billion dollar woman || nanowrimo 2k18

three

The drive home, Alfie can barely keep his eyes on the road. He keeps checking the backseat in the rearview mirror for the passenger he can't take his mind off. As soon as he parks in front of the Fuentes home, he walks to Camila's car door. But rather than stand aside so she can get out, he plants him in the doorway.

He bends down and demands, "Scoot."

"Excuse me?" she asks for clarification with a confused expression.

He waves his arm, gesturing for her to move. "Scoot over."

Camila looks around the back seat as Alfie sits beside her. "Can I help you?"

"Talk to me," he tells her kindly. "Indulge me. I know you've not spoken about it with anyone else."

She shuts her eyes, shaking her head rapidly. "I'm not doing this," she says defiantly. Alfie won't take no for an answer concerning this, and Camila knows it. "It was scary, Alfred. Is that what you want to hear? Can I go now?"

"No," he deadpans.

Camila huffs, crossing her arms. "Fine. I get nightmares about it. About... the shot, Lia screaming, your hands pushing on my shoulder, all the blood... passing out. It scared me, and it still does," she says with her voice cracking.

Alfie waits a moment before he asks, "Can I do anything?"

She shakes her head, slouching back into the white faux leather. "I just don't sleep sometimes. Can't have nightmares if I don't sleep."

"You know that's not healthy, yeah?"

She rolls her eyes, smirking slightly up at him. "You sound like Lia."

"I just want to help."

"I know. It's good to be distracted. You help enough letting me drag you around at 4AM." He chuckles with her at that. "You don't need to worry about me."

He tilts his head. "I can still want to," he says, repeating what she'd say earlier in the store.

She looks down, feeling her cheeks going warm as a smile came to her face. Alfie's glad to be the one to make her smile. His expression gets softer, wishing so badly to take any pain away. She's too closed off to let him do any real change.

"I hate it when you look at me like that," she mutters. He asks what she means, and she exclaims, "Like I'm just the small little girl who can't do anything without her fucking bodyguard protecting her!"

"I've never looked at you like that," he states quietly.

She sighs, upset with herself for snapping again. Alfie's just trying to help. She knows that; she's always known that.

Camila takes a deep breath in, not being able to help herself as her eyes slip down to Alfie's lips. He catches this, blinking rapidly to bring himself back into focus. He's facing his client, the woman he's hired to protect, yet right now all he can think of is closing the space between them.

He clears his throat, looking to his left and pointing to the big house. "You should get to bed," he tells her quietly.

Alfie opens the door, letting the heiress out before he walks her up the stairs to the front door. He runs back down to make two trips to bring inside all her Christmas purchases, all while wondering about the small bag Camila holds that must be his own present.

"Hey, Alfie?" He hums in response, and she asks, "Can you come over tomorrow and help me put up the lights?"

"Of course," he nods. "Good night, Miss Camila."

She smiles back tightly, watching him walk back to her car and drive off into the night. She sighs softly, shaking her head at herself as she takes the stairs to the top floor, deciding to tell the maid to move her presents by the front door in the morning.

As Camila sneaks up the steps, finally reaching her floor, she passes Amalia's room. The younger girl hears her sister's footsteps and opens her door.

"Cam," she greets, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Where'd you go?"

Camila walks up to her, saying, "Just the store. Couldn't sleep."

"Alfred took you?" Camila nods, and Amalia smirks. "When are you gonna jump his bones already?"

Cami scoffs, her jaw dropping before she scolds, "Lia! God, have some tact. And never. He's just my driver." The black-haired girl opens her mouth to object but gets cut off by a voice behind her.

"Amalia, love, come back to bed," Amalia's Australian and groggy-voiced girlfriend, Eleanor, speaks up from in the bedroom.

Camila raises an eyebrow, saying, "You seem busy. I'm going to my room to put headphones on."

Amalia purses her lips and nods. "Let me know before you go on your next late night drive, okay?" The elder sister promises as much, retiring to her own bedroom.

Camila lies in bed wondering how she got herself in so deep. She doesn't see the way Alfie beams when he looks at her, doesn't hear the way his heart beats faster than he means it to, doesn't feel the way he palms warm at the thought of her. Camila's going forward thinking any feelings are one-sided, and she couldn't be more wrong.

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posted nov 03.18