Perfect

Cameron's face was priceless as we walked up the marble steps into my home, even in the night it managed to catch me off guard sometimes. He’d look at me a few times in calculating thought then back up at the house in wonder. I giggled loudly and he flashed me a look that said shut up. I nodded at Claire and she knew exactly what I meant. She was to go tell security that Cameron was under our protection now, royal protection. That meant his life would be protected under my command. With Claire gone it was just us now and I could feel the air getting thicker with tension.

“What do you think?” I asked, trying not to show how nervous he made me feel. He looked at me and it suddenly felt like years ago, that we were acting like children pulling pranks on each other when really it had only been a couple of weeks ago. His intense stare had me squirming and a smirk appeared on his face. He was toying with me.

“It’s amazing. Now explain to me,” he said taking a step closer, “why you have a house the size of a small castle for only two people?” He was right in front of me now and I could smell the scent of his freshly washed body, the cologne he was wearing and his warm, peppermint breath as he breathed on my face gently. My body leant into his but at no point did we touch, “I have to wait and see if I can trust you.” I managed to choke out. His proximity was sending my heart into a frenzy. No surprise though, he was Cameron King. He probably made all girls feel like that.

He stepped back looking a little chocked for words and I knew I saw frustration there but it was gone as quick as it came. “Alright Bella, fair game. Where will I be staying?”

Not answering his question but just choosing to walk in the direction of the room I’d chosen for him was my reply. I was hoping he’d follow me and get the hint, and about four seconds later he fell in step behind me, granted his strides were bigger than mine but he stayed behind me instead. Smart move.

We got to the top of the stairs and the hallway stretched out like an intersection. The halls were wide with lots of room. There were eight rooms in the house all with an ensuite. We had the sauna, gyms, kitchen, theatre and meeting room. So really there was more than eight, the hallway straight in front of us lead to the most important rooms; mine, Claire’s, a spare room and the meeting room. Down to the right was the gym and everything that came entailed with it, and the study with three other spare rooms.

To the left there was the rest of the spare rooms, I hadn’t decided whether I wanted to place him closer to us or down to the right. I pondered on it for a while and then decided that he would like the privacy and I’m sure he’d love to use the gym. I don’t exactly want to see the naked boy come out of the gym when I’m going into one of my meetings. I’d most likely pass out. Rolling my eyes at the thought I pointed down the right hall and started leading him to the room right across from the gym.

Cameron looked at me in surprise, “You have a gym?”

“Yes, it’s yours to use whenever you like. I use it often but I can use the one downstairs from now on.” Again, he had the gaping fish mouth he had when he first saw the house. I could see him trying to get rid of it as he opened the door but I swear his mouth dropped to the floor. The gym was average compared to the one I was used too. There was a bigger gym back home with a boxing floor and trainers to help me with my fitness.

Cameron was facing me again and came back out of his daze and pointing towards the room across the hall, “I’m assuming this is my room while I’m here?” I nodded and let him go check out his room. Deciding I’d leave him here while he explored I started heading towards the stairs, “Dinners in thirty you can do what you like till then!” I yelled out.

Cameron grunted a thanks in response and I shook my head with a little laugh heading downstairs towards the kitchen to see if I could help Pete with anything and let him know everything that was going on. When I turned the corner, I saw Claire already sitting there with a bowl of pasta in front of her chatting to Pete. Looks like he made dinner early today, Cameron can come in and heat it up later. “What are you guys talking about?” I asked grabbing some pasta for myself and sitting in a chair beside Claire. “Just about what happened today and who the hell the boy is upstairs.”

“Oh.”

“You should have asked first Princess, you know we need to do details on people before they come in here. Does he know?”

“No, he doesn’t. I haven’t told him yet, he did ask about who I was but I told him I’d tell him when I trusted him more.”

“You need to be careful okay, men can’t be trusted as far as you can throw them.” Pete told me and he knew what he was talking about by the look in his eyes. I nodded and dove into the spaghetti, enjoying how good it tasted after not eating for hours since the cafe. It was late by the time we’d gotten home and I yawned with a mouthful of spaghetti.

