"Good evening, sweetheart."
You feel your heart almost leap out of your chest at his voice. His voice... damn... he sounds so... hot. He had a rich, deep baritone, smooth and eloquent. It reminded you of something akin to honey or melted chocolate. You were so caught up with daydreaming about his voice that you forgot you were on the line. Snapping out of your trance, you fumbled over your words.
"He-h-hello...?"
"Hello there, are you feeling alright?"
"Uh- I- Y-yeah..."
You slapped your forehead at your stupidity. You were the one who called him so why were acting like a complete fool! Pull yourself together... You thought aloud.
"Pardon?"
"No- That was- I mean that for- I was just talking to myself, sorry."
God you wanted to crawl into a hole and just die. Then you hear him chuckle, the sound making your knees buckle slightly. You have made a mistake of not checking tending to your wounds carefully, as you yelped when you tried leaning against your right foot.
"What's happened sweetheart?"
You cursed silently, moving to sit on your bed. Checking the injury on your ankle. You must've got it from falling earlier. Earlier... You feel a lump build up on your throat.
"Um... Stephen... I know most people don't usually call for ranting but... I... I've just been overwhelmed by unfortunate events lately and it sucks because I have no idea what brought on all of these series of events, like, what did I do wrong? I'm just a college student trying to survive. My friends have their hands full already and I hate bothering them with my own issues-"
You faltered, only just realizing that you didn't even let him answer before spilling everything out. You idiot, this is why Jeremiah cheated on you, soon, not even your friends want you. You whimpered at your destructive thinking.
"I-I'm sorry for bothering you... You can hang up if you want to..." You whispered breathlessly, trying to hold back another sob.
"Not at all. Tell me everything sweetheart. I'll be right here."
"I-... Are you sure? I'm sorry if you were expecting phone sex or something, I'm not good with those but maybe if I tried hard enough I can-"
"Of course. Be at ease, I have not been expecting anything. I will not, under any circumstances, coerce you into something that you are not comfortable with. Now, as you were saying... You hate bothering your friends with your own issues. Care to elaborate, what exactly are the issues?"
You took a deep breath in, releasing your bottom lip that you had been unconsciously chewing for this whole time.
"E-earlier when I was at work, I clocked in just 4 minutes late but my manager was in a bad mood and started yelling all sorts of belittling words at me. He said that I- I was useless and that I-" You feel yourself choke on your words, "I was undeserving of being in college and-" You swallowed, waiting for him.
"....Go on."
You clutched onto the edge of your shirt nervously. Something about his tone intimidated you. Unlike earlier, he sounded... Mad. You hoped that it wasn't because of you.
"A-after work, when I was about to head home, he had asked me for a minute of his time. He apologized to me and said that he wouldn't shout at me again and that he'll take his anger out somewhere else. He had said this same line multiple times before so I knew better than to trust his words. This time was different... He... He placed his hand on my shoulder. At first I thought it was just a friendly gesture, like he was serious about it. Th-then," You whimper, "H-his hand starting getting lower and lower and I-"
You flinch when you hear something on his end shatter.
"Ah- Um... A-are you okay? Do you want me to stop?"
"I apologize for that, sweetheart. A small... incident on my part, nothing to worry about. You may resume."
You gulped at his tone, he sounded angrier with each passing word.
"I-I knew I couldn't let him just touch me like that so I... I- I slapped him... Th-then right after he called me a 'bitch' and how he was going to fire me," Tears slipped down your face as you sobbed, cradling the bruise on the side of your head, "I told him that he could fire me and he got angry a-and... And then he punched me, t-twice..."
"He what?!"
You yelp at the sudden raise of his tone, pulling your phone away from your ears. After hearing him clear his throat, you hear him revert back to speaking with his normal tone.
"I... Apologize for my outburst, sweetheart. I did not mean to frighten you. This... Manager of yours, tell me, what business is he working for?"
You tell him the shop's name.
"Ah... A measly business. Fear not. I will contact my associates about this."
"You don't have to! O-one of my coworkers is planning on finding a lawyer tomorrow, so it'll be alright. I appreciate your help, Stephen."
"...I see. Well, I wish you both the best of luck in serving that foul man justice."
You hummed in approval, smiling through your tears.
"You, however, need to seek medical attention post-haste. He has managed to land his hits twice and your injuries are without a doubt, agonizing. I would assume you have tried bringing the swelling down, nonetheless, it is still aching, is it not?"
