I take the back position, my body angled outward.
Bodyguard.
The thought is surreal.
I’ve been guarded my whole life—by coaches, by teams, by staff. I’ve walked through arena tunnels with security. I’ve had people manage entrances and exits like it’s choreography.
I’ve never been the one doing it.
We hit the door. The girls follow, shouting, pleading, jostling one another.
“RAFE, PLEASE!”
“JUST ONE!”
“WE’LL DIE!”
One of them lunges again, her hand catching Rafe’s sleeve. He stumbles, and my heart stops. I reach out instinctively, catching him by the shoulder and pulling him back toward me. I step between him and the girl so hard she bounces backward.
“Enough,” I growl.
She freezes.
Maybe it’s my size. Maybe it’s my tone. Maybe it’s the way my patience has evaporated completely. Either way, she backs off.
We hit the parking lot.
Miles unlocks the SUV with shaking hands, shouting, “Get in, get in.”
Rafe climbs into the back seat first, scrambling across to the far side. Eli and Drew pile in. Miles gets into the driver’s seat. I slide in last, my whole body shielding the opening until the door shuts.
When it does, the sound is final. Sealing.
The girls bang on the window for a second, faces distorted, phones raised. Then Miles peels out of the parking lot so fast, the tires spit gravel.
For several long seconds, nobody speaks. The only sound is breathing. Rafe’s is ragged. He’s shaking beside me.
My chest aches with delayed adrenaline, my hands clenched so tightly that my knuckles burn. I keep my body angled toward him anyway, protective even though we’re moving, even though we’re safe.
Miles curses under his breath. Eli lets out a shaky laugh that isn’t humor. Drew stares straight ahead like he’s replaying it.
Rafe finally pulls his sunglasses off. His eyes are bright. Not teary. Not dramatic. Just overwhelmed. “That was…,” he starts.
“Fucked,” Eli finishes.
Rafe huffs a laugh that breaks in the middle. “Yeah.” He glances at me. His voice goes smaller. “Thanks.”
I swallow hard. “Of course.”
Miles adjusts the rearview mirror, eyes sharp. “Everyone okay?”
Rafe nods, but it’s not convincing. I feel him press closer, shoulder against mine like he’s seeking stability. It’s instinctive. He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.
Eli breaks the tension. “So, breakfast was fun.”
Drew snorts. “We should do it more often.”
Miles shoots him a look. “Shut up.”
