CHAPTER 10

RAINDROPS

Christiano entered the second floor spare room which his men converted into a surveillance room. He had Caramella’s schedule in hand summarizing it. It was like a long chore list. He read in his mind, ‘She paints from 11-12, dance from 1:30-3, does fencing from 3-5, karate & judo from 5-7, camps & movies from 7-8 including the daily BBC news, writes scenes for her last novel: The Ball from 9-11. Does pageants for little girls from 9-10:30’ Christiano shook his head, ‘I couldn’t believe this’ and continued reading; ‘Shopping for food, clothes was a must at 12:30-1. Saturdays from 9-12 attending church service and Sundays from 10-5 football practice.’

‘This girl has too much going on. She doesn’t get enough sleep either,’ Christiano said.

‘It’s what we get for guarding a workaholic,’ Dustin added activating all motion sensors and cameras.

Lucas’s good friend chirped in, ‘No beauty rest for us then’ and drank his cup of coffee.

‘We’ll work through it, Lucas. Have you done a background check on all the trainers, Caramella’s best friends and former associates, Dustin?’ Christiano assured.

Dustin handed him a folder filled with the details basically pros and cons of each employee working for Caramella.

‘Santos, everything you need is in this file?’ He confirmed.

Christiano nodded, ‘Good,’ flipping through the folder’s document studying each suspect. Until one individual caught his attention grunting, ‘Ray Martinez? Don’t we have enough information on this guy for him to spend more than five years in prison?’

‘There’s something fishy about that guy, Santos,’ Lucas commented.

Dustin agreed, ‘He’s records are cleaned out; former jobs he have done are gone from the criminal system in the French Police Department.’

‘We believed he’s hiding something, Santos. He didn’t a good man. He won’t think twice before pulling the trigger on you,’ Lucas continued sitting on the desk.

Christiano frowned seriously, ‘Hack the FPD system found out if there’s anything trailing to Martinez, guys. I’ll head out and babysit. If any happens contact me immediately.’

‘Yes sir,’ Dustin, Lucas and the men answered.

Christiano stepped out the room and went to find Caramella. He had placed an invisible tracker on the back of her neck earlier on when he carried her in his arms. Christiano could still feel her presence, he smiled in remembrance. Cornering into the living room, before heading into the kitchen and found his tracker left on the counter with a note.

‘Honestly, don’t track me down. I’m still in the house, maybe’ Caramella wrote leaving a puke face drawing beneath it.

Christiano sensed alarmed as he ran out into the garden-field looking for her. There she was seated on the bench looking up at the sky. Her arm rose up while she pointed at the usual shape clouds in deep thought.

‘What is she doing this time?’ He muttered walking over her and towered her face.

‘Congrats you’ve found me, what can I help you with Christiano?’ Caramella said sarcastically.

‘Nothing really, may I have a seat here?’ He asked looking at her.

Caramella lifted her head and shrugged, ‘Do whatever you want.’

‘Great,’ Christiano smiled sliding beside her. ‘What were you actually doing?’

‘You aren’t tired of being nosy, huh?’ Caramella quipped smiling.

Christiano laughed, ‘As long as it’s you everything is interesting.’

She blushed looking up at the sky and said, ‘I was looking for cloud shaped animals and characters. It clears my mind I usually come here to forget, think and sometimes pray for a miracle.’

‘Oh? Why are you praying for miracle?’ Christiano asked curiously.

Caramella faced him, ‘The life I lived in the past will hunt me down. I’m praying God to save me if I can’t escape my problems’ and thought aloud, ‘You won’t understand.’

‘I do actually,’ Christiano answered thoughtfully. He watched her looked at him intensely, ‘Problems arise whenever we take the wrong path. It doesn’t mean that we should burden our minds with fear but keeping praying for strength to fight it through.’

Caramella nodded in thought, ‘You don’t know grateful I am to you right now, Christiano’ and she stood up facing with a beautiful smile before walking away leaving confused and speechless.

‘What just happen here? Did she smile at me?’ Christiano muttered watching her stroll into her house as he felt his heart fluttered and his lips tugged up a smirk.

Caramella changed into her spandex pants, training bra with a short t-shirt with her hair in a ponytail and went out for a morning jog. ‘First day with the bodyguards and it’s already a guy’s military unit,’ she thought stepping out the door all lustful eyes her as she bended down to tied for shoelace. Looking back the guys’ head were titled with a smug look when she glared at them they reacted like honey bees looking for nectar; pretending to do their assigned tasks. Christiano were among the immature minded men she ignored him and ran off into the nearby forest climbing an apple tree.

‘Will you guys stop following me? It’s not like I’ve runaway,’ she frowned.

Christiano and the three other handsome guys named Dustin, Lucas and Halts were behind him.

‘You could?’ Halts commented.

‘Caramella get down this instant,’ Christiano demanded.

She raised her eyebrow, ‘Don’t order me, Christiano. I’m not one of your recruits!’ picking the fruits and started throwing apples at them.

‘Caramella! Stop it!’ Dustin yelled running away as Lucas followed.

