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“No. With your ex still an issue, we can’t do this. As your bodyguard, I’m putting my foot down.” He crossed his arms. Didn’t she understand he had to keep her safe? She was safest here at the clubhouse.
“As my bodyguard?” She scoffed. “Then, as your boss, I’m telling you I’m going this weekend. Do I need to hire someone else?” Her eyes narrowed.
His jaw clenched as his teeth ground together. “Tabitha.”
“Archie. I’m done having people try to control me. I am going, the flight leaves tomorrow. Are you going as my bodyguard, or do I need to get someone else to do it?”
“I’m going.” He wasn’t going to let someone else get that close to her.
He didn’t understand how she could be so careless. Was that all he was to her, a bodyguard? Come to think of it, he never would’ve found out anything if he hadn’t been in that position.
“Were you ever going to tell me about the divorce?”
Her eyes grew. “What?”
“I found out everything after I got hired as your bodyguard. Is that all I am to you now? Forget we have a history of best friends. We saw each other at my parent’s anniversary party and you just let me believe you were doing good.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Arch.”
“Honestly.”
Her eyes opened and landed on his. “I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want to bring up drama and all this negativity. I mean, my god! It was the first time we’d seen each other in years! Excuse me for wanting to keep it lighthearted and just enjoy being around you for a moment.”
“My dad told me you didn’t want me to know.”
“It was club business. You made the decision not to join after you were done with the military.” Her voice rose.
“Clearly, I didn’t matter anymore. You decided I didn’t need to know.”
“You didn’t tell me you got married.” She crossed her arms. “I had to find out in a fucking newspaper. Do you know how blindsided I was? We were friends.”
“And friends don’t keep fucking secrets.” He knew he was pushing her away now.
“Wow, pot meet kettle.” She swallowed.
It’s better this way. “I think too much time has passed.”
“Forget everything that happened to us?”
“Yeah. You were right. It was a mistake.” He had to keep pushing her away.
“I guess we’re not even friends anymore.” She crossed her arms and looked away.
“Fine. From now on, I’m just the bodyguard. I’ll bunk with one of the others tonight.”
He pushed her away. His stomach sank at the realization, but he knew it was for the best. It would only be a matter of time before she realized it wouldn’t work. From now on, it was strictly business.
The past didn’t matter.
They weren’t close.
They were strangers.
CHAPTER27
TABITHA
She scrolled through the comments to one of the latest posts from the brand. Quietly reacting to them as others were doing the same today. They were waiting until they were all together to announce the partnership, but the brand thought it would be fun to have them interact with some of the comments to see if people could guess what the next announcement would be.
