Chapter 4

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When I'm tired, it takes me far longer to process the idea of danger. My house could be on fire and if I am half asleep, I will stare at the breathtaking flames, wondering why such a beautiful site showed up just for me until it suddenly hits me FAR later than it should that I am about to die. My brain is useless when I am tired.

But my mouth on the other hand works on autopilot. It takes me zero seconds to get irritated when I'm tired. So that is my go-to, which is very unhelpful in a dangerous situation and is frankly, the most dangerous course of action that I could have possibly taken.

So as I stood staring up at a man in the shadows, who had chosen to ask a stupid question while I was trying to walk into the girl's restroom at six o clock in the morning, I didn't have time to adjust the filtering on my brain before an answer fell out of my mouth.

"Is it possible for you to skulk back into the shadows far enough for me to walk past you and get to the bathroom?"

My cheeks flamed into an unhealthy red beacon of embarrassment as my body caught up to my mouth's stupidity. Why had I just said something so insanely stupid to a guy a foot taller than me and could probably snap me in half? Did I want to die in a dark hallway forty feet from an old guy who was probably signing a contract to become my bodyguard?

The guy took a step forward, moving out of the shadows. He had blond hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and stubble that came in around his lips and chin. If he wasn't leering at me, he wouldn't have looked so utterly terrifying, towering over me like a possessive maniac.

"Woah. Chill out!" Blondie said with an easy laugh. "I just wanted to get to know you better."

"In a dark corner of a bathroom hallway?" I replied before I could shut my mouth. I took a step to the left, intending to walk around him. "Not the best flirting move."

Blondie stepped into my path, blocking my destination. "Hey!" He moved forward, cornering me against the wall. His hand moved down to land on my shoulder. "Don't be such a—."

Blondie was suddenly three feet away, stumbling back against the wall on the other side of the hallway, gripping the hand that had intended to land on my shoulder, with a shocked expression on his face. "What the hell?"

I turned as a new figure moved out of the shadows. A boy in his early twenties with black wavy hair that swept across his face and framed a strong jaw. He had the bluest eyes I had ever seen and oozed a confident and powerful aura of protection as he stood next to me.

The new arrival had been so quiet, that I hadn't realized how close he had gotten to me until he had all but chucked Blondie three feet. Blue Eyes was at least six foot two and wore an immaculate and well-pressed black suit with a blue tie that made his eyes sharp and crisp like the morning horizon when it met the ocean.

He was breathtaking and apparently not quite finished being my savior because his eyes were glued to Blondie, a hard expression on his face.

"The lady said she was going to the restroom," he motioned for me to go, his eyes still on Blondie.

"Stay out of it, Knock Off James Bond. We were just talking," Blondie responded.

I finally got my body to move, dashing towards the bathroom. Stumbling inside, I locked the door behind me and turned towards the sink. Splashing water on my face, I took in several deep breaths, trying to calm down. My hands were trembling and my heart was five beats away from jumping out of my chest and making a break for it.

I could hear voices on the other side of the door, but couldn't piece together any words. I didn't really want to hear the commotion, but I couldn't hide in the bathroom all day. I had just come here to try and collect my thoughts after Brandon showed up to become my bodyguard. I groaned. I needed to get back before they both thought I was either dead, going number two, or had just straight up left.

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