A/N: Guys, please read this chapter and the next together. I wanted to publish them in one chapter, but it would become too long for my liking, so I split it in two and published them together. I hope you enjoy them.

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I was fucking seething by what I was seeing. I had been waiting by her locker for 20 fucking minutes, even before the bell rings in fear of not being able to see her. I was worried for her. I could ignore all of the stares and whispers, but it must have been so hard for her.

I had sent Chase and my friends away, not wanting them to scare her even more. I wasn't able to check on her to see if she was alright and I was slowly losing my patience.

That was when I saw her coming toward the lockers. For a second my breath hitched in my throat at the sight of her, although I did my best to look casual. She looked like a scared beautiful little angel. She had dropped her head trying to cover her flushed face with her hair.

Once again, I had caused her trouble. I just wanted to yell at everyone to look away from her and stop whispering. I would have done that if I was sure I wouldn't scare her and bring more attention to her.

But then my eyes saw how she was trying to hide at the side of someone she was walking with. I saw Miller and something growled in my heart at the sight of his fucking arm around her shoulders and how she was pushed to his side. His head was near her ear and he was whispering something to her.

Were they together???

The thought hit me hard, making me even angrier. I just wanted to rip his arm away and pull Eleanor to my chest. Miller looked up and his eyes hardened and he frowned when he saw me. He slowed down and I saw Eleanor looking up at him confused. He said something to her and she looked in my direction and her eyes widened a bit.

I felt a bit better when a ghost of a smile appeared on her face and she pushed herself a bit away from that fucker as they made their way to me. I kept my eyes on her, trying to calm down the beast inside of me.

"Hey." she said softly and her smile grew a bit as she stood in front of me.

"Hey, beautiful." I greeted her back, giving her a half smile, ignoring all of the idiots who were staring at us and the asshole named Miller who was glaring daggers at me. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks." she answered quietly as she opened her locker and placed her things there. "How are you?"

"Fine, now." I responded as I observed her with a smile as she opened her locker.

"What do you want?" asked Miller bitterly and crossed his arms, looking with calculating eyes at me.

On one hand, I appreciated how he was protective of her. It made me relieved to think she had someone to protect her a bit. But on the other hand, I hated the fact that had the guts to think that he can stand between me and her. I just gave him my coldest gaze before turning my eyes back to Eleanor, softening at the sight of her and ignoring Miller.

"I remembered that I didn't tell you that you will come with me after school to the hotel." I said. "We should sign the contract. But I also remembered that I don't have your number. So I decided to wait for you here."

"That's very nice of you." she smiled up at me and closed her locker. "But I could've gone myself."

"Yeah," said Miller bitterly, making me look up from Eleanor to him and we both glared at each other. "I would take her there."

"Such a gentleman." I scoffed and fisted my hands at my sides, controlling myself to not punch him straight in his face. "Sorry to ruin your dreams, mate, but we are going to work in the same place. It's only logical that I take her."

"Just hurt her, Harrington." seethed Miller and took a menacing step toward me, and stood beside Eleanor protectively. "And I will make sure you face hell on earth."

"Wow, I'm scared." I mocked and raised my eyebrows, looking at him up and down in a challenging manner, not liking how he was acting like her fucking boyfriend.

Again, Were they together???

"Guys, please." mumbled Eleanor so softly that it was almost inaudible in the sounds around us.

I looked down at her and saw her glancing frantically around us at a pile of students who were standing there, watching the scene eagerly. I glared at those idiots, causing them to snap out of their staring and walk their way.

I took a deep breath before turning my glare toward Miller. "You don't have to worry." I spat. "I won't hurt her again ever. That's a promise."

He just stared at me for a few seconds with narrowed eyes before looking down at Eleanor. I fucking hate how his eyes softened immediately at the sight of her.

"I should go now, Ella." he said. "Take care of yourself, okay? And you know you can call me whenever you need."

Eleanor's eyes suddenly turned a bit nervous and she grabbed his forearm. "Ethan ..." she began to say but he put his fucking hands on her arms and stopped her.

"Don't worry," he said softly while staring down at her adoringly with a smile. "I will go there straight from here. That's my plan. I will call you when I have more info. You've got this. I promise."

She relaxed visibly and stared at him with a warm grateful smile and sparkling eyes. "Thank you." she whispered.

I had to clench my fists and jaw tightly to stop myself from killing Miller when he bend down and softly kissed her forehead, making her shoulders relax even more. I fucking hated how she was responding to him and seemed so calm around him. My possessive side wanted her to only act like that around me. I wanted those eyes to only look at me like that with those sparkles.

God, I was jealous of Ethan fucking Miller.

I watched as he waved for Eleanor and walked away with a clenched jaw and tight fists. What were they talking about? What was he going to do for her?

