The Author and Her Bodyguard

Chapter 28

Rain came down in cold sheets, washing away the details of the night, and replacing it with colorful blurs as we bolted out the back door and into the alley.

I turned right towards the main street where our rental car was parked but froze when I saw several people gathered around it. Aiden pulled us back towards the shadows, his voice quiet as rain continued to come down. "They haven't seen us yet."

Turning, we bolted deeper into the alley, Aiden's grip on my hand tight. A shout rang out behind us as Tate flew out the back door, followed by dozens of fans. Aiden swore and sprinted faster. I had never been so thankful for wearing flats in my life. But even in the proper footwear, I struggled to keep up on the slippery street.

And as we turned onto a back street, the sudden change in direction sent me sliding. I lost my grip on Aiden's hand, the rain making our grip slick, and let out a startled scream before crashing into a set of trash cans.

My head hit the ground with a crack, filling my vision with stars. "Laliana!" Aiden shouted. His face swirled in front of me, giving me twice as many eyes to look at.

"Laliana?" Aiden said, his voice cracking with concern. "Are you okay?"

"All six... of your eyes are beautiful..." I said past the splitting headache in the back of my skull. "Why are your eyes so breathtaking..." I murmured. Aiden's face was close to mine, blocking raindrops from hitting my face as he checked my head. His black hair fell forward, droplets dripping off each strand and hitting my temples in gentle taps. "They are so pretty, it hurts..."

A raw vulnerability filled his face, dimples flashing as he smiled down at me shyly. "I'll take that as a compliment."

There was a sudden crash to our left and Aiden vanished from sight.

A moment later he appeared again. "Okay, Laliana," he said, his arms slipping under my knees and back. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"I can stand," I protested.

I was suddenly in the air, cradled in his arms, and fully aware, even in my dizziness of how many muscles were in his chest.

"I'm sure you can. But I don't really want you falling anymore. My mom would kill me." He chuckled, causing his chest to rumble. Then we were moving, the rain hitting my face, but the feeling felt far away as his warmth filled my body.

Aiden was fast, moving with grace and speed as we moved down the backstreet. Turning, Aiden picked up speed as we hit the sidewalk and ducked under awning after store awning to keep the rain at bay.

Two blocks later, Aiden stepped up onto an apartment stoop with a red overhang and gently placed me on the ground as far back into the shadows as we could go. Then he crouched down next to me, both of our backs against the door that led inside the building. He shifted his body so he could look down at me, taking deep lungfuls of air from the sprint.

His hair was caked to his face, clothes soaked through, leaving little to the imagination from chest up in his buttoned-up white shirt. Hist chest rose and fell in a deep, hypnotic rhythm. "You constantly scare the living daylights out of me Summers."

"I know," I answered, leaning my head back against the door.

"You are constantly getting into trouble." He ran his fingers through his wet hair, muscles chorded in frustration. "I've never met a writer who has fans chase her for three blocks—" A group of girls sprinted into view, each carrying a shopping bag from The Black Squirrel and Tea Bookstore. Aiden turned his body to fully face mine, bringing my face against his chest, blocking me from their sight. The girls continued down the street in a fit of giggles. "Make that four blocks."