You bit your lip at his accuracy.
"I'll be fine... Besides, the bruises will fade in a couple of days or- weeks... Maybe..."
"Nonsense, your bruises may worsen and who knows what god-awful symptoms you may develop. Are you able to disclose your bank account number? I will send you a small sum of money. Go get yourself checked."
You shake your head. Is this guy for real? But no! This is wrong, taking money from a stranger. It's shameful. You frowned, "No. It's alright, I assure you. I've suffered worse injuries than this, trust me. Okay how about this, if it still hurts by the end of tomorrow, I will seek your advice to get it checked. Deal?"
"...Very well, we have a deal," You hear him sigh, "You are, by far, the most obstinate woman that I have ever come across."
You giggled softly at his words. He wasn't wrong, your friends have always brought up your stubbornness in team-building introductions.
"Though, I cannot say that I dislike stubborn women. In fact, I have quite a liking towards them."
You went rigid at his words, feeling your cheeks heat up. Was he talking about... You?... You shake your head, there is no way... You laughed awkwardly at his words, failing to remember that your ankle was still injured. You used your feet to push yourself further back into the bed, with the intention of trying to get some rest. You winced, rubbing the sore ankle. Right... How were you going to get to the doctor, or anywhere with an ankle like this? I guess I'll just have to limp all day tomorrow. This sucks...
"Sweetheart, are you still with me?"
You fumbled, trying to steady your phone. "S-sorry, yeah... I just... Might have trouble walking tomorrow." No that came out wrong.
"Oh?"
"I-it's not what you think," You stutter, racing to explain yourself, "My ex came over earlier and he-" You bite your tongue to stop what you were about to say. It might be a bit too much if I told him what had transpired just minutes ago. If he was already this protective of me, just imagine what-
"He went over, and...?"
You scrambled through your brain trying to find an answer quickly, "He-... Tripped, me?"
Aaaaaand you just dug your own grave. Was that really the best you could come up with? Gods...
"...Sweetheart, as much as I love your jokes. Now is no such time for that. Tell me what happened."
You cringe at his tone, shrinking into the bed. You felt like a daughter being caught doing something bad by her father.
"Uh- He... He came over and asked me to forgive him. J-just a few days ago, I found out that he had cheated on me with some random girl and he lied about needing to help his friend, for context, ..." You recall the painful memory, "I left the house after him, taking everything I ever owned from his house and left. Ever since then, I've blocked him, or, better yet, my friends were the one that did it. They have pictures of what he said after I left and said that I should wait before seeing it. Those messages must've been horrible..."
You were met with silence on his end, did he get bored? Was he still there? His exhaled breath told you everything you needed to know.
"I... avoided him for a few days, thinking that he'd never find me again, but how wrong I was..." You caressed your ankle, "He came over and asked me to forgive him, that he'd change to be a better man and that he broke up with the other girl for me." You swallowed, getting ready for what you were about to tell him, "Th-then he... He... He saw the bruise on my cheek and started to call me derogatory words..."
Silence again, so you continued.
"After I told him to go away, he started to," you sob, "Kick my door down, in an attempt to break in. I must've got the injury on my ankle when I fell from his first kick, luckily, my neighbors heard the commotion and came out to stop him. He warned that he'll return and that I will 'regret every choice I have ever made' then ran away..."
You waited for a reply. Shifting uncomfortably on the mattress. Then there was a voice, it was soft, but you could hear it. He was whispering something about "despicable scum". From the effort of his voice, he seemed to be clenching his jaws. After a few more seconds of silence, you were tempted to tell him that it'll be alright and hang up. But before you could, he spoke.
"...Have you contacted the authorities about him?"
You fiddled with the hem of your shirt, "Not yet, I was about to but, I felt that I needed to calm down before I called them."
"Sweetheart, where do you reside?"
Your eyes widened in alarm, "Stephen, I appreciate that you're trying to help but, I'll be fine after I contact the po-"
"There will be no room for negotiation on this matter. You either tell me your estate, or, I find you, even if I have to scour the ends of this world."
You flinch at his harsh tone, biting your lip. Was it really alright to tell him your address? Will it be okay to trust a man you just met for less than a day? What if he was just a human trafficker trying to get his hands on you? But, he seemed really angry on your behalf and was even willing to send you money for your injuries. But what if this was all just-
"I see that I will have to do this the hard way. Very well then."
