My heart is racing and my mouth is dry. I fall on the sofa behind me. I fumble with the memory card in my hand and think of his touch. He came to my rescue when I needed him most, almost like a knight in shining armor.

“You okay over there?” Alex sits down next to me and watches me. This is the quietest I’ve ever seen her. “I thought you were going to faint with how hard you were staring at him,” she laughs.

“I might have.” That was the truth. If he even touched me one more time, I would have gone head first to the ground. Embarrass myself for the second time this week. I grip the memory card between my fingers and break in half. He didn’t have to do what he did. “I can’t believe that he got this for me.”

“You should repay him for his service. I could go get him and give you guys some time alone,” she giggles next to me. “God knows you need it right now.”

“Oh, please. Alex, you know that that’s not me.” The words come out of my mouth but I don’t believe them. If Alex hadn’t been here, things might have played out a little different. The feeling in the air between him and I was intoxicating.

“Rose?” My father’s voice breaks the silence from down through the hallway. Two men dressed in black suits enter the room first, followed by my father and stepmother. “Rose, are you okay? I just got word that someone attacked you.” He rushes to my side and runs a hand through my hair. He takes one look at me and brings me into a hug. The familiar smell of Old Spice fills my nose. No place like home.

“Dad, I’m fine. Someone took a picture of me undressing,” I say, completely embarrassed by the fact that I have to tell him that. “I was being careless and didn’t lock the door.”

He blinks twice and I can see the red rising to his face. “They did what?” The words fumble out of his mouth and he slams his fist down at the end of the couch. There’s a soft creak as the wood bends. I forget how strong he can be at times. He turns his attention to the bodyguards. “Find him and bring him to me.” He rolls up his sleeves like he’s about to take care of business himself.

Alex and I both break into laughter. I love how much he cares for me. I reach out and grab his hand. He looks at me with a fury in his eyes before he calms down. “Dad, it’s fine. Sergeant Johnson got it for me.” I hold out the broken memory card.

“Sergeant Johnson?” He runs his hand along his chin as he thinks the name over. “Never heard of him, but I’m glad that your safe.” He holds my hand tight and smiles down at me. “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you. “Good. I’m just glad that your safe.” He holds my hand tight and smiles.

“You need to be more careful next time,” Meredith, my step-mother, chirps up. “Do you have any idea the kind of damage that this would have caused your father if it got out?” She walks around the room, half looking at me and back down to her phone. She puts herself between my father and I.

“It’s fine,” I say, unamused with her attempt to break us apart.

“It’s not fine,” she parrots. I’m so close to getting up and slapping her, but Alex holds me back. “You need to stop being so careless. Your father’s re-election depends on it. And I — he doesn’t want his hard work to go out of the window.” She stares me down before curling her lip and shaking her head and sitting down on my father’s lap. She runs her hand through his salt and pepper hair.

She’s always trying her best to come between my father and I. Always whispering things about me into his ear. Luckily, my father just nods along but doesn’t do anything more. I worry that with time, as he gets older, that won’t be the case.

I bite my lip and don’t respond. It won’t help even if I do. She always has to have the last word in every argument. Her moving in was one of the main reasons I left the house, although I’ll never tell that to Dad. He hates it when the two of us fight.

“Oh Meredith, leave the girl alone. She’s young.” Meredith climbs off his legs as he gets up. “I’m just glad that you’re okay,” my father mutters next to me. “So, who is this Sergeant Johnson?”

“Her knight in shining armor,” Alex answers a little too enthusiastically, “and he’s quite the charmer as well.”

Max flashes through my mind. Firm shoulders. A tight uniform that hugs his body. Barrel chest that looks too perfect to be real. I can feel the rush in my cheeks.

“Is that so?” Dad thinks Alex’s words over. “Someone like that should be rewarded for his act.”

“That’s what I was just telling Rose.” I elbow her in the stomach before she says another word. She takes several steps away from me. “I was suggesting some one on one time between the two of them.”

“We’re not on the same page, Alexandra.” He shakes his head and looks at me. “Ro, you look a little tired.” Dad brings the back of his hand to my forehead and holds it there. “Your temperature is a little high.”

“Maybe, I should get Sergeant Johnson. He’s good at putting out a fire.” Alex leans over and wafts air at my crotch as my father turns around. “I’ll go get him.”

“Good idea, Alexandra.”

“No. No. That’s quite all right.” I stare Alex down and pull at her arm. “I’ll be fine. Just need to get home and rest.”

“Are you sure? I’m sure that he wouldn’t mind helping you,” Alex says, holding out her tongue.

My father doesn’t hear her as he walks outside, only to be greeted by a group of people. Meredith shoots us a dirty look before she falls in line behind Daddy. I wait until the door shuts.

“I’m going to kill you,” I scream and grab my heel.

“Two can play this game.” Alex grabs her own heel and meets me the in the middle. “Bring it, bitch.”

We hold our heels out in front of us before we both break out in laughter. We fall back on the couch and let the echoes of our chuckles fill the room. Everything’s quiet for a while before Alex chirps up.

“You really need to get laid, Ro.”

Ain’t that the truth, I think.