Kissed by danger

Chapter.4:Ran for your life

I was seriously shaking. My intentions were not to go through his things. I swear it was not… I only wanted to check up on him.

If I had known it would have gotten him infuriated, I would have swallowed my concern and stayed silent.

Ryan banged on my door again, this time with more pressure.

A sharp, thunderous slam against my door that made the hinges groan. The second hit was harder and more deliberate.

Like he wanted the door to feel pain.

“Open the damn door!!” he roared, his voice thunderous and venomous.

I froze, my breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. This was not how I imagined his behavior to be or maybe this is who he is, and I had just never seen the mask slip this far.

My legs buckled slightly beneath me, and I clutched the edge of the dresser for balance.

I was so scared of what he might do if I dared to open the door for him.

This was the first time I had been hit by him.

The sting on my cheek still pulsed, but it was nothing compared to the injury at the back of my head.

I had not even realized how deep it was until I felt the warm trickle of blood sliding down my neck.

I was shaking so much out of fear, it felt like my bones were rattling inside of me.

“Now listen to me carefully,” he said through the door, each word deliberate, like a knife being sharpened.

“Not a word of what happened this evening should go out… unless you have a death wish.”

And then there was silence.

Then I heard the sound of his footsteps retreating…..slow and heavy, like he wanted me to hear every step.

I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing so much while pressing both my hands over my mouth to keep my sob from escaping.

My body convulsed with silent cries. I didn’t want him to hear me. I didn’t want him to come back.

At that moment, I knew I needed medical attention, because I had a very deep cut at the back of my head and the pain was growing sharper, more intense.

I could feel the blood soaking into my shirt. But more than that….I needed to get out.

I needed to disappear before Ryan realized I was gone.

I didn't have many friends. Most people I knew were more acquaintances than lifelines.

But one name surfaced through my mind.

Gabriel.

Gabriel Brown is my senior colleague. We had graduated from the same medical school, though he is two years ahead of me and had gone abroad to further his studies. Now, he is quite renowned back home.

Gabriel had always looked out for me, so we were good friends.

He was the kind of person who noticed when you were quiet for too long.

After much hesitation, I took out my phone with trembling fingers…. It slipped once from my grip, clattering to the floor.

I snatched it up, wiped the screen with my sleeve, and dialed his number.

The call connected quickly.

“Sophia?" Gabriel's voice came through the line.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my voice. “Do you have some time?” I asked, forcing my tone to sound casual, even though my throat felt like sandpaper.

“I would like to meet with you.”

There was a pause at his end. Maybe he heard the strain in my voice. Maybe he just knew.

“Sure,” he said gently without asking questions.

Gabriel agreed immediately.

We arranged to meet at the hospital.

I slowly opened the door, brought out my head to confirm if Ryan was still lurking around somewhere…..

I slowly opened the door and got out, I won't be going with my car so that Ryan doesn't find out that I had left the house.

After I got out, I hailed a cab and it took me straight to St.Jude's Memorial Hospital where I met Gabriel already waiting for me…

When he saw me, he stood up so fast the chair he sat on scraped against the tiled floor.

He looked really shocked, then he narrowed his eyes and quickly noticed the blood on my shirt, the bruising on my cheek, the way I was holding my side tightly.

“Jesus, Sophia…” he whispered, stepping forward to hold me.

I tried to smile, but my lips barely moved. “Hey.”

He didn’t return the greeting. Instead, he gently took my arm and led me inside, past the reception desk, down the corridor to one of the private treatment rooms.

He didn't ask any questions. Just quiet urgency.

Gabriel carefully cleaned the wound at the back of my head with practiced hands, but I could feel the tension in his movements. His fingers were steady, but his jaw was tight. He didn’t speak until he finished stitching the cut.

“You’re lucky it wasn’t deeper,” he said, tossing the bloodied gauze into the bin. “You could’ve passed out from the blood loss.”

I nodded, staring at the wall. “I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

He turned to face me, arms folded. “What happened?”

I hesitated. My throat tightened. I could still hear Ryan’s voice echoing in my ears…..“unless you have a death wish.”

“I slipped,” I said quickly. “In the bathroom. Hit my head on the edge of the sink.”

Gabriel didn’t blink. “You slipped.”

“Yes.”

“And the bruises on your cheek?” He asked, sounding doubtful.

I looked down at my hands. “I panicked. I tried to get up too fast. I guess I hit myself.”

Then there was total silence for a second.

I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look up.

“You’re lying,” he said softly.

My heart pounded in my chest. “I am not.”

He stepped closer, crouching slightly so we were eye level. “Sophia, I’ve seen trauma. I’ve treated victims who’ve made up stories to protect the person who hurt them. I know what it looks like.”

I swallowed hard. “I’m not protecting anyone.”

“You’re bleeding. You’re shaking. You called me instead of going to the ER. You didn’t drive your car. You lied about how you got hurt. And you’re still looking over your shoulder like someone’s following you.”

I felt the tears sting my eyes again. I blinked them back.

“I just needed help,” I whispered.

Gabriel’s voice softened. “You have it. But I need to know what I’m dealing with. If someone did this to you, I need to know.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine now. I’m safe.”

He didn’t push further. Not yet. But I saw it in his eyes, he wasn’t letting this go.

He stood up, walked to the door, and locked it.

Then he turned back to me. “You’re staying here tonight. I’ll make sure no one gets in.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a hand.

“Don’t argue. You need rest. And I need time to figure out what the hell is going on.”

He stepped out to make arrangements, leaving me alone in the room.

I curled up on the hospital bed, the sterile sheets cool against my skin. My head throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

Gabriel was right. I was lying.

But if I told him the truth… Ryan wouldn’t just come after me.

He’d come after Gabriel too.

And I wasn’t ready to risk that.