On the way back, they were both silent. Chloe still couldn't recover. Testifying in front of the police caused her additional stress, and besides, she felt stupid.
James had asked her to stay away from the man because something didn't sit well with him from the beginning, and yet she had put her foot down and led to the fact that she narrowly missed being injured.
She looked at him and then anger unexpectedly rose in her. Indignant, she fixed her eyes on him and, not caring that he was driving, decided to yell at him to expel the lingering anger.
- It's your fault! - she attacked him unexpectedly. - I was at your office and saw you playing with that stupid secretary, and I wanted to talk to you! Your games made me leave the damn company, I ended up in a tent because it started raining, and I got drunk to the point of unconsciousness!
- Were you at my place? - She perceived that he became stupid. He nervously swallowed saliva. - There is nothing between me and Isabelle, and today I made it clear to her.
- And why are you explaining yourself to me? - She snorted under her breath and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at him obliquely. - I don't care what you did with her, but I just want to point out to you that it's your fault. Because of you, that horny pervert drove me to his house.
- Because you have no brains and got drunk like a piglet! - He raised his voice, clasping his hands tighter on the steering wheel.
She made him angry.
- Piglet? - She repeated, forcing a laugh. - Call your secretary a piglet because she was the one who drooled in your face a few hours earlier.
He pulled over to the side of the road and braked sharply. He fixed an angry gaze on her, at which she furrowed her brow. Furthermore, he looked as if he wanted to shout her down at all costs.
- You were seen by Aaron, who called me, and if it wasn't for the fact that the man works in our company and I had his data, what would you have done without my help, eh?
She did not look away. She looked hard into his eyes.
- Now you're playing macho? It hit you in the head after all those heroic deeds? - She saw him blink his eyelids in disbelief. He didn't like the way she was talking back to him. - Who told you to go to my rescue? I would have sprayed him myself! - she yelled in his face.
James laughed nervously.
- You beat him so much that you ran away from home with your tail tucked! I'm sure you could have handled it. - He snorted, and she squirmed in exasperation.
- Are you laughing at me? I'm a woman, for fuck's sake!
- Then why are you smarting and claiming that you could manage on your own? - He sneered, purposely wrinkling his nose.
- Because you irritate me.
- You irritate me more. There is not an ounce of gratitude in you. You can't even repay me for everything I do for you, only further oppress me.
Chloe unexpectedly punched him in the arm. James all the way jumped up.
- What are you hitting me for now!
- Because you are a twat!
- Clown? - he repeated in a raised voice, and then she decided to get out of the car. She opened the door, intending to walk home on foot, but he grabbed her arm. She turned her face toward him and measured him carefully. - Where are you going?
- I'm going out, before I take you apart.
But he didn't let her. He pulled her to him and unexpectedly kissed her. Chloe's eyes opened wide as he cupped her face with his hands. She was shocked and didn't know if this was what made her heart beat harder. She got the impression that it wanted to jump out of her chest.
He pressed his forehead against hers and then whispered calmly:
- You don't even know how worried I was about you. Don't ever do that again.
However, she did not focus on his words, but on what he had done. This was something new for her. A new feeling that she had never experienced before. She felt so... good.
It was enough to calm her down. All the anger was gone, and she no longer felt like yelling at him.
- Won't you beat me anymore? - He asked when he looked into her eyes. She did not speak, but only nodded her head in agreement.
*
It was the middle of the night, and she couldn't fall asleep. She was squirming from one side to the other, and the smile would not leave her face. She was excited and couldn't calm down. It all hit her unexpectedly, and she even forgot rapidly about the unpleasant situation, which could have ended quite dangerously for her.
She owed so much to James. He had been her guardian angel since childhood. It was no coincidence that she met him on her path again in her adult life. It was all written in the stars. This was to be their destiny.
She rose to a sitting position and looked at the door. She couldn't stand being in this room anymore. Likewise, she was unable to fall asleep here, so she jumped off the bed. Furthermore, she quietly ran to his room and, creeping on tiptoe, climbed onto the bed. She lay down next to him and cuddled her face into his back. She woke him up.
- Chloe? - His voice was sleepy. - Why are you awake?
- Because I can't stand it any longer. I have to confess something to you. - Surprised, he turned to face her. He noticed that she was smiling joyfully. - You have helped me so many times that it's difficult to count it on your fingers. There are few people who could act in the same way as you. I had a tough character, and yet you gave me a chance and allowed me to start living again. Thanks to you, I didn't end up on the street, and I found myself in a cozy place where you took care of me and provided everything for me. Thank you.
He did not take his eyes off her. A slight smile appeared on his face.
- You are the only person I want to listen to and, above all, that I do not intend to lose. You are the most important to me, and you are the only one I trust. - He put his hand to her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. - Just... be my happiness.