"No!"
"Trust me sweetheart, I would highly advise against testing my patience. Not many people do, as they know exactly what, I am capable of."
You feel goosebumps decorating your body at his dangerous tone. Without delaying any longer and potentially facing his wrath, you immediately gave him your address. He went quiet for a moment, it sounded like he muted himself. Oh god. Was this it? Was it really all just bait? Did you just set yourself up for human trafficking? Should you start running? What should you ta-
"See now, that wasn't so difficult, was it?"
"W-what did you do...?" You stutter shakily, hyperventilating a little.
"Relax. I have an.. 'Associate' who works with the police force very closely. I requested if he could investigate this matter, is all. I assure you that you are, and will be, safe."
You were still on edge, could he just be saying this to stall time for his friends to come pick you up? Could you trust this man? Should you just start running?
"By the way... I recommend that you fix your door soon. You did mention that he was trying to break in, hence the door is most likely damaged and he might return when you are most vulnerable. I know a friend who sells very advanced locks on doors. I could get it for you, if you wished."
"I-it's fine! I'll get it fixed tomorrow. Thank you for everything, Stephen, really. For taking the time to listen to my problems and helping me out with them. I'm sorry for suddenly springing all of this on you and making you think that it would be something else..."
"There isn't a need for apologies. Again, I wasn't expecting anything from this, at all. On top of that, it is not wrong to lend an ear to someone who desperately needs it."
You smile at his kindness, "I-its getting late, Stephen, sorry for keeping you up. You must be a busy man, and I've taken a portion of your precious time. I-I'll stop now and ge-"
"Wait, sweetheart."
You froze at his words, "What is it?"
He stayed silent for a minute, you hear him take a breath, then exhale.
"Do you trust me?"
You raised a brow at his sudden question. "I-I mean... I guess so? You kind of have my address and, you're rich and you could do whatever you wanted to, to me, if you really wan-"
"Never."
You sat there, stunned by his words. You were still hesitant in trusting some guy you met on the internet, if you were being honest. But you feel like you could start to open up to him more.
"W-what suddenly brought this up?"
"...I understand that we have only just met each other, and you might not believe me, even so, something in my heart wants to see you safe. Your injury, your past lover's threat, and I assume that you have financial issues as well, seeing as to how you are on this app. It pains me, that you're trying to carry all this weight on your own."
Your heart broke at his words. He was absolutely spot on, describing your exact situation. You sigh, trying to hold back your whimper. No stranger has ever cared for you this much. You covered your mouth and closed your eyes in an attempt to calm down.
"It must've been really tough. Trying to put on a strong face for the whole world to see, while hiding all the pain inside. I'm proud of you for that, but we both know that it is unhealthy for you."
At his words, you feel your conviction shatter. At first, a whimper, then a continuous cacophony of both. You tried stifling your wails with your hands, but you knew it was fruitless as he began speaking again.
"Would you... allow me to assist you in your troubles? I cannot promise that I will be perfect. However, I can assure you that I vow to do my utmost to make sure that you are completely safe and happy."
You sobbed even harder at his promise. You struggle to find words to reply to him. Please help me get out of this hell, please save me from this, please liberate me from everything.
"Please... Help me, Stephen..." You sobbed, breathless from all your crying.
"I am on my way, sweetheart," You hear him pause for a moment, "Stay put, I will head over to pick you up now." He says as you gape at his words, sniffling one last time in bewilderment. You hear him enter a car, and before you could even begin to rebut, he cut you off.
"I will see you soon, darling. Take care."
Then he hung up.
You stood frozen in complete and utter shock. What... WHAT. You begin panicking, what the hell were you supposed to do now?! He's coming, like, right now, right now! At that moment, you hear your phone chime. You unlock and check the message he sent.
Stephen Arthur:
There is one thing I forgot to mention. When we meet face to face, you will no doubt be startled and confused. The reasoning behind my actions and intentions will be explained, you have my absolute word on that.
You raised a brow. What does that even mean? Did he have some facial deformities or, physical deformities? You're not one to judge, you hope he knows that, or if he doesn't you will get him to see that. You slowly got up from your bed and limped your way to your wardrobe. There is no way you're letting him see you in your pajamas.
After you were done wiggling -gently- into your sweatpants, you threw on an oversized sweater, deciding that it would suffice for now. You grabbed a backpack and shoved some clothes, important items and other necessities inside. You slung the backpack over your shoulders and grabbed the tote bag containing your assignments.
