16 - the bodyguard

Dominic

$$

I broke his nose.

I knew I hated the guy, but to break his nose?

When I saw him on top of Ami, hurting her. I saw red. There wasn't a single thought going through my head as I attempted to pound his skull into the pavement.

Despite what people think of me, I'm not a violent person. I didn't like being angry. Especially not that angry. I refused to be consumed by rage again. I didn't wanna be anything like him.

I was having trouble deciphering if my rage for him stemmed from how I felt about Amina. Or just your everyday person wanting to protect someone out of human decency.

Who was I kidding, I knew the answer to that. But I didn't realize I cared for her in that way. It was more than just protecting her from him. I was telling the truth when I admitted I was jealous of Aaron. He had her, and he decided to hurt her.

There were plenty of reasons for me to detest the guy. He was an asshole to everyone, including Ami. I didn't like how he treated her from the start. And to find out he's the kind of guy to raise his hand at a woman? I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. Maybe because I just never pictured something like that happening to her.

I want to protect her, but who knows if I'm any better than Aaron or him? After yesterday, I didn't know what I could be capable of.

Maybe I just needed space from Amina.

Leaving her alone right now was the last thing I wanted to do. But it might be for the better. She wasn't alone, she had her friends and her cousins. She didn't need me, it's better this way.

"Dude you've been zoned out for like 30 minutes. Your player has respawned 3 times!" A voice says from beside me.

I was at Andre's place, playing GTA to get my mind off of yesterday and away from Ami. I had told him everything that had happened and he invited me over to hang out.

"My bad." I mumble.

He chuckles, "You still thinking about it?"

"How could I not? My hand is still sore from yesterday."

"I know you, don't start beating yourself up. Aaron deserved it."

I sigh, putting my controller down beside me. "You don't get it. I have never been that mad, you should've seen me."

"He was hurting your girl! Any man would get that mad."

"She's not my girl." I clarify, before staring up at the ceiling. "She probably wouldn't even want to be after yesterday."

He scoffs, "She came to see you last night, didn't she? You're being way too hard on yourself. You saved her from something that could've gone way worse."

He didn't get it, nobody ever gets it. I didn't respond as I had no comeback. He doesn't push further and urges me to pick my controller back up. We continued playing the game and decided to order a pizza.

-

A week or so had gone by since the events of the party. The air was starting to crisp as we entered early November.

I hadn't spoken to Amina, keeping my promise to myself to keep my distance. It was difficult but I was so far succeeding even though the woman was everywhere. I saw her at home, at school, I could even hear her talking on the other side of my wall.

It was a Tuesday morning and I was writing notes in the library for my online lecture. "Hey there." A voice said from above me, making me look up from my notebook. A green-eyed girl had approached me.

I frown, not wanting to be bothered. "Can I help you?"

She chuckles before taking a seat next to me, making my frown deepen. "I'm Audrey, what's your name?"

I raise a brow at her in confusion before looking around. "You're talking to me? Why?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're cute." She says with another giggle.

I stared at her in surprise. Girls didn't approach me often on campus. Whether it was because I had a reputation or because I just looked intimidating I wasn't sure, but this wasn't something that happened often.

"I'm Dominic."

"That's fitting." She says as she twirls the cross pendant around my neck in between her small fingers. My hand immediately reached for her wrist to move her hand away, making her giggle again. "Sorry, I'm a very touchy person."

"I see."

From the corner of my eye, I notice someone enter the room. Of course, it's her, like I said she's everywhere. I quickly let go of Audrey's wrist, not wanting the situation to look like anything it's not. We were sitting pretty close together because she squeezed herself next to me on the small loveseat.

"Hey Dominic." Ami's voice rang from behind Audrey.

I sit up quickly as if I had been caught doing something wrong. "Amina." I respond. I hadn't spoken to her since that night. Despite seeing each other around all the time no words had been spoken since Halloween.

"Dominic aren't you going to introduce us?" The brunette beside me asks with a smile.

I raise a brow, "Um, no?"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Audrey." Audrey says politely to Amina.

"Likewise, I'm Ami." Ami says with a smile. She then looks over at me, "Can I talk to you when you have time?"

"I have time right now." I say quickly, using the opportunity to get away from this strange girl. I turn toward Audrey, "It was nice meeting you Audrey but I've got to go now."

Amina chuckles as we walk away. "What's funny?" I ask.

"It's weird seeing you be nice to someone you don't know. You weren't that nice to me when we first met." She says with a laugh as we walk toward another area of the library.

"The first time we met you barged into my apartment and broke my speaker." I remind her.

"That was the second time." She corrects.

"Oh yeah, the first time you bulldozed past me in the hallway."

She rolls her eyes, "I did not bulldoze."

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask wanting to get to the point.

She sighs, pulling out her phone. "I didn't wanna say anything, hoping it'd just go away. But Aaron's been texting me."

"What?"

She nods, "I blocked him but he keeps getting new numbers and finding new ways. He's pretty pissed and I wasn't sure what to do. Do you think I should file a report? I didn't wanna tell my cousins-"

"What did he say to you?"

She opens up her phone to show me the messages.

A: baby I'm sorry

A: you still think we're done? We're not done till I say we're done.

A: answer ur fucking phone

unknown: stop blocking me babe

unknown: don't let me find out ur dating Dominic's bitch ass now

unknown: answer the phone Ami.

Those were just some of the messages. "These date back all the way to last week! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I ask.

"I thought I could deal with it myself. I made an appointment to get my phone number changed today. I just decided to tell you because he mentioned you too this time."

I sigh, "Have you seen him around at all?"

