Stay With Me

Chapter Six - Part One

Chapter Six - Part I

Finally, the three of us reached the stairs and went up the ground floor. The moment we were outside the building, Mr. HS jerked his head to Ryan. I looked back to see Ryan disappearing into the building again.

“Thanks, Ryan.” I shouted to the closing door.

A faint sound of the door being shut, then silence.

I waited.

Still, silence.

I sighed. “You’re welcome.” I said to the door.

Mr. Hot Stuff chuckled behind me and I swung to him. His hands were in his pockets, his eyes on the ground and he was shaking his head.

“What’s funny?” I crossed my arm around my chest.

HS just shook his head at me, then asked. “So where’s your ride?”

“I didn’t bring my car.”

“Judging on your jeans and shoes, you don’t have a motorcycle.”

“I don’t have a motorcycle,” I confirmed.

Even in the dim-lit street and now-dark surrounding, I saw his brow furrowed. “So how did you get here?”

I shrugged and answered, “I walked.”

He froze and his eyes narrowed dangerously at me. Uh-oh.

“You… walked?”

I uncrossed my arms and just stared at him.

He started walking to me. My heart skipped a beat then started beating like a lunatic. I put my hands in front of me, palms out, trying to stop him from approaching any closer. I stayed exactly where I was, not willing to back down.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous this part of the neighbourhood is?”

“I know,” I muttered. “I would not dive into the dark waters if I know that I’d be eaten by sharks.”

He momentarily stopped walking, staring intently at me. I relaxed, relieved that he was not going any closer. Lord knew what I would do.

To my horror, he started coming again. This time, his steps are quicker and determined. Uh-oh again.

All the departments in my brain screamed, ‘Alert! Alert! Evacuate the premises immediately!’

Why the heck would I run away? I was not going to step back.

He kept his pace, his face cold and pissed-off— again. He was not going to stop. Oh my God. If I didn’t step back, he was going to collide with me. My body would be pressed firmly against his, his chest against mine—

Before I could finish the thought, I stepped back, not just a single step but a heck of a lot more. In my frantic state, I was pretty sure I was running— backwards.

My back hit the wall and I grunted, not because it hurt but because I had nowhere to go. In an instant, Mr. Hot Stuff was in front of me, and I pushed back to the wall.

“Riptide,” he muttered, his voice low and rumbling. I could almost feel the dangerous and scary waves emanating through him.

I blinked. “What?”

He ignored my question and went back to the previous topic. “Why did you walk? Damn, why are you even here?”

“It’s none of your business,” I snapped.