“Gross Isabella.” I stuck my tongue out at Claire and continued eating my food.

It didn’t take us long to finish dinner and start heading up to our rooms, I looked at Claire and then looked towards Cameron’s room as we reached the intercept, “You should go and check on how he is, I’ll see you in the morning for school.” She kissed the top of my head and headed towards her bedroom. I knew she was looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

Heading towards Cameron’s room I knocked lightly on the door as I got there. No sound came from inside so I turned the door handle which hadn’t been locked to my surprise, and found Cameron passed out on the bed. He didn’t have any clothes with him so he was still wearing the clothes he came out of the fight with after he showered. They’d last him till morning and then I’d find a guard around the house close to his build and height that could lend some clothes to him for the moment.

I took this time to look at him more closely. The shirt he was in was a black tee it hugged his muscles tightly and made my cheeks flare up. his shorts were just distressed denim. He was charming and peaceful when he slept. His eyelashes were longer than mine and his hair was messy as if he’d run his hand through it multiple times before sleeping. My heart swelled in admiration for this boy for staying so strong, wishing I could do the same myself and just not being able to sleep peacefully was showing how weak I was.

I went and sat as softly as I could on the side of the bed, his face was still covered in bruises from the fight tonight and his body looked weary. I made a mental note that he’d need painkillers in the morning to get through the day as I unconsciously brushed a strand of hair from his face. He stirred but never woke. I sighed, this was not how I expected my little mystery hunt to end up. Giving him one last look I headed towards the door, a quiet yawn escaping my mouth.

As I turned the door handle I heard a mumble come from Cameron’s direction. Whipping around afraid that I’d woken him up, I saw him still sleeping peacefully. Thank God. Heading back out one more time, I heard it again, unmistakable.

“Thank you Bella.”

He was still fast asleep as I closed the door, a huge goofy grin on my face. He was still an arrogant ass but we’d come quite far since our little debacle in the hallway on the first day of school. I trudged to my room getting undressed and jumped into bed, letting darkness take over.

I don’t know why I woke up with my bed drenched in sweat but it was coming off me in waterfalls. I hadn’t screamed this time but apparently, the guard outside my door had heard the large gasp I’d made and Claire had come in instantaneously.

My lips were glued shut and Claire had been trying to coax me into talking for an hour already. I was in shock and I knew it. The nightmare I’d just had just couldn’t possibly be real. It could be, but I could also just be imaging things.

“He was there.” I managed to pry my lips open.

“Who was there?” Claire pressed on softly. My lips had shut themselves again. It was like I didn’t have a voice tonight and it was really getting to me.

“Victor-r.” I spat out. Shake’s started to violently consume my body and Claire wrapped her arms around me as unshed tears surfaced in the corners of my eyes. Even after the shower and the sheets being changed, the sweat hadn’t stopped coming. Claire sat there silently waiting for me to explain.

“Where was he Isabella?” She asked coolly after a while.

“At the fight club, where we found Cameron last night, ” and after I’d opened my mouth I couldn’t stop, it all tumbled out, “it was like my mind was looking and sorting through all the people I’d seen that night and then I saw him there, amongst the crowd. It’s exactly the kind of place he’d hang out in.”

Claire nodded her head as if in understanding, “We’ll be tightening security from now on and you’ll have to have someone with you at all times.”

I nodded my head not really taking in what she said. If Victor was here, then that meant he planted the note on my balcony.

“He’s already been in here.” Claire stopped in her tracks as she’d almost been out the door. She followed my line of sight to the balcony and her face grew dark. “No one will be able to get in or out after tonight Princess. I hope you’re prepared for these changes.” She was in full security mode now and I don’t blame her, she’d spent the past hour and a half trying to get this out of me.

Claire exited the room and I sighed looking towards the time, it read four am. Great 3 hours until I had to be up for school. Pulling the bed sheets all the way up to my chin, I looked towards the balcony and saw now two guards standing out there. It was going to be a little harder to be free willed from now on. And after a while, I let sleep take me again.