But before you could finalize if you had everything, the ping on your phone made you limp back to your bed to check.
"I have arrived sweetheart. Let me know when you're about to exit your home, I will aid you down."
What?! That was quick! You dare not question his driving methods, nor the speed he was driving at. Quickly shoving the rest of the documents into the already full tote bag, you gave Stephen a quick text saying that you were ready to leave your apartment and your unit number.
Settling down on the front step of the dented door, you hastily put on your socks and shoes. Were you nervous? Absolutely. Do you feel nauseated at the thought of meeting someone for the first time? Without a doubt. Were you biting your already bleeding lip? Yep, quit biting your lip, you're going to look even horrible. You gulped, fiddling with the sleeves. What will he think of you? You definitely look way different from that profile picture. I mean, you were wearing make-up in that photo, courtesy of Ruby. If he sees you with a naked face and a bruised body, will he change his mind? Will he just leave? You hoped not because if he did any of those, you were certain that you wouldn't die by the hands of your psychotic ex, but by your own ones. A notification from your phone stiffed you up, you hesitantly opened it.
"I am outside."
Oh god, there it is. He was just right behind this flimsy door. He is actually here. You stayed sat, panic-stricken with thousands of scenarios playing in your head, anxiety chewing on your gut like always. You tried calming yourself down by taking deep breaths.
Until you heard a sudden knock on the door.
"Sweetheart, are you alright in there?"
"Y-yep! J-just give me a moment!"
Lord, his voice sounded so much better in real life. Taking a final deep breath in and out, you slowly stood up, cursing yourself for not sitting near a wall as you had nothing to support yourself with as you winced and groaned at the sharp sting of the injury. With a shaky step forward, you unlatched and unlocked the door, pulling it back.
He was right about your reaction being surprised and confused.
You were expecting a tanned, bearded and black-haired male but instead you gape up at a tall, handsome, blonde, sunglasses-wearing man. He was donned in a white, collared, long-sleeved shirt that hugged the delicious curves of his muscles just right. His sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, revealing his well-toned arms, a single prominent vein lining the length of it. On his wrist rested a black, leather watch. His shirt was neatly tucked into a well-ironed dress pants, held up by an equally black, leather belt. Covering both his feet was an elegant pair of black oxfords, gleaming under the light of the corridor.
You turned your head to look around, seeing if there was anyone else as he stared at you, completely silent. You finally rested your gaze on his glasses.
"Stephen...?"
His reaction was not what you expected. Instead of nodding or answering you immediately, his mouth parted slightly in what you think was shock. He glanced away for a moment, then cleared his throat, looking back at you.
"Yes, that would be me."
He gave you a curt smile, and you feel your face heating up. He reached a hand out, trying to take your bag, "Come, let me help you with that." You pushed his hand away politely, saying that you were able to carry it, but his grip said otherwise. "I insist, sweetheart." He yanked your bag, keeping a firm grip on your shoulder to steady you. You kept your mouth shut and complied, handing your bags to him.
He seemed pleased with your actions as you saw him smirk, slinging one side of your backpack on his other shoulder. You held out an arm for you, "Shall we?" You nod. With one hand clutched onto the straps of your tote bag, you looped your hand under his awaiting one. You feel him support your weight as you limped, glancing at him only to see that he was already keeping his eyes on you. You looked away instantly with a red face, hearing him chuckle softly.
Suddenly, he stopped, tugging you gently against his arm. You tilted your head up at him, "Is something wrong?" He contemplated about something for a moment, "Yes, I do believe there is." He lets go of your arm. You stiffened, thinking that you perhaps messed up, you opened your mouth ready to apologize, until you heard him clear his throat. "Pardon me, sweetheart."
Without warning he looped his arm behind your knees and in one smooth motion, carried you up from the floor, bridal-style. You yelp in surprise, clinging on to his neck. "W-wha...?!" He only gave you a small smile, "There, much better. Now we'll be able to reach the car in no time."
Your jaws were still open, dumbfounded by his sudden actions. As you feel him lean down slightly to push the button of the lift, you clutched tighter onto his shoulder, afraid to fall. In doing so, you took a deep breath in, taking a whiff of his very robust, aromatic cologne. God, he smelled so good... Wait what?! You only just met him! Calm yourself down, (Y/N)! You buried your head into his shoulder in fear that he would be able to see your red-hot face. You were almost sure at this point you had steam coming out of your ears.
