Chapter 27

▫️Christian's POV...

Mission accomplished.

But seriously, today was humiliating. And  Why the hell did I wear those damn grey sweatpants? Seriously, whose idea was it to design something that highlights that part of the anatomy so damn well? Worst of all, she—Stella—saw it.

And after seeing my little knight- Did she blush? No. Did she shy away? Hell no. She laughed. Full-on laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen. Who does that? Stella does that.

What does that mean? That means this girl is a crackhead and mental hospital's regular patient whom they failed to treat. She’d probably laugh even if she tripped during a blowjob or something, and her boyfriend—if she had one—would smack her head for it. I bet it.

Whatever. I don’t have time for this. I’m done. I need sleep. Peace. Distraction.

But wait.

Why is she sleeping in the goddamn corner of the bed? Does she have no sense of danger? What if she falls? What if she blames me for it? She’s ridiculous, but… I don’t want her to get hurt. Damn it, why do I care? No. This is just about keeping her safe. She might break her bone if she fell, you know she is so fragile.

Fifteen minutes. That’s how long it’ll take for her to doze off. I’ll wait.

Ten minutes later.

I hear it—soft snores. She’s out cold. That’s my cue. Screw the pillows. I grab one, toss it to her side, and then gently pull her toward me. Slowly. Carefully. Don’t wake her up, Chris if you love your head and dignity. She doesn’t even move as I make sure she’s closer to me, away from the edge.

This isn’t a big deal. She’s my responsibility. That’s all. That's why I'm pulling her close to me.

But then my hand moves on its own. Like always, I tuck her hair behind her ear. And damn, there it is again—this weird sense of peace I feel whenever I look at her. Her face is so… serene. Like all the chaos in my head just disappears when she’s like this. Peaceful. Cute.

Yeah she’s cute when her foul mouth isn’t spewing insults.

I let my fingers graze her cheek, and she smiles in her sleep. That smile? Damn. It does something to me.

She’s… adorable. Different. Trustworthy. Someone I actually like having around.

And that’s the problem.

Why her?

Why is it her that makes me feel this way? I don’t get it. She’s nothing like the others I’ve been around. She’s not fake. She’s not trying to impress me or use me. She doesn’t fear me, and she doesn’t try to seduce me like every other gold digger out there. She is just... Her.

She’s cheerful. Lovable. Genuine. And yeah, she drives me insane, but she’s also the one thing that makes me feel at peace.

But why?

Why do I care so much? Why do I want to protect her, keep her safe, keep her close? Is it just hormones? Temporary attraction? Or is it something else? Or I'm getting mad in her company? Is it love?

Wait. Hold the hell up. Did I really just think that? Love? With her? Am I out of my goddamn mind? Fuck you Christian.

No. No way. This is not love. She’s a troublemaker. A crackhead. A walking headache. She drives me insane with her antics. Falling in love with her? Hell no. Before I even entertain that thought, I need to beat some sense into myself. Hard. Get it together, Chris.

Understood? Damn it.

I’ll deal with this tomorrow. After the deal, I’ll ask someone who actually knows their shit about feelings. Someone wise. Someone who can talk me out of this insanity.

Yeah. That’s the plan. Because there’s no way in hell I’m falling for her.

Right? Wrong?

I don’t know.

What I do know is this: she’s mine. Mine to protect. Mine to care for. Mine to keep safe.

With all these questions swirling in my head, I tighten my arm around her and pull her closer. Her scent wraps around me—sweet, warm, comforting. My hand rests on her perfect waist, and for the first time in forever, I feel… complete.

Maybe this is temporary. Maybe it’s not. But for now, with her in my arms, I let the chaos in my mind fade away. Sleep finally takes over, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be.