Chapter 3 The Bodyguard Clause

Elena

I found the roses first thing in the morning. Dark red, but nothing about them felt beautiful. Every flower head had been cut off cleanly, leaving only the thorny stems and a few drooping petals. No card. No explanation. I didn’t need one. I knew exactly who it was. Marcus liked to “prune” things he couldn’t control.

I didn’t touch them. I stepped over the mess, careful not to press a thorn into my shoe. My heart was racing not with excitement, but with that tight, sinking fear that never fully leaves. The North Arena was the only place I felt even a little safe now. Steel walls, concrete floors, ice below. Julian had given me the brass key. I still gripped it like a lifeline.

That night, I went there again. The campus is quiet, mostly dark. 11:00 PM. The overhead lights were low, casting long, cold shadows across the ice. Julian was on the rink, moving fast, in tight circles. Skates cutting through ice, scratching, and slicing, echoing sharply in the cavernous arena. He saw me standing by the bench and skated over. Stopped abruptly, sending a small spray of ice against the glass.

“You’re late, Rossi,” he said, breath heavy, neck wet with sweat. “I thought you were the type who lives by the clock.”

“The plan changed,” I said, my voice thin, almost weak to me. My fingers clenched the strap of my violin case. “I’m adding a new clause to our deal.”

Julian leaned against the glass, watching my hands shake. I couldn’t hide it. My chest felt tight, pulse racing. He still looked arrogant, but now his gaze was sharp, alert.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said.

“I’ve seen a shadow,” I corrected. Took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. “Tutoring isn’t enough. I need a shield. A public one.”

Julian straightened immediately. Alert. Eyes narrowing. “Shield?”

“Yes,” I said. “I want people on campus to think we’re dating. The hockey captain was obsessed with the violin soloist. You show up at my rehearsals. Arm around me when we walk outside. I want them to believe it.”

He let out a low whistle, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Wow. From ‘six feet away’ to ‘fake boyfriend’ pretty fast. You’re dramatic, Elena.”

“This is not a joke,” I snapped. “There’s an ex. He doesn’t understand the word ‘no.’ He’s a coward but dangerous. He’ll stay away if he thinks I have someone like you protecting me.”

The smile disappeared. His whole expression shifted. Serious. Dangerous. Focused. He opened the gate to the ice and stepped out, towering over me. I realized just how tall he really was.

“Who is this guy?” he asked, with a low growl, his voice like it could cut glass.

“It doesn’t matter who he is,” I said. “What matters is what you are. You’re the most visible, intimidating person on campus. If people think you’re mine, I disappear in plain sight.”

Julian reached out. I flinched for a split second, but he didn’t grab me. Just tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His touch was warm against the cold air of the arena. Just a touch, but enough to make my chest beat faster and remind me he could make me feel safe without saying a word.

“Three rules, then,” he whispered.

“Rules?” I asked.

“One: If we do this, we do it properly. No half-measures. I pick you up from classes, take you to dinner, and show up at rehearsals.”

I nodded slowly. The first step toward the illusion he would create.

“Two: You have to actually talk to me. No Ice Queen act when we’re alone. I need to know what I’m protecting.”

I swallowed hard. My hands gripped the violin case tighter. “And the third?”

Julian stepped closer, and I could smell the faint scent of cold air and cedarwood from his jacket. His eyes were serious. Sharp. “Three: Do not fall for me, Rossi. I have my own problems, a season to win. I can be your shield. I cannot be your happily ever after.”

I let out a shaky breath. A small spark of confidence returned. “Trust me, Vane. Falling for a man chasing a rubber puck is not on my list of things to do.”

He laughed. Genuine this time. Held out his hand. “Then we have a pact.”

I looked at his hand, then at the dim corners of the arena where the shadows seemed a little less threatening than before. Took his hand. Deal sealed. The biggest lie on campus was about to begin. That night, I practiced for a long time. Each note is precise. Each movement is deliberate. Julian hovered nearby, giving me the space I needed but being present enough to feel protected. I glanced at him every so often. There was something comforting about having him there, not in a romantic way, not yet, but a sense that someone had my back.

Marcus was still out there, though. Somewhere. Watching. Waiting. The threat didn’t disappear just because I had Julian as a shield. But the weight of fear lifted, even slightly. I could breathe again.

As I packed my violin away, Julian crossed the room and stopped a few feet away, respecting the distance. I realized something else: this pact wasn’t just about survival. It was about trust, about letting someone in, even in a world where people tried to control me, scare me, threaten me. I could let him in, and he wouldn’t overstep.

“You okay?” he asked, voice quiet and careful.

I nodded. “Yes. For the first time in a while, I feel… safe.”

He nodded. “Good. That’s the point.”

And it was. That's simple. Words didn’t matter. Presence did. Respect mattered. Trust mattered. And for the first time in a long time, I believed I could have all three.