Chapter 3
1424 Words
My savior slowly turns towards me, panting from the workout he’s just gone through punching that man. His muscular chest rises and falls with each breath he takes.
He almost looks godly with the evening glow setting around him.
He slowly, but ever so cautiously takes a step towards me, crouching to meet my eyes.
I involuntarily flinch as he lifts his hand.
“It’s OK, Snow. I won’t hurt you.” He says, making me frown.
“H-How do you know m-my name?” I stutter, trying to sound courageous but fail miserably.
His hands up in a surrendering manner, keeping them in my line of sight, he calmly places them on his bent knees.
“My name is Gregory. And the reason that I know your name, is because Mr. Evans hired me to protect you.” He says, waiting for my reply.
“Princeton hired you?” I ask with furrowed brows.
“Yes, he did.”
“Why?” I ask, deadpan.
“To protect you, of course.”
“I get that, but why?” I ask again, as my numbness finally subsides, letting in the pain of my assault.
With a hiss, I reposition myself on the ground.
“You’re hurt.” He states with a deep frown.
“Can I approach you and take a look? You’re bleeding from the side of your head and seem to have a nasty bruise forming on your cheek. I won’t touch anywhere else but your face and your throat. I promise” He says, surprising me.
I never expected him to ask for my consent to look at my injuries.
With a little apprehension, I nod.
I flinch again as his hand approaches my face. He stops before I nod again, giving him permission to touch me.
He slowly leans his body closer, concentrating on his examination of my injuries.
“I think you might need a few stitches on your head,” he says, lightly grazing what I’m guessing is the broken skin.
While he looks over my injuries, I take notice of his features.
He is tanned and has medium brown hair.
Bushy eyebrows and light brown eyes.
He has a few frown lines around his forehead and eyes. It gives him character, I think.
His lips are surrounded by a neatly trimmed beard and mustache, making him manlier than he already seems to be.
“Did you just hear me?” He asks softly, looking at me worriedly.
“What?” I answer blankly.
“I think you might have a concussion too.” He says with a sigh.
“I am going to place this arm under your knees, and this hand on your back to hold you up. I don’t think you should be walking right now, but you need medical attention. My car is near and I will take you to the hospital.” He says, showing me his arms and hand and pointing to where he’s going to place them.
I’m having a hard time comprehending what he’s doing.
“Why are you helping me?” I ask
He hangs his head down and takes in a deep breath before looking back at me.
“As I told you already, Mr. Evans hired me to protect you. You can call him on our way to the hospital to confirm, but I am talking you to one. You are injured, and you don’t seem to notice the extent of your injuries, which worries me even further.” He says, stepping closer and placing his arms and hands exactly where he says he would.
I gasp as he lifts me up effortlessly.
Taking wide strides, we make it to his car in barely two minutes. He opens the door and settles me gently on the front passenger seat. I hiss in pain when his arms rub against the underneath of my thighs as he takes his arm out from under me.
“Are you injured under your dress?” He asks, his frown deepening.
“I… Maybe. I think so. I don’t know” I answer, crimson red.
Tell me he won’t ask to see under my dress!? I think to myself, panic rising inside of me.
“Ok. We’ll let the doctor know as soon as we arrive at the hospital. They’ll want to make a thorough examination.”
I let out a breath of relief, making him shake his head.
“I won’t ever touch you where you would feel uncomfortable. I am not that kind of man.” He says.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
“No apologies needed.”
Looking around, something finally dawns on me.
“Your car’s parked close to my apartment,” I state, looking back at him.
“Yes, it is.”
“Why?” I ask.
He’ll think that all I can say if I keep asking ‘why’ for everything…
Raising an eyebrow, he shakes his head.
“As I already said, I’m here to protect you. How can I do that if I’m not close to you?”
“Since when?”
“Since when what?”
“Since when have you been following me?”
“For the past three days. Close, but far enough to not interfere in your daily life.”
Three days. That feeling of always being watched. It must have been him! Or it could have been that creep in the alley.
That realization makes my back straighten up.
“What's going to happen to t-that man in the alley?” I ask, my fear tightening around my throat, just like his hand had done.
“I’m on it. Don’t worry. He will never get to an inch of you ever again!” He says, his seriousness and determination making me smile lightly.
Taking his phone out of his pocket, he places it to his ear.
“Soren, it’s me. We’ve got a situation that needs taking care of.” He says, looking at me before resuming his conversation.
“No. Yes. In the alley five blocks from her apartment. Yes. She’s in my car and as safe as she can be considering. No, but almost.” He sighs, rubbing his forehead.
“Perfect. Keep in touch. I will. We’re just about to leave. Yes, we will call him on our way.”
He hangs up and crouches next to me.
“Can you buckle up yourself, or do you need help?”
I look up to the buckle and try grabbing it, but my pain has me flinching again.
“Here, let me. I’m going to be crowding you for a minute.”
He takes the buckle and steps back after the clicking sound is heard.
I’m surprised he’s keeping his words. Then again, I don’t even know this man. But for some inexplicable reason, I trust him more and more as the minutes go by.
He’s shown me from his actions and words, that he is trustworthy. And thinking about it now, if Princeton hired him to protect me, he must have great faith in him.
Making his way around the car, he settles himself in the driver's seat and turn on the engine.
“Try and stay awake until we get to the hospital. I’m sure you have a concussion and I want you to stay alert for me. Can you do that?”
“I’ll try”
“Good girl. Here, take my phone and call Princeton. I’m sure he’s worried about you. You were supposed to be at his place by now.” He says, handing me his phone.
“The number is already on, you just need to press the call button.” He says, getting onto the road.
“Gregory?”
“Princeton,” I say with a low croaking voice, my feeling bubbling and pouring out, along with the unshed tears I kept in since Gergory found me in the alley.
“Snow?! Are you alright? Why are you calling me from Gregory’s phone?” He asks, panic ringing in his voice.
“Can you meet us at the hospital?” I ask, not bothering to answer his questions.
“The hospital? Are you hurt? What happened?”
“I’ll explain when I see you there, can you come?” I ask, whipping away my tears, even though more keep falling.
With a resolved sigh, he answers.
“I’ll meet you there right away.”
Hanging up the phone, I give it back to Gregory and sigh again.
What happens now?
- Writer
