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“Right. That’s not helping, sorry,” she mutters. “Look, I was worried because on my way over here, I kept thinking … well, of course my new bodyguard went and got himself offed or something. I was just starting to like him. Maybe even consider him my friend. So, naturally, the universe was like, ‘Nope! Can’t have that!’”
Her eyes are bright, but there’s something about the way her lips tremble that makes my gut tense. She’s trying to make light of the situation, yes, but this is a woman who knows pain and has lived through a lot of shitty situations. I can tell just from the look in her eyes. But the fact that she was worried aboutmysafety because she has no one else in her life just pisses me off. Not at her, of course, but at the situation. Why doesn’t she have friends? Family? A partner? She deserves to be cared for in the same way she’s caring for me.
I place my hand on the top of her head and try to give her a reassuring smile. No, I’m not going anywhere.Can’t get rid of me that easily, I want to say.
“Do you … need me to call anyone for you?” she asks.
I shake my head, then think about Aiken. Right. But if I’m going to be out of here in three days, does it even matter? Aiken and I have been in the hospital before, for longer stints, and would regularly forget to tell each other. I shake my head, smiling.
“Okay. Three days isn’t so bad, I guess.” She exhales. “I don’t have a show for a couple more days. Only had meetings for today, so I’m free now. And tomorrow I have a few interviews. Nothing for you to worry about.”
But of course I’m worried about them, because I know how her recent interviews have gone. What if they ask her more invasive questions? What if they try to corner her? But that’s not my job. It isn’t my responsibility to guard her heart, only her body. But, oh, how I wish I could do both.
Holy shit. Am I catching feelings for this woman? That’s a concerning thought. Blurring the lines between professional and personal would already be unethical. She’s my charge. But also, I signed a contract that explicitly states we can’t date. I’m not even supposed to touch her unless it’s necessary to do my job.
Kallista’s nose crinkles as she grins back at me, which is adorable. Then she points at the entertainment terminal that takes up the majority of the wall in front of my bed.
“Want me to put something interesting on, at least?” she asks. “We can watch the 775thOscars. They’re on tonight.” She walks over to the terminal to wave her hand at the screen, already changing it. The red carpet flickers to life on the screen, along with several celebrities whose names I don’t know, dressed to the nines in their gowns. Satisfied with her choice, Kal moves back to my bed and sits on the floor beside it.
That won’t do. First of all, these awards are five million years long. Her ass is going to hurt before the opening act is even on. I look down at her, furrow my brow, and make a gesture that I hope she can gather meansget on up here.
Lifting her brows, Kallista pushes herself to stand, then points at the bed. “You want me on the bed with you?”
I nod slowly.
“There’s not a whole lot of room, you know. You’re practically falling off, yourself,” she says, whisking her gaze over my body and swallowing.
I shuffle over a few inches and pat the spot beside my ribs. The broken ones, yes, but it’s not as though I can feel them anyway thanks to the drugs in my system. Besides, I trust her. I know she isn’t going to jump my bones or try to tickle me.
Kallista’s face twists into an apprehensive expression before she sits down carefully beside me.There, I want to say,that wasn’t so bad, was it?
Once we both get comfortable, she looks back at the screen and breathes a long, slow hiss. “Oh, god, look at what she’s wearing! Look at her dress! A thong on the red carpet? It’s, like, barely covering her labia!”
I let out a sharp bark of laughter, which then sends me careening into a coughing fit. Kallista cringes while I fight for my life, then pats me on the back like I’m an infant.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I’ll try to stop being so hilarious.”
I shake my head and stare at her, as though to say,Don’t you dare. I’d rather break all the ribs in my chest than watch her dampen her shine.
Kallista nods and shimmies in closer to me, just barely touching my body. Can still feel her body heat radiating from her little body, though. Makes me want to snuggle her, but that’s impossible. Cracked ribs and all. Besides, I’m pretty sure she used the wordfriend, and also, I’m her employee.
Fine. I’ll content myself with just basking in her sunshine instead.
There’s a long moment where it seems like she isn’t sure if she wants to stay on the bed with me or run off down the hall. The moment, thankfully, passes, and we look back to the screen, watching the show in companionable silence. At least until another celebrity shows up and she has to make some sort of quip about them, too.
But despite the circumstances, this time spent together is … perfect.
18KALLISTA
After all those obnoxious interviews, it’s finally a show night. Thank the stars for that, because I am actually starting to go a little stir crazy. The show’s on Xilia. Not my favorite planet in this galaxy, but it’s not the worst, either. Not that it matters. We won’t be staying long.
Xavian was discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health three days later, but I was disappointed when I couldn’t be the one to go pick him up. But Margot sent a Hyperion Series-5 for him so that he could at least ride out in style.
She also confiscated my terminal because I was, in her words, “doomscrolling too much.” Multiple media outlets have reported the news that I’m gay (I’m still not, as far as I know), and evidently throngs of my male fans have been burning pictures of my likeness along with their albums in makeshift bonfires. You know, a completely normal reaction to have.
Great. So I’m the reason people are committing arson now, and it’s because they deluded themselves into thinking they ever had a shot with me in the first place.
What in the ever-loving hell.