"Chris!"

I snapped out of glaring daggers at Miller's back and looked down at Eleanor as I heard her soft voice calling me. My heart melted as I heard my name rolling off of her tongue like honey and I felt her small hand touching my arm, trying to gain my attention.

"Can we go please?" she asked once again nervously and put her hand on her side again.

"Yes." I answered shortly and together we walked out of the school's front doors and toward the parking lot. It took me a lot of control to not give in to the itching of my arms to be wrapped around Eleanor's body or to grab her hand. I didn't want to create more rumors and bother her more.

Once inside my car, I fished out my phone and opened the new contact page, and handed it to Eleanor. "Here, enter your number." I said. "Just call yourself after so you have my number too."

She nodded and grabbed my phone as I drove out of school perimeters. She gave my phone back silently and then stared out of the window and got lost in her thoughts. I was dying. I couldn't help the waves of envy that were pumping through my body with each beat of my heart.

I was going nuts. The silence and my lack of information about Eleanor's love life were driving me crazy. I was clenching and unclenching my fists around the steering wheel as we have stopped because of traffic.

I glanced at Eleanor. She was biting her bottom lip and her eyes were distant but full of a mix of hope, excitement, and nervousness.

Was it because of fucking Miller?

The thought made me snap. I couldn't take it anymore. I was bursting. "Are you together?" I asked finally breaking the silence.

Eleanor blinked several times and looked at me confused. "Pardon?" she asked.

"You and Miller." I said and looked ahead, not having the courage to look into her eyes. "Are you together?"

"Why are you asking?" she asked both shocked and confused.

"Are you?" I asked a bit irritated and glanced at her. I was afraid the steering wheel to break under my tight hold.

"No." she answered and my whole body relaxed at hearing the simple one word. "We are friends. I'm like his sister and he is like my brother. Nothing more. We established our relationship a while ago."

I sighed in relief and kept the steering wheel less tightly as I moved the car a bit. "Good." I grumbled satisfied. "I don't like him."

"Why?" she asked. "Ethan is a good boy. I owe him a lot. He has helped me so much."

"I just don't like him." I shrugged.

"Chris, are you fine?" she asked concerned. "You looked so tense when we met you at lockers now that I think."

"I'm fine." I answered reassuringly and smiled at her.

"Oh, it must be because of your breakup." she said and looked ahead as well and her face morphed into one unreadable one.

"Breakup?" I asked confused.

"Yes." she answered timidly. "I heard you broke up with Lara today. It must have been a hard emotional day for you."

Now I understood. To be honest, I had forgotten about my breakup. "Believe me, I'm fine." I said nonchalantly. "I feel more free than ever."

"It was my fault." she said quietly and looked down at her lap. "I was the reason for it."

As much as her sad and guilty face was killing me, I was satisfied that Mia had told her what had happened and yet she was sitting beside me not afraid of me. I wanted her to know that I had changed and would do anything in my power to protect her from shit.

"Hey!" I said softly and put my finger under her chin, making her look up into my eyes. "I told you before. My relationship with Lara was just a name. We were actually nothing. Even if you were the reason, you have done me a favor."

"That's a bit heartening." she said softly and gave me one of her warm smiles. "Mia told me what has happened. Thank you for defending me."

"I promised you, didn't I?" I puffed my chest proudly, gaining an adorable chuckle in return.

Satisfied, I turned to the road as the traffic moved a bit and she went back to staring out of the window and glancing at her phone from time to time. Now that I knew about her kind of relationship with Miller, I was relieved, yet still I was curious.

"What were you and Miller talking about in front of the lockers?" I asked casually when inside I was burning with the need to know. "What is he going to do for you?"

"Um, nothing." she answered hesitantly and looked away, her cheeks gaining a pink color. "It's not important."

From the look in her eyes, I knew it was important, but I decided not to ask more to be less of a creep. As much as I hate it, Miller was her friend for two years now. Of course, she trusted him more than I, and let me tell you, it hurts like bitch.

Finally, the traffic was open and soon we were in front of the hotel. I parked the car and we got out and went toward the building. I patted my pocket for my phone but groaned when I remembered I have left it in the car. Eleanor looked at me questioningly.

"I forgot my phone in the car." I said. "You go and wait for me in front of the elevator that we used yesterday. I see you in a minute."

She nodded and I ran toward the car. I quickly grabbed my phone and ran inside the hotel. Once inside, I quickly walked to the corridor that led to the staff elevator. But what I saw, made my blood boil.

Eleanor was walking toward the elevator when a boy who looked to be a few years older than us came out of a room with a few boxes in his hands. He didn't look in front of him in his rush and collided with Eleanor, who was just walking in front of the door.

