The CEO and Her Driver

Chapter 30

You learn a lot about a person by watching them with their family. By watching them handle the people they love most in the world, and how they deal with those people pushing their buttons. And watching Tate with Aiden had already taught me a few things since being picked up outside of the ramen shop...

One, Aiden wasn't the best at picking up on Tate's irritation levels. Two, Aiden was used to being the one in charge. And three, Tate who was normally very relaxed was just not having it that day.

"Things are just going to get more chaotic," Aiden was saying. "Cameras will be following her everywhere. Which means she will need a security team." The idea made me bristle. There was no way I was going to allow a bunch of bland, scary-looking morons to follow me around. I can take care of myself, thank you very much.

"Guards on both night shifts and day shifts. A total of four guards to be safe, especially since they are painting her as a villain."

I closed my eyes, trying to erase the new word added to my catalog. Villain. 

"I will talk to Brandon—"

"Stop the car," Tate said, all attempt at humor gone.

Aiden stared at his cousin in the review mirror. "What?"

"That's when you pull the car towards the curb and stop."

Aiden narrowed his eyes, glaring at the road. "I know how stopping a car works, Tate."

"Then do it," Tate replied, through clenched teeth.

"There is no curb. We are on a bridge—"

"JUST. DO. IT," Tate growled.

I stared at Tate, wide-eyed. I had never heard him sound so angry before. The car screeched to an angry stop and Tate climbed out, pulling me out behind him. Then he leaned back into the car's back door. "Don't talk to Brandon. Don't make plans. Don't create security details. Just go home."

Then Tate slammed the door, glaring at the car as it drove off, daring it to challenge him.

We stood on a tiny sidewalk in the middle of a busy bridge in utter silence as cars roared past, kicking up wind in the setting sun. The scene pretty much described our day. Wild and unexpected with a pretty view thrown in. None of the cars seemed to care about the two battered humans standing on the sidewalk, and I wanted it to stay that way.

Tate sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he watched the car vanish into traffic. "I'm sorry about Aiden." He looked unraveled by the exchange as he rocked back on his heels, turning to look at me. "Are you okay?"

That was a loaded question. One I wasn't ready to answer on a busy bridge in the middle of heavy traffic. If I thought about it, things would only get worse.

"Let's skip that question for now." I took in Tate, who had been angry enough to demand to be let out on the middle of a bridge, who looked breathtaking as the afternoon sun carved into his features, highlighting how deeply today had hurt him. It made my chest ache. And I suddenly and desperately wanted to make it all go away. To wash the distress from his brow, from his shoulders, from his hands, from every part of him that looked ready to explode with unexpressed emotions.