Angel of Mine by Jessica Louise Page A

against me as she jumps to her feet. Her back is to my front and I wrap her tightly in a bear hug so that she is unable to move. I am careful not to hold her arm that is still healing. I don’t want to hurt her accidentally.
    “No way in hell are you going over there sweetheart.” It practically comes out as a growl. An overwhelming need to protect her fills me. I will never let her know pain again. “I’m not letting you go this time. What happened last week, I’m never letting that happen again.”
    I’m unable to fathom why she would even consider going over there and taking my neighbour’s place. She’s still recovering from surgery. Does she know no bounds? This fearless woman wants to save everyone, but who is looking out for her? I make it my vow then and there to protect her at all costs. My whole world centres completely on her. In this moment, she just became my everything.
    I am disappointed that I am cutting our evening short, but the need to keep her safe is my top priority. I throw her over my shoulder as she continues to fight against me to get next door. “I’m getting you out of here.”
    My family looks at me strangely as I cart her through the house and out to my car. Once I have her seatbelt on safely, I run around to the driver’s side and jump in, turning the engine on before she has a chance of escape.
    “Did you really have to throw me over your shoulder like that and cart me around like a caveman? That man needed help,” she huffs and glares out the window.
    “Okay, let’s get one thing straight here.” I’m facing her, but she refuses to look at me.
    “Whatever Theo, I don’t want to hear it. Let’s just go.” With one hand in my face, and the other turning the radio on, she promptly tunes me out.
    “No, you need to hear this,” I urge back, pressing the off button as I do so. Adamant as ever, she turns it back on and crosses her arms. Fine, two can play at this game. I switch the engine off so the radio no longer works.
    “When it’s either your safety in question or the tough guy’s next door, I pick you. Hell, if it’s a choice between anyone else and you, I choose you. I will always choose you Ally. End of story. You’re my girlfriend, and I intend to look after you and keep you safe.” Finally, she turns to look at me with a huge smile across her face. This sassy girl’s moods are giving me whiplash.
    “Did you just call me your girlfriend?”
    By the look on her face, this is a good thing, so I reply, “Yes, and don’t you forget it.” Leaning in, I plant a quick kiss on her lips and then start the car again. As we back out the driveway, she turns on the radio and starts singing out of tune to a pop song, but I love her in spite of it. Wait, I love her? Yeah, I think I do. Smiling wide, I start singing out of tune right along with her as we drive off.
    The trip to her place is short, and I’m not ready to end our time together yet. “Want to watch another one of your movies?” I’m already undoing both our seatbelts though and making a move to come in regardless of what she says.
    “Sure.” It’s dark out now, and the streetlight shines in through the window, showing me that she’s still a little bleary-eyed from the alcohol. Her speech doesn’t slur though, so she’s not too bad. I hope that her mum won’t notice.
    Sounds come from the living room and Carol has the TV muted slightly as she concentrates on a ton of photos she has lying all over the floor. She sits on a red beanbag in front of them, sorting them into different piles.
    “Hi, how was the barbecue?” She smiles up at us, and Ally flops down on the couch as she answers.
    “It was great Mum. Rachel is an amazing cook. We were just going to watch a movie. Is that okay?”
    “No worries honey. Do you mind if I stick around for a few and finish sorting out these pictures? I won’t be long.”
    Not wanting to intrude on what Carol was doing before we got here, I assure her, “That’s