As the result, Eleanor fell on her back to the floor with a thud, and the boxes scattered around her. The boy began yealing angrily at Eleanor who was trying to sit up while wincing and rubbing her back.

"You idiot!" yelled the boy and bent down to pick the boxes again. "Watch where you are going."

"I'm sorry." she apologized quickly as she tried to help him pick the boxes, her face full of the shadow of guilt.

Why the fuck was she apologizing????

He swatted her hand away and glared at her. "If I am late and get fired it's all your fault." he spat.

My blood boiled as I saw Eleanor's eyes grow wide and she paled, obviously feeling utterly paralyzed by guilt. I walked over to her quickly and gently helped her to her feet. I then glared at the boy with a murderous glint in my eyes.

"It's not her fucking fault." I growled. "It's you who should apologize, you clumsy ass."

The boy picked the last box before standing up as well and sending a dirty glare at us. "Get out of my way, you assholes." he spat before hurrying down the corridor.

I balled my fists, ready to go after him and beat him up, but Eleanor tightly grabbed my arm and stopped me. I turned and my eyes softened when I looked down at her sad and slightly frightened face.

"Please, Chris." she said. "Let's just go. It's okay."

"It's not fucking okay." I snarled and looked in the direction that the fucker had gone, not seeing him anymore. "He should apologize."

"Please." she pleaded desperately and I groaned as I see the pleading in her eyes.

I looked at her up and down and dusted off her clothes. "Are you fine?" I asked. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

She rubbed her back a bit and her face scrunched up with pain. "Just a slight pain in my back." she answered. "I'm fine."

I let out a deep breath and grabbed her hand gently. "I should not leave you out of my sight." I grumbled. "I hate to see you hurt."

I glanced at my side and saw she had dropped her head, trying to hide her flushed cheeks while biting her lip, trying to suppress her smile. She had liked what I had said for sure that made me smirk proudly.

How was she able to bring me down from the peek of anger in a second????

I had asked Jax which floor we should go to previously, so soon we were standing in front of the office that belonged to the manager of the restaurant. I knocked and we entered when someone let us in.

A middle-aged lady had sat behind a desk with a stern look and was typing on her laptop. She could easily be a school principal with her cold and stern face and her thin glasses. Her hair had been pulled into a neat bun on top of her head.

"Hello, ma'am." greeted Eleanor politely.

The woman looked up from her laptop and gazed at us from above her glasses. Her eyes fell on me first. "Ah, Mr. Harrignton." she said and looked at Eleanor beside me. "And you must be Miss. James."

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am." answered Eleanor, giving her one of her warm smiles.

"Hello, Mrs. Pine." I greeted as well. "Jax told me to meet you for the contracts."

"Have a seat please." said Mrs. Pine and gestured to the chairs that were around the glass table that was in front of her desk.

Eleanor and I sat on the seats beside each other as Mrs. Pine took out a folder and brought out two sets of papers from inside. She stood up and walked around her desk to us. She was fairly tall with a slim body that was covered with a navy blue pencil skirt and a white blouse. She looked so formal, not the type to mess with.

She set the contracts in front of us and walked to her chair again. "Those are your contracts." she began to explain. "Read all the details before you fill in the blanks and sign them. There is no difference in your contracts with the others just because the boss has recommended you. You also will be treated like the others."

Eleanor and I nodded before we went to reading the few pages of the contracts. I frowned when I saw my starting date.

"Why my starting day is 10 days later?" I asked and looked up at Mrs. Pine.

"I was informed by your brother that you had an accident two days ago." answered Mrs. Pine with no emotion in her eyes or tone. "Your right arm has a wound on it with stitches. I won't risk you messing up in my restaurant because of pain or tiredness. You will start when you remove the stitches."

I opened my mouth to protest but she raised a hand and stopped me. "I will hear no protest, Mr. Harrington." she said sternly. "I have already risked our reputation by accepting your brother's recommendation to hire two teenagers. You two will have a hard month ahead of you and I will keep a close eye on you. Any mistakes and you will be fired. I accept no mistakes. Our customers are mostly from rich status and are so important for us. We can afford no mistakes at all."

"You won't be disappointed, Ma'am." answered Eleanor firmly.

I looked down at her and was shocked to see her eyes full of determination.

"Good," said Mrs. Pine and I could detect satisfaction laced in her voice. "Now fill your contracts and sign them. I will give you a tour of the restaurant and will explain your responsibility before giving you your uniforms. Miss. James, you can start from today."

Soon Eleanor and I signed our contracts. I had filled Eleanor's bank account as I had promised although she fought again before letting me right down the number. For the first time in my life besides playing football, I was feeling like I was doing something worthy.