Fortunately, he took the gesture as your fear of falling shifted you closer to him, "Worry not sweetheart, I will never drop you." At the feeling of his well-toned chest being just a thin fabric away from your arm, you buried your head deeper into his shoulder. You wanted to die, this is so embarrassing...
You feel him suck a breath, about to say something but the chime of the elevator cuts him off. He walks into it, his grip on your knees never faltering. You did your best to not move too much, trying to make his job easier, but your arms were starting to hurt from this position. Sensing your discomfort, he craned his neck to look at you, "You can relax, I am not going to bite you." You feel goosebumps tingle your spine as he whispers right next to your ear.
You let your arms down to rest against your hip, "S-sorry if I'm heavy or anything... You can put me down if your arms are getting tired..." You say, even though you have never felt his clutch loosen even for a moment. He chuckles, the sound makes something inside your stomach twist pleasantly, "Not at all, sweetheart. In fact, you are quite light for your age. Have you been eating your meals properly?"
Your brows creased together in hesitation. "M-maybe? I mean if you count eating instant noodles and frozen pizzas a-" He huffed, frowning at you. "Is that what you have been living off of? Cheap food?" You frowned feeling the slight sizzle of anger, "I don't really have a choice alright? I'm not you, I'm not rich, I don't get to feast on some grand meal or even eat 3 proper meals a day. Unlike you, I can't throw my money around unnecessarily." You tensed, realized what you had just said.
"I-I'm sorry- I didn't mean-" He kept silent as the elevator door opened. Fear gripped onto your heart, oh god he was so going to drop you and leave you for the dead. You messed up- Stupid, stupid! Why do you always mess things up? This is why you don't deserve nice th-
"Welcome back, sir." Your head turned to look at a man you assume was the chauffeur. He opens the door and takes the bag off of Stephen's broad shoulder, excusing himself. The man still hadn't said a word, as he leaned downwards, depositing you into the plush, leather seats. You continued to stare up at him, with slightly watery eyes.
He then entered the car, shutting the door as you both sat in silence. You focused on your fingers, fiddling nervously with them. You just pissed off a stranger who volunteered to save your life for god's sake! No doubt he is pissed, you would be, too.
You opened your mouth ready to apologize, but surprisingly, he did, first.
"I am truly sorry. I hadn't mean to offend you on your eating habits." He turned to finally look at your through his shades. You shook your head, "No, no! I should be the sorry one...! You're being kind enough to offer me shelter and safety and I'm being ungrateful to you, I-I am so sorry!" You bow your head down to him as best as you can.
Then you feel yourself suddenly pressed against his chest, the musky fragrance of his cologne delightfully attacks your sense of smell. You closed your eyes, taking a moment to respire through your tears. "I was only worried for your health. I know how damaging it can be to skip or miss a meal." You hear him breathe softly, cradling the back of your head with equal amounts of tenderness.
"I-I'm sorry... As you know, it has been a pretty long day for me. But it's no excuse to vent my frustration out on you. You've already shouldered enough of me pouring out my turmoil of emotions from earlier..." You sobbed into his shoulder, guilt gnawing in your mind endlessly.
"Think nothing of it. I am here for you now, and whenever you need me. I want to know everything about you, your feelings, your life," He pulls away, hand resting fondly on your cheek, "And now that I am here, you will never go hungry again, not on my watch." He raised his hands slowly, wiping the tears from your eyes, as you smiled and redden at his words.
"I really, really am grateful for it, Stephen." You thank him wholeheartedly. He lets go of you, resting a hand over yours on the seat. It was the gentle halt of the car that made you realize that the car had been moving this whole time. "You must be tired, my dear. How does a quick nap sound? I will wake you when we arrive." You pondered for a moment, before nodding, feeling the exhaustion finally crash down. With a yawn you leaned back onto the seat.
Before losing consciousness, you remember thinking about what was the reason he had used a picture of someone else instead of himself on the app. He looked plenty handsome and you were more than sure that if he had put his own picture, he'd have more than a handful of girls drooling over him. You shake off the unpleasant feeling that lingered at that thought, what was that? Going back to the topic, you thought maybe he was self-conscious about his looks, that could also be the reason why he's wearing the shades.
You should question him later, was your final thought as you dozed off.