. The blue sky will soon be consumed: by the night and the stars will twinkle.

We stood beside the river. My eyes were fixed on Hailey. A warmth radiated from her body. I wanted to engulf her in a hug and lose myself in her.

I did not want anything except to see her happy. She had shared with me her father's memory. I was a stranger to her, a stranger who saved her life.

We had been running for our lives for weeks. I was tired and exhausted from fights. I wanted to rest to forget all the worries in the world, and Hailey made me forget my worries.

She was beautiful, kind, and caring.

"Ace! The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?"

"It is," I said.

Her cerulean-blue eyes gleamed in the yellow rays like twinkling stars.

"Hailey, I want to share something with you." I ran a hand through my coffee-brown hair.

"Then tell me. As promised, I will not run away."

"It's about Laura."

"Ralph's dead fiance? The girl was killed by Ralph."

"It was an accident. Ralph never wanted to kill her," I said, taking in deep breaths.

"How?" The smile vanished from her face.

I had chosen a wrong time, but there was no turning back. I had buried this memory in my heart for a long time. Laura's face haunted me.

"She is dead because of me." My voice was breaking.

"You are lying," she said.

"I was eighteen when Dominic forced me to stay in his house. My job was following Ralph around like a dog. I protected him from attacks, and then Laura came into our lives," I said.

My heart was beating like a drum. I felt as if it would burst inside my chest cavity. I was tired of carrying this guilt.

"Ralph fell in love with her. Laura's father was a drug lord, and he was close to Dominic. They fixed Ralph and Laura's engagement. But she was not happy. Then she became my friend," I said. "She never loved Ralph. She wanted to tell the truth to Ralph and."

"And what?" She asked in her voice was calm.

"And she stood on her word and told Ralph the truth in front of me."

"What did she say?"

"She said 'I love Ace, not you.'"

A strange silence settled between me and Hailey. She stood frozen like a stone statue. Her face was devoid of expressions as if somebody had extracted them.

Tears dripped down my eyes like water droplets from rain clouds. "Ralph was furious, and he took out his gun and pointed it at me. I was frozen, and my feet were leaden. She pleaded to Ralph to throw the gun away, but he did not budge," I wiped the tears from my eyes.

"What happened then?" She asked and looked straight in my eyes.

"Ralph pulled the trigger, but Laura jumped in the way. The bullet pierced through her heart instead of mine. She died in my arms. She sacrificed her life for me. I killed her." I dropped on my knees. The sound of the flowing water was the only thing that made me feel alive.

I stared blankly at the soil. A warm hand lifted my face. My gray eyes met with Hailey's cerulean eyes.

"You did not kill her. It was her choice," she said. We were at eye level. I could feel her warm breath on my face.

She passed me a smile and pulled me closer to herself. Our noses touched, and my lips were inches away from her. She got closer, covering the distance between us.

Our lips collided, and she kissed me passionately. She wrapped her arms around my neck. I kissed her back desperately, deepening the kiss. The time stopped. I felt as if we were in a bubble away from the world.

She broke the kiss, and we both stared at the setting sun, listening to the singing river.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading. Don't forget to vote. Forgive me for the late update. [ Writers block you know -_- ]

Dedicated to kodzuken_tetsurou

Now, you know why Ralph hates Ace and how she died. We are approaching the end.