Chapter 8- My Angel

He was unsettlingly silent after such a confession, making me feel like I shouldn't have said anything at all.

Maybe I waited too long to give him an answer. Maybe he didn't want this anymore and I lost my chance. Who knows? Maybe he found another woman in the time he gave me to 'think'. I mean, I wouldn't be too surprised. He is, after all, gorgeous.

"Tristan?" I called softly, not liking his silence. He shook his head once as if clearing his head. He shot me a quick nervous smile before refocusing on the road.

"Yea sorry I was just processing" He chuckled lightly. "I'm just surprised you decided so quickly that's all."

"Well after almost dying or being the target at least, I've noticed that I shouldn't be focusing on the what ifs and just go for what I want. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you." A blush crept up my cheek as I ended, and luckily he was driving so he didn't see.

He reached for my hand and held it tightly in his. He quickly glanced at me with an admiring smile before speaking again. "I do too"

I sighed in content as my focus was drawn to the huge white building, marking our destination. My attention was now focused on seeing the angel that saved my life as we pulled into the parking lot.

I spotted Emily just getting out of my car, so I hopped out of Tristan's high vehicle and headed over to her.

Nervously, I walked into the huge white building that smelled like hand sanitizer and bleach. Tristan was right behind us as we entered, and I quickly asked for the girl that was brought in with a bullet wound.

Apparently, she was in surgery, so we had to wait. I learnt that her name is Jessica McKenzie. She's just nineteen years old and she flew in from Texas to go to school here at Stanford.

That meant her family wouldn't arrive for a few hours at least. No one else came to visit her, so I assumed that either her friends weren't at the party, or they didn't know that she was caught in the crossfire.

I wanted to focus on where Tristan and I would go from here, but all I could think about was the nineteen year old college student that took a bullet for me.

She was here because some crazy woman tried to kill me. She didn't deserve this. I just prayed that she was okay, because I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her.

I laid my head on Emily's shoulder as we sat and waited. My eyes got droopy, but I dared not to close them. Ever so often when I heard footsteps, I would perk up at the sound, hoping that it was a doctor with good news. However, we sat there for over forty minutes waiting for news.

Another hour had passed before we were informed that the surgery was over; we only had to wait until she woke up from anesthesia. Tristan left to get us coffee, and Emily and I engaged in random conversation, since we were feeling better about Jessica's surgery.

"So Jake really told the lecturer to lick his balls?" I laughed, still trying to understand what Emily was telling me. That Jack, always a rascal.

"Yep" She struggled to say through her laughter. "Then he just got up and left the room. Haven't seen him since" She ended and we both erupted in quiet giggles.

"Okay ladies... One cappuccino for mah lady" Tristan interrupted as he handed me my second favourite thing in the world. I moaned at the very scent of the beverage. "And one Espresso for madam smiles a lot, extra milk" He winked, handing Emily her cup.

He's such a charmer.

"Why thank you Detective. " Emily gushed with a blush, causing me to roll my eyes at her attempt at being subtle.

Just then, a doctor appeared with a relaxed and cheerful look on his face, spiking hope in me again. "Are you here for Ms. McKenzie?" He asked, eyeing us all. I stood immediately with a curt nod.

"She's awake" He informed. "Right this way" He ushered us to the room where she was transferred after surgery.

Tristan held onto my shoulder gently, turning me around to face him. "I'll wait here until you get out okay? I have a few questions to ask her but not tonight" He whispered before gently kissing my temple.

I offered him a smile and handed him my half drunk coffee cup before following Emily inside. The minute I stepped in, I felt more reassured than ever.

She was laying on the bed with a small smile on her face as she watched something on the small television. When I closed the door, we seemed to have caught her attention as she looked at us. Her eyebrows scrunched into confusion as she eyed us, but just as fast, she replaced it with a gentle smile.

"Hey there," I whispered unnecessarily quietly, as if the tone of my voice would hurt her more.

"Hi. It's nice to have visitors" She said as I sat in the chair beside her bed.

I chuckled lightly as I darted my eyes to Emily before returning them back to her. "I'm Cianna. I'm from the party...You saved my life" I told her gently, not knowing if she held a grudge for putting her in this position.

Her eyes widened and her mouth made an 'O' as she eyed me. "Are you okay?" She asked, shocking me beyond measure.

"Am I okay?" I asked in disbelief. "I'm the one who's supposed to be asking you that."

"This ain't my first rodeo. I'm fine" She reassured me with a genuine smile, and I really had to wonder how she managed to be so jolly in a situation like this.

"Well I am so, so grateful for what you did back there. I want you to know that I am forever in debt to you"

"So am I" Emily talked for the first time. "You saved my best friend"

"Ah it was nothin'." She laughed lightly. "Nothin' like a party with a few shots am I right?" I couldn't help but bellow out a laugh at that.

