Calculated Coincidence

Twenty Eight

ALESSIA AMATO

"Haruki, you surprised me." I laugh awkwardly, a cold chill running down my spine. "I'm actually not feeling too well, I think I'll head back home." I push past him, barely missing his reach and quickly walk towards the exit.

"Alessia, wait." He calls after me.

"Tell Mia that I left, will you?" I shout, not turning back and shoot an anxious smile to the waiter which greeted me, who's now holding a worried look. 

Once I'm out of the building, which no longer hold pleasant memories, and glad that I got away, my hopes are shattered when a cold hand grabs my wrist.

"Could you just give me a moment of your time?!" Haruki shouts, pulling on my hand and forcefully turning me to face him.

"I'm not really feeling comfortable right now, could you please let me go?" I say, avoiding the angry look in his eyes.

"Just listen to me." He states, roughly pulling me to the side.

"Yeah, sure." I laugh nervously, trying to act obedient, hoping to calm him down.

"This is how it'll go, you'll come back with me inside and sit your pretty ass down at the table. We'll have a nice meal and get to know each other." Pushing me into the wall, he doesn't let go of my wrist, his face inches away from mine. "I like you, Alessia, and I'll give you what you need if you just be a good girl for me, alright?" His other hand makes its way to my face, his finger grazing my cheek.

I can't tear my wide eyes from the maniac look on his face. My heart is beating so hard I wonder if anybody else can hear it. This has to be some kind of sick joke. Who says things like that?

"I-I..." My scattered mind can't conjure any coherent sentence.

Screeching tires save me from replying and fill me with relief but also dread. Haruki doesn't seem to hear them because his gaze doesn't leave my lips. I hear the slam of a door and send a quick prayer to God for mercy on this foolish man.

"Get your hands away from her."
Haruki turns towards Liam and tightens his hold on my wrist.

I look towards my saviour but my vision is blurry. Why do I want to cry now that he's here? I blink away and rub a fallen tear with the back of my trembling hand.

Liam doesn't stop and gets to us in a couple of powerful strides. He's missing his jacket and his sleeves are rolled up. His attractive face is void of emotion but his icy eyes hold a promise of violence in them.

"You're interrupting us." Haruki informs and I wish he'd just shut up.

Liam stops inches away from him and grabs the wrist that's holding onto me, his muscles tensing. With his other hand he grabs the shorter man's shirt and pulls him towards his face.

"I told you to get your filthy hands away from her." He grits in Haruki's face.

I feel him letting go of me but I realise it's not on his own accord, Liam's crushing his wrist in his brutal hold. I lean against the wall and breathe out, trying to steady my breathing, clutching my pounding wrist to my chest.

Haruki's doing a great job of trying not to voice his pain but his groans give him away. The man holding onto him has a crazed look in his wild, blue eyes and a foreboding feeling creeps down my spine.

"You're not the only one that wants a taste of that pussy." Haruki chokes out and I just know he's signed away his death sentence.

Liam throws him against the wall beside me and I jump out the way. The tall man starts throwing ruthless punches and people start stopping and staring. The victim of his wrath starts coughing and I think I saw blood running down his nose.

"Liam." I call but he's too far in his spiral of rage.
I start panicking when I realise the only thing holding Haruki on his feet is Liam's deathly grip on his neck. "Liam! Stop, you'll kill him!"

He hesitates for a moment. "Liam! For God's sake, I'm speaking to you!" I scream, fed up with people watching but not doing a damn thing, with my wrist in pain, and most importantly with disgusting idiots treating others like objects.

Liam casts one last disgusted look at Haruki and lets go of him, causing the latter to fall to his knees. He makes his way to me, searching my body and his eyes zero in on the hand I'm still clutching to my chest. His steps falter.

"Please take me home." I quickly say and he abandons whatever crime he was intending to do.

The man pulls me into him, gently grabbing the back of my head and pressing a kiss to my forehead. I take in his comforting scent and we head towards his black car which he haphazardly parked.

Opening my door, he buckles me in when I get inside. He quickly does the same and we drive to our apartment. I sigh in relief once I finally feel safe beside him but tears threaten to fall down my cheeks when the adrenaline runs down.

"What happened, Alessia?" His angry voice breaks the silence but I have a feeling that emotion isn't directed towards me.

"He messaged me saying Mia will be here too." I say, my voice breaking.

The man's warm hand finds its way to my knee and I can't hold back the tears. His tight grip on the steering wheel turns his messed up knuckles white.

"It was stupid of me..."

"No, it wasn't." He cuts me off. "It wasn't your fault."

My eyes don't leave his hand on my knee. I watch as his knuckles bleed, the crimson liquid dripping onto my leg. I find that I'm not bothered to do anything about it.