What was I doing? I couldn’t get involved with him! Not with the job to do! But here I was, dreaming about him – thinking about that kiss – the feel of his soft, hot lips… My phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts with a bump.
"Jonathan," I breathed, feeling a mixture of relief and panic. "I don't know what to do… Nick kissed me, and now he's going to dump his girlfriend… what have I done?"
"Well done Sophie. I knew you could do it, and I'm sure Mr. Fox will be pleased with how fast you sorted out the problem." I was silent for a moment,
"Huh?" I was thoroughly confused. Jonathan laughed,
"Sophie you were supposed to get Nick and Lana apart, and you have. I admit, your method is a little extreme, but it's not like you're seriously going to have a relationship with him… though you had be worried for a second." I swallowed hard. I hadn't even realised, in my panic, that I had done exactly what I was supposed to do.
"Yeah, of course…" For once Jonathan didn't pick up on my tone and went on to tell me about any updates that seemed important.
Brian tried to listen to Nick's phone conversation through the bathroom door.
"Yeah… I know… it's just not going to work… no, there's no one else… I'm sorry Lana… okay… well, no…" It was all a little confusing seeing as he couldn't hear the other end of the conversation. Brian walked out of the bathroom just as Nick was hanging up. He smiled,
"Who was that?" Nick looked worried for a second, running his hand nervously through his hair.
"Oh… no one." Brian raised his eyebrows, but didn't push the matter seeing as he already knew who it was.
"How was Sophie last night? I heard you come in, but I was too tired to ask." Nick smiled,
"She was good. A little shaken up, but I'm sure she'll be fine." He stood up from his place on the bed and picked up his cap, "I think I'm gonna go downstairs… I am sick of seeing the insides of this room. I feel like we've been in here forever!" Pulling on his cap to cover his blonde hair he left Brian to his own devices.
Whistling quietly, Nick tried to concentrate on other things besides Sophie, but she continued to creep into his mind, interfering with his trail of thought. She was so different from anyone else he had ever met. He was intrigued by her secretiveness and her past, and it made him frustrated that he knew so little about her. Where had she actually come from, did she have any brothers or sisters, where did she go to school, what really happened to make her come here..? A hand reaching out and grabbing him roughly jolted his questions from his mind. Pulled into a room and slammed up against the door Nick's heart raced and pulse quickened.
"My… aren’t you handsome," the amazingly strong and attractive woman ran a finger across his collarbone as he tried to regain his composure.
"Excuse me?" She smiled, a smile which made his blood run cold. It wasn't a friendly smile, it was a sinister, evil smile.
"He sent those weak imbeciles before because he underestimated your protector. I, on the other hand, knew that it would take more than those morons to defeat her… but it got to you didn't it?" Nick tried to gulp down the fear that was building up in his throat.
"What got to me?" he asked, fright evident in his voice. She stepped back, but not far enough to let him escape,
"Knowing that someone was after you. That someone wanted you dead." Nick's eyes darted around the room, looking for something that may divert her attention for a minute.
"Who are you?" Her dark eyes travelled up and down his body, causing him to feeling incredibly uncomfortable.
"Does it matter?" She looked directly into his eyes, "You won't be here long enough for it to matter." Nick's fear grew.
I picked up the phone in frustration. Every time I thought I had a moment to myself I was interrupted.
"What?" I asked, my agitation clear.
"Nick's in trouble. He sent his girlfriend... she may already be there. Find Nick, quickly." The line went dead, cutting off Jonathan's voice. I threw down the phone and ran out into the hallway. He could be anywhere. She could be anywhere. She could already have found them. Frantically I began banging on doors, receiving hostile receptions from their occupants.
"Sophie, what are you doing?" Brian's inquisitive and worried face appeared in front of me.
"Where's Nick?"
"He went downstairs, but wh-" I pushed past him, leaving him completely bewildered. I continued banging on the doors and came to a halt outside room 344. There was silence for a moment, before a faint shuffle was evident from inside. I knocked again, feeling oddly confident that Nick was in there. A moment later his voice floated through the door.
"Th- This is an inconvenient time right now." He sounded scared. Putting on a slightly different voice I said,
"Sorry sir." I waited a moment before stepping back and throwing a kick at the door. It swung open, clashing loudly with the wall, and I ran inside before it could be closed again. Nick was sat on the bed looking petrified. I couldn't see any sign of anyone else.
"Sophie, darling! You made it." I turned round as she closed the door and grinned at me.
"Hello Michelle." I moved backwards slightly so that I was closer to Nick.
"Your just in time. Nick and I were just getting acquainted, weren't we sweetie?" Nick didn't say anything as we both turned to him.
"Well, we have to go now. Nice seeing you again." Michelle laughed, a sound that almost met with the term 'cackle'.
