Chapter 5
REESE
Breaking News! Empress's family speaks out on how her image and fame have negatively impacted their lives in this exclusive interview.
"So this is my apartment," I say, holding out my hand in a general sweeping motion. I don't even know why, because it seems silly as soon as I do it.
The living space is an open concept, so the kitchen is all visible from the front door. There's a small hallway that leads out of the living area to the one bathroom and one bedroom of the place. A pair of doors leads out to the small balcony I have, and that's about it.
Zill's fingers tap against his pant leg.
He held my hand the entire time we talked with Mauve about how she wanted to alert everyone to my new relationship.
If anyone found it strange, they didn't say, but then again, it was just Mauve and Marr in the office with us.
They won't be the ones surprised when we announce our relationship next week.
I thought Mauve would want to do it as soon as possible.
Instead, she said a week before the interviews started would be best, so rumors could start spreading.
"Want to show me the rest of it?" Zill asks, his lip twitching in the corner like he's trying to stop himself from smiling.
He does it a lot, actually, and it makes me wonder why he feels the need to do the whole stern thing since he's obviously more of a happy guy than some angry bodyguard archetype he's attempting to portray.
But then again, I've made my living pretending to be someone I'm not for years.
I guess we all wear different masks depending on what we're trying to accomplish.
My goal while Zill is stuck with me? To make him actually drop his mask.
"There's not much to see," I tell him as I head toward the kitchen area. "Kitchen. I enjoy cooking, so if there's anything in particular you want to eat, let me know. I don't go grocery shopping anymore, but I can have groceries delivered."
"Do you want to go?" Zill asks, his head tilted to the side a little when I turn back to face him.
"You sounded different when you said you can't go grocery shopping.
" His eyes widen a fraction. "If I'm off the mark, feel free to tell me.
I'm not the best at reading body language or interpreting tone, and since I'm not in your head, I don't know what you're feeling and am kind of guessing.
" He rambles on a bit more. A few strands of his blond hair came loose from his bun earlier, and they brush against his face now.
"I miss getting to go out in public like I used to," I say, answering his question and letting him know that he was kind of right in his guess. "Empress was the one everyone loved and wanted. I was just an ordinary woman who could go to the grocery store without being mauled by fans."
"I'm sure people loved the ordinary woman," Zill says, and then, as if he didn't mean for those words to come out, he straightens and looks around the room. "The rest of the apartment?"
"Well, this is the living room," I say as I step into the living area.
"I'll take the couch since you're way too big for it.
And before you start with the whole 'it's my job' thing, just know that the only reason it worked on me when Marr and them said it was because they were only over here for one night.
You're going to be here for a few months.
I'm not having you squished on the couch for months. "
I'm unsurprised to see Zill glaring at me with the most unamused look on his face. "That's not happening."
"Did you ignore everything I just said?" I ask.
"I'll sleep on the floor," Zill says, his tone making it clear he's willing to argue it.
"That's ridiculous. I've slept on that couch plenty of times when I wanted to binge TV instead of going to bed at a reasonable time."
Zill slowly blinks twice like he isn't quite prepared for that to be the argument I'm going with, but it's the honest truth. "You're my client and, for all intents and purposes, my soulbond outside of this apartment. I'm not letting you sleep on the couch."
"You said you'd do anything," I remind him, waiting to see if that was just a bunch of pretty words or if he meant them.
Zill stares at me a moment longer, his shadows wrapped up tight around his torso.
Their not moving is even more concerning than the quiet contemplation on Zill's face.
After a moment, he rubs his temples with his thumb and forefinger.
Irritation is evident on his face as his shadows slowly peel themselves away from his body, turning what looked like a black shirt burgundy again.
"I'm unhappy with this," Zill tells me, his hand lowering, the glowing blue of his eyes seeming even brighter. "But if it's what you require, then you've made your case."
I do a little hop onto my toes, excited to know that he's not a liar with pretty words, and because he listened to me. He might be the first person since the leak happened to actually listen to what I want instead of thinking they know better than me.