‘She’s loony, man!’ Her best friend laughed eating an apple he caught.

‘She’s not, Lucas. She’s just overwhelmed by the entire situation with us,’ Dustin defended.

‘Who wouldn’t be? She’s a young heiress billionaire, who parties a lot,’ Lucas pointed out.

‘Guys, Santos says stay close she could attempt to escape,’ Halts interrupted.

‘Yeah,’ they answered stopping in their footsteps; turning back.

Christiano and the guys watched Caramella hopped onto another tree sneaking away.

‘Caramella come back here!’ He hollered annoyingly running after her and the guys followed them.

She saw the fence and remembered, ‘It’s in electrocuting mode I should have shut it off’ and stepping back facing front. Caramella frown she saw Christiano and his buddies laughing.

‘Can’t run off now?’ Christiano smirked.

Caramella bit her lower lip angrily, ‘Should I wipe that smug look off your face?’ She walking passed him bumping his shoulder and thought, ‘Damn his chiseled arm, my shoulder hurts,’ rubbing her shoulder as they laughed. ‘I’ll show them not to mess with me’ and climbed up another tree again. Suddenly, the sunny weather became gloomy with rain clouds.

Christiano warned, ‘It’s going to rain, Caramella, get down.’

She refused and yelled, ‘Go away you old crocodile.’

Dustin and Lucas decided to leave. Halts handed Christiano an umbrella before he left since they had watched the weather forecast earlier on. It was sunny for a short while with plenty of showers. It started too rained and she seated on the branch looking down at Christiano who opened the umbrella over his head just made her cringed and annoyed.

‘Get down, Caramella!’ He shouted. ‘I’ll shelter you,’ his voice grew gentler even though he was frustrated with her childishness.

‘I can’t I’m afraid of heights!’ She admitted.

‘But you just climbed this tree,’ Christiano pointed out.

‘When the courageous syndrome takes over my body,’ Caramella answered

He laughed and added, ‘Jump! I’ll catch you I promise.’

‘What? Are you crazy I’m not jumping I rather sit in the rain and sing than break my leg,’ She replied.

‘Search yourself, then,’ Christiano responded and walked away before he leaned a tree’s trunk.

The rain had gotten heavier. This coldness reminded Caramella of Ray. A memory flash came when they were on the beach and it was raining. She looked at the tree where Christiano was and realised he was gone, ‘Where’s that so the so called bodyguard of mine? Probably got tired and left, well that’s great,’ she thought.

Caramella sighed, ‘Why couldn’t it stop already? Stupid rain,’ she rubbed her arms.

She was freezing and soaking wet from head to toe; she pulled back the fringe of wet hair placing it behind her ear. She felt lonely and lost in tranquility. Before she spotted Christiano walking in her direction with a blanket over his shoulder, Caramella found herself smiling at his thoughtfulness as she thought aloud, ‘He cares? Of course it’s his job to look after me’ and her eye welled up with tears that dripped away being hidden in the raindrops. ‘At least good to someone around to watch over you,’ she thought and concealed her happiness in heart and wore a frown.

Staring up at the rainy weather she sang, ‘Rain! Rain! Go away never come another day. Ray! Ray! Go away I won’t let you hurt my heart again!’ and repeated it until she felt relieved from this burden.

A minute ago, Christiano went in the mansion to get a blanket to wrap her in. He returned and thought, ‘She must be really cold.’ He stood with the umbrella listening to her and watching her sing. He realised she was really hurt. Her voice was beautiful and strong like a gospel singer. He felt all her emotions and pain.

‘She’s hurt really bad,’ he mumbled feeling pitiful.

Christiano remembered when her parents gave him an update on Ray Martinez, the Spanish playboy. He didn’t like what he read about that guy and wanted to keep Caramella safe away from him.

He sighed, ‘I can’t believe I’m going to do this’ and started climbing the tree she was on.

‘What are you doing?’ Caramella asked furiously.

Christiano reached up for a branch and smirked, ‘I’m coming to you princess.’ He saw her blushed before lifting himself and then sat down beside her.

Caramella was surprisingly glad he was seated next to her and teased sarcastically, ‘Were you lonely without me?’ She heard him laughed before smiling as she thought, ‘He’s smiles are wonderful. Wait! What the heck I’m thinking?’ She frowned at him.

‘I would be if you were too far away from me,’ Christiano flirted.

Caramella rolled her eyes, ‘Yeah right’ and watched him swung the blanket over her shoulders which surprised her.

‘It will keep you warm,’ Christiano admitted looking at her. He stared into her eyes and there was a connection between them that he couldn’t explain. ‘You’re beautiful you know that,’ he thought aloud softly.

Caramella paused in the moment watching him leaned forward. Their faces were inches apart. Her heart throbbing like it hit a milestone in life as she looked away with flushed cheeks, ‘Christiano, do your job right and don’t flirt with me; I’ve gotten a broken heart I don’t need another one.’