She shakes her head and I nod in relief. "Good. Okay look here's what we're gonna do. You're not going to leave my side from this very moment."

She raises a brow, "But I have class."

"Then I'll go with you."

She chuckles, but I was dead serious. She realizes I'm not joking when she sees the look on my face. "You're not a bodyguard Dominic. I just wanted to warn you. I'll probably go to the police after class."

"Even if you get the police involved I'm not leaving your side."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"You've ignored me all week and now you want us to stay attached at the hip?"

"Yes."

She rolls her eyes, "I don't need you to do that Dominic." She holds up a purple canister, "See? I'm armed. I have pepper spray." She says with a smile.

I look at her, completely unamused. "When's your next class?" I ask ignoring what she had just said.

"You're not following me to class."

"I'm walking you to class. Is that so bad?"

She rolls her eyes, "Fine. It's at eleven."

I looked down at my phone for the time, it was half past 10. "I guess we should start walking over there then. After you."

She gives me a look before turning and heading toward the library exit. I grab my bag and follow behind her, catching the eyes of Audrey as I leave. She looked unhappy seeing me leave, but I owed the girl nothing.

I walked behind Ami in silence as we left the library and made our way to the campus courtyard.

"So you're really going to follow me to class."

"I'm walking you." I correct her.

"Don't you have class yourself?"

I shake my head, "I only have one on Tuesdays and it's online."

"Then why are you on campus?"

"I use Tuesdays as study time."

A few people gave us glances as we walked together to her lecture hall. I wasn't sure why, Ami and I had been seen together several times now, so it wasn't new.

"Ami!" A voice called out making her stop to turn around. Isaiah, her overly social cousin appears. He notices me and gives me a questioning look before turning to Amina.

"I need your notes for Huggins class. I'm about to take the quiz."

She nods, opening up her backpack and pulling out a folder. "I need them back before the end of the day today."

"I got you, thanks. I'll see you later!" He says. Giving me one more skeptical glance before rushing off.

"That was just my cousin." She explains as we continue walking.

"I know. You don't need to explain anything to me."

"I guess it's a habit I picked up from being with Aaron. He was always questioning me about who was who." She chuckles lightly.

I looked down at her as she strode confidently to class. You wouldn't be able to tell something traumatic had recently happened to her. Any bruises that might have been there before were now gone, or covered by makeup. She wore a smile on her face as though nothing had ever happened. "Have you talked about it?" I ask her suddenly.

"About what?"

"Your relationship. I never asked if you were okay."

She looks up and smiles at me lightly as we approach her classroom door. "I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

I nod, not believing her but letting it go. "I'll see you after class."

"Yes sir." She says jokingly before thanking me and heading into the classroom.

I had an hour to spare before I had to get her again. Thankfully I didn't have any classes today and decided to do some homework outside her class hall.

I sighed realizing I had completely gone against the rules I had set up for myself. But I couldn't leave her alone knowing Aaron was still harassing her. I mean it's not a bad thing to care about her general well-being? I was just being a good friend.

Thirty minutes had gone by and I was well engrossed in my work, not noticing that someone had taken a seat in front of me.

Isaiah had returned, with Amina's notebook in his hand. "Can I help you?" I ask, not looking up from my papers.

"I figure you're waiting for Ami?"

I nod and he slides the notebook across the table to me. "Then you can give this to her right?"

"Sure." I respond curtly, making him chuckle.

"So what's going on between you two?"

"Not that it's your business, but nothing."

"Caleb might be stupid but I'm not. She just got hurt and I'm not going to let it happen again."

I put my book down and looked directly at him. "I'm not interested in your cousin."

He chuckles again, irritating me. "Keep telling yourself that. Just don't hurt her in the process." He gives me a menacing smile before walking off into the crowd of students.

Weirdo.

Not too long after, Amina came out of class looking exhausted. "Crutchfield's class can suck the life out of a person." She sighs as she takes a seat in front of me.

"I don't miss those days." I look down at the time, "When's your next class?"

"In an hour. Wanna get lunch?" She asks.

I shrug, not seeing a problem. "Sure."

We walked over to a Subway nearby and ordered sandwiches before taking a seat at a table. I knew in the back of my mind I should be distancing myself from Ami. But she needed me more than ever at the moment. And I couldn't help myself that I liked being around her. I just wanted to protect her.

"Why are you staring at me?" She asks with a chuckle as she takes a bite from her chips.

"I'm sorry about Aaron."

She pauses, the smile diminishing from her face. "There's nothing to apologize for. I just didn't know him like I thought." She picks up another potato chip, "Why are we talking about this? Did you get to finish your homework?" She asks trying to change the subject.

"I'm worried about you." I admit.

She scoffs, "You haven't talked to me in a week and now you're worried. I told you I'm fine."

"We're catching up now aren't we?"

She gives me a light glare. "Anyway. Do you think I should wear black jeans or blue jeans to the season opener game?" She asks trying to change the subject again.

"You're still going to the game?" I ask in surprise.

"Why wouldn't I? It's my cousin's game. Plus Aaron got kicked off the team anyway."

"I just thought-"

"I'm fine Dominic." She insists.

I raise my hands in defense. "You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Yes I do. And don't worry, I am fine."

"Then I'll be there too I guess."

"That's not necessary. I'll be with a group of people, it'll be fine. Plus you know you don't want to go."

She was right, I didn't want to go. I hated school events. Apart from parties where everyone was too drunk in their ways to notice anything, school events were feeding grounds for drama and situations. I tried to avoid them at all costs. "I guess we'll decide when the time comes."

"I guess we will."

———

Don't forget to comment and vote!

-AuggiePooh_