Encounter

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here. Ayda?" His firm words let me know the worry went right down the drain. I could now only see and feel anger coming from him.

"I am here because of you! Why did you go to work? You're aware there's a hit out for you, yet you don't seem to care!" I half yelled at him. I was more worried than angry.

I watched him pinch the bridge of his nose and shake his head. I was starting to feel the heaviness of the helmet and decided to take it off before my neck started to protest too. Once it was off, I could feel like breathing came easier so I took a good look at him. He was dressed in a metal gray pair of slacks, button up collard dress shirt the shade of a fresh robin's egg. His tie was black with some light embossed design, while his shoes were what really caught my attention. I suddenly started to giggle. He was wearing house slippers. Looking at me lose myself, his anger increased however. 

"You find this funny? If I hadn't been looking at the security cameras at that moment you got to the front of the building, you would of have been taken to a room, stripped and then confined until someone could verify your identity." shaking his head, he continued to scold me.

"Those food drivers are designated, hand-picked. They have badges for Almighty's sake, Ayda! I had to explain to the head of my security department why I was letting this little unknown female, with just a receipt, enter our building. You outwitting them would not have occurred. There is a reason they work for me. What were you thinking? Now I will have to go through the headache of explaining it further after I return upstairs." He rubbed his hand on his mouth in frustration as he lectured me then stared at me with annoyance.

The pride of my cleverness was crushed, and my laughter slipped away. All that was left was a bit of anger and hurt. He didn't have to chew my ass. I wasn't doing this for me. I wasn't some kid he could just snap at like an inconvenience to his everyday life. I was there to die for him. Could I at least get a thank you? Apparently not, so my temper came out in a rush, I had had enough. 

"Do you honestly think I want to be here? You think my life is soo boring I want to follow you around like a friggen puppy? I am doing my damn job Cash! I was sent to keep you alive, but did you ever consider I don't like dying? Did you ever consider that you were an inconvenience to ME? You didn't tell me the truth about what was going on with the whole Pack issue, you went to work regardless of knowing there is a hit out on you! You die, it's on me! I will have to deal with the consequences and live every day knowing I didn't keep you alive, safe. Did you ever consider once asking me exactly what we needed to do? Do you put such little value on your life?" at this point the tears were welling and I was getting more pissed waiting for them to flow. 

He just stood there looking at me, I couldn't read the expression on his face as I shouted at him with my anger because a wall of tears had stacked up. I wanted to let it all out. He just didn't know to what extent I had let it build up. I had held it in. Everything.

Waking up with him gone to work, the shifter dropping by, the knowledge that this issue could be deeper than just a beef with his brother, knowledge that he could get killed between any point from A to B! It even made me question my abilities, how hard I may not have been trying, or how aloof I may have acted on the outside. I held all those emotions of worry and fear for his life, a complete stranger, inside. He had just broken the door down.

I turned around to face the blurry reflection of our bodies on the wall of the elevator. I didn't want to cry, but I was so angry. Angry at him, and myself. I needed to gather myself, get away from him for a moment. I turned back to mash the open button, without looking at him. I didn't want to look at him. For the next 30 minutes I was done. He'd be safe here since his security was THAT good. I decided I would head back to his apartment cool off. 

The elevator dinged and I started to exit. Feeling him grab my arm was the last straw. I don't like being restrained and I don't like being touched when I am pissed.

"Wait, Ayda, I.." the look on his face showed 10 times less anger and more worry. Did he know he pushed me too far? It didn't matter, my give a crap meter was on overflow.

"Let me the hell go!" I seethed as I tried to pull my arm away. There was a flash of hurt that flickered in his eyes but he didn't let go, so I came down hard with my other hand and chopped at that point right before his wrist, where it met his arm. He let go that time. Good, cause at this point I am tempted to just kill him myself to be rid of the hurt. Unfortunately, though, guilt lasts a bit longer then hurt.

I turned not giving him a glance back and headed for the exit. If they already knew I was there at his permission, I doubt they'd stop me. Too bad. I was in the mood for some power pushing.

As I left, with the building behind me, the tears flowed. They came so fast and hard that trying to breath in the cool night air through my nose, was pointless. I felt like I was drowning. 

Finally hearing the quietness of the street, shops locking up for the night, and buzzing of the old street lamps, I was soothed a bit. I didn't want to go back to his apartment, I didn't want to face him ever again, but after calming my thoughts, I felt childish.  I knew I was going a bit over board. I had been through thing similar with countless Others. 

Still, I lost my composure earlier and cried in front of him. Now, the embarrassment was replaced with anger, and to top it off I was still hungry. I needed food to help calm the anger, or at least try to. Opting for the hotdog stand I seen on the way to the Plaza earlier, I headed back the way I came. 

The stall I approached was run by an Other, but as to what kind she was I couldn't really tell. Her aura was projected a bit and it felt cozy, but odd at the same time. She didn't use a glamour magic to shield her natural image, and if she did, I suppose a cookie baking grandma is more accepting when it came to food. She just nodded at me as I got closer and something about her was familiar, but thinking how muddled my mind just was, I blew it off.

I gave her my order of 2 dogs loaded. I also grabbed a bottle of water from the open cooler of ice in front of me. I noticed the various plastic grocery bags tied shut that looked to be filled with different types of food. I knew I smelt raw meat. I paid with my phone and said thanks, then continued my walk back towards Fillington Apartments.

My body stopped suddenly as I was taking a drink of water, I could feel of Shifter close by. I walked over to a closed shops window, pretending to gaze at the contents. The street's reflection in the window held shadows so I couldn't really tell what or who was coming and going on the street behind me. The feeling suddenly subsided and I backed off the window looking around. I'm not really scared of Shifters, but so far, I haven't met one I fancied.

I continued back more hurriedly this time to Cash's place. The night closing in faster, I was starting to get nervous, even though the hit was out for Cash, I knew whoever it was knew by now I was involved with him somehow.