Commotion from downstairs is what woke me up the next morning. Looking at the clock again for the second time this morning it read seven am. I still had half an hour to get ready for school. Plenty of time. The yelling reached my ears again and I wondered what was going on. Grabbing my wig and contacts I disguised myself quickly since we had a guest in the house now and ran to the balcony of the stairs.

Standing at the very bottom was a casually relaxed Cameron with a smirk lining his features, a red-faced Pete and an embarrassed Claire. I laughed at the scene below me.

“What’s going on?” I asked raising my voice slightly in an attempt to get over Pete’s as I walked down the stairs

“This boy here is basically doing a nude run around the house. Highly inappropriate considering all the ladies here.” Pete explained, I couldn’t tell if he was red from being mad or being embarrassed. I looked at Cam waiting for him to explain, “Okay okay, I forgot it wasn’t my house and was walking around looking for a towel. I didn’t think anyone would be awake yet.”

“What a load of bullshit.” Pete muttered to himself but I’d caught it.

I rubbed my temples, the lack of sleep was really getting to me at this point and my knees felt weak. Claire noticed and came out of her shocked state putting an arm underneath me to hold me up.

“Cameron, back upstairs for the love of God.” He had a towel now but it hung dangerously low on his hips causing my face to heat up. He looked at me concerned for a moment but it was replaced with his signature smirk and he headed back upstairs.

Pete mumbled something incoherent and headed back into the kitchen. I looked at Claire and she was looking at the back of Cameron as he disappeared behind one of the walls.

“It was big.” I almost choked on spit at her words but burst out laughing, her along with me.

“Okay miss that’s enough, time to get ready for school.”

We were ten minutes late, no surprise. We’d all had shitty nights and the show this morning took longer than necessary to sort out. Cameron had taken the pain killers I’d shoved in his face this morning because I told him if he didn’t I’d poke one of his bruises. He’d laughed but taken them anyway.

He looked brighter anyway as we walked into the school, the injuries were still noticeable but the ones we could hide, we did. We all separated for classes and prayed that we’d get through the day.

Claire met me at our lonely lunch table after second period. The school had fixed the timetables and now we all had lunch breaks at the same time, after second period and third period. We now only had 4 electives in a day. Made my day easier.

I’d only just bitten into my apple when a shadow loomed over me, I turned around and there was Katherine. She glared at me, but a sickly-sweet smile covered her features. “What do you want Kathy?” I teased only causing her to turn red. She hated the nickname. She always got me right back though.

“How does it feel Bells, I had sex with Ash last night and it was wonderful.” I glared at her and looked down the tables towards where Ash was sitting, he was watching us intently.

She stalked off and went and straddled his lap grabbing his face pointedly looking at me and giving him a kiss, they made out with each other for at least five minutes before she pulled back. He was so blind to what she was doing and it pissed me off. I got up grabbing my lunch together and walked off leaving Claire at the table by herself. I felt bad but I just wanted to go hide in the library. Claire would forgive me.

As I turned the corner to my locker a large crowd was there, I shouldered through and dropped my books at what I saw, the loud clattering turning everyone’s attention to me. Written on my locker in old English language only something I could understand, with what I hoped was red spray paint was, I’m coming for you.

Cameron was the first to get to the lockers before Claire. But Claire was right behind him. He touched my shoulder and I jumped in shock. “What does it say Bella?” I shook my head staring at the floor. Cameron turned around and assessed the students in the hallway. “Okay, shows over guys.” His voice boomed, students scattered continuing with their lunch break, still pausing to look at my locker as they walked by.

Claire looked at my horrified face and then back to the lockers, then back at me again. “Just from the look on your face, I know we need to get you home immediately.”

I hadn’t even understood her before they were both pulling me out of the school. Michael was already parked out the front and he looked serious. A bodyguard in the passenger seat accompanied us as we sped home.

Claire was trying to talk to me to distract me but all I could do was stare blankly out the window. Still in my state of shock I didn’t register the blue Sudan hurtling towards our vehicle, specifically my side of the car and the last thing I remember hearing, was a bloodcurdling scream as metal impacted metal.