For Her Honor

Chapter 22

I stood there awkwardly.

My mind simply couldn't comprehend what had just happened in front of me. Ryder had finally convinced Marco, my incredibly stubborn and bull headed bodyguard, that he cared for me. But it wasn't just that he cared for me...

...he loved me.

You know when you try shoving a crumpled up dollar into a vending machine and it just won't accept it then it just gets frustrating for everyone involved?Well that's basically how I felt right now, like a vending machine trying to accept a crumpled up dollar.

Marco...loved me...

Abruptly, I felt myself stumbling backwards. Emma was still holding me tightly and followed after me without saying a single word. We managed to escape the room without Marco or Ryder noticing us and once we were out in the hall, I felt like I might pass out all over again. We made it a short distance before I leaned against a wall and collapsed onto the ground.

Why did it feel like a flock of butterflies had been unleashed within my stomach?

And why did it feel like my heart had been stuck in a toaster?

"Harmony, are you okay?" Emma asked quietly, kneeling down in front of me as I tried sorting through the millions of thoughts flashing through my mind. I nodded absentmindedly, placing both my hands on my head.

This was too much.Yes, Marco and I were close. I had finally accepted that I liked him more than just a friend or even a best friend. But I had also accepted that he would never return the feelings I felt towards him.He had told me, rather sternly if I remember correctly, that clients and bodyguards couldn't share a romantic relationship. Not successfully. He had been with Millie but Toni had insisted that it wasn't a relationship based on a deep connection. It was just a fling.

But now I had just witnessed Marco completely break down in front of his cousin,confessing how he cared for me as more than just a client. After all the denial and all the arguments, he finally gave in to what he was feeling. And now I didn't know what to do.

Just because he admitted how he felt didn't mean that he'd admit it to me.Technically, I wasn't suppose to hear what Marco had told his cousin.It was a private conversation and it was wrong for me to eavesdrop.But I couldn't say that I regretted it because now I knew how Marco felt.

Even though that didn't change a damn thing.

"Harmony, look at me." Emma abruptly demanded, her tiny voice cutting through the silence surround me like a knife. When my eyes met her's, I saw that they were soft and understanding, "Listen, I know this is a lot to take in. I discovered that Ryder had feelings for me the exact same way that you found out Marco cares for you, by eavesdropping. It isn't always the best solution but sometimes it gets the jobs done."

A small smile slid onto my face at hearing how similar my situation was to Emma's three years ago. But then I felt that cold fear capture my heart again when I thought of what had just happened. I cleared my throat but I knew my voice would be lost for another hour at least, so I whispered instead, "I don't know what to do."

Emma shifted until she could sit down in front of me then grabbed my hands in her's,"And I wish I could tell you what to do. But I can't. Neither can Toni or anyone else. I know it's scary but you've got to decide this all on your own."

My mind drifted back to how scared Marco looked when Ryder first accused him of loving me. Did he feel the same way I was feeling now?

"I think...I think that I love him." I breathed to her, feeling like my heart was going to explode.