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“The rest you’ll still report to Shreya?”
A bothersome wrinkle appears between his eyebrows. “No.”
If I was a different person and not living this kind of life, I could stalk away from the table. I could expect boundaries to be followed. But this is the life I live in, and I know he’ll just follow me, so I give him a glare. “Then what?”
“Pretend I’m not Huan. I’m his twin brother, Duan.”
“Come again?”
“That was a bad joke. What I mean is what happens here, stays here.”
“We aren’t in Vegas.”
“Same rules can apply.”
I frown, and I feel like doing more glaring—but his pupils are so chill and steady that by default I’ll be immature, so I don’t glare.You don’t know how I need this trip, and how I’ve got limited time before my life is figured out for me. This has to be a proper escape. Limitless. Off-script. Not boring.
Then, because I can’t sit under scrutiny, I get up and pace back to the kitchenette. Might as well get a refresh on the tea I haven’t touched. As I trade the lukewarm liquid for slightly hotter leftover kettle water, the back of my neck prickles.
Huan stands tall behind me.
He could reach out and hold me with his arms and chest until I listen.
A shiver tingles up my spine. Apparently, I am cold again. Taking a deep breath, I parse through my thoughts. They wobble on a ledge tied to others. If only I was an asshole who didn’t worry about my mother worrying or how she has to deal with movie insurance agents and liability scares and—on a standard day—the fans who camp outside our house gates in a terrifying sort of way.
Can I trade in my happiness for her extreme stress? This new movie venture is a risk for her, too. She's the one launching me and risking her reputation.
I swing around to scowl at Huan, but he’s closer and bigger than I’m prepared for, and I’m tipping backwards. My hip is about to knock on the counter—when strong fingers wrap around my wrist. His grip is pure strength holding me up. I'm saved from any kind of bump. He could hold me this way forever and not need to let go. I know it.
“Komal, I won’t interfere with your trip. You won’t notice I’m here. My purpose is not to upset you or make you change your plans—whatever they may be. I—I won’t?—”
This time, I clearly notice the grinding of his teeth.
“I won't interfere,” he insists again.
I rebalance on my feet, and his hand falls away from my skin. It is a loss of warmth that I hate how I notice.
I gesture broadly at him. “Gun to my head, there’s no choice but to trust you, right?” Part of me wants to laugh, but not in a controlled way. “We’ll have to try this because, again, what else can I do?”
His mouth presses together.
My voice pitches higher as I say, “You, at least, must be happy about this development.”
“Ms. Chahal, I promise you have no idea how I feel. But why do you believe I'm happy?”
“This is the easiest job ever. You won’t have to do any real protecting here.”
“You’re unhappy. And I’m not a fan of upsetting?—”
“Your client’s daughter?”
“You are my client. On this trip, you're mine.”
Cue another shiver. Not knowing what else to do, I dust off my hands—which is a weird mannerism considering I haven’t done anything to make them dirty. “Fine. Since I’ve got no intention of going back to my room, I’m going to talk to the front desk about what activities are going on tomorrow. I heard something about a walking tour, so be ready for that.” I glance at the clock on the wall to our left. “Be out here in a few hours.”
“Sleep in my room,” Huan offers. “I don’t need to go in there tonight.”
“Chad and Savannah need to rest sometime.”
