A Piece of Your Heart

I didn’t know where I was going. Or rather, where ‘we’ were going.

I was too dazed to process my surroundings, so I let myself get dragged around by the stranger, instinctively trusting him with my safety despite this night being the first time that we actually met and interacted.

I panted heavily as my legs started feeling heavier by the second, adrenaline coursing through my body from fear and anxiety. I kept getting tempted to turn my head to see if we were still being followed, but I couldn’t move. I could only run. The only thing in my head was to run and find solace.

We had probably been running for about five minutes before the stranger finally stopped somewhere, a corner where there was a 24/7 convenience store nearby. From my peripheral vision, I could see some people walking by and the occasional car speeding down the road.

I let out a breath that I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

We were safe. Finally.

The stranger let go of my wrist. He was panting almost as heavily as I was.

After all, I was far worse. I was so exhausted from the fear and all the running that my body leaned forward while I gripped my knees, gasping for breath. My chest heaved up and down as my lungs struggled for air.

The adrenaline was slowly fading away, and I was finally starting to get a hold of myself.

But before I could straighten my posture, the stranger’s voice drifted into my ears.

“Are you okay?”

His voice was pretty much what I had initially expected. With his gentle, scholarly look, I figured that he had a soft, almost melodic tone of voice that had a charm of its own.

When I straightened my back, I finally got a good look at my rescuer.

Up close, he was not like what I expected at all. His normally slightly tousled dark hair was now completely messy from the run just now, his glasses were slightly crooked, and a few beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face. He had a mature air about him, making me think that he might be in his late twenties or early thirties.

The street lamp nearby highlighted his features in a dreamy glow as he sent me a charming smile, his clear blue eyes almost taking my breath away with their beauty. He looked younger when he smiled, like a young adult fresh out of college.

And in my mind, I could only think of one thing.

‘What an incredibly handsome man.’

“I’m okay,” I said breathlessly.

My heart was pounding. It might be because I ran so hard. I didn’t know and I didn’t have the energy to mull over it.

The man exhaled a long, relieved breath. “That’s good. That’s good…” He swallowed, seemingly trying to calm himself down from the shock and adrenaline. “I was almost too late. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about. Please don’t apologize,” I said.

It was true. He helped me out just before I could get caught by those men. It was a narrow escape from danger, possibly even a close brush with death. I felt nothing else except gratitude towards this man who came to save me just in the nick of time.

“By the way!” I said, suddenly remembering something very important. “That-That woman… we should call the police! She was about to get kidnapped earlier when-”

“Oh, please don’t worry,” the man said quickly. “I already called them.”

“You… You did?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “The reason why I took my time to save you was because I had to take a look at the license plate on their van. I reported it immediately and the police said that they’d come right away.”

“But… would they get there in time? That woman…”

“I know you’re worried. I am, too,” the man said quietly. “But we can’t do anything else right now. I gave the operator my number before I stepped in to save you. I’m sure the police will contact me if anything ever happens.”

I closed my eyes, praying that the poor woman would be safe.

He was right. There wasn’t anything else we could do.

At least he reported the license plate. That would probably help the police track those men down.

“By the way, I… I do have something to be sorry about towards you,” the man stammered, nervously lifting his hand to properly adjust his glasses.

I was puzzled. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry. Please don’t think I’m weird,” he said quickly. “I’ve been… following you every night whenever you finish work.”

What? “…Excuse me?”

“I-It’s not what you think!” His expression became more nervous, causing him to look much younger than his age. “I just wanted to make sure that you get home safely. I have no bad intentions, I promise.”

I took a wary step back. “How would I know that?” I said suspiciously.

The world wasn’t a safe place, after all. Who knew if this was just some sort of new tactic to lure vulnerable women like me into a trap? He was a stranger to me, and he had no obligation whatsoever to see if I got home safely.

Or worse…

I paled at the mere thought of it.

What if he already knew where I lived?

My thoughts must’ve been obvious in my expression since he quickly raised his arms in a form of surrender. “I’m sorry… I was just worried about you,” he said. “I mean… you’re a woman who goes home late at night. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not your responsibility.”

The man instantly looked guilty. “Yes, I realize… I’m very sorry, truly. I know I’m someone you just met, but the truth is, our first meeting was a long while back…”

“What?”

My mind was jumbled. It was true that I did think he looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger where I saw him for the first time.

I stared into his eyes and tried to search for any sign of deception, but I could only find anxiety and sincerity.

I wasn’t the type who could read other people well, but so far, this man didn’t seem that dangerous.

He even risked his life to help me back there. He didn’t have to step in, but he did. He even took me to a public place, and I knew that a convenience store like this one had CCTV cameras placed outside as well.

I thought about it for a moment before finally coming to a decision.

“All right. I’ll hear you out. First, we should go inside,” I offered, gesturing towards the store.

His eyes followed the direction where I was pointing, and then he nodded.

Ten minutes later, we were seated near the exit of the store, instant noodles simmering in boiling water on the table before us. He wanted to pay for the food, but I insisted. After all, he was the one who saved me, not the other way around.

“It would be rude for me not to repay you,” I told him.

He gave up with that, probably sensing that I was stubborn whenever I decided on something.

He sat there for a while, taking off his coat and setting it down on the empty chair next to him.

While he was busy settling down, I took this opportunity to observe him a little more closely.

There were many things that I noticed about him so far. He seemed like a silent and awkward type of person, which was a little puzzling since he looked a little older than I was. Maybe he was actually younger than he looked, and the glasses were the ones that gave off his mature vibe? I wasn’t exactly sure.

Next were the accessories that he wore on his body. His clothes seemed ordinary enough but also trendy, but at a closer look, he was wearing a silver necklace around his neck, and he had a gorgeous watch around his wrist that I recognized as a luxury brand.

He was also wearing two rings on his right hand, both of them silver and wrapped around his middle finger. The craftsmanship was intricate and elegant, and both of them looked similar to each other, like couple rings.

The only thing that set them apart was the large stones at the center of each ring. One stone was a deep, rich blue, while the other was a shade of red that resembled dark wine.

The designs, especially on the outer edge, were detailed and beautiful, which made me think that they must’ve cost at least hundreds of dollars.

‘A rich man, huh…’ I thought to myself. ‘What does he really want with me, I wonder?’

“So,” I began, fiddling with the strap of my bag. “When did the two of us first meet?”