She was really making pun jokes while laying in a hospital bed? I had a feeling that I'll really like this girl. I did already.

"Your timing and humour is top tier" I pointed out. "But for real Jessica, thank you"

"You're welcome. My folks always tell me that the good I do is all that matters. At first, I would go out of my way to live up to that saying, but then it just came naturally after a while, like instinct. Tonight was exactly that"

I offered her another sincere smile and held her small hand in mine." Well I'm glad you're okay. I'm not worth taking a bullet for" I said mostly to myself.

The world almost lost this great human being in place of a sassy meany like me.

"Nonsense. Every life is precious and so are you. I think we're gonna be great buds" She beamed brightly, lighting up the whole room. She's so sweet.

"I agree."

Suddenly, her face fell. I originally thought she was regretting that sentence until she spoke again.

"I reckon that shot wasn't an accident huh?" She asked with a troubled look on her face.

I matched her frown with a sigh. "No it wasn't. It's a long story really." I mumbled as my eyes flickered to the clock. "But it's far too late now. I think you should get some rest. I'll be back to see you tomorrow" I told her as I stood from the chair.

"Don't worry about the bill. I'll cover it" I added. "It's the least I can do" I rushed quickly, seeing that she was about to protest.

"Well okay... Y'all have a good night now" She offered sweetly.

"You too" Emily and I sang in unison before joining Tristan in the hallway again.

Emily decided to stay with me for the night, since her ride from campus left with the rest of the crowd after the gunshot. Like before, she took my car and I rode with Tristan.

We talked about the night on the way home, even though he didn't want to bring me to my house. Nonetheless, I reassured him that I'd be okay. Emily would be there too, so it wasn't like I'd be alone.

It was cute how concerned he got for me after knowing me for so little time. Maybe it was the cop in him, but I guess I'd find out soon enough.

A little after one in the morning, we pulled up to my house. For the most part, it looked intact. I guess our psycho didn't have time to come by and wreck my house or leave another message on the door.

If I was in any luck, I would assume that pulling a stunt that open and public would encourage her to leave town or stay low for a while. I just wanted a normal day for once after Sheldon's murder.

"Well this is me." I breathed shyly as I hopped from Tristan's jeep.

"You call me if you see or hear anything weird okay?" He whispered, holding my face between his large hands. I've come to realize that he liked doing that.

I simply nodded with a reassuring smile then attempted to head to my house, but he held onto my hand, halting my movements. I turned to face him again to see what he wanted. Even though I was very much tired, I managed to pull a smirk.

"What? Want a goodnight kiss?" I mumbled sexily, stepping back into his arms.

He snaked his arms around my waist and mimicked my smirk. "Well now that you've mentioned it" He mumbled, bringing his lips to mine in a small, sweet kiss.

I smiled against his lips, loving the way they fitted perfectly with mine as if they were made specifically for me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. Nothing like a kiss at 1 a.m. in the morning in my driveway with the sexiest detective ever.

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes with a small smile playing on his plump lips. The moonlight reflected from his eyes perfectly, like rays swimming on the horizon. I almost got lost in them, but his voice brought me back to reality.

"As much as I enjoyed that, that wasn't the reason why I pulled you back" He told me, not once looking from my eyes. "I wanted to ask you something important" This only got me alert. My mind swam with possibilities of what he wanted to ask me.

"Hey don't get so serious" He chuckled. " I just wanted to make this official, since you've made my wish come true"

I visibly relaxed in his arms as I waited for his 'important' question. He pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear and cupped my cheeks again.

"Cianna, will you make this official by going on a date with me?" He asked softly, like baby deer treading in pastures.

I chuckled lightly at how much he made it sound like a proposal, but I couldn't help but beam brightly at him before hopping on my tippy toes to recapture his lips in mine.

"Yes Tristan I'd love to" I told him once we broke the kiss. He stared at me as if I was the only thing existing in that moment, and I had to tell my heart not to fall too quickly.

He was making that very difficult.

"You don't know how scared I got tonight when I saw you at that house tonight" He confessed softly. "I'm so glad you're okay. Relieved actually."

"Hey I'm okay," I reassured him. "I'm always gonna be okay."

I held his face in my hands just like what he was doing with me, and I was just about to lean in for another kiss when bright headlights broke us apart. I didn't even notice that Emily was yet to arrive until that moment.

She parked in my driveway before jumping out with a very upset look on her face.

"Bih! Didn't you see me calling you? I totally forgot the way here" She huffed, sending me and Tristan in fits of laughter.

There isn't anybody like my Emily.