*
One of the Saturday evenings was set aside for a house party in the company of their friends. Chloe prepared the food; over several months, she had learned to cook what was reasonably edible. Relatively, because not every dish worked out for her.
- What do you think? Is it good? - She slid the bowl under James' nose. She scooped a small portion onto a spoon and used him as a guinea pig. Little did he feel like spitting it out; however, he refrained at the last minute so as not to make her uncomfortable. Although she deduced from the look on his face that it was not fit to eat. - Should we order something from the restaurant?
He merely nodded his head.
The delivery man showed up an hour later. Everything looked delicious and, above all, smelled good. The girl began to burp in her stomach and begged the guests to show up ahead of time because she couldn't stand the hunger.
- Eat something, not stand in front of the table and massage your stomach. After all, no one forbids you to do so. - He looked amused as he took alcohol from the bar. The blonde's eyes lit up at this sight. He noticed that. - Remember that you have a limit in drinking? I'll keep an eye on it.
She's nauseating like a kid.
The guests showed up. James opened the door for them. Chloe noticed that with them came even more alcohol and food. She rubbed her hands with excitement.
- I am happy. Do you know why? - Aaron put his hands on his friend's shoulders, unable to stop smiling. - My brother finally let go of Isabelle. He realized that she was a hussy and would never love him.
Chloe looked at Chris and noticed his sour face. He must have been deeply in love with her, but he finally let it go when he realized that she would never accept him.
- Why do the stupid ones always get lucky? - The blonde measured Kylie, who greeted her with a fake smile. From the beginning they didn't get along very well and often teased each other. - How could James be interested in you? You have a nasty character.
- I can say the same about you," she bit back, then turned to Aaron. - What did you see in her? The green eyes?
- First, those eyes," he replied with laughter in his voice.
Chloe shook her head and led them to the table. Even though Kylie was sometimes annoying, she still liked her. It was good to have at least one female friend among the guys.
- Doing well, huh? - She looked at Samuel, who smiled at her in a friendly way. - You are like Cinderella.
- Ugly Cinderella! - corrected his cousin, who heard his words. Chloe felt like throwing food in her face.
Everyone joked and laughed, and their mood was improved by the alcohol that appeared on the table. Chloe, hiding from James, was pouring under the table while he was immersed in conversation with his best friend.
Samuel saw everything and only shook his head. He was amused by the girl's behavior.
- Do you know what I'm going to tell you? - shouted Chloe unexpectedly, when too much alcohol finally went to her head. - That I am pretty. - She giggled happily, putting her hands to her cheeks. She was trying to be cute.
James squinted, seeing that she was drenched in alcohol. It all came out when she accidentally kicked at the empty bottles she kept under the table.
- Oops. - She made an innocent face and surreptitiously glanced at James. He was angry with her, but she wasn't going to worry about it because such an occasion happened once a year. She wanted to have fun with her friends.
She blinked her eyelids when he leaned over her ear.
- Do you remember what I told you earlier? I asked you to drink in moderation, didn't I? - She laughed nervously. - You broke the rule. - Still, she didn't believe she would. - Chloe is moving out tonight," he turned to all the guests, placing his hand on the back of her chair.
- What!" she yelled so loudly that everyone fell silent. - You are not serious?
- Samuel? - Brunet looked in his direction. - Will you take her with you? Will you give way to her to sleep?
- There's no problem with that. - He winked at him, and Chloe became indignant. She coughs like a child. She crossed her arms on her chest and snorted furiously under her breath.
- Great! I'll move out of here within the hour.
- I have a few spare rooms. You don't like me, but I can provide you with a roof over your head. I'm not a heartless person like him. - Chris pointed his finger at his best friend.
- Make fun of me. Do it any longer and I'll rip everyone's heads off. You first," she threatened James, which he could not stand any longer and snorted with laughter.
- She can be rowdy after alcohol, which is why I don't like it when she drinks too much," he defended himself, watching the girl get up from the table. She wobbled, and when he wanted to support her, she threatened him.
- Get your hands off me, or I'll bite your fingers off.
Taking uneven steps, she finally made it to the bathroom. There was a noise from the room that meant she had accidentally broken something.
- I'll go see. I must have lost another perfume.
James headed for the bathroom, and the others burst out laughing.
- I'm afraid she'll kill him someday. I couldn't sleep with such a person in the same bed. It's scary to think what she'll suddenly get up to.
- Kylie, she is not mentally ill, just sometimes she does not control her anger. She can't be upset. - Aaron stood up for his friend.
- I, for one, am in favor of still having James kick her out of the house tonight. - Chris raised his vodka glass to propose a toast. - Here's to the crazy woman.
- To the crazy woman!