"Now, I don't think you're gonna be doing that." She walked towards me, "I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I just let you both walk out of here… alive." I heard Nick catch his breath in his throat and I quickly moved in front of him. "So… what's it like Sophie?" Michelle began another tactic.
"What?" My voice was cold and I was surprised by my lack of fear.
"To sleep with one of the world's hottest pop stars? To kiss him, to have his hot lips on your skin…" The next word was silenced by my fist connecting with her face. She stumbled backwards, but quickly regained her balance, before lunging at me. I avoided her aim at my face, only to catch a heavy blow to my shoulder. I swept her feet from under her and she feel to the ground.
"Nick! Run!" Michelle was quickly on her feet again and my face burned from the impact with her foot. I almost fell but caught myself on the small table and balanced my weight on the table, kicking my legs up and sending her flying across the room. Amazingly she came back at me and kicked me square in the stomach. I doubled over, quickly receiving a blow on the back which sent me sprawling to the floor. I managed to roll over. Michelle loomed above me, a smile curving on her lips. My breath came in wheezes as my lungs struggled to retrieve the air which had been knocked out of them.
"Well. I won't be seeing ya!" she laughed. I closed me eyes, defeated. I waited for the pain, for the end… but instead a short crashing sound came from above me before a heavy weight fell on to me, once again knocking all the air from my body. I opened my eyes. Michelle's limp body was lying across mine and Nick's face appeared above, looking anxious. Using all his strength he pulled Michelle to one side, then helped me up.
"Sh*t, are you okay?" I continued to wheeze, struggling for breath, but finally nodded. He pushed the hair away from my face and gently kissed my forehead. "Thank you." I smiled, but it probably ended up more as a grimace as the whole left side of my face burned. I took a deep breath and turned to look at Michelle, her unconscious body was slumped by the wall.
"Nick. Wait outside." He looked confused,
"Why?" I pushed him towards the door with little energy.
"I'll be there in a second." Without giving him any opportunity to protest I closed the door and locked it.
I emerged shortly after, feeling sick, bruised and tired. Nick took my arm and led me back to my room, sitting me carefully on the bed.
"What did you do in there?" he asked, gently seeing to my cuts.
"Wow, this is becoming a bit of a habit huh?" I said, trying to change the subject. He shot me a look. "I couldn't let her try and kill you again." Realisation spread across his face and he quickly moved away from me.
"She didn't want to kill me! She was just a psycho fan… I would've got security to sort it." I stood up, cringing slightly with the pain.
"You can't seriously believe that?" Nick stepped back again,
"Why not? It's more likely than the bull you'll probably come up with!" I sighed, deciding not to try and approach him again.
"Nick, there's a lot you don't know, and a lot I can't tell you. But I will tell you that the reason I am here is for your protection." Nick continued to look wary and I turned away, examining the bruises on my arm. Picking up the lotion which, apparently, helped soothe bruised skin I unscrewed the lid. "I understand if you don't completely trust me," I continued, struggling to apply the lotion. Nick's steady hands took it from me and softly rubbed it into my skin, careful not to apply too much pressure.
"Why are they after me?" I looked up at him and his eyes met with mine. I couldn't tell whether he was just going along with it or if he actually realised that what I had told him was the truth. I shrugged, which wasn't a good idea as my shoulder was pretty much busted up. "Careful."
"I don't know Nick. And I swear, that that is the truth…" I watched him rub in the lotion, wincing slightly as he touched a particularly tender area. He looked up and gave me an apologetic look. "I was just told to train, then come here and make sure you weren't killed…" Nick replaced the lid and threw the bottle on to the bed. He studied me for a moment,
"Why did they send a girl? Why not a great big body builder… a guy preferably?" I pulled down the sleeve of my top,
"That's a little sexist… but I don't know. I didn't ask to do this Nick. I was told that I had to." I sighed and sat down on the bed. "I would much rather be at home, doing all the things that I took for granted before. Like hanging out with my friends, going to college. All of that…" Nick sat down next to me.
"I don't understand any of this… but I believe you." I turned towards him,
"Thank you." There was a moment of silence, broken suddenly by the sound of my phone. I picked it up,
"Did you find him?"
"Yes. He's fine, but I need you to sort out room 344…" Nick stood up and walked to the window.
"She's dead then?" Jonathan sounded indifferent.
"Yes."
"Expect worse Sophie. I'll speak to you soon." The line went dead, and placed the phone on the bed side cabinet. Nick turned back towards me,
"I should get back to my room. Brian might be worried." I nodded. "What are you going to do about your face?" I frowned. "The bruising?"
"Oh. I'll think of something. I'll see you tomorrow Nick." He left quietly, leaving me to think of a reason as to why my face was black and blue.
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The Protector
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