"Thank you," I tell him, beaming up at him. He shakes his head, clearly not happy with how that went, but he's not going to take it back, not now that I know how to get my way with him. I turn with a flourish. "I'll show you the bedroom and the bathroom."
Zill follows behind me, though he keeps a further distance than he did before.
That's fine. We're in the privacy of the apartment now, so he doesn't have to pretend he cares about me as anything other than his client now.
I'd be the liar if I said I didn't enjoy the way his hand felt in mine, though.
Or how even the idea of getting to kiss him, even if it's just for the cameras, is something I'm looking forward to.
I'm chalking it up to him being an attractive man and me being someone with eyes.
Enjoying this fake relationship is fine, right?
"Bathroom," I open the door and flick the light on. "I like to shower in the morning, but unless I have to shave, I'm pretty fast. I cleared out a drawer for any stuff you might have, and you can use the shower caddy or put stuff on the rim of the tub."
Zill steps into the small bathroom, inspecting it and giving me a short nod. "I can shower after you if that's all right? I'd prefer to keep our schedules as in sync as possible in case you need me."
I open my mouth to say a very inappropriate, very much an inside thought thing, and thankfully catch myself before letting it slip.
Telling the man who's fake-dating me that he can shower with me if he's that worried about being in sync is something that comes out of my mouth when I'm comfortable with someone or know I'm only seeing them for a night.
Sexually harassing my new bodyguard? Yeah, I'm not trying to make that the next headline on the gossip sites.
My cheeks heat, and I turn away without saying anything else.
Zill doesn't ask about it, thankfully, so I get to berate myself internally for a few seconds before leading him into my room. Or, well, what's left of my room. Zill stands in the doorway as I walk to the middle of it, turning and giving him a very brittle and fake smile.
"So this is my room," I say, the words coming off more cheery than I expect them to. "It's a little bare, but I threw everything that was left out after, well, you know."
Zill's lips remain pressed tight together, the muscle in his cheek tensing as his eyes go over the freshly painted cream walls, the new, generic-looking bedframe and mattress that has a white comforter and sheets, and finally landing on the empty dresser that's standing up against one wall.
"So, all of my clothes are in the closet. Some of it is in a couple of my suitcases, since I didn't want to put it all back in the dresser. I'd appreciate it if you didn't go through the closet. If you need to, like check it for intruders, feel free, but it's just…"
I twist my fingers in front of me, tears already threatening to spill from my lower lashes. I will not cry in front of Zill twice in one day. I can be strong enough to cry on my own in a little bit when we're doing our own things.
"I have the report of everything that happened," Zill says, coming to stand behind me, his presence already helping to calm me down.
I wipe at my eyes as his hand finds my shoulder. His shadows don't wrap themselves around me, even if I wish they would. They were a strange sensation against my skin, but not an unpleasant one. More than anything, I'd like to feel safe right now.
Zill squeezes my shoulder before turning me to face him. I don't like how it's clear on my face that I'm close to tears, but I allow him to lift my chin with his knuckle. "You don't have to explain anything to me. If you don't want me in the closet, I don't touch the closet."
"Should've done all of this and then told you you were getting the bed," I say, letting out a small laugh when amusement flickers across his features.
"Maybe I wouldn't have been so combative about it," he says, his finger lingering against my chin before he brushes it for the briefest moment across my neck, and then he's pulling it back to him.
"I need to go get my belongings from downstairs, but Marr and the others know you're in here on your own.
Do you want me to have one of them come sit with you while I'm gone? "
"No, I think I can manage a few minutes on my own." I try to sound like I'm more easygoing than I am, but in all honesty, I haven't been alone in my apartment since the break-in happened.
Zill's eyes narrow a fraction on my face, the glow of them bright. "You're sure?"
"Positive," I say with a little more enthusiasm. "I haven't had dinner yet, have you?"
"No," he says the word slowly, like he's trying to figure out if I'm changing the subject because I'm uncomfortable or because I'm genuinely curious.