I Burn For You

Chapter 2

Anna POV

Then, he asked me again, his voice soft but firm, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I nodded, my voice shaky. “Yes… I’m okay.” But honestly, I wasn’t. I still felt the fear lingering, and the adrenaline was making it hard to think straight.

He looked at me with concern. “Why were you running like that?”

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should even tell him. But the words came out anyway. “I got lost here. My phone wasn’t working, and I couldn’t find the way out. Then... this guy started following me.” My voice trembled as I spoke, and I couldn’t stop the tears from falling again. “He was... he started harassing me. I got scared. I didn’t know what to do.”

I looked up at him through my tear-filled eyes, feeling vulnerable, but the way he listened made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I could trust him. His face was serious as he listened to every word, and it seemed like he genuinely cared.

“I was too scared to confront him,” I continued, my voice barely a whisper. “I just... I just want to go home.”

His expression softened, and he knelt down a little to meet my eyes. “You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you while I’m here. I promise.”

That’s when I really took in his appearance. He was tall—really tall. He had to be at least 6’5”, towering over me with a strong, masculine build. His broad shoulders filled out the black shirt he was wearing, and his muscular arms flexed slightly as he knelt beside me. Despite his intimidating size, there was a calmness about him, a reassuring energy that made me feel like I could let my guard down, if only for a moment. His dark hair was a bit tousled, and he had a serious, sharp look about him, but his eyes—his eyes were soft.

Something about the way he said I was safe now made me believe him, like nothing could go wrong while he was there. I nodded slowly, wiping the tears from my face.

“Tell me where you live, and I’ll take you home,” he offered, his voice gentle yet reassuring, though there was a firmness in his tone that made it clear he wasn’t just offering—it was almost a command, like he was determined to make sure I was okay.

I hesitated. After everything, I wasn’t sure if I could trust him fully. “Thank you, but I can manage. I just need to know how to get out of here,” I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

He didn’t push. “The exit is just a little further down that road,” he pointed out. “But if you change your mind, I can still take you.”

I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”

He nodded, understanding. “Alright, be careful.”

I started walking, glancing back once to see him heading back to his car. He didn’t follow me, which was a relief. I could tell he wasn’t a bad person, but after what had happened, I wasn’t ready to trust anyone.

I finally reached the exit, and as soon as I did, my phone buzzed with notifications. The signal was back. I checked the time and realized I had missed the interview. After everything, it didn’t even matter anymore. There was no way I could focus on an interview after what I had just gone through.

I took a deep breath, deciding to head home instead. The thought of being with my mom and sister brought me some comfort.

When I finally got home, I was greeted by the usual questions. “How was the interview?” my mom asked eagerly.

I didn’t have the energy to explain anything, so I just mumbled, “I’m really tired, Mom. Can I talk later?”

She nodded, her face full of concern, but she didn’t push. I went straight to my room, washed my face, and collapsed on the bed. My mind kept replaying everything—getting lost, that man following me, the car... the guy who helped me. Who was he? Why did he even care?

The whole place I had been stuck in felt so strange and unsettling. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about it. Why were the streets so empty? Why was there no one around?

And that man who helped me—he was a mystery too. His towering height, the way his black shirt fit his frame, and his calm demeanor. He seemed like someone who had everything under control. His deep voice still echoed in my head, and somehow, despite my fear, it had been comforting.

I tried to shake off the thoughts, but it wasn’t easy. What if that black car hadn’t shown up? What if I hadn’t run? The "what ifs" kept swirling in my mind until exhaustion finally pulled me into a restless sleep.

---

I woke up hours later, feeling groggy. My mom came into the room to check on me. “You should eat something, Anna.”

“I’m too tired, Mom,” I said, my voice muffled by the pillow. “I’ll eat later.”

She persisted, but I snapped, “Please, Mom, just let me sleep!” I felt a pang of guilt as soon as I said it, but I couldn’t take it back. She left the room quietly, and I sighed. I shouldn’t have spoken to her like that. She was just worried about me.

When I finally got up, it was almost dark. I went to the kitchen and found the food Mom had left for me. I ate quietly, feeling guilty for snapping at her earlier. Every bite felt heavy with the weight of my guilt. I couldn’t stop thinking about how she was only trying to help, and I had lashed out at her. It wasn’t her fault I had a terrible day. She didn’t know what had happened. How could she?

I imagined the worry in her eyes when I snapped at her. My mom didn’t deserve that. She’s always been so supportive of me, and here I was, pushing her away. I felt ashamed, and as I ate, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how selfish I had been.

After eating, I joined my mom and sister in the living room.

“Did you eat?” Mom asked softly.

“Yeah,” I replied,

“What about the interview? How did it go?” my sister asked, clearly interested.

I didn’t want to tell them about what had really happened, so I lied. “It went fine. I’ll just have to wait and see. But I’m applying for other jobs too.”

After that, I went back to my room, pretending everything was fine. I scrolled through my phone, applying for more jobs, trying to distract myself with music.

A little while later, my best friend called, and , I felt some sense of normalcy. We talked about everything our plans, what we were up to. We even planned a trip to the museum tomorrow. It felt good to talk about something normal for a change.

But even as we made plans, the events of the day lingered at the back of my mind. The eerie place, the man who harassed me, and the stranger who saved me—they all felt like....

To be continue..
Thank you so much readers and
next chapter will be coming soon..