‘I’m here to protect you, Caramella. I know what you’ve been through emotionally. I wouldn’t want to ruin your efforts to trust with me,’ Christiano muttered carefully.

She faced him and thought aloud, ‘How can I trust you? When I don’t even know you?’

‘You’ll know me when you try to interact with me,’ Christiano replied.

‘Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?’ Caramella asked.

‘We’re talking and that’s a start of something fresh, princess,’ Christiano answered placing the fringe behind her ear watching her blushed. ‘I do care that your heart was broken at least got a chance to mend it for you,’ he thought smiling.

Caramella pulled away, ‘You’re creepy me out but the least I could is make you a cup of hot chocolate when we get inside, thanks for everything, Christiano’ and hopped down from the branch strolling back to the mansion.

‘You’re welcome, Caramella!’ Christiano yelled watching her as she shook her head but he could tell she was definitely smiling. He got off the tree and ran to the house.

Completing everything all the schedule; night came; cuddled up in blanket Caramella watched Cinderella movie. She ate popcorn in the comfort of bedroom while Christiano was seated by the door observing her every movement.

‘Why Cinderella of all movies? Can you watch something else?’ Christiano frowned.

Caramella glared, ‘It’s a classic, stupid. You won’t understand, babysitter.‘

‘Glass slippers and a pretty dress for a beautiful maid and she gets the ridiculously handsome princes which is pure myth,’ Christiano smirked wiggled his eyebrows as she frowned in thought aloud, ‘It’s more than that buddy, it’s about love’ and he overheard what she said and smiled, ‘If only you would allow yourself to be loved again by someone who loves you.’

‘That’s if he actually exists? I doubt you’re him,’ Caramella retorted watching him.

‘I could be just tell me when you’re ready, princess,’ Christiano flirted.

‘Never,’ Caramella answered stilling keeping her eyes on the screen but every inch of her body scream: ‘It’s him alright’ but she ignored the lustful callings shutting off the television. ‘I’m going to sleep don’t anything stupid, Christiano. Goodnight and get out’ rolled onto her side with her back facing him.

Christiano smirked, ‘Goodnight, Caramella’ exiting her bedroom. He felt urged to stay and watch her sleep but since she said he was creepy. He didn’t want to get on her bad side even thought he felt heart race everytime she was near and thought, ‘I’m starting to like her, it’s irritating. I can’t hold myself any longer around her. If I crack I’ll end up falling in love with her, shit. It doesn’t matter she doesn’t me as nothing her babysitter. I guess I’ll enjoy this journey while it last.’ He smiled walking down the hall into his room; with monitors set up displaying the palace’s premises, interior and Caramella’s bedroom. Keeping an eye on things; tomorrow is the day her best friends: Sandra and Amelia arrived with her daughter and niece.

Next day, at eight-thirty in the morning, the doorbell rang. Caramella and the guys were having breakfast at the moment made by Chef Yunoku.

Lucas stood up from his seat and said, ‘Don’t worry I’ll get it’ and thought, ‘Bunch of lazybones’ unlocking the front door and opened it revealing two gorgeous women with two girl around ten and eight with their suitcases in hand. He recognised them from their background check system. He greeted, ‘Good morning, ladies. You have arrived? Come on in.’

‘Thanks and morning to you too,’ Sandra said gesturing his name.

He answered, ‘Lucas’ and they followed him inside before locked the door.

‘Caramella and her parents told us about you guys were guarding her,’ Sandra answered.

‘Yeah, you what happen to her younger sister’ and they nodded sadly. ‘Her parents mentioned you’ll be staying with her for a year,’ Lucas added lightening the mood.

‘Yes, that’s about right,’ Amelia smiled.

‘Excuse me, Lucas, where is Aunt Caramella?’ Annabelle asked, Sam wanted to know also.

Lucas replied, ‘She’s just finishing up breakfast. I’ll take you her.’

They followed Lucas into the dining room where found Caramella looking up glaring at tall tan handsome guy.

‘Christiano, will you stop following me?’ She frowned.

‘It’s my job to follow your every step footstep, we don’t want another scene in the forest,’ Christiano smirked.

Caramella was about to answer she turned and saw her best friends and favourite little ones in the world.

‘Aunt Caramella! We’ve missed you so much!’ Annabelle and Sam ran into her arms.

‘Girls, you made it! I’ve missed you too,’ Caramella smiled brightly and she embraced them before looking at Sandra and Amelia who smirked.

‘Who’s your tall dark and handsome, Clara?’ Sandra quipped laughing.

About to answer, Christiano beat her to it, ‘I’m Christiano. It’s pleasure to meet you lovely ladies.’

‘The pleasure is all ours, Christiano,’ Amelia and Sandra answered shaking his hand.

Caramella frowned when Sandra walked up to her and whispered in her ear, ‘He’s the one for you, Caramella,’ and pulled back as she blushed with widely opened eyes.

‘No, he’s not. Don’t think about playing matchmaker with me, Sandra,’ Caramella warned in whisper as she watched her smiled with mischief as she thought, ‘Oh God, this won’t turn out good, save me.’