Soon enough, it was Monday. And although Emily had doubts regarding her enrollment into the local college, Theodore assured her that there was nothing to fear.
She dressed up into casual clothes, a grin on her face. She then put on a touch of make-up before heading downstairs for breakfast.
Theodore, who had gotten up earlier than her, was already having breakfast in the gardens.
“Why the gardens?” She asked him once she saw him.
“I didn’t want to disturb the maids with my presence,” he told her off-handedly.
She agreed with a nod of understanding before taking the seat next to him and digging in.
“The pancakes aren’t going anywhere, dorogaya,” he said in a teasing tone.
“Haha, very funny,” she let out sarcastically. “Maybe they aren’t but I am heading out, and I believe I am running late.”
“It’s not even 8 am, and your first class starts at 9,” he countered.
“But I want to explore first,” she whined.
He chuckled at that. “You’re really excited, huh?”
“You bet I am,” she told him with a smirk.
It wasn’t long before she was introduced to her new bodyguards, Sam -short for Samuel – and Alex – short for Alexander. They were tall and appeared to be strong, considering their bulky muscles.
“Are they…?” She trailed off, looking at Theodore in a perplexed manner.
“They’re not,” he was quick to say, almost as if he guessed her question.
She nodded at that, and made a mental note to be careful with her words and reactions. She’d have to keep her guard up at all times. Nobody ought to know about the supernatural world. And since they weren’t supernaturals to begin with, she couldn’t allow them in too much.
She kissed Theodore goodbye and then left in the least ostentatious car her mate owned – which was a jeep.
“We have your schedule, Ms Nill,” Alex, who was in the passenger seat, announced. And then, he started telling her about the courses she had to attend all through the week.
Her schedule wasn’t overly packed since she had chosen to take just one major.
The college she was about to attend in was in the neighboring city. It took them over half an hour to get there.
“Only 10 minutes remain before the start of my first lecture,” she said, looking at her way too fancy wrist watch. “No time to explore campus now.”
And thus, with the help of her bodyguards, she made her way to the appropriate amphitheater. She wasn’t surprised to know they had been instructed to memorize her schedule and where her classes were to take place.
Theodore was too protective of her and of their unborn child to allow her on campus without help or some kind of protection.
She knew that no one could protect her like he could. But as he said so himself, the bodyguards’ main job was to alert him should there be a threat so that he can come to the rescue. He didn’t expect them to be able to fend off supernatural beings.
She trusted his judgment, and wasn’t selfish enough to ask of him that he went to college with her. She wasn’t entirely sure he would have agreed had she asked… he had businesses to run but was also more into finances and IT than he was into graphic design and such things.
Besides, she didn’t want to grow so attached to him that the very thought of being apart would be painful.
But the truth was she was already too far gone in her love for him.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Miss you, dorogaya. I hope you’re having a good day.
The text Emily received during lunch brightened her day.
She was about to respond when a shadow loomed over her. She looked up and was surprised to see Thomas standing by her table.
“Hi,” he said almost sheepishly.
“Hey,” she said just because she was polite.
She could remember all too well how he had called her a gold-digger.
“I thought you weren’t going to start college for a few years?” He said as a perplexed frown came to adorn his face.
“I am not sure how that is any of your business,” she told him off-handedly.
He was taken aback at that. The way she had brushed him off probably didn’t sit well with him.
Emily had after all been a nobody in high school. Whereas, he had been from the popular crowd. There was no doubt in her mind that he hadn’t expected her to talk back in such a manner to him.
“Can’t we be friends, Emma?” He then said once the shock had worn off.
“It’s Emily,” she bit out tersely.
“Right, Emily… I’m sorry,” he was quick to apologize.
“What’s your endgame?” She asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
He had the decency to blush at that.
“Maybe friends wasn’t the right term to use,” he conceded after a while with a timid smile. “I want us to be more than friends. So much more than friends.”
“I am seeing someone,” she told him matter-of-factly.
“Please tell me you’re not seeing that Theodore King,” he said in an annoyed tone.
“So what if I am?” She countered.
“He’s bad news, Em,” he had the nerve to call her em! “He’s a renowned player who supposedly tires of women easily. Besides, he has only taken the most refined women to his bed, shouldn’t you be asking yourself what’s his endgame in dating you? Have you thought about it?”
“There’s not much to think about,” she smiled brightly at him, drawing yet another confused frown out of him. “He loves me and I love him.”
“That kind of player isn’t capable of love. Once a player, always a player,” he shook his head at her. “Won’t you see reason, Em? I am just looking out for you.”
“Don’t patronize me,” she told him. She had to close her eyes, seeing as they were on the verge of changing.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said seemingly in surrender. “Let’s talk about something else.”
Her phone vibrated with another text message. She picked it up and read it.
Who’s Romeo? Should I be concerned?
She wasn’t surprised that the bodyguards had reported to him the arrival of Thomas. She wasn’t even annoyed by that.
She decided to text him back, seeing as she didn’t want to distract him from his work. It wouldn’t do if he came to investigate the matter himself.
Also, she was sure the two men’s third meeting wouldn’t be a pleasant one considering how their second one had been.
I miss you too. I love you. No need to be concerned.
She texted back, a smile gracing her features.
“Is it him still?” Thomas asked in a disdain-filled tone.
“You’re still here?” She rolled her eyes at him, trying to dismiss him but he just wouldn’t take the hint.
He blushed in indignation no doubt and soon enough spluttered, “Emily Nill, who do you think you are?”
How come he recalled her full name all of a sudden?
He got into her face and then said, “I have waited for you all through our high school years. I waited for you to take the first step. I waited for you to ask me to escort you to prom. I waited for you to do something, anything, to show your interest in me back in the day…”
She raised an eyebrow at that. What kind of nonsense was he sprouting? “I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice your furtive awe-filled looks…”
“That was in the past,” she told him with a shrug.
“First love never fades away,” he declared hotly.
“I’d like to believe so,” she told him, her lips crooking up into a smile. “But what I had for you was nothing but a crush. That can hardly qualify as love.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” he sneered.
Then, looking at his wrist watch, he said, “I got to get going. But this isn’t finished.”
“Bye bye,” she told him with a fake smile.
He gave her the stink eye and then turned to leave.
Then, as if just remembering something, he turned to face her again and said, “I’ll have you madly in love with me soon, whatever it takes.”
She nodded at him a derisive smile on her lips, “Whatever floats your boat, dearie!”
And with that, he left, seemingly satisfied after saying his piece.